If you want to add your Google reviews to your website you can use a review widget. Here’s what you need to know about Google reviews widgets: from what they are, to how to create and embed them.
What Is a Google reviews widget?
I’ll keep it nice and simple. A Google reviews widget is an element you can embed on your landing page or website that showcases your customers’ Google reviews of your business. Here’s an example made with our testimonial software Senja.io.
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Without getting too complicated, the widget is an element created for you that you add to your website by pasting its HTML code into your website’s raw code or tool, like Wix, Wordpress or SquareSpace. This process is known as embedding.
Once live, website visitors and potential customers will see your reviews, providing social proof and valuable insights into the experiences of previous customers. More on why you should add a review widget to your website coming up next.
A Google reviews widget is also known as: Google reviews plugin, Google My Business reviews widget, Google Maps reviews, or the Google testimonials widget, Google Places reviews
Why do businesses need a Google review widget?
Online reviews shape your potential customers’ buying decisions. A Google review widget is a convenient way to display these reviews directly on your website, where they build visibility and credibility.
By showcasing positive reviews from satisfied customers, businesses can increase the conversion rate on their website - turning more visitors into sales and enquiries. I’ll outline more of the benefits next.
What are the benefits of using a Google review widget?
A Google review widget also comes with SEO benefits. It can display rich snippets, which include star ratings and review excerpts, so your business stands out in search results and attracts more traffic. And because it shows real customer reviews, it helps potential customers make informed purchase decisions.
Most consumers read online reviews before making a purchase, and they trust them as much as personal recommendations.
Potential customers trust the opinions and experiences of other customers more than promotional content. Showing positive reviews and star ratings puts that social proof to work for you.
Your reviews are also a source of insight. Reading them helps you understand your customers’ experiences, spot areas for improvement, and shape your marketing, products, and services.
And embedding is easy. With just two lines of code, you can display reviews and star ratings on your site.
How do I setup a Google review widget?
Free tools like Senja.io let you create and add a Google reviews widget to your website in seconds. These are the key steps:
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Find a reliable and user-friendly review widget plugin or software. There are many options that offer customization and work with the main content management systems.
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Once the widget is selected, connect it to your Google My Business account using the Google API. This will allow the widget to access and display your Google reviews in real-time.
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Customize the design and layout of the widget to match your website’s aesthetics. Make sure the widget is responsive and optimized for different screen sizes.
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Add it to your site by adding the code snippet where you want the widget to show.
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Regularly update the widget to ensure that the displayed reviews are timely and reflect your current customers’ experiences.
Step-by-step guide to installing a Google review widget with Senja
Installing a Google Review Widget on your website is a simple process. Here is a step-by-step guide:
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Sign up with Trustmary: Start by signing up with Trustmary, a review platform that connects to Google My Business. This will allow you to gather and display your customer reviews.
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Provide your Google business location: After signing up, provide your Google business location to Trustmary. This will enable the platform to fetch your Google business reviews and ratings.
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Copy and paste the code snippet: Trustmary will generate a code snippet for you. Simply copy the snippet and paste it into the desired location on your website. This will embed the Google Review Widget and display your reviews to visitors.
That’s it. Your reviews are now live on your website.
Where can I embed the Google reviews widget?
Whatever your platform, there will be a way to add the widget to your website easily. Here are some places you can embed the widget showing fresh reviews on your website:
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Your menu / across your site
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Your landing page or homepage
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Your demo or contact page
Customizing your Google review widget
If you want the Google Review Widget to match your website’s design and branding, you will need options to customize the design.
It’s likely you will also want to customize some of the functions of your widgets.
Customization options for Google Review widgets vary depending on the platform or plugin you are using. However, common design and function customizations include
Function
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Selecting the number of reviews to display
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Showcase specific review types
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Filter out negative reviews
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Sorting method for the reviews displayed. This could be based on the newest reviews or highest ratings
Design
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Customize the header design to match your branding.
- This includes options like changing the background color, font styles, and adding your company logo.
