Amazon, WordPress, MailChimp—these are just some examples of how major corporations are leveraging social proof on their site to raise conversions. And if you ever needed any demonstration of how social proof can indeed be very helpful for growing your company, all you need to do is take a look at how they’re using it.

According to studies, almost 70 percent of online consumers look at product reviews before making a purchase. To that end, product reviews are 12 times more credible than product descriptions and copy crafted by manufacturers. Illustrating the actual number of followers through social proof has also been known to draw action and engagement from customers.

In other words, effective use of social proof can help ease the minds of customers and prompt actual conversions. And this post is all about you can apply the best social proof techniques and strategies on your own website.

1. Testimonials

Let’s start with the most common form of social proof—the testimonial. According to research conducted by Nielsen, 92 percent of people trust, and therefore, will most likely be positively swayed, by a recommendation given by someone they know. Even a testimonial given by a complete stranger has major weight—70 percent.

Is it any surprise therefore that the biggest ecommerce retailers display customer reviews and ratings on their products?

• Ensure that customer reviews, ratings and testimonials are easily found on your product pages.
• Don’t worry too much about negative reviews, as long as it doesn’t overwhelm or overtake the value and advantages of your positives.
• Take the time to review various testimonial formats and see what will work for your website.

2. Social Media Proof

A simple form of social proof that you can easily add to your site is the number of social followers and shares that your business or company has. The very fact that you have online presence outside of your website via social media means your business is legitimized through customer interaction.

• Add social share counts for each blog post on your website to demonstrate how many people find your content relevant, useful, and shareable.
• Make your social follower count for all major social media sites visible on your home page.
• Encourage discussion on your social media pages—engage customers by answering their questions or prompting discussion.

3. Trust Seals

Trust seals are symbols that you can add on your site to demonstrate the safety and credibility of transactions made on your website. These are especially important for your checkout page, where customers need the assurance that their transactions are safe and legitimate.

• Make your trust seals visible and easily noticeable.
• Know which badges give your company the best sense of trust. Do your research.
• Certification and badges have been known to increase conversion rates by as much as 30 percent.

4. “Best Seller” Banner

Simply adding a “best seller” banner on specific products will help catch the eye of prospective customers and prompt them to make a purchase.

• It will help raise conversions on products bearing this particular badge, so make sure that the product which will feature it actually lives up to the hype you’re creating for it.
• Make sure that the product lives up to the hype you’re creating for it.
• The badge serves as a convincing method that justifies why a customer is drawn specifically to a particular product.

5. Real time statistics

Real time statistics display how many people are currently looking at a product, how much stock is available, how many people have already made a purchase, and other relevant data.

• It helps create a sense of urgency when you see actual numbers related to a product.
• It supports the credibility of your product, prompting people to recognize the demand behind your offers.
• It visually illustrates the demand behind your products, even for non-buying customers.

If you don’t already have at least one of the social proof examples mentioned here, start with one or two first and work your way down through the list. Be sure to keep track of how well each element works for you by monitoring your conversion rates before and after.

For any questions, or if you have anything to add to this list, be sure to leave a message below.

If you want to find out how we can help you give your site a boost in terms of conversions, get in touch with us today.