Photography services are a luxury service. And it's because of that, that what others say about your business can make or break your studio; word of mouth is a powerful tool!
CLIENTS' TESTIMONIALS ARE ENDORSEMENTS.
They are awesome words of satisfaction that can turn website viewers into clients! I like to think that testimonials are little sublime messages that are reinforcing how amazing your work is and why working with you is fantastic!
Put yourself in your future client's shoes, would you like to know from a 3rd party what working with you is like? The answer is yes. Your website could be amazing, but having a 3rd person praise your work is way more powerful than you saying that your clients love you.
The psychology of testimonials is that we, humans, are always looking for positive affirmation to our future choices.
When we have testimonials from previous clients about our work, this makes prospects feel secure about working with us.
When your clients are done with your experience, do you ask for a testimonial? If the answer is no we must change that right away.
The best way to ask for testimonials is when you deliver your products, at this time your clients are over the moon with how amazing they look in the photographs, and are filled with satisfaction and gratitude. I always ask both verbally and via email as a reminder.
You can't let a happy client leave without telling the world how great you are!
Then I let them know where to submit it. (This can be via email, or any other testimonial platform you might use like Facebook, Google or WeddingWire).
Once the testimonial has been submitted, I grab the most powerful line of it and add it to my website. The reason why I don't post the whole testimonial on my site is because I want to keep it short and to the point.
I only ask once for a testimonial. Don't turn this into a tedious task for your clients. Most of them will do it right away, and some others will forget - so just keep this casual. You don't want to turn a fabulous experience into a not so good one with your nagging.
There you have it, now it's on you to make the changes and adjustments you need to your website, it's time to start collection testimonials.