4 testimonial formatting tips
Are you obsessive or cynical about testimonials?
When shopping—
Do you scour reviews, looking for patterns in how a product or service works (or doesn’t)?
OR
Do you struggle to believe in them at all and think they’re scammy and pre-orchestrated?
The truth is no matter what you personally think, testimonials are instant moneymakers & trust builders – even if you’re reading a testimonial from a stranger. (Source)
I believe testimonials are so valuable, I’m launching a course called Earn More Instantly that’ll cover all the ins and outs of how to convey the power of your products and services on your website via testimonials.
In the meantime, I’ve got a short and sweet blog post for you today on my top 4 testimonial formatting tips. Check it out below!
Top Testimonial Formatting Tips for Squarespace
Use testimonials everywhere
The first tip is to use testimonials throughout your site! On your homepage, services page, checkout page, and anywhere you want someone to take action.
Testimonials tell the story of what you do and the impact you make through another person’s lens, often from the perspective of an ideal client or customer.
Statistic after statistic confirms their value, so don’t be shy or cynical. Testimonials matter in your customer’s eyes.
Be sure to check your LinkedIn for any testimonials colleagues or clients have already given you and repurpose them on your website.
2. Use a pull quote, avoid paragraphs
Your website visitors will be skimming and scanning – looking for relevant information before deciding to reach out or download something from you.
Don’t leave your testimonial in a long narrative-form paragraph for them to muddle through.
Instead, use the concept of a pull quote to pull out the highlight from a testimonial and showcase it. A pull quote is usually 1-2 sentences that are the most powerful, emotional, or relatable part of your paragraph.
You can use a pull quote as a summary, with extra info below. Or your pull quote can be the entire testimonial.
3. Cite your testimonial source
The best testimonials also cite their source.
The obvious ways to cite your source are to include the person’s name, occupation, and location.
Example:
– Victoria Montemayor, Website Developer & Copywriter, Texas
But sometimes people prefer to stay private – maybe you’re a therapist, healer, or counselor of some kind.
In that case, use other identifiers that would help a website visitor connect with your testimonial.
Creative Testimonial Sources
Some of my favorites include:
Initials, because they still personalize and humanize the message
Informal titles like “grandmother” or “widow” like my client who was a grief recovery specialist and wanted to connect with women who lost someone recently
Things they struggle with like “chronic back pain”
Results you helped produce like “published author” or “social media client”
Their age if that is relevant to your audience, like “20-year-old mother of two” or “78-year-old swimmer”
The country they’re in if you work with people worldwide or in a remote area
Get creative with citing the source! It’ll help convey the value you bring.
4. Include photos of faces
Faces capture our attention, no matter where they are. When we see testimonials with photos of people who look like us, we intuitively believe you can help “people like me”.
That applies to any type of audience: women, Latinos, amputees, academics, ranchers… really anyone. So if you can, add a friendly photo to your testimonials. But make sure to get them approved!
Testimonials help you make sales
When put all together, these four elements will help you increase your credibility, sales, and revenue. That’s because companies that communicate the value they bring to their customers can charge more.
