How to Add Testimonial Slider in WordPress for Free

Do you know that 71% of online shoppers agree that genuine and positive customer ratings/reviews influence their buying decisions?

That means you can increase your overall sales by adding positive customer ratings and reviews about your products or services in a slider format to your WordPress site. 

However, do you need guidance regarding how to make testimonial slider in WordPress? Keep reading this helpful article and take the necessary action.

Content Outline:

1. What is a Testimonial Slider? 
2. Why Should You Create Testimonial Slider?
3. Where to Use Testimonial Sliders on Your Website?
4. How to Create a Testimonial Slider in WordPress
5. Best practices for creating a testimonial slider

What is a Testimonial Slider?

A testimonial slider is a display of reviews that transitions from one customer testimonial to another, either automatically or manually. it substitutes the display of a static list of reviews with a much more visually appealing and space-conserving slider format. 

One of the most notable qualities of testimonial sliders is the smooth transition effects that characterize the movement from one user review to the next. They seize the attention of your visitors and add a touch of sophistication to your page and website.

Why Should You Create a Testimonial Slider?

You can enjoy many benefits by including a testimonial slider on your business website. Here are some of the advantages you’ll get. 

Building Trust and Credibility:

Testimonials tell prospects about your existing customers’ positive experiences with your products or services. Testimonials work as social proof to influence potential clients. 

Positive experience of existing customers can help you build trust among prospects and become a brand in the future. 

Enhancing Brand Reputation:

Positive testimonials let you create a strong and favorable brand image. When you display happy clients, others start to trust you, and you encourage the development of brand loyalty and repeat business.  

Boosting Sales and Conversions:

Potential customers are highly influenced by existing customers’ positive experiences with your service or products. They develop trust and opt for purchasing your products or services. 

Other Benefits:

Testimonial sliders increase dwell time by attractively displaying engaging content. Therefore, it helps your website with SEO benefits, and you gain organic traffic! 

So, include testimonials on your website and creatively display them through sliders to attract prospects and boost sales.

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Where to Use Testimonial Sliders on Your Website?

You can select many areas on your web pages to use testimonial sliders. You can place a testimonial slider on the homepage or product page or create a dedicated testimonial page. However, including testimonials anywhere without planning can fail to serve their purposes.

So, how do you determine the right place and page to put testimonials? 

Pro Tip: build several testimonial sliders that page certain sections or pages of your site. For instance, create general testimonials about your business, put them on the homepage, and display product or service-related testimonials on products, categories, or service pages.

How to Create a Testimonial Slider in WordPress for Free

You can easily make a testimonial slider on your preferred web page by following the steps below. Let’s follow. 

Step 1: Select the Best Free Testimonial Slider Plugin for WordPress

First, select the best and free testimonial slider plugin for your website. You can search on Google for such a plugin and get many recommendations. Then, thoroughly check the criteria below to pick a suitable WordPress plugin.

• The plugin should feature an intuitive interface so beginners can easily use it
• It should allow users to customize the appearance of their testimonials
• It should let them embed shortcodes into their desired web pages 
• It’ll be better if the plugin comes with a widget to display testimonials in the sidebar
• Check if the plugin offers various display formats like grids, sliders, and more 
• Ensure your chosen plugin is secure and its developers are reputed
• Make sure the plugin gets updates regularly 
• Read reviews from other users to make an informed decision 
• Get a testimonial slider plugin with active support

Consider these factors when selecting a plugin. You may select the “Testimonial Slider and Showcase” by RadiusTheme plugin if you want to avoid the hassle of choosing the best and free testimonial slider plugin.

We’ll also demonstrate how to make a testimonial slider in WordPress using this plugin. Therefore, following the steps below will be easy if you use this plugin.

Step 2: Install and Activate the Testimonial Slider and Showcase

Go to WP Admin Panel > Plugins > Add plugin for installation and activation.

Then, search with the keyphrase “Testimonial Slider and Showcase” on the top right search bar. Now, hit “Install Now” button of the marked plugin below in the screenshot.

After that, press ‘Activate‘ button of that plugin.

