Also called review, customer quote
A testimonial is a customer's own account of what your product did for them, quoted with attribution.
The persuasive part is the specific outcome, not the praise. "Great course, highly recommend" carries almost nothing; "I rewrote my sales page using module three and doubled enquiries in six weeks" carries the claim you would not be believed making yourself.
Attribution is what makes it evidence. A name, a photo and a role turn a sentence into a checkable statement; an anonymous quote reads as copywriting.
Getting good ones requires asking a specific question. "Any feedback?" produces compliments; "What changed after you used it?" produces testimonials.
In practice
Asking buyers "what were you doing before, and what changed?" produces usable quotes at a much higher rate than an open request for feedback.
Common mistake
Editing testimonials into your own voice. Buyers recognise marketing prose, and the polish removes the credibility the words were there for.
Read more on this
- How to Create Digital Products to Sell in 2026 Learn how to create digital products to sell in 2026 with this hands-on guide covering product selection, packaging, pricing, delivery, and promotion
- Best Platform to Sell Digital Products in 2026 Find the best platform to sell digital products in 2026. Compare fees, checkout, bookings, email capture, and analytics to choose the right fit for creators.
- How to Monetize Social Media and Turn Followers Into Revenue Learn how to monetize social media with proven revenue streams, a high-converting link-in-bio store, email funnels and pricing tactics that turn followers into