How to Best Display Reviews on your Website
Online reviews are critical as you try to differentiate your business from your competitors. Make sure they can be found across the web to get as much exposure as possible, but don’t forget about your own site in the process.
Reviews provide a great number of benefits for your business, you already know that. But are we on the same page when it’s a matter of displaying them on our websites? And how? You might be asking yourself if that’s even necessary since your company reviews are already on your Google My Business page, UpCity profile, Yelp, and Facebook page. Do we really need to add them to our websites too?
Think of all your separate profiles online as another opportunity to make a first impression with potential customers. We recommend this for customers’ UpCity profiles, and it makes sense to follow the same formula on your website. Not to mention, your website is yet another opportunity to showcase your credibility, boost your SEO, and gain all the other benefits that displaying reviews can deliver.
So what’s the best way to display reviews on your website? Is there an art to it? Turns out, there are lots of options for doing so, and it really comes down to what your preference is.
Embedding a Code, Widget, or Plugin
You don’t need to be a coding wiz to embed reviews on your website. Some review sites make embedding reviews onto your website as simple as a quick copy and paste, such as Yelp. To learn more on embedding your reviews, visit the support center pages or contact customer service of the review platforms your business has profiles on to see if there’s a code you can embed on your site.
If you’re hoping to keep the process smooth and straightforward, a widget might be the route to go. Widgets or other plugin options allow you to display reviews on your website like a sidebar, so they don’t take up too much space and allow other content to remain front and center. If this doesn’t align with the design you envision, there are countless customization options for your team to work with them and keep that aesthetic your brand is looking for.
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Tell Your Brand Story With Reviews
If you take pride in your reviews and really want to let them speak for themselves, there are plenty of design options to display your reviews loud and proud. You can create an entire page dedicated to them, put them right on your homepage, or embed a carousel—a popular option for many businesses. Check out other websites you admire or browse content from review plugins, such as WP Business Reviews, for inspiration.
Badges
One perk of being an UpCity customer is the website badges we provide to all customers and award winners. Use this as a CTA to direct your site’s visitors and potential buyers to the reviews on your profile. Likewise, badges have additional benefits.
Overall Best Practices
As long as they remain cohesive with your website, there’s no wrong way to display reviews. Just try to stay consistent and follow the same guidelines you do for reviews in general. For example, if a negative review comes in, don’t panic! Believe it or not, it can actually be a good thing. Also, keep an eye out for fake reviews, and continue to seek quality reviews. Focus on your review generation strategy and let your customers do the talking for you. Only then can your business fully realize the power of online reviews.
About the author
Rebecca helps keep all things content running at UpCity. Prior to joining, she was a magazine editor at an agency for several award-winning publications based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and a content specialist for several brands within the SMB/B2B landscape. She also has significant experience in digital content creation, most notably targeting hunters and anglers (despite being a vegetarian) during her time at Gander Outdoors. Rebecca has also worked in PR, covering a diverse terrain of products and events, including the promotion of local musicians and music festivals and the latest craft beer offerings from local breweries.
