Testimonials
Intermediate Training Module 2: Common Content Blocks
The Testimonials block is designed to showcase personal experiences, success stories, and positive feedback from students, alumni, faculty, staff, or community members. Testimonials help build trust, add credibility, and provide visitors with real-world examples of the impact of your programs, services, or initiatives.
A well-written testimonial can often be more persuasive than a long description because it allows visitors to hear directly from the people who have benefited from your organization.
Common uses include:
- Student success stories
- Alumni experiences
- Faculty and researcher highlights
- Program feedback
- Event participant comments
- Community testimonials
When to Use a Testimonial
Use a Testimonial block when you want to share a personal perspective or experience.
Examples include:
Student Experience
“The co-op program gave me valuable hands-on experience and helped me secure a job before graduation.”
Jane Smith, Bachelor of Computer Science
Alumni Story
“My time at Carleton provided the skills and confidence I needed to launch my career.”
John Doe, Class of 2022
Program Feedback
“The workshop was engaging, informative, and immediately applicable to my work.”
Workshop Participant
Testimonials work best when they are authentic, specific, and relevant to the content around them.
Adding a Testimonials Block
To add a Testimonials block:
- Click the + button and search for Testimonials.
- Select the Testimonials block.
- Add an image if desired.
- Enter the testimonial text.
- Add a citation or attribution.
The testimonial content becomes the main focus of the block.
Adding an Image
Testimonials often include a photo of the individual providing the quote.
To add an image:
- Open the block settings.
- Select Choose Image or Select Image.
- Upload a new image or choose one from the Media Library.
Recommended minimum image width: 768 pixels
Use clear, professional images whenever possible.
Adding Testimonial Content
The testimonial itself should be short, specific, and meaningful.
Good testimonials often answer questions such as:
- What experience did the person have?
- What benefit did they receive?
- What impact did it make?
Shorter testimonials generally have greater impact than long paragraphs.
Adding a Citation
A citation identifies the individual or organization providing the testimonial.
Examples include:
- Student name and program
- Alumni name and graduation year
- Faculty member and department
- Organization name
Depending on your site’s configuration, citations may also include hyperlinks.
A citation adds credibility and context to the testimonial.
Quote Styling
Some testimonial layouts include an optional quote graphic or quote styling element.
These visual elements help distinguish testimonials from standard content and make them easier to identify while scanning a page.
Use styling consistently throughout your website.
Best Practices
Use Real Testimonials
Authentic testimonials are more effective than generic statements.
Keep Testimonials Concise
A few impactful sentences are usually enough.
Include Attribution
Whenever possible, provide the individual’s name and role.
Use Quality Photos
Images help humanize testimonials and create stronger connections with visitors.
Match Testimonials to the Content
Place testimonials near related content where they can reinforce key messages.
For example:
- Student testimonials on recruitment pages
- Research testimonials on research pages
- Alumni stories on advancement pages
Common Uses
The Testimonials block works particularly well for:
- Recruitment pages
- Program pages
- Service pages
- Department homepages
- Event pages
- Fundraising initiatives
Testimonials can help demonstrate impact and build confidence in your programs and services.
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Welcome to this video on how to use the testimonials block.
The testimonials block is a simple but powerful way to showcase positive feedback from your students or your community.
You could showcase student success stories, faculty achievements or alumni experiences for example.
This helps to build trust and connection and can also add a personal touch to your website.
Let’s look at how to add this block. Click on the Block Inserter and then search for the testimonial block.
Once you’ve added that, you’ll see you have some options. First of all you can add an image. Note that the image needs to be at least 768 pixels wide. So I’ll just select something that I’ve already uploaded to my website.
Over here is where you’re going to put the content – your testimonial. You’ll see that you already have quotation marks so you don’t have to add them in.
A few options that you have with this block:
- If you click on the icon up here you can add a quote graphic. This nice little quote graphic in the background.
- And you can also add a citation.
- And one last option is you can link that citation.
There you have it. So let’s save that and have a look at the finished product.
Try it Out
Practice working with the Testimonials block.
- Add a Testimonials block to a page.
- Upload an image.
- Add a short testimonial.
- Add a citation.
- Experiment with quote styling options if available.
- Preview the page and review how the testimonial appears alongside other content.