Including client reviews on your website: How to use testimonials to get more clients and show up in search
Do you have client reviews on your health and wellness website? What about on your website home page? Client testimonials are a great way to enhance your ability to connect with potential clients and even improve how you show up in search!
I very often include testimonials as an integral part of home page designs. There are two approaches to this:
Select the top few testimonials you want to feature. These ideally are broad enough to cover your range of wellness services, and place an emphasis on the health transformation or success that clients experienced in your care.
OR
Feature Google Reviews using a tool that will auto-update as you receive new five-star reviews. This allows your reviews to build a high level of trust with your audience. If you have Google Reviews for your health and wellness business, you should 100% be featuring them on your home page as your featured testimonials. I also like to include them on the contact page as a way to encourage anyone considering completing your contact form but not yet 100% sure.
Quickie guide to all the great tips you’ll find in this post…
4 Great reasons you should include client reviews on your website home page:
1. Your reviews will get the most eyes on them on your home page
Our home page is always going to be the page on our site that gets the most traffic. It is prioritized by Google, and serves as the portal through which potential clients pass to learn more about our health and wellness services. It makes sense, then, to have some of your TOP testimonials featured here to show your value.
Reading a great review of your services may just make the difference between a site visitor who might have otherwise wandered off and clicked on the next search result to check them out instead, and the site visitor who clicks “book a free consult” to learn more about hiring you.
2. Client reviews are an easy way to increase your page word count
Did you know that Google likes pages with plenty of content? Home pages are tricky, because we want them to feel simple, clear & full of possibility – not crammed full of text. For Google, however, words on the page allow it to better assess what you do & where you are located so it knows WHEN to show you in search results (and how high up!).
Basically, the more words the better – so even just a few testimonials can make a big difference.
NOTE: This does NOT mean you should stuff your home page with testimonials that are many paragraphs long. We still want them short & sweet. I like to recommend 30 – 50 words max. These add up, however, so if you have 5 testimonials on the page that means an extra 150 – 250 words on your page custom written for you by your lovely clients!)
3. Client testimonials help you build trust with your audience
When you visit a website to explore services, whether it’s for a plumber or a massage therapist, what’s one of the first things YOU look at? I’m guessing it’s testimonials.
In fact, 92% of consumers read online reviews and testimonials when they are deciding to hire a service or buy a product. And even better? 88% of consumers trust online testimonials and reviews as much as recommendations from friends or family. (Big Commerce).
We all want to know – is this person actually GOOD at what they do? What kind of success have other people had working with them?
If looking at Google Reviews, we pay extra attention to the # of stars. Does a local business have all 5 star reviews, or is there a 2 or a 3 (or a 1!) star review in there? If there are any lower reviews, how has that business owner responded to the complaint? It not only can impress prospective customers to see how you handle that review, but makes it more likely that the same unhappy client will either delete the original negative review and/or post a positive review in response.
The bottom line? When we see good reviews online, it builds trust in what could otherwise be very technical interaction with online content & “book now” buttons. We feel better about that service or product, and it makes us think “I want to feel that way too!”. They build connection and add the warmth of your client relationships to your marketing efforts.
4. Testimonials are full of great keywords
Without even realizing they are doing it, testimonials written by clients are often full of awesome keywords. Even better, the language they use is the same as their friends are likely using to search for you – because they are their peers. It’s an easy way to fill your home page with related keywords without sounding repetitive.
“When interviewing birth doulas, we knew we wanted someone with tons of experience who was DONA Certified.”
“When my mom was dying, we didn’t feel prepared to support her in the ways that she needed. Julie is an amazing gift to our family with death doula services that helped us feel informed, prepared, and able to process our grief in a healthy way.”
“My baby was breech, and my midwife recommended that we try a chiropractor for the webster technique.”
“I had heard of the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for long Covid and was so happy to find your medical-grade facility. You really took the time to talk me through the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen for my specific symptoms and what treatment would look like.”
“With so many great Denver birth centers to choose from, this beautiful space stood out to us as the perfect place to have our first baby. Birth tubs, and a beautiful private garden to labor in. We couldn’t be happier with our birthing experience.”
