I get this question a lot. And frankly, I've never been a big testimonial guy. Well, until recently.

If you've ever wondered about the effectiveness of testimonials, this issue should clear any doubt in your mind. (Not only will you see some testimonials throughout this issue, you'll discover the secrets to using them effectively.)

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As most of my subscribers know, I develop and promote Internet marketing products and services. And this is a niche that is, well... somewhat crowded.

Heck, just do a search at google.com for "internet marketing expert" and you'll find more than nine million (yes, that's 9,000,000) web pages listed.

Wow. That's a lot of experts. (I wonder how many of those nine million really know their stuff.)

But heck, do a search for ANYTHING you need or want online and you'll find thousands, if not millions of choices.

So who do you believe?

That's the question millions of potential customers want to know!

Who can they believe? Who can they trust?

What website will not rip them off or leave them for dead after they get their money?

As a web business owner myself, I hate to have to admit this, but... making purchases from unknown vendors on the web can be a real crap shoot. There are far too many cons, scams, cheats, hacks and just plain old bad businesses on the web.

And because of that, TRUST is something you have to instill in your visitors order to make sales on the web.

But how do you portray an image of trust online when customers can't see you or shake your hand?

Simple. You let your other customers do the talking. Here's a perfect example...

Even the GIANTS realize the value of testimonials...

Go to amazon.com - one of the web's largest Internet-only based retailers, and look for any product you might be interested in. When you get to the product page, more than likely you'll find one thing prominently displayed...

Customer comments.

Why does amazon.com include these with nearly everything they sell? It's a simple theory. People are more comfortable purchasing when they can first read what people like themselves think about the product. It makes them feel more at ease knowing not only that other folks like them bought it already, but exactly what they thought of it.

Real letters, like this work wonders...

Simply put, a few good customer testimonials can increase sales literally overnight. How do I know? Last Friday I posted a bunch of those testimonials at my site and saw my conversion rate increase by 30%. Overnight.

(More after this important message.)

The site where I experienced an overnight increase in conversion rate can be viewed at ezWebBusinessBuilder - notice how I worked the testimonials into the copy. They not only help answer potential customers' questions, they flow with the copy as well.

And yes, even I was surprised at how effective they were. I've never been a big fan of blending testimonials into copy, but that little experiment convinced me that I was stubborn about that for far too long.

If you are not using plenty of testimonials at your site already, I suggest you start. If you don't have any, just drop your customers a line and ask them what they thought of X product or Y service. If you've been in business any length of time you surely have some happy customers who would be willing to write letters like this...

And if you're brand new to business, fear not. You WILL get testimonials. I suggest you use a follow-up autoresponder to contact customers a month or so after they make any purchase from you. You don't need a long questionnaire, just a simple, "what did you think" message will suffice. You'd be surprised at how much a customer will tell you when you leave it up to their own imagination.

Here are five tips on using "customer comments" at your website...

Make sure testimonials at your site are specific and not generic in nature. Generic testimonials are not as believable as detailed comments. So ask your customers to elaborate on their comments if possible.

Be sure to get permission from your customers to use the testimonials.

Include the customer's full name and geographic location. A good sprinkling of customers across the globe shows that your product/service works everywhere...

Use customer comments throughout your websites and newsletters. Set up a whole page of letters like I have here  - and then take your very best one or two testimonials and put them on your most prominent pages. I did this recently at my bizweb2000.com home page and saw an instant increase in conversion.

Consider the top three or four reasons your potential customers may be hesitant to order. Then post customer comments that address those issues.

OK, let's wrap today's tip up with a quick summary...

The web is still like the wild west of old -- full of snake oil salesmen. If you want to establish your web business and earn steady, reliable income, you need to earn the trust of your potential customers.

Letting potential clients read comments from your best customers is still the best way to do that. So do it, and do it over and over. You may be surprised at the results.

To your online marketing success,
Jim Daniels - JDD Publishing
Creator of ezWebBusinessBuilder.com - the world's first View it and Do It software for profiting from the web.

P.S. I want to take a moment and send out a special thanks to all of you who wrote those letters raving about my new CD. It's heartwarming knowing that the software has helped so many of you get your web businesses going in the right direction.

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