How to Add Social Proof To Shopify Store
Last updated: November 28 2024
Building trust online is one of the biggest challenges for Shopify store owners today, especially with so many options available to customers. Adding social proof to your Shopify store can be the key to turning visitors into loyal customers by showing them that others trust and love your brand.
In this article, you'll learn practical ways to add social proof, helping boost credibility, increase conversions, and grow your store's success.
Social Proof - What is it and why you should use it?
Social proof is one of the six principles of persuasion tactics explained in Robert Cialdini’s famous book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. It is the idea that people tend to trust the actions and opinions of others when making decisions.
Social proof on a Shopify store is a marketing tactic that leverages customer actions, reviews, and endorsements to build trust and credibility with new shoppers. Experts agree that displaying elements like testimonials, recent sales notifications, and trust badges effectively persuades potential buyers by demonstrating that others are happy with their purchases.
Why use Social Proof on Shopify?
With years of experience running some online stores, I’ve found out that people tend to trust a product more when they see others using and loving it. From my own experience applying this function to my Shopify store, here’s why you should consider incorporating it into your Shopify store with my real experience:
- Builds Customer Trust: Real reviews and ratings reassure visitors that others have had positive experiences with your products, making them more likely to trust your brand.
- Increases Sales: When I added customer testimonials to my Shopify store, I saw more visitors converting into paying customers because they felt confident in their purchases.
- Creates Urgency: Real-time notifications, like "5 people bought this product in the last hour," tap into FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), motivating shoppers to act quickly.
- Boosts Credibility: Trust badges and influencer endorsements validate your brand’s quality, giving potential buyers the confidence to proceed to checkout.
- Encourages Repeat Purchases: Sharing user-generated content, such as customer photos, helps foster a sense of community and loyalty among returning customers.
What types of Social Proof should you add to your Shopify store?
From my experience, adding the right types of social proof to your Shopify store can really make a difference in converting visitors to buyers. Let me share some ideas on the most effective forms of social proof you should consider adding to boost trust and sales:
- Customer Reviews and Ratings
- Testimonials from Satisfied Customers
- Trust Badges (e.g., SSL certificates, payment provider logos)
- User-Generated Content (UGC)
- Counters (e.g., “Over 10,000 Happy Customers”)
- Social Media Followers and Engagement Metrics
- Featured in Media or Press Mentions
- Case Studies or Success Stories
- Live Sales Notifications
- Recent Sales Pop-ups
How to add Social Proof to your Shopify store?
Adding social proof to your Shopify store can make a big difference in how much trust people have in your brand. You will need extra assistance to do this if your current theme does not support the reviews/testimonials function.
In such cases, there are several third-party apps that can assist you with this Social Proof adding task. After testing several options, I highly recommend the Common Ninja tool to help you add Social Proof to your Shopify store.
Common Ninja empowers website owners to enhance their sites with smart widgets. These widgets cover a wide range of functionalities, from comparison tables and pricing displays to social feeds, tournament brackets, and interactive graphs. You can create and add these widgets without needing to hire designers or web developers.
There are 1 free plan and 4 pricing plans for Common Ninja to select from. You can choose a specific plan depending on the number of widget instances you need:
- Free plan
- Essentials: Start from $2.50/month or $2/month (billed annually)
- Pro: Start from $4/month or $3.20/month (billed annually)
- Ultimate: Start from $6.50/month or $5.20/month (billed annually)
- Custom plan: Depend on your business demand
How to use Common Ninja to add Social Proof to your Shopify store:
Follow my instructions below if this is your first time adding Social Proof to your Shopify store.
First of all, you need to register for a Common Ninja account. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to navigate to the Common Ninja dashboard. On this window, choose Create Widget.
A new window will pop up; here, there are various types of widgets for you to choose. In my case, I’d like to add testimonials to my Shopify Store.
After clicking on the widget you choose, the edit window will appear. Here, you can edit elements like title, star rating, image, etc. You can try all of them. After editing, click Save Changes.
Return to Dashboard, you need to choose the widget you just edited, then click on the embed link icon next to the three-dot icon. You will see the installation code window appear, then copy the code.