How to get more great testimonials for your health and wellness business
Make It Easy
Let’s be real—people are busy. To make it easy for your clients to give you a testimonial, provide them with a simple template or a few specific questions to answer. This way, they can focus on what really matters and don’t feel overwhelmed by the task.
Highlight Success Stories
When a client experiences a success, encourage them to share their personal success story. Ask them to talk about how your service has positively impacted their health and wellness journey. These stories are super relatable and tend to resonate well with others who might be considering your services.
Use Multiple Formats
Don’t limit yourself to just written testimonials. Mix it up! Collect reviews in different formats—like written reviews, video testimonials, or even social media shoutouts. Video testimonials are particularly powerful because they capture real emotions and experiences.
Follow Up and Show Appreciation
When a client tells you they’re happy with your service—whether it’s in person or via email—that’s your cue. Follow up with a request for a formal testimonial. And always, always thank them for their time. You might even consider offering a small incentive or discount as a way to show your appreciation.
Remind them to write their review!
I know it seems like you’re bugging them, but this is the kind of little task that tends to slip to the bottom of the to do list or inbox. They’ll actually appreciate the friendly reminder.
The best ways to display your testimonials on your wellness website home page
On your home page, I love using a scrolling carousel so you can include a lot of testimonials (I recommend 5-8) without making your page look cluttered. If you are using a carousel, make sure it is timed at at least a rotation of 7 seconds (many clients prefer more like 9-10 seconds) so they have plenty of time to read all your great reviews.
If you’re using a scrolling carousel, it is important that your reviews all be approximately the same length. That way your page won’t have awkward gaps below the shorter testimonials. As well, depending on the scroll speed and the way our brains work we may just be scanning the reviews rather than reading every single word.
I also like bolding key words and phrases within your client reviews so that website visitors who are scanning your testimonials can quickly see words that show the success they can experience if they hire you for your health and wellness services.
EXTRA TIP: You may also consider including a short, impactful client testimonial near a primary call to action button. This can help increase the likelihood that they click “BOOK NOW” and make them feel that much more excited about working with you.
Do you need a testimonials page for your wellness website?
Yes, no, maybe so? In general, on my health & wellness client website designs I prioritize placing testimonials on the actual service pages. So on a particular service page, you have testimonials that are specific to that service.
If, however, you have a LOT of great testimonials, you can also feature them on a dedicated testimonials page. This could also be a great place to feature case studies of client success stories (these could be written as blog posts). Here’s an example with my own testimonials page, featuring my portfolio of client websites and a nice selection of client reviews.
If you do use a dedicated testimonials page on your site, be sure to:
Link to the page from all your testimonials sections on your home & services page. So at the end of your testimonials, you’d have a little “read more great reviews” link going to the dedicated page.
Be sure to use only unique testimonials you have not yet used on other pages.
Short & sweet testimonials only. They should be 50 – 100 words in length at most each. If you have longer testimonials, you can turn these into great case studies on your blog and link to them from the testimonials page.
Be strategic with your page title and keyword. Wondering what keyword you should use on the testimonials page on your website? When doing SEO for the page, name it something like “denver-xyz-reviews”, with xyz being your primary service, instead of just “testimonials”. Your target keyword would therefore be doula reviews, chiropractor reviews, therapist reviews, etc…
Adding testimonials to your website is one of the easiest ways to build trust and show potential clients what your health & wellness services are all about. Real feedback from happy clients gives that extra boost of credibility and trust, and shows that your services really make a difference (and are worth investing in!)
Potential clients want to become part of that success story, hoping their own results will be just as fantastic. With so many websites vying for the attention – and conversion of new clients, including reviews on your website isn’t just a nice touch – it’s a must-have for building trust and attracting great new clients.
HOW CAN I HELP YOU?
Hi there, I’m Sarah Juliusson, and yes I really am a Website Doula. I support your practice growth with creative website design, seasoned business guidance, and plenty of great resources to help you find your way. With 13 years in web design, and another 20+ years as a health & wellness pro, I believe in the value of your work as much as you do. Explore your options for a custom website today.
