The Top 5 Benefits of Testimonials for Your Business

Let’s be honest! Whether your business is online or offline, trust is that magnet that keeps customers coming back. 

Of course that long-term trust is built on how good you are with what you offer. However, for customers who haven’t heard of you yet, how can they tell that if your business is legit? 

We’ve found that one of the most effective ways to show people we’re legit, before they’ve bought anything, is by letting our customers do the talking. 

Today’s consumers rely on peers’ experiences when evaluating a brand. So, real stories, real results are the answer. Testimonials, reviews, and client quotes act like social proof on autopilot. They build credibility, bring in new customers, and help close sales faster.

Especially now, when AI is generating everything from product descriptions to full-on recommendations, what sets your brand apart is authenticity. In this article, we will help you understand the benefits of testimonials for establishing that authenticity. 

Benefits of Customer Testimonials for Your Business

Build Trust and Credibility

Customer testimonials tap directly into people’s natural social proof bias, as described by psychologist Robert Cialdini. When prospects see peers praising your product, they infer that your brand is trustworthy. 

Research bears this out: nearly 9 out of 10 consumers trust what existing customers say more than what a company claims, and about 72% of people say positive testimonials increase their trust in a local business. 

Do you remember the last time you booked a hotel or bought something on Amazon? Odds are, you didn’t even look at the brand’s promises; you went straight to the reviews. A dozen glowing reviews can ease doubts in seconds, even if you’ve never heard of the brand before. That’s social proof at work.

Many SaaS companies highlight well-known client logos and quotes on their homepage to establish authority. 

Service-based businesses do the same by featuring stories of satisfied customers in brochures or web banners. Even Cialdini’s authority bias comes into play: a testimonial from an expert user or industry figure elevates your brand.

The Three-Headed Testimonial Strategy:

1. Showcase Relatable Customer Stories

Don’t just drop a name and a quote; paint a quick picture of who that customer is. What problem were they facing? How did your product or service help? This makes testimonials feel personal and relevant. 

2. Use Familiar Faces to Represent Your Brand

Representation matters. Align your brand with influencers, creators, or ambassadors who visually and culturally reflect your audience. When consumers see individuals they admire or identify with endorsing a product, it enhances credibility and relatability.

Of course, an added advantage of that is that you can reach their audience too, so you could have a strong ROI if there are solid overlaps between their audience demographic and your target group. 

Gymshark, an activewear brand, does this powerfully by partnering with fitness influencers who align with its brand values. 

Alternatively, you can also try the benefits of testimonial advertising. 

3. Lean on Authority to Build Trust

Tap into Cialdini’s authority bias by getting respected figures, industry experts, thought leaders, and even niche professionals to vouch for you. Their credibility boosts yours. 

For extra impact, invite them to create educational content (like tutorials or deep dives) where your product plays a key role. It’s not just marketing, it’s trusted knowledge.

Grammarly used the benefits of testimony by featuring Kaz Matsune, a sushi chef and non-native English speaker, in a testimonial highlighting how the tool aided his writing, and the video received more than 16M views on YouTube. 

(More on the benefits of customer video testimonials in a later section in the article)

Increase Conversions and Sales

Displaying testimonials can substantially boost purchase intent. Fresh user feedback triggers psychological drivers like fear of missing out (FOMO) and peer validation. 

Data-driven studies confirm this effect: products with five reviews see 270% higher purchase likelihood than those with none, and showing reviews on a page can increase conversions by up to 190–380% (the bigger uplift is seen with higher-priced items). 

Even more striking, one report notes that customers spend an average of 31% more with businesses that have excellent reviews.

By adding testimonials to product pages, landing pages, or shopping funnels, companies capitalize on these trends. For instance, a B2B SaaS site might feature a detailed client case-study video that walks through ROI metrics, while a retailer might quote rave snippets from shoppers. 

In either case, testimonials reduce friction: they address objections and encourage action. When visitors see real people praising your product, they are far more likely to pull the trigger. 

Even short quotes in ad copy work; the presence of genuine customer feedback on a sales page can lift click-through and purchase rates significantly. 

In practice, brands often cite 3–5 line quotes or video clips during checkout or in remarketing ads to nudge hesitant buyers. 

