I have a bone to pick with the researchers – why can’t I find any good studies specifically linking testimonials and reviews to client acquisition in the language industry? There are several in-depth studies on the general power of good testimonials and marketing in personal selling (Singh, 2018; Johnson, 2020), I even found something in the airline service industry (Lee and Park, 2019) and yet when it comes to the language industry, I still have to claim belief and vague correlations…

Having stated this, I do have a strong belief in social proof: recommendations, reviews, testimonials… you name it and I think it works. I think it’s human nature to look at others and follow the lead of others, it increases our chances of survival in the long run, and certainly decreases the chances we purchase a bad service. I’m typically too awkward to ask for said proof, though – it’s something to be improved. But, I don’t want you to be in the same boat, so i prepared a huge list of free resources for showcasing testimonials and reviews on websites, especially geared toward language professionals like translators and interpreters. The resources are grouped by their main use, be it templates, design inspiration, and SEO value. I’ll also focus on options suitable for personal and small agency websites.

Templates and Widgets (Free)

Strong Testimonials (WordPress Plugin)

A popular free WordPress plugin that makes it easy to collect, manage, and display testimonials in multiple formats (slider, grid, list, etc.). It includes a front-end submission form and even supports Schema.org markup for rich snippets. This is ideal for freelance translators using WordPress, as it’s highly customizable and beginner-friendly, with the option to upgrade for social media review integration (Facebook, Google Business, etc.).

Strong Testimonials plugin details on the product site.

Easy Testimonials (WordPress Plugin)

A lightweight free plugin for WordPress that lets you input client testimonials via the WP admin and display them with ease. You can include details like a client’s name, role, star rating, and their feedback text. It offers several Gutenberg blocks and shortcodes for showing testimonials in sliders or lists, making it simple to embed praise from translation clients anywhere on your site.

Easy Testimonials plugin details on the product site.

Elfsight Testimonials Slider (Wix App)

A free app in the Wix App Market that allows you to add a testimonial slider to your Wix website. It comes with a free plan and an easy visual editor for customizing the design. You can freely include any form of social proof (client name, photo, company logo, etc.) in each testimonial to make them more credible​. This widget is plug-and-play for Wix users – just drag the Testimonials section onto your page and fill in your translation clients’ quotes.

Elfsight Testimonials Slider details on the product site.

Common Ninja Testimonials Widget

A no-code embeddable testimonial carousel that works on any website builder or CMS. Common Ninja offers a free version of its Testimonials Slider widget, which is easy to set up (just sign up and copy-paste the provided embed code)​. It’s feature-rich even on the free tier (with some view limits) and fully customizable to match your branding​. This is great for translators on platforms like Squarespace, Webflow, or static HTML sites – you can showcase client reviews in a responsive slider without worrying about coding or compatibility.

Common Ninja Testimonials widget details on the product site.

Famewall (Testimonial Wall Generator)

An online tool that helps you collect testimonials and then display them beautifully on your site for free. Famewall’s free plan lets you gather text or video testimonials via a shareable form and then embed them as a “Wall of Love” or rotating widget on your portfolio​. It’s especially useful for freelancers: you can send clients a quick link to submit feedback, then showcase those positive quotes on a dedicated testimonials page to build trust with new prospects.

Famewall details on the product site.

Free Translator Website Templates

If you haven’t set up a site yet, there are free templates tailored for language professionals that include testimonial sections out-of-the-box. For example, many of Wix’s free website templates (e.g. the “Digital Marketing Consultant” template) feature a testimonials strip on the homepage to showcase client feedback. Using these templates can give you a head-start in both design and functionality for highlighting your client praise.

Wix template details on the product site.

Design Inspiration (Testimonial Sections in Action)

Black Kite Translations – English to Dutch Specialist

Black Kite Translations showcases client testimonials alongside project examples, highlighting their specialization in English to Dutch translations. The testimonials emphasize reliability, accuracy, and professionalism. By combining client feedback with specific project details, such as translating user manuals and marketing materials, the site effectively demonstrates expertise and builds trust with prospective clients. And, what a bold decision to use bright yellow as one of the main website colours!

HE Translations – Technical Translation Services

HE Translations features a testimonials page filled with client comments praising the quality and reliability of their technical translation services. Clients highlight the translator’s expertise, attention to detail, and ability to handle complex, industry-specific terminology. The testimonials are presented in a straightforward manner, reinforcing the company’s reputation for excellence in technical translations.

