Testimonials are widely used by internet marketers. You see them plastered all over sales pages and websites in a bid to make you feel more comfortable with whatever product or service is being promoted.

I expect that, like me, you've sometimes wondered if these testimonials are real. Some of them aren't but the large majority of them are 100% genuine. Usually you can tell the real ones because they will have a link back to the originator's website.

So what does this mean for you? Simple - the next time you use a product or service that you're happy with think about sending the supplier a testimonial - and include a link to your website or blog. If the supplier decides to use it, it's good for them and it's good for you - you will get traffic from your link.

To give just one example, I wrote a review of an e-book and published it on my website. It was one of the few e-books that I have genuinely enjoyed and learned from this year so I gave it a good review. I also e-mailed the author to tell him how much I had enjoyed the book and pointed him at the web page where it was reviewed.

A couple of weeks later I found that a snippet from my review was being used as a testimonial (he asked permission first of course) and that a link to my site had been included. This was on a very high profile sales page.

Mine was one of 4 reviews and the other 3 were all by world famous internet "gurus". I don't mind admitting that I was mildly amused to see my name there along with the big dogs - but I was even happier when I checked my traffic stats later. I was receiving a steady trickle of traffic from the sales site. Obviously people who wanted to check that there was a real person behind the testimonial.

The traffic is pretty constant week in, week out, and I expect it will continue for as long as the e-book is promoted. It's a nice payback for a testimonial which I wrote in all sincerity.

So, if you are really happy with something in future, write to the supplier and let them know - include a link to your site or blog. It's nice to be nice.

Hamish Hayward
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