Almost 95% of people rely on reviews to make purchases, but using online reviews effectively in web design is a different ballgame.

From clothing to technology and everything in between, people use reviews to gather information before they purchase. While some types of reviews are essential like product reviews, you still should use common sense when reading them.

For example, there’s a great health drink manufacture local to my area. The cold-pressed drinks seem like the ideal beverage for me so I turned to Google reviews to validate my thinking. There were great, realistic, naturally written reviews that made sense. But one review was much longer than all the others and essentially was just bad-mouthing this drink company.

From that one bad review, I concluded that it was a competitor because the comments they wrote didn’t come close to my experience. Of course, I did purchase several types of this healthy drink and they are all delicious.

So my point is, use your own judgement when reading reviews online. And you can even get a sample from the company most times to try before you buy. Reviews can be a double-edged sword. Some people will treat a bad review as the gospel without even considering ulterior motives could be at play. This hurts companies unfairly.

Unfortunately, many times the words of fellow buyers (or fake buyers), are more trustworthy that the words of the business.

Using Online Reviews In Web Design

When using online reviews in web design, a company has to be careful not to seem too self-serving. Having all those positive reviews on every web page is a bit much for visitors to take. So how, then do you showcase your reviews effectively on your website?

Here are a few ways you can present online reviews effectively in creative web design.

Customer Testimonials

Customer testimonials are probably what you’re thinking about when it comes to user reviews. These types of testimonials are direct quotes from previous customers talking about their experiences using a product or service. They are the most popular types of reviews because they ‘show’ the customer experience. Here’s an example from one of our client’s websites:

When utilizing customer testimonials, it’s super important that they are authentic and from real people. In a word, your testimonials should have the following qualities:

• A link to the original review
• Photo of the customer
• Position and affiliation if it’s from a business

Clients Highlights

Another way to present reviews on your website is using client highlights. They are a ‘tell’ form of customer testimonial that the person shares their personal experience while using a product or service. In general, most client highlights are shared through video. Often the customer makes the video themselves or it’s in the form of a client interview.

Here’s one example from another one of our clients:

Because client highlights are conveyed from video, they are very effective. In fact, nearly 85% of consumers have decided to purchase a product or service by watching this type of video. Plus, incorporating visual elements on your web page boosts visibility and improves the likelihood of a click.

Review Badges

Review badges allow you to get reviews on your website in a less direct way. Instead of add the actual review on your site, you can use review badges that link to sites like Yelp, Google, or Better Business Bureau. And here’s what they look like:

Oftetimes you can customize the review badges to match your website aesthetics. By adding badges they serve as a trust signal boost the power of reviews without using too much space on the web page.

Hazel Burgess

Hazel Burgess
FOUNDER/SEO DIRECTOR

Hazel is the Founder & SEO Director at Envisager Studio, a premier website design agency specializing in WordPress website design, development and internet marketing. In her spare time, she writes about search engine optimization, website design, and internet marketing.