How to Display Testimonials on a Website: The Ultimate Guide

Building trust with visitors is everything. 

Potential customers are often just one click away from choosing your competitor, which makes building credibility on your website crucial. 

Testimonials are one of the most powerful forms of social proof, offering real-world validation from those who have already benefited from your product or service. 

In this guide, I’ll dive into why testimonials matter and explore the most effective ways to showcase them on your website to not only build trust but also drive action. Read on!

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What Are Testimonials and Why Are They Important?

Testimonials are personal endorsements from your customers, where they share their positive experiences with your product or service. 

These first-hand accounts often include details about how your offering solved a problem, exceeded expectations, or provided significant value.

So, why do they matter so much?

1. Building trust: Testimonials stand out because they come from real people. When a potential customer sees that others have had a positive experience with your brand, it creates a sense of trust and reliability.
2. Overcoming objections: Potential customers often have doubts or hesitations about a product or service. Testimonials can directly address these concerns by showcasing how others with similar doubts found success. By highlighting common pain points and showing how they were resolved, testimonials can effectively reduce friction in the buying process.
3. Humanizing your brand: Testimonials give your brand a human touch. They allow potential customers to see the real people behind your products or services, fostering a connection that goes beyond the transactional. 
4. Boosting Conversions: The ultimate goal of any marketing strategy is to drive conversions, whether that means making a sale, getting a sign-up, or encouraging a demo. Testimonials have a proven impact on conversion rates because they provide the social proof needed to push a prospect from consideration to action.

Best Practices for Displaying Testimonials

In the following section, I will discuss how displaying testimonials on your website strategically can affect how visitors perceive your product or service and, ultimately, take action.

Placement Matters

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to placing testimonials, but that still doesn’t mean you should place them randomly. Here are some of the most common practices regarding where the testimonials section should be located.

Above the Fold: Key Testimonials Should Be Visible Without Scrolling

The "above the fold" area of your website is the portion visible to users without them needing to scroll. 

This space is prime real estate for your most compelling testimonials because it’s the first thing visitors see when they land on your site. 

Placing testimonials above the fold reassures visitors that others have had successful experiences with your brand, which can significantly reduce bounce rates and encourage them to explore further.

On Conversion Pages: Strategically Placing Testimonials on Key Pages

Conversion pages—like product, pricing, and contact pages—are where potential customers make critical decisions. 

Placing testimonials on these pages serves as a persuasive nudge, addressing any last-minute doubts and reinforcing the value of your offering. 

For example, on a pricing page, a testimonial from a customer who found your service worth every penny can help justify the cost.

Using Rotating Carousels vs. Static Display: Pros and Cons

Another placement issue is this: it’s not where but how the testimonials are displayed. So far, the two most popular options proved to be rotating carousels and static testimonials.

Rotating carousels:

• Pros: Rotating carousels allow you to display multiple testimonials in a single space, keeping the page clean and uncluttered.
• Cons: Important messages might get missed, especially if the rotation is too fast or too slow.

Static display:

• Pros: A static display ensures that all key testimonials are visible at once, giving them equal weight and ensuring nothing is overlooked.
• Cons: However, static displays can take up more space on the page, potentially leading to a cluttered design if not managed carefully.

Design and Format

How testimonials are presented matters. Here are a couple of vital tips.

Visual Appeal: Using Images, Videos, and Consistent Design Elements

The visual presentation of testimonials can significantly impact their effectiveness. Adding images, such as customer photos or company logos, can make the testimonial more relatable and trustworthy. 

Videos are even more powerful, conveying emotion and authenticity that text alone can’t capture. 

Consistency in design elements, such as font, color, and layout, ensures that testimonials blend seamlessly with your overall site aesthetic while standing out enough to catch attention.

Highlighting Key Phrases: Emphasizing Important Parts of the Testimonial

Highlighting key phrases or sentences—such as those that mention specific benefits, outcomes, or emotions—can draw the reader’s eye to the most compelling parts of the testimonial. 

This can be done using bold text, larger fonts, or even quotation marks to set these phrases apart. 

