So, you want to add Audio or Video Customer Testimonials to your website?

That's a great idea, since you increase new client trust when you provide testimonials from people who have used your products and services before.

The problem with text testimonials, however, is that people wonder if the testimonials are made up (especially the when they don't put the person's full name and contact information). It's much harder to fake an audio or video testimonial. Very few people would go to that length to deceive potential clients.

Audio Testimonials

So let's start with Audio Testimonials, which are much more prevalent, and much easier to use. You can obtain audio testimonials via telephone recording lines, audio conference room recordings, and recording programs on your computer, to name the most popular options.

Telephone Recording Lines

Your Recording Line

If you are like most people, you don't have a steady stream of testimonials coming in all the time. If you don't plan on getting testimonials every month, then http://www.YourRecordingLine.com may be the place for you.

You receive a free telephone recording line set up at no charge, and your first raw audio recording is free. You are given a unique phone number for your clients to call so they can record a testimonial over the telephone. If they mess up, they can just hang up and start over again. Or, you can choose to edit the audios (or have Your Recording Line edit the audios).

Your Recording Line does not charge any monthly fees - it is a "pay as you go" service. After your first free raw audio, you are charged $1/minute for each raw recording, with a $5 minimum. However, you can also have your audio edited for only $1/minute, with a $5/minimum.

Editing means cleaning up the audio, stutterings, ahs, ums, silences, etc., and adding music. It makes your clients less nervous when they leave their testimonial, knowing you will edit it and make it sound great. Plus, adding music makes it sound much more professional.

For an example of Audio Testimonials that have been edited and mixed with music by Penny Haynes, go to The Joy Of Connecting's Testimonials Page.

Then, the customer can choose to have the finished audio file:

• emailed to them,
• uploaded to the client's webhost
• uploaded to Your Recording Line's host, and the HTML code for the streaming audio sent to the client (for adding to their own web page).

To find out more, go to http://www.YourRecordingLine.com.

BYO Audio

If you plan to:

• have a steady stream of testimonials on a monthly basis, or
• record a lot of teleseminars

the best option for you would be BYOAudio (click here to check it out). You can record as many testimonials, and record as many teleseminars as you like for just only monthly price of $19.95. (Secret: If you pay for a year's service up front, they give you something like a 20% discount, so I always pay up front!).

You can:

1. Record audio by telephone.
2. Record audio directly to the internet.
3. Record teleseminars (classes that are held over the telephone, normally with a bunch of people attending).
4. Have other people call in audio testimonials about you over the phone.
5. Upload audio from your computer to BYOAudio.

But the most important thing about this program is that it will convert your audio into HTML for you. All you have to do is copy the code (another name for webpage languages) and paste it into your web page.

You just have to have access to the HTML code on your webpage so you can paste it there. Or, if you have a webmaster (someone who takes care of your website for you, normally for a monthly fee), they can do that for you.

If you want your BYOAudio testimonial recordings edited, you can give Your Recording Line access to your BYOAudio account. Simply email us at customerservice@1stpod.com. We will

• download it,
• edit it,
• mix it with music,
• re-upload it to your BYOAudio account, and then
• send you the HTML coding for $10 per testimonial.
• If you need someone to paste it into your webpage for you, we can do that as a courtesy as well.

If you sign up through this link, I will provide you with a manual on how to use BYOAudio.

P.S. BYOAudio will also allow you to upload Video files and create streaming video to put on your website. To see an example from the Joy of Connecting and from Midlife Heroines, go to http://www.PennyHaynes.com.

Video Testimonials

Camtasia, by TechSmith

If you are a do-it-yourselfer, get yourself a webcam and buy Camtasia Studio. It will allow you to record yourself on video from your webcam. It also has the ability to take your video and change it to a format that can be viewed on an iPod. They even offer streaming video hosting.

Plus, you can create video tutorials, record and narrate powerpoint presentations, and more. It is the video tool of choice for 1st Podcast Publishing.

Hello World

Hello World offers premium streaming video services, and makes it very easy to do so. Just hook up your webcam, and click record on their website. It doesn't get any easier, so if you are looking to use that, go to http://www.HelloWorld.com.

BYOAudio

As said above, BYOAudio will also allow you to upload video files you create on your computer and will provide you with a streaming video player to put on your website. You simply upload, and then copy the html code to your website. That simple.