How To Add Testimonials To Shopify [Best Methods & Tips]

Low trust is among the biggest reasons why your potential shoppers abandon their carts. Therefore, to boost your store’s overall conversion rate, you need to learn how to add testimonials to Shopify properly.

That’s why we are here to help. In this tutorial, our eCommerce gurus will show you all you need to know about leveraging testimonials for the sake of your eCommerce business, including:

• 3 methods on how to add testimonials in Shopify
• Testimonial types with examples
• Best practices when adding Shopify testimonials 

Let’s dive in!

1. Customer testimonials – not just “nice to have”

From our experience, customer testimonials can benefit your online store in all possible aspects– from brand trust to conversion rate and even your rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs). 

If you aren’t sold on the importance of testimonials, here are a few numbers that don’t lie:

• Improve customer experience (CX): Since 95% of shoppers read reviews before buying something, testimonials give your potential shoppers more information about your products so they can make more confident purchases (Source: Power of Reviews Report).
• Build trust: Along with secure icons, trust badge, guarantee policies, and other trust signals, customer testimonials play a crucial role in solidifying your brand’s trust and credibility.
• Boost your conversions: Once a product has five reviews, people are 3.7 times more likely to buy it. This means adding social proof on your store can be an effective Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) tactic. (Source: Spiegel Research Center)
• Drive more sales: According to Harvard Business Review, each additional Yelp star can lead to a 5–9% increase in revenue for businesses.
• Increase your SEO rankings: As every review adds fresh content and keywords to your product pages, leveraging testimonials can help your store show up higher in search results.

Now that you know why adding testimonials is a vital step in your online store setup, let’s explore how to add testimonials on Shopify.

2. How to add testimonials to Shopify in 3 methods

2.1. Use 3rd party Shopify apps 

The first way to add testimonials to your Shopify store is by using a third-party app. Thanks to its ease of use and great customization, it’s our most recommended method.

Here are the best Shopify review apps that provide the best value for your money: 

Since Ali Reviews: Kudosi Reviews has various testimonial customization features and the most budget-friendly pricing, it’s the app we’ll use in this tutorial demo.

First, install the app and confirm your installation. Then, you’ll be prompted to pick a plan to get started. Just choose the free plan to test out the water first. 

After you’ve picked a plan, follow the app’s onboarding steps on how to add testimonials to Shopify.

1. (Optional) You can choose to set up review request emails that automatically deliver to your customers after they’ve completed orders. 

2. Customize your testimonial widgets: Set up your testimonial widget’s color and choose a layout, whether it’s grid, list, or carousel > Hit Next.

Then, click Add Review Box button.

You will be brought to the Shopify theme editor. Herein, you can preview the Kudosi’s testimonial widget added on your homepage and product pages. 

Click Save to turn on the testimonial widget, and you’re all set. 

And that’s how to add testimonials slider in Shopify using third-party integration.

If you don’t have a Shopify account yet, don’t forget to leverage Shopify for 1 dollar to start testing your products and market while paying next to nothing.

2.2.  Using Shopify theme’s existing sections

If you don’t want to rely on an app, let us show you how to add testimonials in Shopify dawn theme and any other theme using Shopify’s existing sections. 

Step 1: Within your Shopify admin dashboard, click Online Store > Navigate to your theme and click Customize.

Step 2: On your Shopify theme editor, choose the page you want to add the testimonial slider (homepage, product page, etc.) 

Step 3: Click Add sections > Select Multicolumn. Then, you can edit your testimonial slider’s images, text, etc.

Step 4: After you’ve customized your testimonial widget, don’t forget to hit Save. 

As simple as it may sound, manually adding a testimonial slider comes with some limitations. For instance, you won’t be able to display specific reviews for specific products—instead, the same slider will appear on all product pages that use the same template.

So we’d only recommend this method for those running a one-product store or have a small product catalog.

