Website Testimonials Page: How to Design One That Is Believed, and Stays Within the FTC Rules

Key takeaways

• A testimonials page is proof, so it must be real. Every quote needs a real person behind it, and you need their permission to publish it. The FTC's staff Q&A says that a business posting testimonials on its own site is distributing them and can be liable if they are fake or false.
• Fake and bought reviews are banned by a federal rule. The FTC's Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule took effect on 21 October 2024. It covers fake testimonials, review buying, undisclosed insider reviews and review suppression.
• Specific beats glowing. A quote that names the problem, the result and the person is worth more than ten lines of "great service". Mix short quotes with a few longer stories.
• Do not hide the lukewarm ones to look perfect. The FTC says that asking only likely-happy customers, or sorting so the best sit first, can give a misleading picture in some cases. Show the range of real feedback.
• Put proof next to the asks. Quotes also belong beside the button and the form, where doubt appears.

This is design guidance, not legal advice. The rules apply to your business and country, so check the FTC pages linked below, or ask a lawyer, before you publish.

The short answer

A good testimonials page has a short promise at the top, three to five featured stories, a grid of short quotes grouped by type of customer, a few video or photo items if you have them, and a button at the end. Each item names a real person and says what changed for them. You hold written permission for every item, you have not edited a meaning, and anything that is not a normal result is labelled so.

What the popular guides cover, and what they skip

On 1 November 2026 we searched Google for "website testimonials page design". The results included Webstacks, Trustmary, Wix, Ramotion, Designerly and Testimonial Donut. I read Webstacks and Wix in full.

Webstacks lists five things to include and ten example pages. It does not mention the FTC, permission, disclosure or review moderation. Wix lists 15 examples and advises asking customers for permission before publishing, but does not mention the FTC or disclosure either.

So the design advice is solid and consistent: real names, specific results, mixed formats, groups, fresh content, mobile layouts. What is thin is everything about the rules. That is the part this guide adds, and the two halves belong together, because a page that breaks the rules does not build trust for long.

What goes on the page

For button wording, see our call to action examples for small business websites.

Choose and write the testimonials

Pick testimonials that answer the doubtful visitor's question: "Will this work for someone like me?"

1. Ask for a story, not praise. "What problem did you have, and what changed?" beats "Can you write a review?".
2. Ask for numbers only if they are true and the customer is happy to share them. A figure the customer gives you is theirs to state. A figure you add is a claim you must be able to back up.
3. Get permission in writing. Email is enough for most small businesses: "May we publish this quote with your name and role on our website?"
4. Edit only for length and typos. Show the customer the final version. The FTC's staff Q&A says a reviewer is not responsible for changes a marketer makes, and can ask for an altered version to be removed. Changing the meaning of a quote is the risk.
5. Use a real name and context. First name and last initial, role, company or town. Anonymous quotes carry less weight, and invented ones are what the rule is about.

The FTC rules that shape the page

These are taken from three FTC pages read on 1 November 2026: the rule announcement of 14 August 2024, the staff Q&A on the Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (effective 21 October 2024) and the Endorsement Guides Q&A. The FTC says its staff guidance is not comprehensive and is not a safe harbor.

The Endorsement Guides Q&A adds that asking only customers likely to be satisfied can mislead if it substantially skews how favourable the reviews look. A curated page is not a review site, but the lesson holds: make sure it fairly represents what customers say.

The pages above give no penalty amount. They say the rule lets the FTC seek civil penalties against knowing violators.

Layout and accessibility

On sliders, W3C's guidance on WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.2.2 (Pause, Stop, Hide, level A) says auto-advancing content that starts automatically and runs alongside other content needs a way to pause, stop or hide it, or to control how often it updates. The Understanding page lists auto-advancing presentations as an example. A grid avoids the question.

For where the page sits in the whole site, our homepage design ideas and landing page structure guide show where proof belongs on those pages.

Where else to place testimonials

A dedicated page is useful for people who go looking for it, but most visitors will not. Put a short proof close to the moment of doubt:

• Beside the main button on the home page.
• On each service page, one quote from that kind of job. Our services page design guide explains why a matching quote beats a random one.
• Beside the contact form (see contact page design).

If your testimonials sit in a CMS collection, one entry can feed the page, the service pages and the home page without copying text by hand. Our Webflow CMS guide explains how collections work.

When this does not apply, or when to keep it simple

• You have fewer than about five real testimonials. Do not build a page that looks empty. Put two good quotes on the home page and the service pages, and add a page when you have enough. This is our view, not a rule.
• Your profession restricts testimonials. Some have their own codes. Our therapist website guide covers the psychology and counselling codes, and the lawyer website guide covers another strict case. Check your own regulator.
• You are outside the United States. The FTC pages are the US view. Other countries have their own rules, so read your local regulator.
• You are tempted to buy or write reviews to get started. Do not. Ask your first five happy customers instead.

For the wider picture of what makes a site turn visitors into enquiries, see how to build a high converting website and our conversion optimization guide.

How we help at Amariq

We design testimonial sections and pages as part of a site, so the proof sits next to the claims it backs. In a project we plan which quotes go where, build the grid or story layout for phone and desktop, set up the CMS fields (name, role, photo, permission date) so you can add a quote in a minute, and give you a one-page permission and disclosure checklist to keep. We build and look after sites on Webflow, Framer, WordPress and Shopify, and also on Wix, Squarespace and custom builds.See our web design service or website optimization service.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need permission to put a customer's testimonial on my website?

It is good practice and the safe step. Wix's guide also advises asking for permission before publishing. The FTC's pages treat a testimonial on your site as your advertising, so you carry responsibility for it. Get the permission in writing and keep it.

Is it legal to write my own testimonials if I have no customers yet?

No. The FTC's rule bans creating fake or false testimonials, and its staff Q&A says a business posting testimonials on its own site is distributing them. Use a short "what to expect" section or a description of your process instead, and ask your first customers for honest feedback. This is not legal advice.

Can I offer a discount for a review?

The FTC's staff Q&A says incentives are generally allowed, but not if the review must be positive or negative. If you do offer one, make it for any honest review, whatever the rating, and do not choose which reviews get it.

Can I show only my best reviews?

You choose the testimonials on a curated page, but the FTC says that asking only customers likely to be satisfied can mislead if it substantially skews how favourable the feedback looks. Show a fair range, and do not claim that most customers say something unless that is true.

Should staff or family give testimonials?

Only with a clear disclosure of the relationship, says the FTC's staff Q&A. For a small business, leaving those quotes off is simpler.

Are video testimonials worth it?

Yes, if they are real. Get written consent and add captions. A paid actor or AI avatar shown as a customer would raise problems under the rule.