Customer testimonials are one of the most underutilized tools in startups' conversion copy toolbox.

It's not surprising, given that for many, there's only 1 type of a testimonial worth publishing: a quote that describes solid, quantifiable results and shows off just how amazing the product is at doing its job.

(Or there's just too much going on, and testimonials are not a priority.)

And yet, testimonials can be more than pretty placeholders and can help you improve your website or landing page conversions:

• You're not the one making "The product is great!" claim, so it's more credible

• It reassures your prospects that there are existing customers that are willing to publicly share their story, or at least a couple of sentences

• If you're going beyond standard prompts, you can create testimonials that do so much more than reflect customers' experience of using your product

Here's an example from Cacheflow (click the link to read all of the testimonials on their website):

How is this page different?

This testimonial slider section is above the on-page CTA, which is not the usual placement.

Interestingly, the first testimonial is also not waiting humbly until website visitors scroll down to the middle of the page, it's taking up the hero section proof bar block space instead of logos and "Trusted by X companies" headlines.

How are these testimonials different?

Is the product mentioned?

Yes.

Is it the focus of all of the testimonials?

No.

Other themes that come up:

• Business opportunities that were previously unavailable

• Comparison to an established way of paying (but for B2B!)

• Alternative solutions, like designing your own checkout

• Industry changes leading to a standard B2B SaaS checkout experience (feeling FOMO yet?)

Why does this work?

To rephrase the homepage copy, Cacheflow helps B2B SaaS companies close deals up to 3x faster by automating quotes, deal closing, and subscriptions.

When phrased this way, the gap between the industry as it is today and the new Cacheflow way may feel overwhelming and too good to be true (3x!). So does the CTA section headline: "You can have more happy customers!"

But within the context of "these experts say that the industry is ready for a standard SaaS buying experience," in addition to testimonials backing up the claims made earlier on the page, this headline doesn't seem all that implausible.

And this is what every SaaS company ultimately wants: more customers, less churn.

Sometimes starting with the more desirable outcome means making a claim that will be both too generic and too high-level, leading to a higher bounce rate.

But in this case, by the time prospects reach the bottom of the page, they know what Casheflow does and are motivated to at least consider a demo (otherwise they would have bounced already).

This is why the combination of their ultimate dream state description in the CTA section headline and the testimonials above it works so well.

How you can apply it in your copy

Start with your VoC research (you've done it, right?).

• What are the common objections that are especially hard to overcome?

• What is the desirable outcome vs features <> benefits you present, and is there a credibility gap?

• Are there any unexpected benefits that your clients mention?

• When they talk about the motivation to act, is it strictly results-focused, or do they also want to be perceived in a particular way?

Once you've started noticing some patterns, reach out to your best customers to set up a quick call.

Yes, you could draft a testimonial.

No, you shouldn't.

It's true that it makes it easier for your customers to sign off on the testimonial and for you to hit "Publish."

At the same time, it keeps you from learning the things you had no idea your customers valued about your company or your solution (I see this happen in every project, resulting in testimonials that go above and beyond what a drafted testimonial would have achieved).

I'm in favor of calls, because asking follow-up questions is always better than accepting the first answer your customers give you.

After that, all that's left is transcribing the interview, editing the testimonial draft, and getting a sign-off.

But does it scale?

Sort of. I don't believe that you should fully automate testimonials.

Customers' mindset, your company's positioning, market conditions, and competitive landscape all change, so your questions and your conversations with customers will be changing as well.

But having processes for Research -> Questions -> Scheduled check-in -> Testimonial flow can help.

Taking the first step

Grab this template to start planning your outreach and your questions.

Bonus step: now going through the same process, but with case studies!

I help B2B SaaS startup founders and marketers get more traction with research-driven conversion copy — without slowing down their growth initiatives.

Hire me for:

• Website audit to find & fix conversion blockers

• Day rates to optimize your landing pages, web copy, or email sequences for more clicks and signups