Testimonials are a vital part of convincing potential customers to buy into what you are selling. In fact, before anyone makes the decision to purchase your products or services, they need to know that what you are offering is worth their hard-earned cash.
Utilizing the power of social proof is one of the best ways to coax your site visitors into becoming loyal customers. And, it just so happens that WordPress offers plenty of free testimonial plugins that enable you to create written testimonials directly on your website for everyone to see.
Add social proof to your website using WordPress testimonial plugins!
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That’s why today I am going to share with you a variety of exceptional WordPress testimonial plugins to get you headed in the right direction once you decide that social proof is the way to attract, convert, and retain new customers from all over.
But first, a look at how to make you testimonials work the hardest for you…
How to Make Testimonials Work for You
Customers looking to make a purchase need to know that their decision is a good one. After all, no one wants to invest money into something that may or may not work.
Testimonials are a great way to ensure potential customers that your brand, business, and products or services are just right for them. In addition, they come from people other than yourself adding a level of honesty that customers can appreciate.
Anyone can say good things about themselves. However, when it comes from others, especially those with personal experience, your credibility is solidified in a special kind of way.
Testimonial Tips
Take a look at some of the best ways to make your testimonials work their hardest for you once on your WordPress website:
- Always Use Real People. It should come without saying, but using fake testimonials to build credibility on is a no-no. Only use actual people and their actual testimonials to show that your brand is real, trustworthy, and worth investing in.
- Add An Image. Humanizing your testimonials with a picture has a very powerful effect. Not only does it give potential customers a chance to put a face to a name, it makes the testimonial that much more believable. It is much harder to “fake” a testimonial when a real person’s face is standing behind it.
- Consider Multiple Locations. Some website owners, myself included, have a dedicated testimonial page. However, for those that do not, it is best to consider placing testimonials in multiple places throughout your website to increase customer exposure. Plus, by strategically placing testimonials on your website, you are likely to encourage interested customers to navigate further throughout your website, which can in turn lead to a conversion.
So, there you have it! Adding testimonials to your website is not a difficult thing. And, as you will soon see, there are plenty of options that won’t break the bank (aka they are free!) so there really is no reason not to use this powerful tactic to help increase business and make yourself more successful than ever before.
Top WordPress Testimonial Plugins
1. Easy Testimonials
Easy Testimonials is an easy-to-use plugin with an intuitive interface that lets you place a testimonial in your website’s sidebar, widget, post, or page using a shortcode. In addition, you can insert a list of all of your website’s testimonials or output a random testimonial to add dynamic to your website. Using schema.org compliant JSON-LD markup, your testimonials will always appear in search results correctly. In conclusion, this means your website, and social proof, appear in search results to customers looking for what you have to offer.
Additional features include:
- Add an image to each testimonial
- Implement fading or sliding effects
- Use multiple themes on the same page
- Display ratings and excerpts
- Link testimonials to any page
- Access the custom CSS box and add your own HTML
2. Testimonials Widget
Testimonials Widget is a plugin that allows you to randomly or selectively show portfolios, quotes, reviews, or text with images or videos as a slider or in list form to add social proof to your website. For example, insert testimonials via shortcode, theme functions, or widgets and include category and tag selections for added organization. In addition, style each testimonial easily and let it adapt to your current theme. For instance, add images, authors, titles, locations, email, company, and URL details to every testimonial so your customers can be the most informed.
Additional features include:
- Carousel, fade, and slide transitions
- Fully responsive
- Implement slide text for rotating testimonials
- Create a video slideshow
- Filter content based on categories, tags, or post ID
- Custom styling using the CSS class identifier
3. Testimonial Rotator
Testimonial Rotator offers website owners a simple way to manage your site’s testimonials. For example, create a custom post type for a testimonial rotator, complete with WordPress admin fields. In addition, assign them rotators for display, and use a widget or shortcode to insert onto your site. Altogether, this testimonial plugin has easy to change settings in the admin section of your site, has previous and next buttons, and even pagination in list format for easy testimonial navigation.
Additional features include:
- Author information fields
- hReview support for better SERPs
- Star rating ability
- Add testimonials to multiple rotators
- Access hooks and filters for added customization
- Create custom template
4. Testimonials Slider
Testimonial Sliders is touted as one of the best responsive testimonials sliders on the market today. Inspired by bxslider, share social proof about your blog, products, or services. In addition, automatically rotate testimonials in your sidebar, create a list view, or even share a full testimonials page on your website for ultimate viewing by site customers.
