We recently updated the Reviews module on our mortgage broker website. The module takes full advantage of Yabber's automation, and the system seamlessly integrates with the Elementor framework that is the backbone of our website architecture. The former Reviews module wasn't nearly as robust as required, and it only provided for a shortcode option to render a result, so it was generally a 'lacking' solution for those that prefer visual design.

This article introduces the functionality made available via the revised Testimonial module - we don't discuss the value of reviews themselves.

  The Result

As shown on our demonstration website, the result of the Testimonial Slider is pictured below. Note that every element within the panel may be customised, and we'll detail these variables shortly with the introduction of the Elementor block.

  Pictured: A basic reviews panel. The panel slides between those reviews that are specifically defined, or all reviews. The number of reviews shown, colours, timing, and other elements are all customised to your liking. Note the two blue squares below the slider - these are fully customisable button for pagination (you may also disable pagination as an option in Elementor).

Reviews are assigned to a category, with the category being the network where the review was written, and by default all reviews from all categories will show in the slider. You may, however, only select a block of your 'best' or 'featured' reviews to show on your front page, or anywhere any occurrence of the slider is shown.

Note that while creation of reviews in Yabber is the preferred method of sending reviews to your website, you may simply create them in the 'Review' post category made available in WordPress. The latter method comes with some limitation.

A 'Black' and 'Gold' style applies to the star rating, with the latter typically used just about everywhere. Before the name of the individual that supplied the testimonial you'll see a small icon that shows where the review originated. The 'Occupation' field shown in the first pictured review is only available when that review is provided by Yabber.

  Elementor Block

Like any Elementor block, you simply drag and drop the Review slider into any position on your page. Once done, you define your various options, and the Review Slider will show.

  Pictured: After dragging the Testimonials block into your page, a number of options are returned that style virtually every aspect of your slider. The inset shows the filtering on the types of reviews to return, such as those by category, or those returned by specifically selecting preferred testimonials.

In most cases, few if any changes will be made to the default values. If anything, the text colour might be altered, and the triangle to the top left might be altered to a primary company brand colour, and the colour picker makes this easy. In most cases you will return just two testimonials in each visible panel (before it slides to another two), but you have the option of increasing this value. Only one testimonial is generally applied to mobile and tablet devices.

  Testimonial Archive & Single Post

All reviews are shown in a paginated archive in a style not entirely dissimilar to your blog, with the exception that the returned cards show only basic data. Each review links to a single testimonial page that optionally includes additional data as defined in Yabber (such as a user video review).

  Pictured: The reviews archive. As each review is created, the review will be shown in a style similar to that of your blog and other 'archive' pages. Each of the reviews links to a dedicated review page (rather redundant but kept for the purpose of SEO).

Another archive is provided for testimonials filed for each social platform.

  Yabber Integration

Yabber will pull reviews from various networks and queue them for evaluation, and it will do this automatically based on connectivity with Facebook and Google. While the system was formerly limited in terms of access, we'll be pushing the module to all users in the new year. This tight integration permits easier management of consolidated reviews supplied on third-party social networks (such as Google or Facebook) and completely negates the need to log into your website.

We're currently updating our 'Image Factory' to integrate with the revised Testimonials module. This feature will take your reviews and create a 'Review Image' that may be sent to social media. While the system is back in review (meaning that functionality will likely change), it's expected that we'll allow for the scheduling of the image to social media once the testimonial is reviewed and sent to your website.

  Considerations

To maintain consistency, each review only occupies a certain amount of space in its text container, meaning that all review containers are the same height (this height defaults to 150px, but may be altered by you). When required, each review contains a small scrollbar within the review to reveal all content. The style applied to the scrollbar is also customisable.

The features image applied to each testimonial is applied as the user image. If no user image exists a default user icon will show; the same featured image is also applied on the single testimonial page. To keep the images unique, and assuming no image or user photograph exists, you may use any image of any type as a placeholder.

Once a review block is created, the result is cached for a full day, meaning that if you add new reviews it may take a while before they're shown. This limitation doesn't apply when reviews are sent via Yabber.

  Conclusion

Testimonials are a staple of finance websites since finance itself is such a trust-driven relationship, so they're an essential inclusion, but as you're no doubt aware, managing the testimonial system require an investment of time, and it's here will Yabber provides an effective solution. To supplement the systems we've already built, we'll be adding the Testimonial bridge into our EDGE system so the review request is sent as part of the post-settlement process.

Note to Clients: All managed clients have had their website updated, and we expect to update all recent deliveries over the next couple of weeks. All other users that wish to use the feature should notify us of their requirement, and we'll schedule in some time for the update.

Note: When it comes to reviews we'll ask you to do as we say, and not as we do. We made the decision in the pre-Yabber era to avoid reviews because it becomes a tail-chasing exercise after a while. In the early days the decision to avoid testimonials was done to avoid brokers making comparisons with each other, but in reality, results are commensurate with engagement with certain programs, so comparisons are never an indication of anything other than 'what's possible'. In the end, we decided that testimonials are one thing we don't want to worry about. A point worthy of mention is that over 80% of clients that come to us for a long-term and scalable solution had previously written a positive review for somebody else - despite their dissatisfaction. Note that you can may seek compensation for negative reviews - in most cases there's little to no legal defence for the author of a negative review.

Like almost all systems, the Testimonials module operates autonomously, so if you take control of all your marketing in-house and don't utilise Yabber in any way, the system operates as advertised.