Testimonials and Case Studies
Testimonials
“Your business exists to generate testimonials.” That is some advice I received. If like me you are just starting out, testimonials are essential and somewhat elusive. In time, as you work for customers, you will be able to collect them.
The first thing to remember is: ask for them! You may receive them unsolicited but you may be waiting forever. I ask for a testimonial as a part of my proposal documents, so the customer knows it is a part of our agreement. Indeed, even where I am working gratis, I still ask for a testimonial. Sometimes I ask for comments on a particular aspect of the work.
You can ask for a written testimonial and it is also worth exploring whether there are photos you can use, of the customer or of something to do with the work. Some customers may even be able to prepare a video. The advantage here is that you are less likely to be suspected of editing the testimonial!
Some websites have a special section for testimonials. This is not a good idea. Why should anyone visit your testimonial page? It’s always going to sound a bit “salesy”! It’s much better to add testimonials into your copy, alongside the benefits of your product, service or cause.
Case Studies
Case studies are a fuller account of the work you’ve done for a customer. I’ve just started to think about this seriously. I’m finding I’m often working on existing websites. I’ve realised I should be taking screenshots before I start work on them, so that I can illustrate the changes I have made! If I keep a record of the work I do I can turn it into blog posts. If the customer is happy to contribute to the case study, so much the better. A case study is an obvious place to include a testimonial.
This is just as important with causes as it is with selling products or services. If your aim is to persuade new people to take action, you must persuade your visitors to take part. If your cause is in support of a third-party, eg you collect donations to help some group, then your evidence can cover beneficiaries as well as those who contribute to the cause.
I shall be introducing testimonials and case studies to this site over the next few weeks. The first appeared last Friday, with Hope for the Future and there more will appear in the near future. What approaches have you found to illustrating the effects of your work on customers, users or beneficiaries?