Social proof (also known as informational social influence) is a "psychological and social phenomenon referring to people’s reliance on the feedback and actions of others to determine what is right and what is wrong in a given situation." Social proof is the idea that people will make decisions based on what other people do. When you are purchasing a product, you're handing over your money in the hope that you will get satisfaction in return. Ever heard of the term "Fashion Trends'' - the very basic concept of this is the mentality to adopt the behavior of the people like us. We assume that when the majority of people make a decision then it's a good decision for us as well. The power of social proof comes from uncertainty of the customers, similarity with your peers, expertise your peers have and number of people that have made a decision.
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Car shoppers today are a savvy bunch. Before they step into a dealership, the consumer is likely to have done their homework; researching what vehicle fits their needs and where to shop. They ask family, friends and co-workers what they like about their cars and where they bought them. Another resource that has gained influence with consumers is online reviews. The problem with native reviews is that they’ve been traditionally abused by unscrupulous business owners who have edited bad reviews, removed them altogether, or even created fake reviews.
Social proof doesn’t get more straightforward than it does with testimonials. Testimonials are written or video endorsements from real customers who share their experience with a product or service and recommend it to other potential customers. When it comes to car dealerships, the success of the business depends heavily on word of mouth. Testimonials are formal forms of expression that support that concept. They are extremely powerful tools when it comes to strengthening your branding. Testimonials strengthen the credibility of you and your dealership and as you know, people will not do business with you if they don’t trust you and find you to be credible. In addition to communicating with your audience, another essential goal of your marketing materials should involve building as much trust and credibility as you can. Your customers don't just want to know that you can solve their problem - they want to know that you can do it better than anyone else. Customers are more likely to make a purchase after watching a testimonial video demonstrating how a business, product or service had helped another person like them. As long as your past customers have had positive experiences with your brand, testimonials are pretty hard to mess up. Customers believe in what's being advertised when they identify the source of the information and testimonials provide the perfect way to bridge this gap.
When designing a website, there are certain things to consider the most, some call them the X-factors. One of the most interesting web design X-factors is the Testimonials section. The key is to sell an experience - so testimonial images are better than the text, and video testimonials are even more effective. Written testimonials are good, but video testimonials are even more compelling; they humanise the person sharing their experience, appeal to today’s video-obsessed consumer, and show the emotion and intention behind someone’s words. With a video, you can see a real-life customer explaining thoroughly and convincingly what made the process so great. This leaves no doubt in the mind of the visitor that there is something special about the experience you are selling them.
Credibility is essential to the success of your business. Strategic and intelligent use of testimonials can go a long way in promoting your business. The more online visibility and stronger reputation you have and continue to maintain, the stronger your business will become.