How many testimonials on a sales page?

On a long form sales page, how many testimonials would be considered too much? Is there a sweet spot amount? I find so many sales pages are way too cluttered with testimonials.

Also, are they usually real testimonials?

 

Like anything else on the internet, testimonials are a commodity that can be purchased. I for one take little heed and seldom take them seriously, when I see them.
However...if they appear sincere then it may impact my opinion. Sincere testimonials are usually short and to the point. The long flowery ones which claim that the sun shines out of the subjects armpits, are usually false.

How many is too much or how many do you need? Well one false one would be too much in my estimation and you cannot have too many sincere ones but...You don't want the reader to be spending too much time on them. So I would suggest half a dozen, and have them brief.

 

It is well known that social approval increases conversion rates of a sales page.
However, the best converting sales pages have testimonials from well known people (in internet marketing or any other niche). So i guess the more real testimonials from well known people the more it will increase your conversions.

 

You're probably right. I would just say to include as many as would fit on the first page. I person would rather have real testimonials, not fake ones. I used to hate it when clients would ask me to use fake ones. I'd usually tell them I'll take quotes from real users but not create fake ones.

 

There is not a set number for how many testimonials are ideal. Although on average, longer sales letters would benefit from more testimonials.

Think of the sales piece as an emotional roller coaster. The cars start in a distracted state, then they become alert, then interested, then skeptical, then amused. Etc. etc. By reading your own sales material, you should be able to identify what the reader is most likely feeling at any point in the piece.

Identify the points with high skepticism or friction. Most obvious is that the call to action; you almost always want testimonials right above or below your buttons and also the checkout sidebar if you can program it in.

And when you make really big claims or take them through an incredible story that may be considered hard to believe, strategically placed testimonial will help remind people that you are the real business with real customers, and not just a giant fantasy.

 

More focus should be on what kind of testimonials than how many testimonials. Since its a sales pages, the testimonials should point at the profitability of the deal, high quality of the product / service, and a prompt, dedicated and polite customer care. The number actually depends on the nature of product / service and the related time of the year. For example, if the time of the year is winter and the product is a cold drink, it would look a bit odd to find say 50-60 testimonials (yes, there would be dates, but still). However, that number wouldn't be a problem during summers.