Ask an Expert: “Any Ideas on How To Get More Inquiries from My Website?”

Q: “Chris, how can we get more inquiries from our website?”

A: One way to generate more inquiries from your website is to use more “Social Proof.”

Not to be confused with social media, the social proof I’m talking about here is the use of testimonials, reviews, awards, and badges from professional associations.

One of my favorite forms of social proof is the use of “Happy Customers” profiles, basically multiple mini case studies / testimonials.

Social proof should be used throughout your website as well as across all of your social media channels. You might even use social proof in your email signature or use a link to the social proof page (i.e. testimonials and reviews) at your website.

Social Proof will increase your brand awareness, company reputation, and its strength in the marketplace. It creates buyer trust and confidence. It also will create a significant competitive advantage. It supports getting more inquiries from your website and will ultimately lead to more sales.

Use of awards in the website header helps One Heart Ceremonies generate more inquiries from their website by creating trust and authority. Award badges are one form of “social proof.”

David Rothstein Music in Chicago Illinois kicks his social proof up a notch using video testimonials. In this example just before an inquiry form.

I’m “walking the talk” at my own website, with multiple testimonials directly on the home page of Practical Online Marketing, preceding a high-visibility call-to-action.

Atelier Esthetique, a school where students can study for their New York State esthetician license, uses mini case studies as a form of social proof. Aspirational marketing generates more inquiries and sales.

Even a photo gallery can be used as a form of social proof. Here, Riverside Senior Living, in Decatur Alabama, uses pictures from recent events to show residents having a good time and experiencing “the Riverside Difference.”

This school uses testimonials from graduates to communicate a message that will resonate with potential students. Everyone wants to be successful!