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If you’re looking to sell your WordPress agency, you’ll want to demonstrate its value to prospective buyers. An effective way to do this is by leveraging customer testimonials and case studies. But how do you use them to maximize appeal?
Case studies and reviews can speak to your agency’s reputation and longevity. You’ll want to compile in-depth case study profiles, and perhaps even create engaging testimonial videos. It’s also a good idea to post featured projects on social media to increase exposure.
In this post, we’ll take a look at the role of case studies and testimonials when selling a business. Then, we’ll discuss five ways to leverage them to boost your agency’s appeal. Let’s get started!
Why are case studies and testimonials important when selling a business?
As a business owner, you’re already aware that testimonials can help you attract new customers. They serve as proof that you offer an excellent product or service.
New shoppers can make more confident purchasing decisions when they view positive comments by others. In fact, a recent study shows that 41 percent of U.S. consumers check online reviews before buying a product. Meanwhile, nearly 20 percent of people trust customer reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Well, the situation isn’t entirely different when it comes to attracting a buyer for your WordPress agency. There are various factors that can impact your business valuation, including financial health and potential for growth.
Many interested buyers will also want to assess the standard of your work. An effective way for them to do this would be to look at testimonials from your past and present clients. Some buyers may even request case studies that show how you’ve helped clients achieve their goals and succeed.
While you might have prepared a portfolio of your work to share with prospective buyers, this doesn’t tell them anything about your work ethic or strong rapport with clients. Case studies provide a more holistic view of your practice, while testimonials highlight client satisfaction.
How to leverage real client experiences (five ways)
Now, here are five effective ways to use testimonials and case studies when attracting buyers for your WordPress agency.
1. Compile in-depth case studies
Typically, case studies demonstrate exactly how you’ve managed to address a client’s problem.
Unlike testimonials, case studies contain quantifiable results (like statistics) that back up the story. This can help you attract buyers with facts.
Ideally, you would break down key details for those who are interested in your agency. Here are some essential points to cover:
- Background. Provide an overview of the client, including their industry and requirements.
- Project summary. Outline the challenges that your client faced and briefly explain how your service(s) addressed these issues. You could also include the time it took to deliver the work.
- Solution. Dive deeper into the different ways that you resolved such issues. Be specific about the website features that were required such as infrastructure analysis, site health checks, ongoing monitoring, etc.
- Results. Buyers want to see solid evidence of your services. You could use statistics that reveal a clear before and after benefit (e.g. ROI increase), or you might feature high-quality photographs or screenshots that back up your claims.
You have various options for displaying case studies. We recommend setting up a dedicated page on your website. This makes it easy for buyers to access this information.
2. Display customer quotes on your home page
Another way to demonstrate the value of your WordPress agency is to include customer quotes and recommendations in prime locations like your home page.
The good thing about this strategy is that clients might be more willing to share their thoughts if you only require a few sentences from them. Collecting testimonials can be harder, as some business owners don’t have the time to send detailed feedback.
It’s generally best to consider customer quotes as a short review of your agency or service. You can display them in videos (which we’ll discuss next), or present them in a slide with a call-to-action button that directs visitors to the relevant case study page.
3. Create testimonial videos
You also have the option to create engaging testimonial videos from case studies. This is an interactive way to communicate your value proposition, and it can be more appealing to buyers.
Watching videos has become one of the preferred ways to consume content online. The average daily time spent watching digital videos amounted to more than 3.5 hours last year.
A case study video enables you to show buyers the value of your agency, rather than telling them. Ideally, you’ll construct a narrative for your video that details the client’s situation before and after using your service, honing in on the problem and solution.
Alternatively, you could adopt a more casual structure for your testimonial video, using an interview-style format where you can ask any questions you like (and follow up where necessary). This encourages clients to provide rich, detailed responses that aren’t as easy to capture in text.
Another benefit of using video is that it’s a super versatile medium. You could include the full interview on your website, and repurpose the footage into bite-sized clips to distribute on social media.
