Menu
Discover 5 practical tips for creating a testimonial section that highlights transformation, builds credibility, and speaks directly to your ideal audience.
A good testimonial section does more than collect compliments. It shows the real difference your service makes. The right testimonials tell stories of transformation, build emotional connection, and help future customers picture their own success with you.
This article provides five practical tips to consider when crafting a strong testimonial section. It covers what to consider when choosing the right reviews and how to present them in an engaging way.
People connect with change, not just praise. Instead of simply listing compliments, focus on testimonials that tell a story of growth or success. Help your audience picture where your clients were before working with you, what they struggled with, and how your service helped them move forward. Transformation builds emotional connection and makes the value you offer feel real.
F45 Training shows an assortment of testimonials that you can scroll through. Many of them give actual numbers to the results that they’ve experienced. For example:
Practical Tip #1: When asking for testimonials, guide your clients with specific prompts like “What was life like before working with us?” or “What changed after?” This helps you gather quotes that naturally highlight the transformation and not just generic praise.
Different customers care about different things. Some are impressed by how communicative and observant you are. Others will focus on the wide array of services offered. By featuring a variety of client experiences, you allow a wider range of readers to see themselves benefiting from your business. Mixing it up and talking about different aspects of your service makes the testimonial section more interesting and relatable.
Insomnia Escape Room DC includes reviews from clients that have a mix of escape room experiences. On one side of the spectrum, Lee talks about this being his family’s first experience and it being “supremely enjoyable.” On the other end, Arnold reviews that “having done over 10 Escape Rooms this was the best!” By showing positive reviews from both beginners and seasoned enthusiasts, they highlight the wide audience that they cater to.
Practical Tip #2: Select testimonials that showcase different aspects of your business strengths. Rather than featuring three clients all praising your "great service," strategically choose reviews that highlight various selling points - friendly staff, quick turnaround times, comprehensive offerings, or exceptional value for money. This approach gives potential customers a well-rounded view of your business advantages and appeals to different decision-making priorities.
Real people make your testimonials believable. Adding client names, photos, job titles, business names, or locations instantly increases trust. A faceless quote feels vague, but seeing a smiling face attached to real results makes visitors think, “If it worked for them, maybe it’ll work for me too.”
Mix Major builds trust with the parents really well in their testimonial section. By including student photos with ages and specifying whether it's the mom or dad providing the feedback, they create immediate relatability. This strategic approach helps visiting parents easily picture their own child's success story unfolding in a similar way.
Practical Tip #3: Collect headshots, full names, and relevant identifiers (like job titles or company names) to make testimonials instantly more credible. Simplify this process for clients by offering to use their LinkedIn photo or existing profile image - just be sure to get their approval first.
A testimonial is only powerful if people actually read it. That’s why the format matters. Instead of cramming long paragraphs together, break testimonials into bite-sized, skimmable pieces. Use design elements like cards, pull-quotes, and friendly visuals to make the section feel light, engaging, and easy to navigate.
KickHouse nails it with their testimonial presentation. They pair an engaging image with a pull quote. A pull quote is a standout sentence that catches your eye before you read the whole thing. In this case "The instructors are fantastic and energetic!" works as a catchy headline above the full review. What's really refreshing is how they give the testimonial room to breathe. While most websites cram reviews together in tight spaces, KickHouse lets this one stand out with plenty of white space around it.
Practical Tip #4: Keep your testimonials short and sweet, somewhere between 2-5 sentences. Pull out the best line and make it pop as a headline or bold text. If you have a longer review, break it up with some paragraph spacing or visual elements so visitors don't get intimidated by a wall of text. Most people are just scanning your page, so make those testimonials easy to digest at a glance.
The best testimonials show future customers that they belong. Choose stories from clients who represent the kinds of people you want to work with. When visitors recognize themselves in your testimonials, they’re more likely to believe your service is the right fit for them too.
ArtPropel skillfully blends testimonials with a gallery showcasing student artwork and the instructor alongside students of all ages - from young children to adults.
Through captivating photos and heartfelt testimonials describing her as a "talented and loving teacher" and a "great listener," the site effectively speaks to it’s ideal audience: parents considering classes for their children or adults pursuing their own painting hobby.
Practical Tip #5: Identify your 2-3 ideal customer segments and feature testimonials specifically representing these groups. Whether those groups are differentiated by age, background, experience level, or goals, try to create an immediate sense of belonging and relevance for your target audience.
You can think of your testimonial section as a storybook of your brand’s impact. If it’s done well, it’ll not only tell visitors what you’re good at but also show them the difference your business makes through the eyes of people just like them.
Highlight stories that represent the types of people you most want to attract, and let your testimonials answer to any doubts visitors may have before they even need to ask.
Focus on transformation-focused stories, a format that's easy to skim, names and faces that create authenticity, and a tone that feels like the rest of your brand. All of these elements quietly reinforce that trust at every turn.
Many of the examples I shared earlier exemplify multiple of these characteristics. By applying these practical tips, you can craft a compelling testimonial section that wins clients.
