Discover 3 Alternative Methods to Boost Quality Testimonials

Here are three alternatives to increase your testimonial
numbers or their quality. Create an online diary or blog,
use an auto responder method, set up a form on your web site
or set up a survey.

1 -- Set up an Online Diary

Usually an online diary is a fun way to keep friends and
family up to date on what is going on in your life. Online
diaries can also be used for testimonial submission with
conversational style recommendations about your
product/service. Online diaries are offered on many web
sites, even famous persons like Oprah, Dr. Phil, or Tony
Robbins.

You set it up on their site and paste the page link into
your "thank you for purchase" auto responder, on your web
site or into other marketing materials. Include a 1-2-3
learning experience on what is included in a good
testimonial with various examples. People will appreciate
the learning opportunity by taking the time to complete the
process. In addition, their quality will increase.

Online diaries are updated frequently, thus giving a higher
perceived value. They also have a warmer conversational
style that increases reader connection. Because a diary is
considered "private", it increases curiosity and they will
read longer.

Two additional blessings are that you will save transfer
time and others will read the other comments.

The offside is that you will want to monitor the entries to
avoid some kids having fun.

You can also enter regularly updated customer comments
received through other means on the product/service improved
their life.

You can increase credibility by including the customer's
profile. Include their picture or audio testimonial or a
video segment of them using the product. You can also scan
in and include handwritten letters or notes you receive.

A blog is an upgrade of the online diary with additional
controls.

There was online diary software available to help you set up
your own online diary, however, blog software replaced it.

Resources:

Set up your own diary at: http://www.diaryland.com/. They
provide a personalized URL: your-name.diaryland.com. I
recommend this resource because I like the personalization
capability.

Here is a course on how to set up an online diary at:
http://personalweb.about.com/cs/htmltutorials/a/310emailcour
se.htm

Here is some great startup information on blogs:
http://www.creativity-portal.com/howto/writing/blogging.html

2 -- Auto responder Method

After they make a purchase or receive a freebie set up an
automatic auto responder requesting a testimonial. You can
include a link to the online diary as the only choice or as
part of multiple submission options.

If you offer an ecourse, forward them a progress report
request. This can easily be set up in the auto responder
system for easier production. Ask them no more than 3-5
questions that don't encourage yes/ no answers. Ask them to
rate their learning experience or make suggestions too.

Resources:

All about auto responders:
http://marketing-of-
training.com/expert_advisors/ask_massimo/2002-03-23.htm

How to Write a High-Profit Auto responder Series
http://javafaq.nu/article232.html

How to Use an Automatic Responder for Effective Prospect
Follow-up
http://www.isitebuild.com/automatic_responder.htm

3 -- Fill-in-the-Blank or Multiple Choice Form

You can design a "fill in the blank" or "multiple choice"
form in HTML or in text. HTML is easier to complete yet can
take too long to down load if long or in some international
browsers.

You can send the form through an auto responder system
before or after completing something. They make the
purchase you automatically send them the form. The form
makes submission easier for them to complete and will
increase the response rate.

There are software packages and vendors who will set up this
form and track the results for you.

Resources:

How to Write HTML forms:
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/
http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/interact/forms.html#h-17.1

3. Web Survey Collecting

Use web surveys to gather their recommendations. There is
software to help you create surveys and track the results.
Survey hosting can be an online based or PC-based product.

Web Survey Software

Perseus Software: Free trial offered, several versions
available, price range $495-$995
http://www.perseusdevelopment.com/softwareprod/download.html

Survey-Said software
http://www.surveysaid.com/survey-software-introduction.html

Hosted Software http://www.hostedsurvey.com/
Survey Pro http://apian.com/ $1195

Survey Vendors

SurveyMonkey.com http://www.surveymonkey.com. Basic is
free, upgrade is $19.95. They offer a great comparison
chart that I found very interesting.

Free White Papers, Articles, and ebooks on Survey How-tos.

How to conduct a web survey:
http://www.websurveyor.com/create-an-online-survey.asp

Top-10 Web Survey Issues and How to Address Them
http://www.digitalbiz.com/pages/library/research op_10.html

Set Your Web Survey Goals
http://www.workz.com/cgi-bin/gt pl_page.html,template=
1&content=1326&nav1=1&

Perseus offers seven different white papers that will expand
your knowledge on taking surveys.
http://www.perseusdevelopment.com/surveytips/whitepapers.htm
l

BONUS

Four areas that will increase the quality of your
testimonials:

1. Ask them what their goal was for using the
product/service
2. What positive emotions did they experience by using the
product/service?
3. Did they experience any reduction in fears and concerns
after using the product/service? What worries were removed
from their lives? (Before and after picture)
4. How did _______ help other people in their lives?