When in doubt, almost everyone looks at what others did. Also business buyers.
Social proof is the phenomenon that people base their choice on what others did, especially when in doubt or unfamiliarity. On a website this takes the form of reviews, cases, customer logos and concrete results. Specific and verifiable evidence works; blanket praise doesn't work.
IN COMMON LANGUAGE
What works and what doesn't
A quote with name, company and a concrete result is convincing. An anonymous quote saying that the collaboration was pleasant means almost nothing: anyone can write that down.
Numbers work better than adjectives. 'From two days to two hours' says more than 'greatly improved', and it is also verifiable.
WHY IT MATTERS
How to build it honestly
Ask permission each time, and ask specifically: what was the problem, what has changed, in what figure do you notice this. Those three questions provide useful evidence.
Never make anything up. An anonymous case without a customer name is fine; a made-up name is a problem that you cannot reverse.
- Name and company, with permission — anonymous weakened, but allowed.
- A concrete figure — beats every adjective.
- Recognizable situation — the reader must see themselves in it.
- Recently — a case from 2019 works against you.
- Never invent — irredeemable if convenient.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
More about social proof
What if I don't have any customers yet?
Be honest about this and use what you do have: a detailed example project, your working method, your guarantees. Made up social proof is worse than none.
Do quality marks and logos work?
Only if they mean something to the reader. A relevant industry quality mark helps; a row of vague badges is ignored or arouses suspicion.
How many reviews do I need?
A handful of real reviews does more than a page full of vague quotes. More important than the number is that they are verifiable and recent.
CONTINUE READING
Of course, continue reading about this subject.
Prove that convinces?
We help you build cases that are correct: problem, approach, result and permission.