I’m going to say something controversial… You don’t need more testimonials. You need them in the right place.
I spent 20 years in retail buying, deciding what would go on the shop floor and how it would be presented. One thing I learned early: it’s not enough to have good product. If it’s in the wrong spot, people walk past it.
Trust on a website works the same way. Most service businesses have proof – testimonials, logos, case studies, results, years of experience. The problem isn’t a shortage of it. The problem is that it’s usually sitting on a page nobody reads, when it should be sitting next to the moment someone is deciding whether to trust you.
A testimonials page isn’t useless. But it’s not where trust gets built.
Where people hesitate on a service website
Trust signals earn their keep at the moments of hesitation. And on most service websites, hesitation happens at very predictable points. Someone lands on your page and something in them quietly asks:
- Is this for a business like mine?
- Can they actually deliver?
- Is this going to be a waste of money?
- What happens if it doesn’t work out?
- Will working with them be straightforward?
Your job isn’t to make those questions disappear. It’s to be ready for them.
Where to put your trust signals instead
1. Next to your main call to action on the homepage
If you’re asking someone to enquire, book a call, or get in touch, don’t make them do extra work to feel confident first. Put the reassurance right there with the ask.
That might mean a short testimonial that speaks to outcomes, a row of recognisable client logos, or a simple “what happens next” statement that takes the mystery out of what they’re signing up for. Often it’s one or two lines. It doesn’t need to be a wall of social proof.
2. On your services pages, where people compare and decide
This is usually where the decision is actually being made, and most services pages have very little proof on them. They describe what’s included but not what changes as a result.
A services page that converts well tends to include: what the outcome looks like, evidence that you’ve delivered it for others, what the process involves, and who it’s best suited to (and who it isn’t). That last one matters more than people expect. Saying “this works well for X but isn’t right for Y” builds more trust than a generic “great for everyone.”
3. Right beside the parts that feel high-stakes
Wherever you mention pricing, timelines, deposits, or ask someone to book a call – that’s where doubt spikes. It’s the equivalent of someone reaching for their wallet in a shop and glancing around to check they’re making the right call.
That’s where you need reassurance about what the call involves, what they’ll come away knowing, and what working together actually looks like day to day. The trust signal doesn’t have to be a testimonial. It can be clarity.
4. In your language throughout the whole site
This is the one people underestimate most. Overblown claims, vague promises, and agency-speak erode trust faster than a missing testimonial. “Transform your business with a holistic digital strategy” tells someone nothing and slightly puts them off.
Plain, direct language is one of the strongest trust signals on a website. It signals that you’re confident enough not to dress things up. Clients who’ve worked with me often say the reason they got in touch was because the website ‘sounded like a real person.’ That’s not an accident.
The goal isn’t more proof. It’s better placement.
If your website is already strong but enquiries feel inconsistent, misplaced trust signals are one of the most common reasons. Moving them doesn’t require a redesign. Sometimes it’s a paragraph repositioned, a testimonial shifted from the bottom of the page to next to the CTA, or one sentence added beside the ‘book a call’ button.
If you want me to show you where your website is currently asking people to take a leap of faith, book a discovery call. I’ll tell you what to move, what to add, and what to simplify.