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Choose the display layout (such as a grid, list or carousel)
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Choose the aspect ratio
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Responsive design
- Ensuring that the reviews are displayed optimally on desktops, tablets, and mobile devices, providing a smooth and user-friendly experience for all visitors.
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Customizing the color scheme to match your website’s aesthetics
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Choose the elements shown such as
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Star ratings
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Review titles
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Review timestamps
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This allows you to highlight the most relevant information for your potential customers.
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Customizing your Google review widget makes customer reviews feel like part of your website, not something bolted on.
Common issues when adding a Google reviews widgets (and how to avoid them)
While installing the Google review widget on your website, you may encounter some common issues. Here are step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot these issues:
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Improper code placement: Ensure that you have copied and pasted the code snippet generated by Senja in the correct location on your website. Double-check that it is placed within the designated area where you want the widget to be displayed.
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Plugin conflicts: Sometimes, conflicts between plugins can disrupt the functionality of the Google Review Widget. To troubleshoot this issue, deactivate other plugins temporarily and check if the widget now displays properly. If it does, you can then identify the conflicting plugin by reactivating them one by one.
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Configuration issues: Verify that you have properly configured the widget settings. Check if you have entered the correct Google business location details in Trustmary. Also, ensure that you have selected the appropriate customization options and settings in the widget.
These steps cover the most common installation problems: improper code placement, plugin conflicts, and configuration errors.
Integrating with other platforms to display reviews
In addition to showcasing Google reviews, some review widgets provide the option to integrate with other platforms, expanding the reach and visibility of all your reviews.
By adding reviews from platforms such as Facebook, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Airbnb, and more, you can give potential customers a comprehensive view of your business’s reputation across multiple channels.
It might look like this
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Consolidating all your reviews in one place means potential customers can view and compare reviews from various sources directly on your website, rather than visiting separate platforms.
Google review widget examples
Here’s some examples of Google review widgets
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Analyze the performance of your Google review widget
By examining metrics such as the number of widget installations, impressions, views, and engagement metrics, businesses can gain a deeper understanding of how customers interact with their review widget. These insights can guide businesses in optimizing their website or app to improve user engagement and increase conversions.
For instance, by tracking the number of installations, businesses can gauge the success of their review widget implementation and identify areas for improvement. By analyzing impressions and views, businesses can measure the reach of their reviews and assess their impact on potential customers.
Engagement metrics, such as the number of clicks, shares, or conversions driven by the review widget, show how customers behave. This data can help you spot trends, evaluate your review marketing strategy, and decide what to improve.
More things you can do with your Google reviews…
Use the data provided by your Google reviews for insights
Your Google reviews can provide valuable insights into your business’s online reputation and customer experiences.
By analyzing this feedback, you can identify areas of improvement and address any negative reviews promptly.
Use this data to make informed business decisions. A testimonial analysis tool can help.
Collect valuable user feedback through reviews
Customer reviews do double duty: they give you feedback on your products or services, and they give potential customers the social proof that sways purchase decisions. So it pays to collect and manage them well.
The Google Review Widget offers several customization options, such as choosing specific review types or displaying detailed reviews. It updates automatically so customers always see the latest feedback, and the responsive widgets adapt to various screen sizes.
The feedback you collect through reviews shows you where your product or service falls short, so you can fix the right things and keep customers happy.
Identify trends in user experiences for future improvements
The data from a Google Review Widget can help you spot trends in user experiences and decide what to improve next.
Start with recurring themes or patterns in the reviews. Are there common complaints or compliments? For example, if multiple users mention slow loading times on a website, you can prioritize optimizing the site’s performance.
Next, look for specific suggestions or recommendations in the reviews. User feedback often tells you exactly what customers want or expect. Prioritize the suggestions that align with your goals and act on them.
Tracking changes in review sentiment over time also helps. A sudden increase in negative reviews may signal a problem that needs urgent attention, while positive trends can confirm that recent improvements are working.
Other types of review widgets
Google review widgets are not the only types of review widgets. As mentioned, you can also create review widgets powered by other review and social media websites including G2 reviews, Facebook comments, Instagram posts, Product Hunt reviews and TripAdvisor reviews.