GTS Translation Services

GTS Translation Services prominently features a 4.7/5 Google rating on their Client Testimonials page. They highlight their high ranking on platforms like Clutch and GoodFirms, and include detailed client feedback, such as: “Thank you for your efficient service, it was pivotal to ensure a timely submission of our licence application!” — Graziella Vella, Head of Compliance, ComeOn Group.

This approach combines quantitative ratings with qualitative testimonials, enhancing their credibility.

All of the examples above are quite simple in design but it’s enough to show that testimonials don;t have to be presented in an elaborate way. If you’re looking for some creativity, however, consider Contrast Studio on onepagelove.com for a fantastic example of brutalist design pronciple.

SEO and Technical Optimisation

SEO Benefits of Testimonials

Regularly updated testimonials can give your site an SEO boost. Search engines favor fresh, relevant content – something satisfied clients naturally provide in their reviews. By adding new testimonials (with relevant industry keywords or language pairs mentioned in their text) to your site, you’re effectively adding fresh user-generated content that search crawlers love​. In fact, “customer content” like reviews and testimonials is SEO gold: it keeps your site active and packed with unique, authentic content that you didn’t have to write yourself​. Testimonials may even help you rank for long-tail keywords that your clients organically use in their praise​ (for example, a client mentions “Spanish to French technical translation,” which could help you rank for that niche phrase).

Structured Data (Review Schema)

To fully leverage testimonials for SEO, consider implementing Schema.org markup for reviews on your site. Proper Review or AggregateRating structured data can enable rich snippets (like star ratings under your page title in Google results)​. For instance, the Strong Testimonials plugin supports adding Schema markup to each testimonial​, which can signal to search engines that these are first-party client reviews of your service. Google’s guidelines do warn that reviews on your own site (so-called “self-serving” testimonials) must be marked up correctly and honestly. When done right, though, having those eye-catching star ratings in search results can improve click-through rates, drawing more prospects to your translator portfolio.

Note: We want to be very careful not to paraphrase or over-markup otherwise your site might be penalised by Google. If you follow Google’s structured data rules for reviews at, you should be fine.

Performance Considerations

While showcasing testimonials is important, so is your site’s speed. Bloated sliders or widgets can hurt page load times, which in turn harms SEO and user experience. Aim for lightweight testimonial solutions – for example, if using a slider, choose one that’s performance-optimized. As a rule of thumb, testimonial slider plugins should not significantly impact your website’s page load speed. Avoid too many high-resolution images or autoplay videos in your testimonial section unless you’ve optimized them. If you embed external widgets (like a Google Reviews feed), check that they use asynchronous loading so they don’t block your page from rendering. A fast site ensures that visitors (and search engine bots) can access your testimonial content without frustration, and Google tends to reward faster sites in rankings.

Testimonials and On-Page SEO

Leverage your testimonial page for on-page optimization – example using client quotes to reinforce your key services​. For example, if a client mentions a specific specialization (“legal French-English translation”), that phrase on your site contributes to your SEO relevance for those keywords. Also, consider writing a brief introduction on your testimonials page that includes your target keywords (e.g., “client testimonials for my translation services in X language pair”) – this helps search engines understand the page context. According to many SEO experts, high-quality reviews can even influence your domain’s authority in Google’s eyes, as they indicate a trusted, reputable service. We don’t know this for certain, though, as Google keeps its algorithm secret to preserve the spirit of competition.

In short, testimonials not only build trust with human readers but also signal to algorithms that your site is credible and relevant in your field.

Technical SEO Tip

If you have a dedicated testimonials page, make sure it’s easily crawlable and linked in your menu. You might also integrate snippets of testimonials throughout your site (e.g., a rotating quote in your sidebar or homepage). From an SEO perspective, this increases the content richness of multiple pages. However, be cautious not to create duplicate content issues – using a rotating plugin that displays random testimonial text is fine (Google will see it as part of the page), but don’t manually copy the same full testimonial text onto many pages. Finally, test your testimonial page with Google’s Rich Results Test if you’ve added structured data​, and use PageSpeed Insights to ensure the testimonials section isn’t dragging down your performance. A well-optimized testimonials showcase can enhance your site’s SEO while providing social proof, delivering a double benefit for your translation business.

Resources

Singh, S. (2018). Study of Client Acquisition Strategy Through Personal Selling. International Journal of Management Studies, Vol. 25, No. 3.

Johnson, P. (2020). The Power of High-Quality Case Studies and Testimonials. Journal of Marketing Research Insights, Vol. 34, No. 2.

Lee, K., & Park, J. (2019). A Case Study on Customer Acquisition and Retention in the Airline Service Industry. Asian Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 21, No. 5.