Authenticity and Relatability: Making Testimonials More Believable

For testimonials to be effective, they must feel authentic. Including the customer’s full name, photo, job title, and company (when relevant) adds credibility and makes the testimonial more relatable. 

People are more likely to trust feedback from someone they perceive as a real, identifiable person rather than an anonymous review.

Incorporating Different Types of Testimonials

Adding just text won’t cut it. Visitors need to actually pay attention to your testimonials, so you will have to go into multimedia mode.

Text Testimonials: Simple and Effective

Despite their simplicity, text testimonials can be incredibly powerful when paired with a customer’s photo and title, offering a concise yet impactful endorsement of your product or service.

Video Testimonials: Engaging and Impactful

Videos can be particularly effective in demonstrating how a product is used or the emotions associated with a positive outcome. The key to successful video testimonials is keeping them concise and ensuring they convey a clear, powerful message.

Case Studies: Detailed Success Stories

Case studies are especially effective for B2B audiences or high-value products and services, where potential customers need more convincing through detailed evidence of success.

They often include data, detailed narratives, and visual elements like charts or before-and-after photos. 

They are more complex to create compared to standard testimonials. I guess I will cover them in detail in a separate blog.

Social Media Mentions: Leveraging Organic Endorsements

Social media platforms are rich with organic endorsements in the form of mentions, reviews, and shoutouts. Integrating these into your website as testimonials adds an extra layer of authenticity, as they are often unsolicited and come from real customers. 

Tools like social media widgets can help you seamlessly display these mentions, showing potential customers the buzz your brand is generating online.

Leveraging User-Generated Content

If your users are giving you kind words, you should wear it like a badge (or a testimonial on your website, in this case).

Encouraging Customers to Share: Motivating Testimonials

To keep a steady flow of fresh testimonials, it’s important to actively encourage your customers to share their experiences. This can be done through follow-up emails, surveys, or even by offering incentives like discounts or entry into a giveaway. 

Make it easy for customers to submit their testimonials by providing simple, user-friendly forms or offering to conduct brief interviews.

Showcasing Social Media Reviews: Integrating External Feedback

Social media reviews from platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook are valuable sources of social proof. These reviews often appear in search results and can be integrated into your website using widgets or plugins. 

Displaying these reviews on your site not only provides additional testimonials but also reinforces their credibility since they are hosted on third-party platforms. This transparency can further build trust with your audience.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

There are several don’ts when it comes to testimonials. Let’s check them out.

1. Overloading with testimonials: Too many testimonials can overwhelm visitors and dilute their impact. Focus on showcasing a few strong, relevant ones that speak directly to your audience.
2. Using generic testimonials: Vague feedback like "Great service!" lacks the detail needed to build trust. Opt for testimonials that highlight specific benefits or outcomes.
3. Neglecting mobile optimization: Ensure your testimonials are responsive and easy to read on mobile devices. Poor formatting can frustrate users and damage credibility.
4. Not updating testimonials regularly: Outdated testimonials make your business seem stagnant. Regularly update with fresh, recent feedback to keep your content relevant.
5. Ignoring negative feedback: Hiding negative feedback can appear inauthentic. Address concerns publicly when appropriate to build trust through transparency.
6. Misaligning with target audience: Testimonials that don't resonate with your target audience are less effective. Ensure the feedback you showcase reflects your ideal customers.
7. Failing to include a CTA: Pair testimonials with a clear call to action to guide visitors toward the next step, like exploring a product or signing up for a demo.

Examples of Great Testimonials

Here are some great examples of how to present testimonials on a website.

• Webflow: I really liked how Webflow used testimonials on their Enterprise page to highlight a concrete number that indicates an improvement for the customer, and paired it with a testimonial from a real person. It is also paired with a CTA that leads to a full-scale case study.

• Flow Ninja: Yup, it is our website. I think we studied how others did it and incorporated various feedback in getting our testimonials just right. We decided to pair a video testimonial with a text quote from it, along with our Clutch score.