Open the Shopify dashboard -> Online Store -> Theme. Here, you need to choose the Shopify store you want to embed a link and click Customize. Then, the store customization tab will pop up.
Now, let's just say you want to add testimonials on the homepage of your store, and you want it to appear at the end of the age before sending the email. What should you do?
Well then, you need to scroll down to the section you want to add the testimonials (in my case, it is the Featured products section). Then, on the left side, choose Add section -> Custom Liquid.
In the Custom Liquid section, paste the code you just copied into the Liquid Code box, and then Save. The result will appear after saving.
And that’s how you add social proof to Shopify with Common Ninja.
How to use Social Proof on your Shopify store?
After mastering how to add Social Proof to your Shopify store, I will then introduce you to some interesting and practical methods to illustrate such proofs on your storefront:
- Customer Reviews and Ratings
Adding reviews and star ratings gives people honest insight into your products, and this transparency really matters. On my store, highlighting these reviews made a noticeable difference, increasing conversions by 20% since customers trusted real buyer feedback.
- Testimonials from Satisfied Customers
Written or video testimonials add a personal touch that helps connect with new shoppers. I put them on my homepage, and it kept visitors on the site longer since they felt reassured by those positive experiences.
- Trust Badges
Trust badges like "SSL Secured" or "Verified Payment Methods" are key for reducing cart abandonment, as they let customers know they’re in a safe place. After adding them to my store, fewer carts got abandoned because shoppers felt more secure with their purchases.
- User-Generated Content (UGC)
Sharing photos or videos from actual customers makes your brand relatable and more trustworthy. When I started posting user-generated content, like tagged photos on social media, I saw engagement rise and more people clicking through to buy because they could imagine using the products themselves.
- Counters (e.g., “Over 10,000 Happy Customers”)
Counters showing milestones, like customer numbers, quickly build credibility. When I added a customer count to my homepage, it helped establish trust, making my store look reliable and well-loved.
- Featured in Media or Press Mentions
Showing off media logos where your brand was mentioned is a great way to add authority. When I put a “Featured In” section with press mentions, I noticed more inquiries coming in, which proved how much it improved my brand's reputation.
- Case Studies or Success Stories
Detailed stories about how your products helped customers can be super convincing, especially for pricier items. Sharing a case study for one of my high-ticket products led to a better understanding of its value, which directly boosted sales.
- Social Media Followers and Engagement Metrics
Displaying social media follower numbers or showing interactions helps build trust with visitors. After I linked my Instagram feed to my Shopify store, it made a big difference in how much trust people had in my brand—they liked seeing real activity and engagement.
- Live Sales Notifications
Real-time pop-ups showing recent sales create a sense of excitement and urgency. When I added live notifications, I noticed more purchases during peak times because it reassured customers that others were actively buying too.
- Recent Sales Pop-ups
These pop-ups showing real-time purchases create FOMO, encouraging visitors to buy sooner. After I integrated this feature, I saw a rise in impulse buys because customers felt the urgency to act.
Final words
This article has outlined the importance of adding social proof to your Shopify store and provided practical methods to do so effectively. To make the most of these strategies, start implementing social proof today, as it will build trust and encourage more visitors to convert into loyal customers.
FAQs
How do I add social proof to my Shopify store?
To add social proof to your Shopify store, you can use apps like Loox or FOMO to display customer reviews, user-generated content, or real-time activity. You can also add testimonials, ratings, and trust badges to build credibility.
Do I have to put my SSN on Shopify?
If you are in the United States, Shopify may require your SSN for identity verification and tax purposes. It helps them comply with legal regulations regarding payment processing.
How do I add social proof?
You can add social proof by displaying customer reviews, ratings, and testimonials, as well as real-time customer activity. Social media mentions and influencer endorsements also work well as social proof.
How do I add socials to my Shopify store?
To add social media to your Shopify store, you can use social media icons or add links to your profiles in your store's footer. You can also embed social feeds using Shopify apps like Instafeed.
Is social proof legit on Shopify?
Yes, social proof is a legitimate and effective strategy on Shopify to build trust and influence purchasing decisions. Displaying verified customer reviews and testimonials helps customers feel confident in their buying choices.
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