WooCommerce gives you product reviews out of the box. But product reviews and testimonials are different things — and most WooCommerce stores are missing the more powerful one.
This guide covers what testimonials are, why they outperform star ratings on WooCommerce stores, and how to add them without touching code.
Product reviews vs. testimonials: the difference
Product reviews on WooCommerce:
- Attached to a specific product
- 1–5 star rating + comment
- Often brief: “Great product, fast shipping ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐”
- Collected automatically post-purchase
Testimonials:
- About the overall experience, brand, or transformation
- Written statements, often longer and more specific
- Include outcome, context, and the customer’s name/business
- Displayed on your homepage, about page, or checkout page
Example of a strong testimonial for a WooCommerce store:
“I’d been buying from three different suppliers for years. Since switching to [Store], I’ve cut my ordering time in half and my team loves that everything arrives on the same day. We’re never going back.” — Sarah T., Operations Manager at Bright Home Goods
That kind of quote converts. A star rating doesn’t.
Where to display testimonials in WooCommerce
Homepage (most important): Add 3–5 testimonials near the hero or above the fold. This is the single highest-impact placement for any store.
Checkout page: A testimonial near the “Complete Purchase” button reduces cart abandonment. Seeing a real customer say “this was worth every penny” right before checkout is powerful.
Product pages: Add a rotating testimonials section below the product description for your best-selling items. Generic testimonials (“great company to work with”) work here even without being product-specific.
About page: Show who your customers are and what they value. This builds brand trust beyond individual products.
Sidebar widget: A persistent testimonial in the sidebar shows across your whole store without extra setup.
How to add testimonials to WooCommerce
Option 1: Custom HTML block (manual)
In the WordPress block editor, add an HTML block and paste in formatted testimonials:
<blockquote class="testimonial">
<p>"Best supplier I've worked with in 10 years. Reliable, fast, and genuinely helpful."</p>
<cite>— James R., Restaurant Owner</cite>
</blockquote>Simple and fast, but manual to update. No dashboard, no approval flow.
Option 2: A dedicated testimonial widget
SocialProof gives you a JavaScript embed code that works anywhere in WordPress/WooCommerce — paste it into a Custom HTML block or add it to your theme’s footer area.
You get:
- A collection link to send customers (they fill it out in 2 minutes)
- An approval dashboard where you control what appears
- An embed code that auto-updates when you add new testimonials
- Works on any WooCommerce theme without modification
No developer needed. Paste one line of JavaScript, done.
Option 3: Strong Testimonials (WordPress plugin)
Strong Testimonials is a free WordPress plugin that adds a custom post type for testimonials. Features include:
- Frontend submission forms
- Shortcodes for display
- Multiple display templates
- Compatible with most WooCommerce themes
Good if you want testimonials stored in WordPress. More configuration than a hosted solution.
How to collect testimonials from WooCommerce customers
After purchase
Set up a WooCommerce follow-up email (via AutomateWoo, Klaviyo, or a simple manual process) that sends 7–14 days after purchase:
Subject: How’s everything going with your order?
Hi [Name], thanks so much for your recent order. We’d love to hear how everything is working out for you.
If you’ve had a great experience, we’d be honored if you’d share a few words: [collection link]
It takes less than 2 minutes and genuinely helps other customers find us.
After a support interaction
When you resolve a customer issue well, immediately ask for a testimonial. The moment after a problem gets solved is when customers feel most grateful.
For your best repeat customers
Identify your top 5% of customers by order frequency or revenue. Email them personally:
“You’ve been a customer for [X] years — that means a lot. Would you be willing to say a few words about your experience? I’d love to share your story with other [industry] businesses like yours.”
Personal emails from the founder get 5–10x the response rate of automated ones.
The ROI of testimonials on WooCommerce stores
Studies consistently show that displaying testimonials and reviews increases conversion rates by 10–35%. For a WooCommerce store doing $10,000/month, that’s $1,000–$3,500 in additional revenue from the same traffic.
The cost to collect them: a 5-minute email and a collection link.
Start collecting today
SocialProof is free forever for 1 active widget. Send the collection link to your best customers today, get your first testimonials this week, and embed them before your next big traffic push.