Fake testimonials during the testing period. Ethical?

[msafi]

What do you guys think about the ethics of displaying fake testimonials on the product sales page during the testing period?

I won't take any money from interested customers.

After clicking on "Buy Now," they'd be taken to the page where I tell them that the actual service is not ready yet, ask them to sign up to be notified when the service is launched, and that they will be considered for a free trial of the service. I should probably tell them on that same page that the testimonials were fake. Right?

Before I launch the service, I will pilot test it with a few customers at no charge to them. From those customers, I will collect the initial testimonials, which will be displayed on the product sales page. After that, I'll try to collect testimonials from paying customers to replace or add to the existing testimonials...

What do you guys think about all of this?

[dvdwlsh]

I should probably tell them on that same page that the testimonials were fake. Right?

Do not, do not, do not even consider telling a potential customer that they'd essentially been tricked into purchasing your product. Think about it from a customer's perspective -- imagine if you decided to buy a product at a retail store, based on rave reviews you heard from people you spoke to while shopping. Right as you approach the check-out counter, credit card in-hand, they say "Oh, by the way.. those people we're all hired to tell you good things about your new product, those weren't real remarks. Do you still trust us with your purchase?"

If you decide to use fictitious testimonials, commit to the decision and go for it. Realistically, people should not be concerned if a real person said something or not -- what matters if that they never feel misled or manipulated. From my perspective, testimonials are just another facet of persuasive sales copy and should naturally enhance your product's perceived value. Think about how every infomercial handles this -- every "testimonial" is from a paid, scripted actor.

To avoid any ethical conundrums, consider letting a few people (friends, family, forum users, etc) sample your product free of charge, in exchange for a few words of feedback.

[msafi]

dvdwlsh, wouldn't they know that the testimonials were fake when they learn that there is no actual product yet? Because how would anyone have tested it when it didn't exist? Also, how can I let friends and family test it before I make it? Maybe my title and paragraph above weren't clear, but I'm talking about the market test period where you test the product before you creat it.

[dvdwlsh]

Again, put yourself in the position of a prospective customer. No one wants to feel like they've been mislead into buying a would-be product. The purpose of a testing phase is simply to help you understand what sales copy and product offering creates the most value for your visitors -- and the simplest way to measure this is based on conversion rates and corresponding cost-per-conversion.

No one wants to click an "Order Now" button and see a message that says "Sorry, this product does not exist." That can erode trust in your offer when it comes to life and is ready for primetime sale.

If you're looking to test prior to any product being created, I would look to create an order page indicating that the product is currently being updated or revised and let the prospect know they'll be notified when it's ready.

Naturally, you'll want to capture their email address and use it respectfully, and solely to let them know, as promised, when they product is made available.

[Vacman]

msafi,

Unless you're thinking about using those same testimonials on your real sales page then it wouldn't be an accurate test anyhow.

So if you put up fake testimonials and get a ton of "sales" then if you take those down and try the real thing, then you may be sorely disappointed.

Basically, even besides the ethical issues, it's not even a sound testing platform.

Ya know?
-Sean

[msafi]

I'm very, very digusted right now. I kind of suspected that many of those testimonials I read were fake, but I kinda blocked it from my mind and never thought about it. Now that I know that many sellers use fake testimonials, I'm really disgusted...

[Vacman]

msafi,

I'm curious, how do you know?

Nothing in this thread suggests that many sellers fake testimonials.

In fact, this thread is discouraging the use of any fake testimonials.

[msafi]

I read about this fact in other places. Then I took a close look at the testimonials on one very successful website in my niche. They are clearly fake.

dvdwlsh's saying that infomercial testimonials are basically scripted and paid actors is what prompted me to look into this...

[msafi]

Hey Sean, sorry that I sounded as if I were responding to your message by saying that I'm disgusted. You are clearly discouraging the use of fake testimonials. I just wanted to share my thought on this issue that has really stirred me up...

Thanks,

[Vacman]

Oh yea,

I totally forgot about that...

DISCLAIMER: I have no idea what I'm really talking about, and this is not meant to be legal advice. So please take my comments with a grain of salt.

But I have heard that as long as you don't use a name attached to your testimonial then it can be considered legal.

For example, in those testimonials on infomercials, they just cut to someone's face and say "I did 100,000 in sales in 2 weeks! I couldn't believe it!" And then cut away on to the next scene.

That could be legal because they didn't say: "My name is Bob Smith from Indiana, I did 100,000 in sales in 2 weeks! I couldn't believe it!"

In addition, you might be able to put up testimonials with no name attached on a website and say whatever you wanted.

"I made 42 billion dollars in 23 seconds using JUST the advice you had on page 122! That alone was worth my investment of the 700 billion dollar bail out!"

Here's an article that outlines some of this:

http://www.michelfortin.com/when-and-how-to-use-an-alias-in-business/

It talks about this type of testimonial as an "alias."

Here's a quote from the article:

"For example, John Doe gets into an accident. He picks up the phone and says, 'Uh oh, better get Maaco!' And then the screen fades to a scene with John, with his now repaired car in the background, shaking hands with a Maaco mechanic and a huge smile across his face.

How many times have you seen commercials like that?"

Interesting stuff.

I think big companies are often times the most guilty for this type of "fake" testimonial.

P.S. I'm not endorsing this type of testimonial, but I do believe it's good to know the facts so you can be aware and cautious of what's out there.

[dvdwlsh]

One very significant point to make, again demonstrated by major infomercial productions, is they always (and presumably by law) include hard-to-read but legible disclaimer text whenever scripted testimonials are playing.

"These claims do not represent every experience and are exceptional. You may experience different results. These are paid actors."

...or something to that effect. So, there is also the option to add a disclaimer somewhere that says something of that nature. Just an option.

Also, I'd make a point of distinction between qualitative and quantitative claims. For example...

Qualitative: I've never felt more lively after starting this diet.

Quantitative: I lose 80 pounds and my cholesterol has lowered, using this diet alone!

One of them is a feeling, the other is a verifiable claim that leads people to expect the same. Qualitative is safer because it's more intangible.

[msafi]

dvdwlsh, how come you don't have any testimonials on audiomixologist.net?