Optimal positioning (for CRO) of reviews widgets on website

[Andy]

Dear all, what is your best advice about where to position reviews widgets on a local (dentist) web site?

The main landing page for small local web sites is the home page, so my understanding is that these kinds of widgets should be positioned as high as possible on the home page because they provide the best social proof? After that, I would position them again on any other landing pages or money pages (for instance dental implants, teeth whitening etc...)?

Your thoughts?

Best

Andy

 

[Phil Rozek]

@Andy, some suggestions and points to consider:

1. If it's the kind of widget people need to click on before they can be impressed, you'll probably want to put it high up on the page. Then install a tool like Mouseflow to study how people end up interacting with it.

2. If it's large or sometimes loads slowly (or both), maybe have it below the fold. So it doesn't block the early rendering.

3. If there's a very good chance searchers saw those reviews in the SERPs right before they clicked through to your homepage or other landing page, I'd say the review widget doesn't need to be as visible.

4. If it's a testimonials slider or other kind of testimonials widget - rather than a widget for reviews on a third-party site (e.g. Google Maps) - then I wouldn't make it too visible. Because a site owner can choose which testimonials show up on the site, they're inherently not as much of a "social proof" element.

No matter what, I'd hook up Mouseflow (or a similar tool) and just see how people take to the widget.

 

[Andy]

@Phil Rozek - thank you for your thorough explanations, very kind of you indeed.

One last question: would you place the widget on the other pages besides the home page? For instance, on every service page, just before the would-be customer (patient in this case, since it is a dentist) takes the decision to book an appointment? Best Andy

 

[Phil Rozek]

Sure thing, @Andy. My best answer (but probably the most frustrating one) is: it depends on what kind of widget it is.

If it's big or slow-loading, probably not.

If it's a testimonials slider, probably not.

If it doesn't show would-be patients reviews relevant to the specific treatment described on the page, probably not.

If you have the ability to pick which reviews the widget shows (or links to), then probably.

If you tried putting it on the homepage and determined that people pay attention to it, then probably.

 

[Andy]

@Phil Rozek Thank you so much! very kind of you - have a great weekend

Best

Andy

 

[Phil Rozek]

You, too, Andy!