Social proof has the power to change people’s mind.
How?
When a customer wants to purchase any product, he or she visits an eCommerce store, they are immediately bombarded with lots of ads asking them to buy that product. But despite seeing many ads, visitors still search all the customer reviews and then make their buying decision.
This is because of social proof.
In 1984, a famous book called ‘Influence’, authored by Robert Cialdini who was a psychology and marketing professor at Arizona State University in the USA, first coined the term “social proof”.
In this book, Robert Cialdini describes a social phenomenon where people have a natural tendency to copy the actions of others and this principle works everywhere from social to business.
Sounds interesting, isn’t it?
But to fully utilize the power of social proof in modern times, you need a tool. And in this blog, eSearch Logix will tell why businesses should use social proof tools if they want to enhance their business growth quickly.
What is Social Proof Tool?
Social proof tool is a software that provides marketing techniques to businesses to use the minds of potential customers by showing them that other customers are using and enjoying the same products and services.
This software is built based on a psychological concept where people do what others do because they believe that if many people are doing something, it must be the right thing to do. Therefore, people don’t take so much thinking about it, and instead, just copy others’ actions.
Social proof software helps businesses to streamline their social proofing activities are social proof software. Instead of using different digital marketing tools to capture, store and publish your customers’ shopping behavior, reviews, and testimonials, social proof software can do it from one single platform.
For instance, a social proof tool enables you to count the total number of purchases on your eCommerce store and quickly publish it in a visible location to motivate so that all visitors can view it.
These reviews motivate them to buy your product or services. Other solutions help you gain customer reviews in real-time or send an automated follow-up email after the purchase.
However, not all social proof tools are the same. Some of them are highly advanced than others and more convenient. Some of them require essential technical knowledge and experience
Why Businesses Should Use Social Proof Tool?
Social proof is the most effective marketing strategy because it has the potential to instantly change people’s mind. In business, where people heavily rely on customers’ reviews, you need an intelligent software that can help you in taking the advantage of social proof.
The most motivating force behind the social proof tool is that it allows you to efficiently and effectively utilize the social psychology concept or the wisdom of the crowd that says people are more likely to engage in action if other people are doing it.
Employing a kind of social proof that involves showing a large number of people have purchased a particular product e.g. 20,000 copies sold, or that many clients support a certain business organization (over 1 million satisfied customers!).
If you consider the reports from the top web development company India they suggest websites have more conversion rates if they are empowered with social proof automation tools because it directly shows customers on the screen what they want to search on other review sites. Here are the latest social proof statistics that give many strong reasons why businesses should use social proof tools:
Moreover, social proof software can help you building trust with potential customers. Trust is the primary key factor in converting customers online because giving a credit card number to an unknown business on the internet is the biggest doubting hurdle for customers to overcome.
When you show potential customers that a business has various satisfied customers through case studies, testimonials and user reviews help you develop trustability that your business is legitimate and fully reliable.
Social proof software in online marketing can be used to bring product reliability based on customer reviews. For example, a buyer may find a testimonial from an expert in the respective field more convincing than a hundred reviews from average people.
In addition to this, social proof is a great tool to test across your website and landing pages to increase conversions. Businesses can incorporate elements of social proof on your key landing pages as part of the value proposition of your product or service with powerful calls-to-action, “Join our community of 10,000+ marketers.
With the social proof tool, eCommerce websites can test multiple placements of social proof through AB testing. In AB testing, two different versions of the same page are compared against each other and data can be used to decide which version works better to improve your website conversion rate.
Thus, social proof software works by tapping into the natural human tendency to follow the actions of others, building trust and reducing customers’ doubts to make a faster buying decision.
Examples of social proof:
- Customer case studies
- Reviews on third-party sites such as Yelp or Google
- Photos and testimonials from customers
- Company names and logos, particularly from recognizable and well-respected brands
- Sharing buttons with share counts and like counts
- Listing the number of customers
- Testimonials from industry experts and expert social proof
- Celebrity endorsements and shoutouts from influencers
- Download and purchase counts
- Number of followers on social media platforms
- Testimonials from industry experts and expert social proof
- Seals of approval from well-respected organizations
- Celebrity endorsements and shoutouts from influencers
Best Social Proof Tools in 2021
1. ProveSource
Prove secure is a social proof software that offers four different types of social proof notifications; page visits, sales, stream (measure conversions), and the number of people to take specified action within a set time.
Key features:
- Over 100+ Integrations: This tool integrates with various third-party platforms.
- Page Visits: It shows current page visits or the number of live visitors on your website
- Auto tracking: Show conversions from a custom web form automatically.
ProveSource Pricing
Its pricing begins at $18month for 10,000 unique monthly visitors
2. Boast
Boast is a social proof tool that eases the process of collecting text and videos testimonials. And, it integrates with Facebook and YouTube so you can utilize those video testimonials across social media platforms. Boast has a mobile application that allows customers to record their testimonials through the app.
Key Features:
- Weekly Request Reminders: This tool sends you an email every week asking if there are any customers you would like to request a testimonial form.
- Conditional Thank You Messages: Rapidly review customer feedback, product or service ratings, and overall customer satisfaction with a simple metric.
Boast Pricing
It starts at $25month for one testimonial collection form and twenty monthly testimonial videos up to 5 minutes each in the duration.
3. Proof Pricing
Pulse is a social proof software owned by Proof that displays notifications of the actions taken by real people on your website.
Key features:
- Recent Activity: It shows a live feed of real activity happening on your site right now
- Live Visitor Count: It allows you create scarcity and urgency by showing the total number of live visitors currently browsing your website.
- Hot Streaks: It displays the total number of visitors who have taken action on your website
Proof Pricing
It starts at $29month (when billed annually) for up to 2,000 unique visitors.
4. BuzzFyr
BuzzFyr is eSearch Logix’s advanced social proof that can potentially enhance your website conversion by 20%. It is easy to add to any website or landing page.
Key Features:
- Easy to Set Up:BuzzFyr is extremely easy to set up in your website or eCommerce store.
- Custom Settings: It allows you to change the timing, position, and display rules for each campaign.
- Show Analytics on Screen: It quickly shows the reviews of customers on your website.
BuzzFyr Pricing
Free to use but premium plans starts at $6 per month.
5. Provely
Provely has a simple and easy-to-navigate user interface and it takes few minutes to set up. It provides 3 types of campaigns; lives, rotates, and past data. Through this, you can show notifications based on real-time activity on the site.
Key Features:
- Location: It shows leads & sales notifications only from a certain country to let you customize your special proof to your audience
- Color Scheme: You can select your widget into your brand and web design or use contrast to make it unique.
- Widget Customization: Choose from a library of multiple sleek popup templates.
Conclusion
Social proof can turn your standard business into a trusted and highly reliable brand. Many online businesses have started harnessing their websites by only using social proof tools.
Customers believe in customers; therefore, if you want to improve your business growth, you should deliver an excellent customer experience and gain their trust with real evidence and you will have your sales increasing.
Now it’s your turn
Do you want to integrate the power of social proof into your website?
Give your website the power of influence with eSearch Logix’s BuzzFyr tool which has modern features to help you build trust and increase sales.
Install BuzzFyr for Free and Grow Your Website Conversions Instantly