Enhance Brand Reputation and Authority

Testimonials don’t just drive immediate sales, but they also bolster your brand’s long-term image. Consistently showcasing happy clients signals that you deliver value, which over time builds authority in your market. 

There are many benefits of hearing someone share their testimony in video format. Research shows video content generates far more engagement and “stickiness” than text: 59% of executives say they’d rather watch a video than read text, and 72% of customers prefer learning about a product via video over reading. 

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in video form, versus only 10% when reading it as plain text. In practice, this means a well-produced testimonial video featuring a real customer has an outsized impact on the viewer’s perception, it humanizes your brand and creates an emotional connection.

It’s not just us, but even companies like Tesla are taking advantage of the benefits of video testimonials. Imagine. With all the resources they have, they could have hired any influencers or celebrities, but they still invested in a simple customer testimonial. 

Fully Charged | Tesla Customer Stories 

Moreover, search algorithms favour pages with rich media: an official study found that a site is 53 times more likely to reach Google’s front page if it includes video content. 

So swapping a text testimonial for a short customer interview can also boost your SEO (see next section).

It’s also worth comparing the benefits of video vs written testimonials: while a quote is credible, a full-motion customer story tends to feel more authentic. 

A brain-scan study (by consumer neuroscientists) found that anecdotes activate viewers’ empathy and trust centers more than reading similar content. That’s another of the many benefits of testimonial videos. 

This partly explains why big consumer brands and B2B leaders alike invest in professionally produced testimonial films for their products.

Improve SEO and Online Visibility

Testimonials double as fresh, user-generated content (UGC), which Google and other search engines reward. Each new customer review or story adds unique keywords and context about your offerings, giving search bots more reasons to rank your pages. 

For example, including a constant stream of new testimonials on your site helps with “fresh content” signals and long-tail keywords (like “best [service] in [city]” that customers naturally mention). 

UGC also builds EEAT – Google’s criteria of Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust – because reviews demonstrate that real people have experience with your brand.

With tools like Testimonial Donut, you can automate this entire process and leverage the benefits of testimonials on your website, so every time you receive a testimonial from a customer, it updates on your website. Testimonial Donut automates the entire testimonial collection process and lets you integrate reviews and testimonials by using a simple HTML widget that you can copy-paste and easily plug in on your web pages, social media, emails, etc. 

Local SEO is especially helpful: Bright Local guides note that 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews. That means maintaining active, positive testimonials on Google My Business (and other directories) can put you on the map. 

Another benefit is that user-generated content from testimonials is also shareable on social media, which drives referral traffic. 

Strengthen Customer Relationships and Loyalty

One of the best things about asking for testimonials? It’s not just about marketing, it’s about relationship-building. 

When you ask a customer to share their story, you're not just getting content; you're reinforcing their identity as someone who’s had a great experience with you. It makes them feel seen. And that simple act can turn a happy customer into a full-on brand evangelist.

In effect, testimonials build a community: people who see peers featured feel included, and contributors feel valued. For example, inviting a long-time client to do a video interview makes them feel like an “insider,” which boosts loyalty. 

This dynamic taps into Cialdini’s consistency principle – once someone publicly praises you, they’re more likely to stick around.

Actively responding to and acknowledging testimonials also fosters goodwill. (In fact, one survey found that 89% of consumers are more likely to choose a business that replies to all reviews.) 

Here’s something we’ve learned that most folks overlook: when a customer gives you feedback and you listen, thank them, and make it part of your story. That creates this subtle but powerful loop of trust.  

That turns one-time buyers into long-term fans. And often, those fans become your best referral sources without you even asking.

We’ve seen the benefits of client testimonials firsthand, especially in SaaS circles. Companies share a few customer interviews or success clips in their user communities. What happens next? People start chiming in, swapping tips, and sharing results. 

The best part? When you consistently amplify real customer stories, you're also scaling word-of-mouth without paying a cent.

Side note 📝: As a last tip, we also suggest you use employee testimonials. One of the many benefits of employee testimonials is that they humanize your brand and attract top talent by showcasing authentic workplace experiences.

Where and How to Use Testimonials Effectively

Testimonials are versatile and should appear everywhere your prospects look. Here are some top usage examples:

• On your website: Feature quotes or review snippets on your homepage, product pages, landing pages, and in site banners. Many businesses add a “wall of love” section with rotating customer quotes. 