4. Craft blog posts around success stories
You can also write blog posts that center around success stories. This way, you’ll also benefit from the abundance of keyword opportunities that can push your content into the top spots of search results. This maximizes visibility and increases the likelihood of buyers stumbling across your success stories during simple Google searches.
However, you don’t want to position your blog post as a case study. Instead, try to craft an article about a certain hurdle or issue that clients might need to overcome. Then, you can use your case studies to illustrate how the challenge can be addressed.
Let’s say you want to show off your WordPress design service. You could create a blog post titled “Should You Redesign Your WordPress Site?” and then display before/after scenarios of clients you’ve worked with.
5. Post featured work to social media
So far, we’ve discussed ways to leverage client testimonials and case studies on your website. But this type of content also works great for social sharing.
Your social media platforms often come under scrutiny from prospective buyers who want to evaluate your online reputation. So, you’ll want to ensure that they find some social proof during their research.
Here are some creative ways to power your social channels with case study content:
- Add a success story to your list of LinkedIn publications.
- Share featured work in relevant LinkedIn or Facebook groups.
- Repurpose testimonial videos into short clips, perfect for TikTok or Instagram.
- Upload your full-length testimonial videos to YouTube.
- Post branded infographics that boast your most impressive metrics.
- Tag the client in the post to reach new audiences.
- Use a testimonial or customer headshot as your cover image across Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
This strategy can be particularly useful for agency owners who have ample time to prepare for the sale. You might even consider hiring a social media strategist to create the content for you.
How to obtain client testimonials to demonstrate your agency’s value
Now that you know how to leverage client testimonials to pique buyers’ interest, here’s how to obtain the best feedback for your WordPress agency:
- Target the right clients. You’re more likely to encourage clients to share their opinions when they’ve had a positive experience with your brand. It’s also best to reach out to those who demonstrate long-term loyalty.
- Lead with questions. Whether you’re collecting written comments or sitting down with a camera, it’s a good idea to prepare a list of questions. This helps establish some structure and works as a great foundation. It can also result in more authentic responses.
- Request feedback during milestones. It’s good practice to check in with clients at regular intervals. This could be within the first 30 days, six months down the line, and when they renew their contract. This enables buyers to better understand the return on investment.
- Incentivize participation. Writing thoughtful feedback or taking part in video interviews requires a significant time investment. Therefore, clients may be more willing to participate if you make it worth their while. You could offer service upgrades, gift cards, contest entries, or other perks to show your appreciation.
Essentially, you’ll need to make it easy for past customers to say “yes” to your request.
Where to find buyers for your WordPress agency
Case studies and testimonials are one way of demonstrating the value of your WordPress agency to buyers. But one of the biggest mistakes when selling a business is not taking the time to choose a buyer that’s right for you.
You can find qualified buyers across online marketplaces, auctions, or even social media sites. However, it can make more sense to sell your WordPress agency to an established business like Freshy:
Freshy has over 15 years of experience that spans a range of WordPress disciplines including development, design, search engine optimization (SEO), maintenance, and more.
One of the main benefits of selling to Freshy is that there’s a dedicated support team that provides tailored support and care to each one of your clients. So, you can rest assured that your long-standing customers are in excellent hands.
On top of this, Freshy delivers super fast response times, which facilitates a smooth and speedy process. This is extremely beneficial since selling a business can be a long, complicated procedure.
Freshy is interested in WordPress agencies of all sizes, niches, and specialisms. You can check out our featured projects here.
When you’re ready to begin discussions, just complete this quick inquiry form and a member of the team will be in touch.
Conclusion
When it comes to selling your WordPress agency, buyers will scrutinize many aspects of your business to see if it’s worth the investment. That’s why it’s important to use case studies and testimonials to illustrate value and growth potential.
To recap, here are five ways to leverage real client experiences to increase your company’s appeal:
- Compile in-depth case studies.
- Display customer quotes on your home page.
- Create testimonial videos.
- Craft blog posts around success stories.
- Post featured work on social media.
Freshy has a long history of successful acquisitions and mergers, so it’s a great destination for your WordPress agency. Fill out this quick form to begin talks today!
Featured image credit: Pexels.