What does a review widget or trustmark on your website achieve? An honest answer

What research shows

In 2017, the Spiegel Research Center at Northwestern University analysed data from three online retailers. Products with five reviews had a purchase likelihood 270 per cent higher than products with no reviews. The extra effect of more reviews fell off quickly after the first five, and purchase likelihood usually peaked at an average rating between 4.0 and 4.7, not at a perfect 5.0.

Those are interesting findings, but not a promise for your shop. The study looked at a limited number of retailers and at reviews shown with products. A badge in your footer is not the same as reviews next to the product a visitor is hesitating over.

Other studies reach different percentages, depending on the sector, price and type of visitor. So treat any figure you come across online as an indication, not a promise.

• Spiegel Research Center: How Online Reviews Influence Sales

What a widget does do

A review widget brings other customers’ experiences to the place where a visitor hesitates: next to a product, in the basket or on a quote page. It shows that you have real customers and how you respond when something goes wrong. A widget that shows recent reviews says more than a standalone score.

Place reviews close to the decision. A few recent reviews next to the order button or your prices are often more useful than a full review page nobody opens. That works best when your reviews actually say something, so ask customers to write specifically about delivery, quality or service.

Choose the format that suits the spot: a compact badge in the header or footer, a carousel of review texts on the homepage, or a side tab that is always within reach. Check on your phone that the widget does not slow your page down or cover any buttons.

What a widget and trustmark do not do

You may only display a trustmark logo if you genuinely hold that status; using a quality mark without authorisation is on the EU blacklist of unfair practices. On trustmark.site, a trustmark status is the outcome of a separate, independent assessment, unrelated to your reviews or your plan. In addition:

• They do not guarantee higher conversion or revenue
• They do not earn you stars in Google: Google does not show review stars for reviews about your own business on your own site
• A review widget is not a trustmark: it shows experiences, not an assessment
• They do not make up for slow delivery or poor service

• Google Search Central: review snippet guidelines

What a trustmark adds

A trustmark says something different from reviews: that an independent party has assessed your business against criteria known in advance, such as your business details, terms and complaint handling. For a visitor who does not know you, that can offer extra reassurance, especially for a first purchase or a large order.

That value only exists if the trustmark can be verified. So let the logo link to a page where visitors can read the status, scope and date of the assessment. A logo without a verifiable source can actually raise suspicion.

• What a trustmark status means

How to measure the effect yourself

If you want to know what a widget does for you, measure it. The most reliable way is an A/B test: half your visitors see the widget and the other half do not, over the same period. Compare the share of visitors who complete an order or enquiry.

If you use an analytics tool, also measure how often visitors open the review window. That says something about interest, though it does not yet prove that the widget led to a purchase.

Small online shops often have too few visitors for a reliable A/B test. In that case, look mainly at trends over several months and at what customers say themselves, for example to your customer service team.

If an A/B test is not possible, compare a period before and after adding it, but take seasons, promotions and advertising into account. A difference of a few orders can be chance. Decide in advance what you will measure and for how long, and only draw conclusions once you have had enough visitors. Useful rules of thumb:

• Decide in advance which pages and which outcome you will measure
• Measure for at least a few weeks, including weekends
• Do not change your prices or advertising during the measurement
• Besides conversion, also look at load time and click behaviour on mobile

Claims you are better off not making

Do not write ‘certified’ or ‘verified shop’ if you only collect reviews. Do not quote a score without a source and date, and do not present a selection of your best reviews as the full picture. If you use example reviews or test data in a demo, label them clearly as examples.

Watch the wording around your widget too. ‘Rated by real customers’ is only acceptable if you have reasonably checked that; otherwise, simply explain how you collect reviews.

Honesty works in your favour: a 4.6 with visible critical reviews and good replies can be more credible to visitors than a flawless 5.0.

Getting started

On trustmark.site you can choose from several widget formats: Basic has two, Growth six, and Pro and Premium all fifteen. From Growth upwards you can test modules on your own site before putting anything live. Installation differs by platform, such as WooCommerce, Shopify or your own website.

Clicking the widget opens the review window on your own page, so visitors do not have to leave your site.

Start small: one widget on your product or quote page, measure for a few weeks, then expand.

• See the review widgets
• Installation guides
• View plans
• A review widget on your website: which variant suits you?