Word-of-mouth advertising using a Guestbook

A guestbook is a web page where anyone can leave a note about you or about your product and/or service for you or anyone to see and read. The comments left on your guestbook can be positive or negative. Some people consider the addition of a guestbook to a web site the mark of inexperienced web site designer. Other people see guestbooks as an interactive feature that can provide the necessary feedback the web site owner needs to make their site, product, or service better. No two web sites are the same, so make your decision based on what you want to achieve with your guestbook rather than what you've seen or heard about guestbooks. Here's the good and bad of having a guestbook on your web site.

The good

1) Satisfied customers can leave comments about your product or service for others to see. This is quite similar to word of mouth advertising where potential customers feel better about your product or service based on the comments of satisfied customers.

2) A guestbook also says that you are confident of your services or products and all comments posted on your guestbook will be rave reviews.

3) Some people use guestbooks as a way to find relevant information similar to what is on your site. Most likely when a person signs your guestbook they will leave a link within their comments directing readers to similar information.

4) If someone takes the time to post a message to your guestbook they are most likely a satisfied customer or a potential future customer. If you reply to one of your posts you can thank them for stopping by your site and add a small plug for your products or services. In this sense you provide a friendly thank you rather than an automated response. Your guestbook is similar to a mailing list of people who indirectly know you.

5) Your guestbook can provide you with ideas on how to improve your site.

6) Anyone can read your guestbook to find valuable tips and contacts from it. Sometimes it can be a gauge of the mentality of your audience.

7) If you have a guestbook that only you can read you will be able to choose which signings are deserving of a response. You will not have to worry about content that might offend family viewers. At the same time, you'll be protecting your viewers from e-mail harvesters [junk mailers].

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic