The Importance of Social Proof For Conversions

Social proof has been termed the new marketing and is becoming increasingly more important for conversions on the web. In his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Dr. Robert Cialdini describes social proof as “the tendency to see an action as more appropriate when others are doing it.” Additionally, Dr. Cialdini claims social proof is more powerful when we’re uncertain what to do, which can be an especially powerful tool for new startups, as their offering is largely untested

People tend to believe they are making the right choice, when others who are similar to them have made that same choice.

Social proof is essentially a tool that lets your customers build trust in your offerings. You do not spend a lot of time on gimmicks and campaigns many customers see through, rather you let them believe what others have to say about you.

Creating social proof on the web

So how do you create social proof? The following are some of the most common ways to create social proof that can help your customers trust your offering more and ultimately turn into conversions, whether it is purchases or app downloads.

1. Testimonials

Testimonials are very powerful, as their value is in their objectivity. People tend to believe them because someone outside of the company is talking about the product or service, which gives this opinion higher assumed credibility. If you want to make the testimonials even more impactful, include real attributions (name, location, job position, company name/logotype) and photos (avoid using stock images) so that the person can actually imagine the one making the testimonial. Recently, we have seen an increased use of video testimonials and there is a great reason for their use as they feel even more authentic.

2. List of people/companies similar to your target group

Including a list of other companies using your product or service or other people who use your service answers another question for the customers, which is - "Is this something I can identify with?". The answer is “Yes”. Showing a list of companies or number of individuals who have chosen YOU is very powerful, especially the moment some widely recognized brands or celebrities endorse you.

3. Ratings and reviews

Ratings and reviews are often combined with testimonials, but it is important to recognize them as another source of social proof. Especially for products, one is buying online and for the first time, ratings are very powerful at signaling quality. The same way, ratings can signal quality for services, such as restaurants or places to vacation.

When was the last time you chose to go to a restaurant with a two-star rating over one with a 4.5 average star rating? Chances are never!

Some studies support the notion of the importance of including reviews, indicating that up to 70% of customers look at product reviews before making a purchase and product reviews have been shown to be 12x more trusted than product descriptions from manufacturers.

4. Influencer Endorsements

If available, an endorsement from an influential endorser can turn your customers into believers overnight. The more widely known the endorser, the more powerful the social proof will be at converting your customers. If your business has ever received a compliment from a well-known person who is respected by your audience, go find it, and add it to your page. There is real science behind this practice, as we judge someone’s opinion based on our overall impression of them, also known as the halo effect. Since the influencers generally already have established their reputation and we see them in a positive light, we also see anything they do or buy in a positive light.

The only caveat here is that the person should still be palatable to your target audience. People are becoming more polarized in their views and the last thing you want is an endorsement from a famous personality that actively opposes the values important to your company and target market. This could actually send mixed signals to the potential customers.

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Note, this article was originally published at https://www.plat4m.com/blog/the-importance-of-social-proof-for-conversion-rate. All images are courtesy of PLATFORM.