In today‘s competitive online landscape, building trust and credibility with your audience is more important than ever. One of the most effective ways to achieve this is by showcasing testimonials from satisfied customers on your WordPress website. Testimonials serve as powerful social proof, reassuring potential customers that your products or services are reliable and valuable.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll explore how to effectively add testimonials to your WordPress site using the Strong Testimonials plugin. We‘ll cover everything from setting up the plugin to best practices for gathering and displaying impactful testimonials. Let‘s dive in!
Why Testimonials Matter
Before we get into the technical aspects of adding testimonials to your WordPress site, let‘s take a moment to understand why they‘re so crucial for your business:
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Establish Trust and Credibility: Testimonials provide real-life examples of how your offerings have positively impacted others, making it easier for potential customers to trust your brand.
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Increase Conversions: By showcasing satisfied customers, you can persuade hesitant visitors to take action, whether it‘s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a consultation.
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Enhance Brand Reputation: Consistently displaying genuine testimonials helps build a strong, positive reputation for your business, setting you apart from competitors.
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Provide Social Proof: Testimonials serve as social proof, demonstrating that others have had success with your products or services, which can greatly influence decision-making.
Now that we understand the importance of testimonials let‘s explore how to add them to your WordPress site using Strong Testimonials.
Setting Up Strong Testimonials
Strong Testimonials is a versatile and user-friendly plugin that simplifies the process of adding testimonials to your WordPress site. To get started, follow these steps:
Step 1: Install and Activate the Plugin
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to "Plugins" > "Add New."
- Search for "Strong Testimonials" in the plugin repository.
- Click "Install Now" and then "Activate."
Step 2: Explore Free vs. Premium Features
Strong Testimonials offers both a free version and premium plans with expanded features. The free version includes basic testimonial management and display options, while the premium plans unlock advanced features such as:
- Multiple testimonial forms
- Custom fields
- Testimonial importing from external platforms
- Enhanced display and filtering options
Consider your specific needs and budget when deciding between the free and premium versions.
Step 3: Create and Customize Testimonial Forms
To collect testimonials from your customers, you‘ll need to create a testimonial submission form. Here‘s how:
- Go to "Testimonials" > "Forms."
- Customize the default form by adding, removing, or editing fields to capture the information you want to display in your testimonials.
- Adjust the form settings, such as the submit button text and thank you message.
- Save your changes.
If you have a premium plan, you can create multiple forms and utilize advanced custom fields for even greater flexibility.
Step 4: Import Testimonials from External Platforms (Premium Feature)
If you have testimonials or reviews on external platforms like Google, Facebook, or Yelp, you can easily import them into your WordPress site using the Strong Testimonials premium version. To do this:
- Install and activate the "External Platform Importer" extension.
- Navigate to "Testimonials" > "Importer."
- Select the platform you want to import testimonials from (e.g., Google, Facebook, Yelp).
- Follow the prompts to connect your account and import your testimonials.
This feature saves you time and effort by automatically syncing your external testimonials with your WordPress site.
Displaying Testimonials on Your WordPress Pages
Once you have collected testimonials, it‘s time to showcase them on your website. Strong Testimonials makes this process simple and customizable.
Step 1: Create Testimonial Views
Testimonial views allow you to control how your testimonials are displayed on your site. To create a view:
- Go to "Testimonials" > "Views."
- Click "Add New" to create a new view.
- Give your view a descriptive name (e.g., "Homepage Testimonials").
- Customize the display options, such as the number of testimonials to show, order, and pagination.
- Choose which fields to display (e.g., name, company, photo) and adjust the appearance settings.
- Save your changes.
Step 2: Generate Shortcodes for Testimonial Forms and Views
To display your testimonial forms and views on your WordPress pages, you‘ll need to generate shortcodes. Strong Testimonials automatically creates these shortcodes when you save your forms and views.
To find your shortcodes:
- Go to "Testimonials" > "Forms" or "Testimonials" > "Views."
- Locate the shortcode for the form or view you want to display.
- Copy the shortcode to your clipboard.
Step 3: Add Testimonials to Pages, Posts, and Widgets
Now that you have your shortcodes, you can easily add testimonials to various areas of your WordPress site:
- Pages and Posts: Edit the desired page or post, and paste the shortcode where you want the testimonials to appear.
- Widgets: Go to "Appearance" > "Widgets," and add a "Text" widget to your desired widget area. Paste the shortcode into the widget and save.
Step 4: Customize Testimonial Appearance with CSS
If you want to further customize the appearance of your testimonials to match your brand or website design, you can use custom CSS. Strong Testimonials provides a custom CSS field in the plugin settings ("Testimonials" > "Settings" > "Custom CSS") where you can add your own styles.
For example, to change the font size and color of the testimonial text, you could add the following CSS:
.testimonial-content p {
font-size: 18px;
color: #333;
}
Adjust the CSS to achieve your desired look and feel.
Best Practices for Impactful Testimonials
To maximize the impact of your testimonials, consider these best practices:
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Gather Genuine Testimonials: Encourage satisfied customers to provide honest feedback about their experience with your products or services. Avoid using fake or misleading testimonials, as this can damage your credibility.
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Utilize Photos and Videos: Incorporate customer photos or videos alongside their testimonials to add authenticity and a human touch. Visual elements can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your testimonials.
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Regularly Update and Refresh: Keep your testimonials fresh and relevant by regularly adding new ones and retiring outdated or less impactful ones. This shows that your business consistently delivers positive experiences.
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Integrate with Other Social Proof: Combine testimonials with other forms of social proof, such as case studies, reviews, or social media mentions, to create a compelling and persuasive showcase of your business‘s value.
Alternative Testimonial Plugins
While Strong Testimonials is an excellent choice for adding testimonials to your WordPress site, there are other plugins available that offer unique features and benefits. Some top alternatives include:
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Easy Testimonials: A user-friendly plugin with a simple setup process and customizable display options.
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Testimonial Rotator: Allows you to create sliding or fading testimonial displays with multiple transition effects.
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Testimonials Showcase: Provides a range of customizable templates and layouts for showcasing testimonials, including grid and masonry views.
Consider your specific needs and preferences when choosing a testimonial plugin for your WordPress site.
Conclusion
Adding testimonials to your WordPress site is a powerful way to build trust, credibility, and social proof, ultimately leading to increased conversions and business growth. By following the steps outlined in this guide and utilizing the Strong Testimonials plugin, you can easily collect, manage, and display impactful testimonials on your website.
Remember to gather genuine testimonials, regularly update and refresh them, and integrate them with other social proof elements for maximum effect. With the right approach and tools, testimonials can become a driving force behind your online success.
So, what are you waiting for? Start leveraging the power of testimonials on your WordPress site today! Install Strong Testimonials or explore alternative plugins to find the best fit for your business. Your customers‘ positive experiences are waiting to be shared with the world.
