Many customers are interested in what you have to offer. They read your marketing messages, and sales materials but take everything you say with a grain of salt. It's not that they don't believe you, but they know they're being sold.
It's different when you have testimonials.
Word of mouth marketing and testimonials are one of the cheapest forms of getting the word about your product or service out on the internet. People tend to believe real testimonials more than any marketing message promised by you. They feel more confident purchasing something with proven success for someone else, than running cold believing what you are promising to deliver.
That's why customer reviews on a business directory are so crucial.
You don't control which testimonials go on a business directory, so you need to find out how to get them in a different way. Not only will having more customer testimonials make your product look more viable, but it will also boost your ranking on the business directory so your listing gets placed further toward the top. And being closer to the top of the listings on a business directory, means you will automatically have more eyes on your offering.
So how do you get these customer reviews?
Simply just ask for them. With social networks exploding in today's world, more people are excited to share their opinion. Not only are they excited to share their opinion, but they are used to the web being a forum to do so. Ask for a review on a specific business directory, and your happy customers will be happy to oblige.
But be careful, because your business directory review will initially only come from very happy, or very angry customers. It probably goes without saying, but a bad review of your business can be detrimental. Be sure you're soliciting reviews from happy customers only. To do this, target repeat customers, and those who have written to you thanking you for your service. You can also target fans on a social network or your followers on Twitter. These people are already invested in your brand and will be more likely to provide you with the review you want.
If you're having trouble getting a response from your customers, try offering them incentive to leave a review. Offer a discount on your service, or a free month. This will make them feel rewarded for their efforts to help your business, and again will help them feel more invested in you. This will also translate to outside of the business directory review, and will make your customers more likely to recommend your brand to their family and friends.
Take control over your listing on a business directory and don't be afraid to reach out and ask for reviews and help from your customers.