That’s how you install and activate a plugin on WordPress. Let’s now use it.

Step 3: Add a Testimonial with a Plugin

Before you create a testimonial slider, you need to add a few testimonials first. With this Testimonial Slider and Showcase plugin, you can easily accomplish this job. Just follow the steps below.

1. Navigate to WordPress Admin Panel > Testimonial > Add Testimonial. 

2. Write a client’s name in “Add Testimonial” field and write their remarks in the paragraph box. 

Afterward, scroll down to “Testimonial‘s Information” area and fill out the “Designation,” “Company,” and “Location” fields with the necessary information. And explore other fields and options in this section.

3. Finally, add your client’s image and hit the ‘Publish‘ button.

This is the way to add a testimonial using this plugin. Now, follow these steps every time you want to add a testimonial. Include as many testimonials as you wish. Then, read the following step.

Step 4: Generate a Shortcode

After adding as many testimonials as you need, you need to generate a shortcode to display those testimonials on your desired page. Here are the steps to stick to. 

Head to your WordPress Admin Panel > Testimonial > ShortCode.

After that, click “Add Post” button on the top left.

Now, see the animation below to learn how to generate a shortcode besides selecting testimonial layouts and performing other relevant tasks.

That’s it.

Step 5: Embed the ShortCode into a Page

You are at the end of this tutorial. You now need to accomplish the task shown in this step to display a testimonial slider. Thus, let’s do it.

Select a page or create a new one. Now, open that page in Gutenberg or Elementor editor – a famous page builder. However, we’ll show you how to embed a shortcode into a page with Gutenberg block. 

So, we’ll open it in the editor, click ‘+‘ symbol, search for “Testimonial Slider and Showcase” block, and select it.

Then, head to the right side panel and make sure you are on the ‘Block‘ settings tab. Now, choose the shortcode title from “SELECT A SHORTCODE” drop-down menu. 

Lastly, hit either ‘Save‘ or ‘Publish‘ button (You’ll notice a ‘Publish‘ button if you create a new page and embed the shortcode).

There you go. It’s time to visit the page and see how all the testimonials appear on your chosen web page.

Note that we’ve just scratched the surface of what this plugin can do. You may read the Testimonial Slider documentation and watch related videos to learn more about this plugin. You’ll be amazed to see what its pro version can do. So, check all the features and get it today.

Best Practices to Follow While Making a Testimonial Slider

The engaging nature of testimonial sliders makes them an excellent tool for various purposes. However, there are excellent best practices that can make you get much more out of them. Here are some strategies that can help you maximize the impact of your testimonial slider:

Display Diversity

You should showcase testimonials that display different aspects of your business. You can blend customer success stories, reviews, and industry expert endorsements. This will enrich your brand and attract a wider audience.

Highlight Key Benefits

Ensure that the testimonials you’re displaying emphasize the distinct benefits of your products and services. Your offerings’ value proposition makes the sliders play a significant marketing role.

Optimize Transition Effects

Have fun experimenting with different transition effects to find the perfect balance. Since overly flashy effects can distract users from the content of your sliders, you should go for transition styles that compliment your site’s design while retaining the focus on your testimonials.

Strategic Placement

Where your testimonial slider is located determines who sees it and how interested they will be in its content. Most people place testimonials on the homepage, but product pages and landing pages are excellent spots for reinforcing certain messages and boosting conversions.

Regularly Update Content

When you update the content of your testimonial slider, your users recognize that you are continuously delivering value. What’s more, you avoid repetitiveness and encourage visitors to partake in the positive experiences you offer.

Utilize Analytics

You can use analytics tools to analyze the performance of your testimonial sliders. You can view the conversion data, user engagement, and click-through rates and deduct insights that help you optimize the slider for the best impact.

Our Concluding Thoughts

That’s all you need to do to include a testimonial slider. From now on, you will no longer wonder how to make testimonial slider in WordPress. 

Not only this, but you can also assist others who need testimonial sliders on their WordPress sites. Here’s a recap of the entire process.

Choose the best and free plugin, add all testimonials, generate a shortcode, and embed the shortcode into a page. That’s it.