161 - Why don't you believe in us?

Discussion - Why don't you believe in us?

So here we are again, talking about the book 'Watertight Marketing' by Bryony Thomas. This is now the seventh episode focusing upon this book.

Although it's by no means required (each episode stands alone), you might want to check out these previous episodes in order to gain an understanding about what it is that we're on about.

• 149 – Marketing funnels don’t exist!
• 151 – Are we leaking clients?
• 153 - Losing clients before you even get them
• 155 - Are we boring?
• 157 - Honey traps for website clients
• 159 – My nephew makes websites too

Each of these previous episodes tackles a part of the onboarding process for clients. Moments in which we might 'leak' those clients and let them slip away. The earlier episodes are going back further into the process of onboarding, and the more recent episodes deal with ways that they might slip away after we've got to know them a little.

So onto the episode for today - Why don't you believe in us? It can be described in one word... trust.

This is all about backing up the claims that you make about your business with solid, fact based evidence to prove that what you say you're going to do, you are actually capable of doing.

Both David and I (Nathan), feel that this is an area that we're pretty weak on, so this is really more of a starting point, not a exhaustive list of all that you might want to think about.

Perhaps the easiest place to start is with endorsements. Perhaps we all know this more as testimonials. Your WordPress website clients ought to be able to give you a glowing review of all the ways that you impressed them during their website build, right? But how do we go about getting them and what do we do with them once we've got them?

Is it okay to just bluntly approach your WordPress website clients and ask that they write you a review? In a world where this kind of request is all too common, are we just adding to the noise and frustration that this might bring? Do we risk annoying them and will they consider this a waste of time? Also, how will they know what it is that you need form them? Should we be coaching them, sending them a list of suitable discussion points that you want them to stick to? If this is the case, perhaps we run the risk of getting too many cookie-cutter testimonials... testimonials which all sound the same and lack authenticity. Do people even look at the testimonials on our site anyhow?

We work with technology, so perhaps we can be a little more thoughtful with requesting testimonials? Instead of the 'direct ask' approach, we could use the tools that WordPress (and other platforms) offers us to solicit these comments.

What about adding your clients to some sort of funnel sequence? One that is not all about the endorsements, but perhaps more about handing over their website to them. You know the kind of thing that I mean right? A WordPress website is completed... you add the client to a sequence which explains how they might look after their site, what they need to do next... upsell the care plan AND ask them for some kind of endorsement at this point.

I guess that we've got to make it super easy for them too. Tell them where you hang out online. If Facebook is your main channel, point them there, the same with LinkedIn, Instagram etc.

I would add at this point that those clients who take this step and make this effort are pure gold. They went the extra mile and did something for nothing in return. Treat them accordingly. Pamper them and make sure that you know that they did this for you and that you really appreciate it.

Leaving the notion of getting the testimonials off clients, what should you do with them once they're in your possession? I suspect that mostly they end up in a portfolio of similar content on your website. This is what I've done in the past, but it all feels a little tired. I have tended to make case studies from the testimonials, but it's been ages (like years) since I have updated any of this content.

My flow has turned a testimonial into a 'what the client wanted' and 'what we delivered' piece of content with a link to the website in question. I'm not too sure that this is as good as it could be!

It's hard for a generalist like me. Someone who makes sites for anyone, but I'm thinking that if you're working in a specific niche (UI/UX, SEO, Funnels etc.) then you well provide some of the valuable data that you might have, data that proves that the things that you did had a significant impact upon their bottom line.

What about video testimonials? I have to say that I suffer from a severe case of cynicism when it comes to these, although I think that I might be in the minority here! I see such great content created online these days, such great production quality almost everywhere I look. So when I see a poorly shot video, with terrible audio and it's a testimonial trying to pitch me something, it actually has the opposite effect. I suspect that this says more about me than it does about the effectiveness of such strategies, but nevertheless, it's a point worth making. Do you need to ensure high quality video if you're going to go down this route?

So, as I say, this is an area where we're both feeling like we could have done better. Perhaps you've looked at this and got it all figured out? If that's the case then please leave a comment here or in the WP Builds Facebook Group and let us know what secret sauce you've been cooking up!

Mentioned in this episode:

'Watertight Marketing' by Bryony Thomas