Did you know that most purchase decisions start with research?
The reason behind this is simple. People want to know that the product or service they are about to buy can be trusted. But it’s difficult to build that trust when you have just started your business. That’s where social proof comes into play.
Adding a few social proofs to your business website can help you build the trust that people are looking for. But what kind of social proof do you add to your business to build credibility and increase your conversions?
We’ll look deeper into it in a few seconds. But before that, let’s first understand what exactly this social proof is.
What is Social Proof?
Social proof is a social and psychological phenomenon where users look for other people’s validation so that they can decide their actions in a specific situation. For example, if you want to buy a product, you’ll be more comfortable purchasing it if there are tons of positive reviews about it.
In a way, these reviews are like testimonials for your products or services. The most common forms of social proof are reviews and ratings. But that’s not it. There are various other forms of social proofs too, that you can use for your business.
So let’s have a quick look at some of them.
1. Social Proof Notifications
Social proof notification is one of the most trusted forms of social proof that you can use on your website or blog. It helps you display real-time notifications of your users taking action on your website. This can be when they sign up for your email newsletters, buy your products, etc.
When your visitors see other real people taking action on your site, they feel motivated to do the same. Such notifications build trust and make it easier for your users to take action on your site based on other people’s actions. It’s a wonderful way to boost your sales and increase your conversions.
If you’re not sure how to add social notifications to your site, you can use TrustPulse. This tool is super easy to use and offers tons of amazing features like real-time event tracking, smart targeting, “on-fire” notifications, and more.
2. Written Testimonials
Written testimonials are super-effective when it comes to convincing your users about how effective your products and services are. You can use real customer images on your testimonials to make them appear more authentic.
Adding written testimonials to your site can help overcome skepticism and build credibility for your products or services. Also, since they are written by real people who have already used your products or services, they appear to be more candid and unbiased.
2. Number of Email Subscribers
Your email subscribers tell a lot about your business. People will subscribe to your newsletters only if they find them helpful. So if you have a strong subscriber number, just show it off. It’s a great way to encourage your visitors to sign up for it.
Here’s how we use this tip on WPBeginner.
However, it is to be noted that this tip is helpful only if you have a big number. So it’s important to build your email list from day one. In fact, you can get started the moment you purchase your domain name.
All you have to do is create a beautiful coming soon page for your domain, and add a hint of what’s coming up. You can use your creativity to make this page interesting enough to arouse curiosity amongst your visitors. Then add a CTA for people to submit their email address with a promise to notify them as soon as the site goes live.
And that’s it. Your list-building game is now on. And by the time your site is ready, you’ll already have a long list of email addresses. To make the strategy work better, you can promote the page on social media for more engagement.
3. User Generated Content
User-generated content(UGC) is another very powerful form of social proof that can help build credibility and trust amongst your users. UGC is nothing but content related to your business in different formats(images, videos, written content, etc) that are created by your existing customers.
Image Source: Shein
Such content works best because they are not created by your representatives. Rather these are real people who have tried and tested your product. This means the content created by them is non-promotional and unbiased which makes them more authentic. People trust such content and are encouraged to take action based on them.
So encourage your users to create such content for your products. You can offer them credit points for adding this content to your website and allow them to redeem the points when they make their next purchase.
4. Best Seller Banners
Another brilliant example of social proof is to add a best seller banner to your products. Using a best seller banner removes decision fatigue and helps the customer decide which product they want to buy. It tells them what people are currently opting for.
You’ll see most booksellers using this tactic. But now various eCommerce marketers have opted for this trick too. It’s an easy way to help your users make a decision and boost your conversions.
So there you have it. Now it’s your turn to use these powerful social proof examples on your blog to improve the effectiveness of your marketing strategy. But don’t limit yourself to just the ones mentioned above.
These are just a few examples. There are a lot more, that you can use for your business. And if you have already been using any other form of social proof, don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Syed Balkhi is an award-winning entrepreneur and online marketing expert. He is the co-founder of OptinMonster, WPBeginner, MonsterInsights, and WPForms.