2.3. Using code

Another way on how to add testimonials to Shopify is by editing the theme’s code. Nevertheless, unless you have technical resources or are tech-savvy yourself, we wouldn’t recommend this method for its complexities. 

That said, if you insist, here’s how to perform Shopify add testimonials to product page using Shopify’s code editor.

Step 1: Back up your theme

In case anything goes wrong, we’d advise you to back up your current theme and experiment with the code on your duplicated one.

On your admin dashboard, go to Online Store > Navigate to your theme and select Duplicate to back up your current theme.

Step 2: Copy and paste the testimonial code to your theme code folder

Navigate to your duplicated theme > Click Edit code.

Then, head to the first Sections > Click Add a new section > Choose liquid and name your file > Click Done.

Afterward, delete the current code (to replace it with the code we prepared for you below).

Copy and paste the code from this source into the editor and click Save.

Step 3: Customize your testimonial slider

Next, switch back to Shopify’s theme editor. Choose the page you want to add the testimonials > Click Add section and select the section you’ve just created in step 2.

Then, you can freely customize the looks and feels of your testimonial slider. 

Finally, after you’ve done, click Save.

If you want to save time, you can consider buying our premade Shopify stores. Our pre-built stores are filled with potential products for each niche and designed with best practices in mind, including testimonial setup.

3. Common types of testimonials and real-life examples

As of writing this article, here are the most common testimonial types you may want to consider for your website:

3.1. Quote testimonials

Quote testimonials are brief, direct quotes from customers praising your product, often seen on homepages to leave a long-lasting impression on your potential shoppers. For instance, MVMT uses quotes from big journals to build its credibility.

3.2. Social testimonials

Social testimonials are customer feedback from platforms like Instagram and TikTok, etc. Thanks to its “real” nature and authenticity, this form of testimonial is perceived as genuine and unbiased by many shoppers.

For example, Gymshark integrates customer photos from Instagram directly on their website to showcase real customers wearing their products.

3.3. Video testimonial

Video testimonials are the type of testimonial that involves your customers sharing their experiences in video format. Since video testimonials can convey emotions and enthusiasm, they are highly engaging and visually compelling compared to other types.

For instance, alcove curated their customer feedback into a dedicated video testimonial section that sits prominently on the homepage to build trust among their potential audience right away.

3.4. Customer Success Story

Also known as case study testimonials, these are in-depth narratives detailing how a product or service helped a customer achieve a specific goal or overcome a challenge. Though this type of testimonial is more common in B2B businesses, it can be highly effective in B2C businesses as well.

For example, Semrush built a dedicated Customer Success Stories page to feature clients who have succeeded using their SEO tools.

If you don’t know which is best for your business, or need help integrating these into your online store, check out our Shopify setup services!

4. Best practices for customer testimonials on Shopify

Though adding customer testimonials can have positive impacts on your conversions, doing it the wrong way can be counterproductive. So here are some best practices not to forget when adding testimonials to your Shopify store:

• Diversify your testimonial formats: Different people prefer different formats, so diversify your testimonial presentation by including written reviews, videos, audio clips, and case studies.
• Place your testimonials strategically: Ensure your testimonials are visible on all your important pages like homepage, product pages, About Us page and any page you think might have a high impact on your conversions.
• Optimize your testimonials for mobile: Always design your testimonial section with mobile in mind so it displays seamlessly across all devices. 
• Keep your content real: Customers trust reviews from other buyers more than polished corporate content. So, we’d suggest avoiding over-editing your customer testimonials into impersonal statements.

If you want more battle-tested tips on starting a Shopify store, you can explore our comprehensive handbook on How To Launch Shopify Store.

5. Conclusion

With customers trusting user-generated content (UGC) much more than well-polished, advertised media from brands, adding customer reviews on your Shopify store is a must, not a plus. 

To that end, eComStart team hopes that after reading this guide, you will know how to add testimonials to Shopify properly. 

If you enjoy this reading, we bet you’d love to explore other resourceful articles at eComStart.io 

6. Frequently asked questions