Review Widget – The Complete 2025 Guide for UK Businesses
"Review widget" is a search term for UK business owners who want to display customer reviews on their website. A review widget is a piece of code that displays your latest (or best) reviews from Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, or other platforms directly on your website.
This comprehensive guide explains how review widgets work, why they are effective, how to choose the right widget for your business, and how to implement it on your website.
Why You Need a Review Widget on Your Website
A review widget displays social proof directly on your website, increasing trust and conversion rates. Research shows that displaying reviews on your website can increase conversion rates by 15-30%.
When potential customers visit your website, they are in decision-making mode. Seeing positive reviews from other customers reassures them that your business is trustworthy and reliable. A review widget provides this reassurance without requiring customers to leave your site to check Google or Trustpilot.
Key benefits of review widgets include increased trust (social proof reduces perceived risk), higher conversion rates (customers who see reviews are more likely to buy), improved SEO (fresh content from reviews helps rankings), and reduced bounce rate (engaging content keeps visitors on your site longer).
Types of Review Widgets
Type 1: Google Reviews Widget
Displays your Google Business Profile reviews on your website. Shows star rating, review count, and select reviews (most recent or highest rated). Can be customised to match your brand colours. Typically includes a "Write a review" button linking to your Google review form.
Type 2: Trustpilot Widget
Displays your Trustpilot TrustScore and reviews. Trustpilot offers several widget types: TrustBox (displays TrustScore and review count), Review Slider (carousel of recent reviews), Rating Summary (compact star display), and Certificate (Trustpilot logo with score). Trustpilot widgets are easy to implement – just copy and paste code.
Type 3: Multi-Platform Review Widget
Aggregates reviews from Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, and other platforms into a single widget. Shows reviews from all platforms together or allows customers to filter by platform. Best for businesses with strong reviews across multiple platforms.
Type 4: Testimonial Slider
Not technically a review widget (since it pulls from your own database rather than live platforms), but manually curated testimonials are still effective. More control over which reviews are displayed, but less authentic (customers know you selected the best ones).
Best Review Widget Tools for UK Businesses
1. Trustpilot Widgets (Free with Trustpilot account)
Best for: E-commerce businesses, Trustpilot users. Trustpilot offers several free widget types: TrustBox (displays TrustScore and review count), Review Slider (carousel of recent reviews), Rating Summary (compact star display), and Certificate (Trustpilot logo with score). Easy implementation – copy and paste code. Customisable colours to match your brand.
2. Birdeye Review Widget (Included in Birdeye subscription)
Best for: Multi-location businesses, enterprise. Aggregates reviews from Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, and more. Customisable design. Real-time updates. Analytics on widget performance.
3. Elfsight Google Reviews Widget (From £5/month)
Best for: Small businesses, easy setup. No coding required. Displays Google reviews only. Customisable design. Responsive (works on mobile). Free plan available with branding.
4. Repuso (From £9/month)
Best for: Social proof display. Collects reviews from Google, Trustpilot, Facebook, and social media. Displays as a floating notification bar. Multiple display options (widget, popup, notification bar).
5. Embedsocial (From £19/month)
Best for: Visual review display. Aggregates reviews from multiple platforms. Display as grid, slider, or badge. Moderation tools (hide negative reviews). Analytics included.
How to Implement a Google Reviews Widget on Your Website
Method 1 – Use a Third-Party Tool (Easiest): Sign up for Elfsight, Repuso, or Embedsocial. Connect your Google Business Profile. Customise the widget design. Copy the embed code. Paste the code into your website's HTML (where you want the widget to appear).
Method 2 – Manual Implementation (Free but Technical): Use Google Places API to fetch reviews (requires developer). Display reviews using custom code. Update when reviews change (no real-time updates). Not recommended for non-developers.
Where to Place Review Widgets on Your Website for Maximum Impact
Homepage – Hero Section or Below Fold: Most visitors see the homepage first. Displaying reviews here builds trust immediately. Place your best 2-3 reviews with high star ratings.
Product or Service Pages – Near Call-to-Action Button: This is where customers make purchase decisions. Place a rating summary widget near the "Add to Basket" or "Book Now" button. Seeing reviews at the decision moment increases conversion.
Checkout Page – Sidebar or Footer: Cart abandonment rates are high. Displaying reviews on the checkout page reassures customers before they enter payment information. A simple star rating with "4.8 from 500+ reviews" is sufficient.
Contact Page – Near Contact Form or Business Information: Customers visiting the contact page are ready to reach out. Reviews here reinforce credibility before they call or email.
About Us Page – Sidebar or Footer: Customers visit the About page to learn more about your business. Reviews here provide third-party validation of your claims.
Blog Sidebar or Footer: Blog readers are often early in their customer journey. Seeing reviews here plants the seed for future conversion.
Review Widget Design Best Practices
Show real review counts: Display the actual number of reviews (e.g., "4.8 from 247 reviews") rather than just the star rating. Volume builds trust.
Show reviewer names (with permission): Real names (or first names) add authenticity. Anonymous reviews are less trusted.
Rotate displayed reviews: Show different reviews over time to demonstrate volume. Static widgets with the same 2-3 reviews look like you cherry-picked.
Link to full review profiles: Allow customers to click through to see all reviews on Google or Trustpilot. This adds transparency and credibility.
Match your brand colours: Customise widget colours to match your website. A widget that clashes with your design looks unprofessional.
Make it responsive: Ensure the widget works on mobile devices. Many customers browse on phones.
Common Review Widget Mistakes
Displaying only 5-star reviews: A widget with only perfect reviews looks suspicious. Include some 4-star reviews for authenticity.
Not updating the widget: A widget showing reviews from 2022 looks stale. Ensure real-time or regular updates.
Hidden or hard-to-find placement: Placing the widget in the footer (where few visitors scroll) defeats the purpose. Put it where customers will see it.
No link to full reviews: Customers who want to read more reviews should be able to click through to Google or Trustpilot.
Not testing on mobile: A widget that breaks on mobile devices hurts credibility. Test thoroughly.
Review Widget – Before and After Example
Before – No review widget: 2.5% conversion rate. Visitors have no social proof on site. Many leave without purchasing.
After – Added Trustpilot widget (4.7 stars, 200+ reviews) to product pages: 3.3% conversion rate. Increase of 32%.
Getting Started With Review Widgets
Before you can display reviews on your website, you need to have enough reviews to make the widget credible. A widget showing 4.8 stars from 15 reviews is less persuasive than 4.7 stars from 150 reviews. Volume matters.
If you need to build your review volume before implementing a widget, BuyReview UK can help. Our Google and Trustpilot review packages start from £5. Every review comes from a real UK account with established history. We write custom, unique review text. Delivery is drip-fed. Every order includes our 30-day refill guarantee.
Ready to display reviews on your website and boost conversion rates? View our review packages here →