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• Wordtune: Since Wordtune has many users, they decided to show them in the carousel, but also pointed out their average rating on Google, which is a great practice for B2C websites.

• Callstack: I like how Callstack managed to add a testimonial right next to the book a demo form, reassuring the visitor about their quality. Listing some of the popular clients is the cherry on top. 

How to Collect Testimonials for Your Website?

Here are some of the most popular methods for collecting testimonials, along with a step-by-step process for each:

Email Requests

1. Identify satisfied customers: Use your customer database to identify those who have had positive experiences, such as those who have left high ratings, made repeat purchases, or expressed satisfaction in past communications.
2. Craft a personalized email: Send a personalized email thanking the customer for their business and kindly ask if they’d be willing to share their experience. Keep the message brief and include a clear request for a testimonial.
3. Provide guidance: Offer a few prompts or questions to help the customer craft their testimonial, such as "What did you like most about our service?" or "How has our product made a difference for you?"
4. Include a link or form: Make it easy for them to submit their testimonial by including a direct link to a submission form or by simply replying to the email.
5. Follow up: If you don’t receive a response, send a polite follow-up email after a week or two to remind them.

On-Site Requests

1. Choose the right moment: Identify key moments in the user journey where they’re likely to be satisfied, such as after completing a purchase, achieving a milestone, or using a feature successfully.
2. Trigger the request: Use pop-ups, banners, or in-app messages to ask for a testimonial. Make sure the request is unobtrusive and comes at a moment when the customer is likely to be pleased with your product or service.
3. Simplify the process: Offer a quick and easy way for users to leave their testimonials, such as a simple form with a few fields or a star rating system with an optional comment box.
4. Offer incentives: Consider offering a small incentive, like a discount or freebie, to encourage users to share their feedback.

Social Media Requests

1. Engage with active users: Identify customers who are active on your social media platforms, especially those who frequently engage with your content or have tagged your brand in their posts.
2. Reach out directly: Send a direct message or comment on their post to thank them for their support and ask if they’d be willing to share a more detailed testimonial.
3. Provide easy submission options: Offer options for how they can submit their testimonial, such as through a direct message, by filling out a form, or by leaving a review on your social media page.
4. Feature their testimonial: Let them know you’d love to feature their testimonial on your website or social media, giving them a bit of public recognition.

Customer Interviews

1. Select key customers: Identify customers who have had significant success with your product or service and who might be willing to share their story in more depth.
2. Schedule an interview: Reach out to them to schedule a brief interview, either over the phone, via video call, or in person. Make it convenient for them by being flexible with timing.
3. Prepare questions: Develop a set of open-ended questions that encourage detailed responses, such as "What problem were you trying to solve?" or "How has our product impacted your business?"
4. Conduct the interview: Keep the conversation friendly and focused, allowing the customer to share their experience in their own words. Record the interview (with permission) for accuracy.
5. Craft the testimonial: Write up the testimonial based on the interview, ensuring it captures the key points made by the customer. Send it to them for approval before publishing.

Automated Follow-Up Surveys

1. Set up automation: Use a CRM or email marketing tool to automatically send follow-up surveys to customers after a purchase, project completion, or other significant interaction.
2. Design the survey: Keep the survey short, with a mix of rating scales and open-ended questions. Include a final question asking for permission to use their feedback as a testimonial.
3. Analyze responses: Review the survey responses to identify positive feedback that can be turned into testimonials.
4. Request permission: Reach out to those who provided positive feedback, asking for permission to feature their comments as a testimonial. Offer to make any necessary edits for clarity.
5. Publish testimonials: Once permission is granted, format the testimonials for use on your website, in marketing materials, or on social media.

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Conclusion

Testimonials are a powerful tool for building trust and guiding potential customers toward taking action on your website. By strategically placing and designing them, choosing authentic and relevant feedback, and ensuring they’re easy to find and engaging to read, you can significantly boost their impact. 

Remember, the most effective testimonials are those that resonate with your audience and are presented in a way that supports your site's goals. Implement these best practices, and watch how well-crafted testimonials can turn visitors into loyal customers.