As a pet business owner, you no doubt already understand the importance of building trust and credibility with your customers. One of the most effective ways to establish this trust is through something we all know and love: testimonials! Testimonials provide social proof that your products or services are of the highest quality and can be trusted.

In this blog post, we will go over in detail how to obtain testimonials for you to use for your pet business, and how you can go about making the most of them.

Provide excellent service

The first step to obtaining meaningful testimonials is to provide excellent service to your customers. Pretty obvious, right? Doesn’t make it any less important! Whether you run a pet grooming salon, a dog walking service, or a pet supply store, go above and beyond your customers’ expectations. Provide personalized attention, take care of their pets with skill and compassion, and be responsive to their needs. 

By delivering exceptional service, you increase the likelihood of receiving positive feedback.

ask for testimonials

Don’t be shy about asking your satisfied customers for testimonials. Reach out to them and kindly request a few minutes of their time to share their experience. It’s natural for people to appreciate being asked for their opinion and are often more than happy to provide testimonials. Consider offering an incentive, such as a discount on their next purchase or a small gift, to encourage participation.

When reaching out, you could send a personalized email or message, express your gratitude for their business, and explain why their feedback is important to your pet business. Make it clear that their testimonial will help others make informed decisions and choose your services with confidence.

Consider sending a form after your service is completed that goes into the experience a bit more than a surface-level question, too. Narrowing down what their favorite part of onboarding was, or it might have felt that using a particular product could provide great material to share and use in the future!

make it easy for customers to leave their testimonials

Speaking of sending forms – overall, you want to make the process of leaving a testimonial as simple as possible for your customers. Provide multiple channels for them to leave testimonials, ensuring that it matches their preferred method of communication. This can include a dedicated testimonial page on your website, a feedback form on your social media profiles, or even a handwritten comment card at your physical store.

When creating a testimonial submission form or page, keep it brief and straightforward. Include fields for their name, pet’s name, email address, and a text box for their testimonial. Ensure that the process is quick, easy, and mobile-friendly, so customers can provide their feedback on the go.

share real life stories

When using testimonials, it’s important to showcase real-life stories. Encourage your customers to provide specific details about how your pet business has made a positive impact on their lives. These stories will resonate with potential customers who are looking for similar experiences and will help build trust.

For example, a testimonial that highlights how your dog grooming service transformed a shaggy, unkempt pup into a happy and stylish canine companion will be more impactful than a generic statement about your excellent grooming services. When customers share their unique experiences, it creates a powerful connection and emotional appeal. 

Besides, who doesn’t love hearing about a happy pup!?

utilize your testimonials

Once you have collected testimonials, you should be showcasing them prominently on your website. Create a dedicated testimonials page where potential customers can read about others’ experiences with your pet business. This page should be easily accessible from your main navigation menu so that visitors can find it without any hassle.

On this testimonials page, you can display testimonials in various formats, including text, images, videos, or a combination of these. Testimonial videos, in particular, can be highly influential as they provide a more personal and engaging touch. Ensure that each testimonial is attributed to the customer and includes their name, pet’s name, and any relevant details that add credibility.

You can also strategically sprinkle testimonials throughout your website, especially on your homepage, product pages, and checkout page. Place them in prominent positions where they are clearly visible, such as in a sidebar, banner, or as part of a slideshow. This way, potential customers encounter positive testimonials at different stages of their journey on your website, strengthening their confidence in your pet business.

Leverage Social Media

Boost the visibility of your testimonials by sharing them on your social media accounts. Regularly create graphics or images with customer testimonials and post them across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These visual representations of testimonials catch the attention of your followers and encourage them to engage with your content.

When sharing testimonials on social media, always remember to tag and thank the customers who provided them. This not only shows your appreciation but also adds authenticity to the testimonials, as potential customers can verify and connect with the individuals behind the endorsements. Encourage your followers to share the testimonials with their friends and family, further expanding the reach and impact of your testimonials.

Encourage Online Reviews

In addition to testimonials, encourage your satisfied customers to leave online reviews on platforms such as Google, Yelp, or specific pet-related review websites. Positive reviews on reputable platforms serve as powerful testimonials and enhance your credibility.

To encourage customers to leave online reviews, include direct links or instructions on how they can do so in your post-service communication. You could send a follow-up email thanking them for their business and kindly ask if they would consider sharing their experience online. Make it easy for them by providing links to review platforms and offering a small incentive or discount as a token of your appreciation for their feedback.

Monitor and Respond to Feedback

Harnessing the power of testimonials requires more than just GETTING the testimonial in question. You need to actively monitor and respond to feedback, regardless of if it’s positive or negative. Keep an eye on the reviews, testimonials, and comments you receive across all of your website and online platforms. You’d be surprised how easy a few can sneak in while you’re not looking!

Take the time to respond to any that come along, and make sure you do so in a timely and professional manner. Responding to positive feedback shows appreciation and reinforces the trust and loyalty you’ve been fostering with your customers. When it comes to negative feedback, you’ll want to acknowledge the concern and try to come up with a solution or explanation. Committing to customer satisfaction and showing an eagerness to solve problems can often salvage entire business relationships.

Ultimately, engaging with customers through feedback enables you to gather valuable insights, identify areas for improvement, and continuously enhance your pet business and brand!

Testimonials are the “juice” for any business or any market. Every brand benefits from the positive word of a legitimate customer. You don’t need some huge celebrity endorsement to vouch for your service to instill confidence in your audience. All you need are real stories, real opinions and LOTS of them. Keeping a momentum of testimonials coming ensures your pet business looks like it’s getting 1) plenty of steady business and 2) making lots of people happy as a result of your hard work.
Don’t sleep on it!

And remember, Petfluence is here for more in-depth consultation and strategizing. We can help improve your website to include more ways of providing feedback, discuss how you can approach customers if you’re struggling to get their testimonial and so much more. Contact us today!