The question of context
It??™s entirely possible that a business foregoes the production-intensive content of case
studies and press releases and focuses entirely on lighter validation material like testimonials,
awards, and press coverage. In this case, having a dedicated success section is less
important than presenting the material in context.
Imagine a reader perusing a commercial truck manufacturer??™s website, researching the
company for possible inclusion in a request for proposal (RFP) initiative for an upcoming
purchase. As the user clicks through the different pages showing different models, he continually
sees awards the trucks have won, from magazine accolades to industry benchmarks.
The inclusion of that third-party recognition??”even if the visitor is not familiar with
every award??”easily can be the tipping point in getting that manufacturer on the short list
of preferred vendors for the RFP.
Testimonials are no different. While quotes from satisfied customers are great to have and
can really be used across a corporate site, they become true persuasive weapons when
coupled with relative marketing content. Consider Figure 8-2, which shows a company??™s
technical support section.
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