Additional features include:
- Enter name, website, and website URL in addition to testimonial text
- Preview before publishing
- Easy insertion on website via shortcode
- Utilize visual editor for testimonial creation
- Add images and links
- Choose from a variety of transition effects and speeds
5. BNE Testimonials
BNE Testimonials is a great way to add list or flexslider testimonials to your website complete with title, featured images, taglines, website, and messages. More so, include a custom taxonomy to separate testimonials into separate groups for easier navigation. Altogether, you can implement social proof on your website in a cinch using this intuitive testimonial plugin.
Additional features include:
- Multiple testimonials on any page or post
- Utilize shortcodes or widgets to add to website
- Access varying image styles
- Exclude certain testimonial information
- Add fade or slide transitions
- Display multiple instances throughout your page
6. Testimonial Basics
Testimonials Basics is anything but basic. Rather, it was built as a full-featured plugin for adding exceptional social proof to your website in minutes. To start, add author, email, and testimonial text, as well as title, location, and website. In addition, customize two additional fields as you see fit. Furthermore, implement a 5-star rating system, group testimonials for separate display, or add input forms in content or widgets. In the end, this feature-packed plugin is one of the best options you can choose when it comes to convincing site visitors to trust you.
Additional features include:
- Backup and restore functionality
- Built-in black and white or color CAPTCHA
- 4 content and 6 widget layout displays
- Pagination option in 3, 5, or 10 groupings
- Include Gravatars
- Customize using one of 9 available fonts
7. Handsome Testimonials
Handsome Testimonials lets you showcase eye-catching testimonials so that you can encourage site visitors to rely on your for their purchasing needs. With modern designs to appeal to your target audience, this testimonial plugin comes with an easy to use generator so you can change every element – colors, font size, alignment, corners, shadows, alignment, and more – and see a live preview as you work. In all, this feature-packed testimonial plugin doesn’t disappoint when it comes to adding social proof to your website.
Additional features include:
- Random rotate function with each new page load
- Save testimonial settings for later use
- Choose from a variety of free designs
- Add to widgets using Apps Widget
- Add custom images and add shadows
- Convenient Testimonial Creator
8. Strong Testimonials
Strong Testimonials is a plugin developed to help small businesses looking to add social proof to their site to convince customers they are the real deal. For instance, accept testimonials from customers, display a full page, or even add them to widgets – there are several options available. Additionally, there is a front-end form with custom fields, a star rating system, and it can even display as a slideshow with multiple navigation options.
Additional features include:
- Grid, column, and masonry layouts
- Translation ready and compatible with WPML, Polylang, and WPGlobus
- Sort according to oldest, newest, random, or menu order
- Include featured images and Gravatars
- Pagination feature
- Enable the comment feature
9. GS Testimonial Slider
GS Testimonial Slider is a lightweight plugin that works with all WordPress themes, is developer friendly but still easy to use, and comes powered by Cycle2. Start by using a generated shortcode to highlight testimonials and customer reviews anywhere on your website. Additionally, know that all testimonials render perfectly on all devices, no matter the size or type.
Additional features include:
- Easy to set up with no configurations needed
- Create a custom post type for testimonial posting
- Display an author image
- Manage, edit, create, and delete using intuitive interface
- Choose from 9 different transition effects
- Easily change the display order – ascending or descending
10. Basic Testimonials
Basic Testimonials is one of the simplest testimonial plugins on the market. For example, simply create a new testimonial, upload an image, add a website, and hit publish. Additionally, if you want to add text to your testimonial, all you have to do is embed a shortcode into the post, page or widget to display.
Additional features include:
- Convenient Testimonials menu item in admin section
- Front-end submission form for user testimonial uploads
- User submission approval
- Set parameters – random or ordered display
- Help button for editing support
- Minimal styling for those with simple website design
Final Thoughts
Altogether, displaying testimonials on your website from past customers is a surefire way to create more trust in prospective customers. And luckily, since there are so many high quality options available to you, all free of charge, there is no reason you can take part in adding social proof to your website to help build confidence in your brand, and of course, help boost sales.
Every website has their own particular needs when it comes to which testimonial plugin is best. Before jumping in, think about what you might need. Do you want extensive customization? Do you want front-end submission capability? Are you more of a minimalist type of brand? Consequently, answers to these questions will help you determine which plugin is best suited for you.
Have you used any of the above-mentioned testimonial plugins for your website? Did I leave one off the list that you think should be included? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below!
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The post 2017’s Best Free WordPress Testimonial Plugins for Adding Social Proof to Your Website appeared first on Lindsay Liedke.