I bet as a business owner you must have heard social proof at least once. It’s the most important thing when it comes to convincing website visitors & turning them into customers
Let’s get this clear. Social proof is a phenomenon where we feel compelled to buy a product/service just because we see others buying it
Now you’d understand that it is also a powerful marketing technique that helps businesses build trust with their audience.
Why Social Proof?
We are social beings by nature, and we tend to look to others for guidance and reassurance in our decision-making process. This is why customers always react positively to social proof
Social proof comes in various forms on a website which includes customer reviews, testimonials, and user-generated content.
It gives potential buyers a glimpse into the experiences of others and allows them to make informed decisions. And since this is much more trustworthy than a business’s own marketing content, it really works!
Another form is the use of social proof plugins on WordPress websites.
These plugins display real-time notifications of user activity, such as recent purchases, sign-ups, or downloads. They create a sense of urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out), which can push potential customers towards making a purchase or taking a desired action.
Why Use a Social Proof Plugin on WordPress?
One of the key advantages of using a social proof WordPress plugin is the wide range of customizable templates and notification styles available.
You can choose the type of notification that best suits your website and target audience, whether it’s a notification bar, popup, or slide-in. This flexibility allows you to create a seamless experience for your customers that encourages them to take action on your website.
There are many popular social proof WordPress plugins available, each offering different advanced features and pricing plans.
Best Social Proof Plugins
When it comes to choosing a social proof WordPress plugin for your website, there are several popular options to consider. These plugins have gained recognition and praise for their advanced features and ability to boost conversion rates.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular social proof plugins available:
1. Famewall
Famewall has a variety of testimonial widgets like social proof avatars & testimonial walls which can be easily added to your WordPress website. You can see the full list of testimonial widgets here
You can create beautifully designed testimonial forms that seamlessly blend with your website’s aesthetics and branding.
Testimonials are the best form of social proof since potential customers get to see the real people using your product.
It’s even more effective when you have video testimonials on your website as they appear the most authentic & are hard to fake. Here’s how you can collect video testimonials from scratch
With a wide range of customization options, you can create a visually appealing testimonial section that makes your customers stop & pay attention
In fact, collecting testimonials is a business activity that would require 20% effort but produces 80% results on your conversions. In fact, it’s super quick if you follow these simple steps to collect testimonials
2. TrustPulse
TrustPulse is a powerful social proof tool that displays real-time activity notifications as a popup on your website. This could be a simple sign-up notification like “Anne from France signed up on Platform XY, 2 minutes ago”
Imagine walking on a street and seeing 2 shops. One shop has a lot of crowds while the other seems empty. As social creatures, we tend to go to the crowded shops
When other customers see live activity from other customers on a website, they naturally get convinced to buy
With TrustPulse, you can showcase recent purchases, sign-ups, or downloads to create a sense of urgency and greatly encourage visitors to take action.
This social proof WordPress plugin also offers customizable templates & advanced targeting options.
3. ProveSource
ProveSource is a social proof platform that offers a wide array of notification types, including popups, bars, and widgets.
The popups have a minimal design and also display a miniature world map on the notification which adds to the social proof
It’s different from other social proof WordPress plugins in the fact that it also allows you to show live visitor count or the number of visitors on your website during a particular window
The plugin integrates seamlessly with popular email marketing services and analytics tools, allowing you to track and analyze the impact of your social proof notifications.
4. NotificationX
NotificationX is another highly popular social proof WordPress plugin that displays real-time sales notifications.
It allows you to display attractive notification popups on your website, highlighting recent customer interactions such as purchases, WordPress product downloads and reviews
This plugin also offers built-in integration with leading email marketing providers and social media platforms, making it easy to sync with your existing marketing tactics.
5. Shared Counts
Shared Counts is a plugin made specifically for WordPress and it increases traffic & engagement by helping readers share social proof by making the number of shares visible
It lets you add social media share buttons to your website and when there are a lot of shares on your website’s blog, it builds trust with your customers & they pay more attention to your content
The best part about using this tool is that it is a simple integration but gives the biggest bang for your buck.
This is a great social proof WordPress plugin to use in your website’s blog posts & boost your content marketing efforts
6. WP Social Proof
WP Social Proof just like the other social proof wordpress plugins offers a range of notification options, including recent sales, conversions, and register activities.
This plugin allows you to customize the notification design and offers a variety of trigger actions, such as scroll or time-based triggers.
You can also display special product coupons when customers are browsing your website which would convince them to sign up & buy from you
With WP Social Proof, you can effectively showcase social proof with these notifications and increase your conversion count.
7. Fomo
Fomo is a social-proof WordPress plugin that focuses on creating stylish and eye-catching notification popups.
It also has the option to display product reviews & form submissions/clicks on the activity widgets
This plugin supports integrations with popular platforms and tools, including email marketing services and e-commerce platforms which makes it super easy for you as a business owner
The cherry on the cake is the Zapier automation which allows you to use no-code to integrate with 5000+ apps
8. WooCommerce Notification by VillaTheme
WooCommerce Notification by VillaTheme is a social-proof WordPress plugin present in VillaTheme that allows you to display recent orders for your business.
It has 22 in-built templates which make the pop-up fit with your website design
It can also track unlimited visitors but the main disadvantage is that it would require some technical efforts to integrate into your WooCommerce website
9. Popup notifications from OptinMonstr
OptinMonster is a premium WordPress lead generation plugin that allows you to create different types of opt-in campaigns, such as popups, floating bars, fullscreen welcome mats, and spin-to-win wheels.
It offers 9 different types of campaigns that can be built in minutes to help you accomplish any of your marketing or sales goals
One of the advantages of using OptinMonster is that it is very easy to use.
It comes with over 50+ pre-made templates that look great across devices and are designed to save you time, energy, and headaches in the campaign creation process.
10. WPFomify
WPFomify is another social proof WordPress plugin that displays real-time notifications
WPFomify also offers integrations with popular WordPress plugins & email marketing services.
The advantage of using it is the easy setup & having customization options
Key Features to Look Out For
When choosing a social proof WordPress plugin for your website, there are several key features that you should look out for.
Customizability is also important when choosing a social proof plugin. Look for a plugin that offers a wide range of customization options, so you can create social proof that aligns with your website’s design and branding. Being able to choose from different types of notifications, such as popups, notification bars, or embedded widgets, ensures that your social proof notifications are eye-catching and seamlessly blend with your website’s aesthetics.
Another is the cost-effectiveness of the tool. A lot of social proof plugins would be expensive due to the large amount of features they offer though as a business owner, you’d only use a few features like pop-ups/widgets. So make it a point to choose a tool that suits your workflow