One of the major benefits of testimonials website sections is that they create instant social proof, showcasing real customer experiences right where it matters most.

If you’re a local business, we recommend that you embed Google reviews or case summaries on the contact page is effective.

• Social media: Share short testimonials or success-story videos on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Turning a customer quote into a branded graphic or a 30-second TikTok will expose your praise to new audiences. (See this creative marketing guide for inspiration.)
  
  
• Ads and email: Use testimonials in ad copy or images (e.g., a Facebook ad featuring a client photo and quote). In email campaigns, include a short testimonial as a proof point in the copy or footer. Some companies even incorporate brief testimonial lines into PPC ads for credibility.
  
  
• Sales collateral: Embed customer quotes in sales proposals, brochures, or presentations. A well-placed client endorsement in a pitch deck can seal a deal.
  
  
• Video and events: Play customer testimonial videos at webinars or trade shows. Even booths at conferences can feature loops of video stories.

Essentially, you can use them in any marketing material and content, as there are multiple benefits of testimonials in advertising. 

How to Collect Powerful Testimonials

Gathering great testimonials takes a bit of strategy. Here are some best practices and tools:

Hey, if you're doing SolidWorks, people want to say good things about you. The trick is making it easy for them and asking at the right time. We will break down what’s worked for our customers so far.

1. Ask When the Energy Is High

Timing is everything. Right after you’ve wrapped a successful project, finished a product implementation, or a client has just renewed, that’s the sweet spot. 

They're feeling good, grateful, and much more likely to say something genuine and specific. Catch them while that momentum is fresh.

2. Make It Ridiculously Easy

Don’t make them hunt for the right link or wonder what to say. Give clear instructions, and let them choose the format, as some folks are happy typing, others love video. 

Testimonial Donut can automate email nudges, give clients a simple portal to submit their feedback (video or text), and even handle the permissions and star ratings. Our sincere intent was to create a ‘total lifesaver’ for all our fellow entrepreneurs and businesses. 

3. Give Them a Starting Point

People freeze up with “Hey, can you write me a testimonial?” Help them out. Offer a few prompts like:

• “What problem did we help you solve?”
  
  
• “What changed after working with us?”
  
  
• “What surprised you most about the experience?”

That guidance turns “Uhh, not sure what to say…” into thoughtful, usable feedback.

4. Make It Personal and Thoughtful

Whatever you do, don’t send a bland copy-paste request. Mention their project, compliment something specific they did, and let them know you value their input. 

You’re not just collecting reviews, you’re showcasing real stories. People respond better when they feel seen (Cialdini called this the liking principle; people say yes to people they like).

5. Sweeten the Deal (If It Feels Right)

A little appreciation goes a long way. Some companies offer a small thank-you, like a gift card, discount, or a fun prize draw. Just be upfront. Never pay for positive reviews, just show you appreciate their time.

6. Use the Right Tools

This part doesn’t have to be manual. Tools like Testimonial Donut handle the tech: sending out requests, collecting video or text, and even turning them into SEO-friendly transcriptions. That frees you up to focus on what matters and building relationships.

7. Don't Be Afraid to Follow Up

Most people mean to help; you just have to remind them. One friendly follow-up a week later can double your results. Keep it light, respectful, and human. You're not nagging; you're just nudging.

By implementing these practices, you’ll build a library of compelling testimonials. For more on timing and phrasing, see Testimonial Donut’s guide on how to ask for testimonials from clients.

Final Thoughts

Let’s be real! Testimonials are one of the most underrated growth tools out there. A great one builds trust, boosts conversions, shows off your credibility, and even helps with SEO, all at once. 

When you add real customer voices to your site, ads, or socials, you stop sounding like a brand and start sounding like proof. People don’t want to be “sold.” They want to see someone like them getting real results. That’s what testimonials do. It’s free publicity and social proof in one neat little package.

So here’s the move: start with your happiest customers. The ones who rave about you anyway. Ask them to share their story. Then take those stories and use them everywhere on your homepage, your emails, your paid ads, even your pitch decks.

Do that consistently, and your brand starts to feel a lot less like a stranger and a lot more like a trusted name people want to work with.

Ready to leverage the benefits of testimonials? Testimonial Donut make it easy to collect and showcase authentic customer testimonials. Try it today and start turning your customers’ success into your success!