Everything You Need to Know About Social Proof and Your Website

Social proof is a term used to describe certain features on your website. It’s also a marketing tool that has been used unashamedly and successfully for decades. What is it, though, and how can you take advantage of social proof in relation to your website?

Your website designer in Auckland should be aware of social proof features, but you are likely to be involved in putting them together, so it’s important you have an understanding of them too.

What is Social Proof?

Social proof is about giving potential customers increased confidence in your products or services. They get this confidence because they can see that others have used the product or service before and have been happy with the experience, performance, and/or results.

There are lots of different ways to use social proof. Plus, as mentioned before, it’s nothing new in the world of marketing.

Celebrities were endorsing products long before the internet and companies have always used the testimonials of customers. Businesses also regularly use a range of social proof tactics not directly related to websites. Some examples include:

• Restaurants with people waiting in a queue for a table
• Golf clubs or similar clubs with a waiting list
• Manufacturers that develop limited edition products

The thought process that the above is trying to generate is something like: 

• “If it’s good enough to wait on a table or go onto a waiting list, I want it too”
• “I’ve only got one shot at getting this, and the price may even go up, so I have to act now”

Social Proof and Your Website

Adding social proof features to your website will encourage visitors to get in touch with you or buy your products. Here are the main social proof features you should consider discussing with your website developer in Auckland to have them added to your website:

• Testimonials – where customers give their views on your products, services, and/or business
• Reviews and ratings – a popular feature on e-commerce websites selling products as well as on restaurant websites, websites for businesses in the tourism industry, and more
• Statistics – examples of stats you could mention on your website include the number of customers you have, the number of subscribers to your email list, the number of successfully completed projects, etc
• Endorsements – from celebrities and other well-known people in your industry that your potential customers know, trust, and respect
• Case studies – where you go deeper into a project to outline what your customer needed or wanted, how you went about delivering for the customer, and the results achieved
• Mentions in the media – include the logos of publications where your business has featured
• Customer logos – include the logos of your customers, particularly well-known companies
• Professional body membership – including badges and logos from professional bodies that you are a member of can also help
• Certifications – as with the above, details of certifications you have can also be beneficial
• Bestseller labels – like the labels you see when shopping on Amazon. They indicate product popularity so give potential customers increased confidence.
• Customer behaviour features – this is another effective technique used by Amazon and other websites. Examples include “customers also bought” or “customers recommend” features.

As you can see from the above, to make your website a true success, you need to do more than explain what you do and how you do it. You also need to demonstrate social proof to move the visitor closer to making a buying decision.