What are the key elements of a good testimonial slider?
While each testimonial slider and carousel will differ from brand to brand, you should still consider some of the most common binding factors. Important elements to keep in mind when creating your own are:
- Authenticity: All of your testimonials should be legitimate; use real customers and get their permission beforehand.
- Conciseness: Testimonials should be relatively short, and you especially need to identify the biggest advantages that customers have discovered from using your products/services.
- Visuals: Add images of your customers, but make sure that they’re of sufficient quality. Ask the customer to send through their highest-resolution pictures, too.
- CTA: Your testimonial must have a clear call to action, for example, you could tell users to “Schedule a Demo”.
- Mobile optimization: Besides being optimized for desktop devices, you also need to make sure that your testimonials are accessible on your website’s mobile version.
You should consider all of the above when creating your sliders; nailing the basics is much more important than trying to implement a complicated strategy.
Where should I place a testimonial slider on my website?
Creating your testimonial sliders is only one part of the puzzle; you also need to ensure that you’ve placed them in prominent locations. Some of the most important ones to think about are:
- Homepage: Place testimonial sliders somewhere on your homepage where others can see them. They should be in a clear enough location but not right at the top of the page; users need to know something about your products and services first.
- Landing pages: When users click on a landing page, you can use your testimonial sliders to further emphasize why someone should buy your products/services. Use these on organic landing pages and on the ones you promote via paid ads.
- About us page: People on your “About” page will already be looking more closely at your brand; add your testimonial slider here so that they get more of a personable approach.
- Product pages: If someone’s thinking about buying your product, they might want to know whether doing so is a good idea first. So, you should also add your testimonial sliders to your product pages.
In the beginning, you will likely need to experiment with different placements for your testimonial sliders and carousels. Evaluate the effectiveness of different slider placements to determine how.
Can I create a testimonial slider for my website?
It’s possible to build testimonial sliders in various ways, and below, you’ll find some of the most prominent ones.
- Website builders: Look for website builders with built-in features or add-ons that you can use; your options will differ depending on where you go, so be sure to conduct comprehensive research.
- Content Management Systems (CMS): Look for plugins/extensions within the CMS that you use. Again, your options will vary. Sometimes, you can buy third-party add-ons and build custom apps within the backend.
- Slider plugins: Look for specific slider plugins and determine whether they have the customization requirements you need for your business.
- Coding: It’s possible to create a testimonial slider from scratch by coding, but you’ll need to have technical expertise. Website builders, such as Hocoos, have embedded code options. Creating a separate parent theme can help prevent issues with the primary theme if an error occurs.
What are some best practices for using testimonial sliders?
After creating your testimonial slider and launching it on your website, consider implementing a couple of additional steps. Reviewing your testimonial sliders’ efficacy helps ensure their effectiveness.
- Testimonial rotation: Add an automatic rotator to your testimonials so that users are getting new information. You should also update what’s on your website as you gather more social proof from customers.
- Audience targeting: Research your customer in advance to ensure that your testimonials are in line with what you’re looking for. Thoroughly review all testimonials for accuracy and relevance before publishing them on your website.
- Quality-first approach: Focus on quality over quantity; you do not want to have multiple poor testimonials. Handpick your best testimonials and showcase these on your prominent pages.
- Split-testing: A/B test your different testimonials and choose your designs. This should be an iterative process over the long run.
- Analysis and monitoring: Check your performance across all web pages. Consider making some slight modifications if you deem it necessary.
Conclusion
Adding testimonial carousels to your website could play a role in building social proof, although it’s important to consider the format and context to maximize its impact. When doing so, it’s important that you include real-life customers and that you place their comments on prominent pages. It’s also essential that you obtain permission beforehand.
When building your testimonial sliders, think about how to make them more engaging. For example, you can add interactive elements like automatic rotation. Split-testing different designs/testimonials, and monitoring the results, is also vital.
