Imagine walking through a bustling marketplace and suddenly you spot a stall overflowing with beautiful handcrafted items.
The stall owner with a twinkle in their eye tells you all about the unique techniques used to create each piece.
This is how I feel about sharing my knowledge of WordPress.
Testimonial Power: How to Display Them in WordPress
Let’s face it testimonials can be a must for your business.
They add a level of credibility and trust that’s hard to replicate.
But finding the right way to showcase these testimonials within your WordPress site can be a bit of a puzzle.
Don’t worry I’ve been there! I’ve spent countless hours sifting through plugins and tweaking settings learning the ins and outs of how to create compelling testimonial sections.
I’m excited to share this knowledge with you so let’s dive in!
Why Testimonials Matter
Before we dive into the specifics let’s understand why testimonials are so critical.
It’s more than just a bunch of positive reviews.
Testimonials act like powerful social proof echoing the sentiment of real people who’ve experienced your product or service firsthand.
Imagine someone considering your website.
They see a glowing testimonial from a satisfied customer detailing how your product solved a specific problem.
This instantly creates a sense of trust and validation increasing the chances of them becoming a customer themselves.
Think of testimonials as the modern-day word-of-mouth.
In a world of overwhelming information genuine feedback from real people carries significant weight.
Manual Testimonials: A Simpler Approach
You could simply copy and paste testimonials into your posts or pages manually.
It’s a straightforward method especially for beginners.
However it lacks the structure and flexibility of dedicated testimonial plugins.
The Power of Testimonial Plugins: Building Structure and Ease
Here’s where things get interesting.
Dedicated testimonial plugins provide a centralized hub for managing your testimonials offering a wealth of features and options.
Think of it as building a dedicated gallery for your customer voices.
These plugins offer:
- Automated Formatting: Forget about painstakingly formatting each testimonial. Plugins handle the presentation ensuring a consistent look and feel across your website.
- Centralized Management: No more hunting down testimonials across different pages. You can easily manage all your testimonials from a single location making updates and additions a breeze.
- Dynamic Display Options: Instead of static text blocks plugins offer exciting display options like sliders carousels and grids adding visual appeal and dynamism to your testimonials.
Diving Deep: Testimonial Rotator Plugin
Now let’s get practical.
I’ve been using the Testimonial Rotator plugin for quite some time and I find it to be incredibly versatile.
Step 1: Installing and Activating
First things first you’ll need to install and activate the plugin from your WordPress dashboard.
It’s a simple process and the plugin will guide you through the steps.
Step 2: Creating Rotators
Think of rotators as containers for your testimonials.
You can create multiple rotators to organize different groups of testimonials for example testimonials for specific services or product categories.
To create a rotator navigate to the “Testimonials” menu and click on “Add Rotator.” You’ll be prompted to provide a name and customize the display settings including:
- Transition Effects: Choose from various transition effects for your slider adding a touch of visual flair.
- Image Sizes: If you’re using images with testimonials set the desired image size for consistent display.
- Randomization: Decide if you want testimonials to be displayed in a random order.
Step 3: Adding Testimonials
Now it’s time to add your testimonials! Go to the “Testimonials” menu and click on “Add New.” You’ll be presented with a familiar post editor.
- Title: Add a snippet of the testimonial as the title. This will be used in the slider or carousel display.
- Testimonial Text: Enter the full text of the testimonial in the main editor.
- Testimonial Options: Customize the testimonial’s display by adding a featured image selecting a display order and choosing if the title is hidden.
Step 4: Displaying Testimonials
With your testimonials created it’s time to showcase them on your website! Head to the “Appearance” menu and then “Widgets.”
- Testimonial Rotator Widget: Locate the “Testimonial Rotator” widget and drag it to the desired location on your sidebar or widget area.
- Customize Widget Settings: Customize the widget settings to define the number of testimonials displayed their format (list rotator) and whether you want to show the full testimonial or an excerpt.
Easy Testimonials: A Comprehensive Solution
Another popular plugin that deserves a shout-out is Easy Testimonials.
It offers a user-friendly approach to managing and displaying testimonials making it an excellent option for those who prefer simplicity.
Step 1: Installation and Activation
Like Testimonial Rotator installation and activation are straightforward.
Just follow the plugin’s instructions.
Step 2: Creating Testimonials
Navigate to “Easy Testimonials” and click “Add New Testimonial.” You’ll be greeted with the familiar WordPress editor.
- Content Editor: Enter your testimonial text in the editor similar to creating a post or page.
- Testimonial Information: In the “Testimonial Information” meta box add details like the client’s name email address rating and any other relevant information.
Step 3: Displaying Testimonials with Blocks
The beauty of Easy Testimonials is that it integrates seamlessly with the WordPress Block Editor.
Go to the page or post where you want to display your testimonials and click on the “+” icon to add a new block.
- Easy Testimonials Blocks: You’ll find five different display types: Single Testimonial Random Testimonial Testimonials List Testimonials Cycle (slider) and Testimonials Grid.
- Customize Block Settings: Each block type offers customizable settings to tailor the appearance and content displayed.
Step 4: Shortcodes for Flexible Display
Easy Testimonials also supports shortcodes providing a flexible way to display testimonials anywhere on your website.
Head to “Easy Testimonials” and click on “Shortcode Generator” to create a shortcode and paste it into your desired location.
Testimonials: Building Trust and Credibility
Remember testimonials are more than just words on a screen; they’re the voices of your satisfied customers building trust and credibility for your brand.
Use these plugins to showcase their positive experiences and watch your website convert visitors into loyal customers.
I hope this detailed guide has given you a clear understanding of how to showcase testimonials in WordPress.
If you have any questions or want to share your own experiences with testimonials feel free to leave a comment below.
Let’s keep the conversation going!
Ready to ditch the clunky testimonial setup and go pro? 💪 Check out these plugins!