Reviews and Testimonials: What’s Costing You Leads in 2025?

Think about the last time you were about to spend money online. Did you believe the brand’s polished sales pitch… or did you scroll straight to the customer feedback section?

Most of us don’t buy until we’ve seen proof from real people. That’s why reviews and testimonials have become the backbone of modern marketing.

Here’s the catch: they aren’t the same thing.

A glowing testimonial on a company’s website and a raw, unfiltered review on Google Play play very different roles in shaping trust. One is curated by the business, the other is completely out of their control.

Mixing them up, or worse, relying on just one, means you could be missing out on inquiries and losing potential customers to competitors. If you’ve ever wondered, “Are testimonials and reviews the same?” or struggled to spot the difference, this guide will clear it up.

What Is a Customer Review?

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A customer review is exactly what it sounds like: an unfiltered account of someone’s real experience with your product or service. You’ll usually find these on third-party platforms like Google Reviews, Yelp, Trustpilot, Amazon, or G2, where anyone can post their thoughts without your involvement.

Most reviews include a star rating (often 1–5) along with text feedback. This makes them quick to scan; potential buyers can instantly see the overall sentiment, then dive deeper into individual comments if they want more detail. What makes reviews powerful is their variety: some are glowing, some are brutally honest, and many fall somewhere in between.

Why does this matter?

• Authenticity: Because reviews are posted independently, they carry a sense of trust that polished marketing can’t replicate.

• Volume and Recency: A steady stream of new reviews signals that your business is active and relevant.

• SEO Impact: Reviews on Google directly affect local search rankings, helping your business appear higher when people search for services like yours.

• Decision Triggers: Studies show 81% of consumers rely on Google reviews when evaluating local businesses. A one-star increase in your average rating can significantly boost inquiries and sales.

In short, reviews shape your online reputation. They can attract new customers, but they can also expose flaws in your service. That’s why businesses need to not only collect them but also monitor, respond, and learn from them.

Talking about SEO impact, how do you actually ensure you get the maximum worth of your investment? Read here- SEO agency vs consultant: Which generates better SEO results?

What Is a Testimonial?

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A testimonial is different; it’s invited, curated, and intentionally positive. Instead of being left on a public site, testimonials are collected directly from satisfied customers and then showcased where you need them most: on your website, sales pages, landing pages, brochures, email campaigns, or social media.

As shown in the example above, unlike a short review, a good testimonial example goes deeper. It often reads like a mini success story, showing how your product or service solved a problem or delivered a transformation. This makes testimonials especially effective in the consideration and decision stages of the buyer’s journey.

Here’s why testimonials matter:

• Control: You choose who to ask, what to feature, and where to publish it.

• Depth: They can highlight specific features, benefits, or results that matter to your target audience.

• Formats: Written quotes, case studies, and increasingly video testimonials, which feel more authentic because prospects can see and hear real people.

• Conversion Power: HubSpot reports that testimonials can increase conversions by 34%, making them a critical tool for closing deals.

Practical tip: Don’t just collect one-line testimonials like “Great service!”. Guide your customers with questions such as:

• What problem were you facing before working with us?

• How did our product/service help solve it?

• What results did you achieve?

• Would you recommend us, and why?

This way, you get testimonials that tell a story, rather than generic praise.

What Are the Key Differences Between Reviews and Testimonials?

Both reviews and testimonials are forms of social proof, but they work differently, appear in different places, and influence buyers at different stages. If you understand these nuances, you can use them strategically instead of treating them as the same thing.

1. Where Do Reviews and Testimonials Come From?

The source determines how much weight customers give to feedback.

• Reviews: Written voluntarily by any customer, whether happy, neutral, or unhappy. They live on platforms like Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, G2, or Amazon. Because they’re unsolicited, buyers see them as authentic and unbiased.

• Testimonials: Requested from specific customers who’ve had a great experience. You collect them intentionally, often after a project ends or a customer achieves measurable results. Since you’re in charge of sourcing, they usually highlight success.

2. How Do They Differ in Tone and Sentiment?

Tone shapes whether feedback feels like marketing or a peer-to-peer recommendation.

• Reviews: Can range from glowing praise to harsh criticism. This mix creates credibility because buyers see the full spectrum of experiences. A pattern of consistent positives outweighs occasional negatives.

• Testimonials: Always positive, often detailed. They highlight specific features, results, or outcomes. Example: “After switching to this software, our sales cycle dropped from 60 to 30 days.”

Pro tip: When collecting testimonials, guide your customer with questions like “What problem were you facing before?” and “What specific results did you see?” This produces richer, story-driven endorsements.

3. How Much Control Do You Have Over Each?

Control impacts how feedback is framed and what you can do with it.

• Reviews: No editing power. Once published, reviews are public. The only actions you can take are responding (which actually builds trust) or flagging reviews that break platform policies.

• Testimonials: Full control. You decide which stories to feature, how they’re worded, and how they’re displayed (text, video, case study).

Tip: Always respond to reviews, even negative ones. A thoughtful reply shows transparency and professionalism, and can win back trust. For testimonials, repurpose them across channels: add them to proposals, slides, social media, and even ad campaigns.

4. Where Do They Appear and How Visible Are They?

Visibility determines whether they attract new leads or close existing ones.

• Reviews: Appear on third-party platforms, often where buyers begin research. A 4.5-star Google rating can make someone click your link over a competitor’s.

• Testimonials: Appear where you strategically place them, homepages, product pages, sales decks, landing pages, and email campaigns. They work best when prospects are already considering you.

Tip: Place testimonials next to CTAs on landing pages. Pairing social proof with action buttons increases conversion likelihood.

5. What Is the Purpose Behind Each?

Intent reveals why they exist in the first place.

• Reviews: Created for other customers, not for your business. They’re written to inform, compare, and share real experiences, positive or negative.

• Testimonials: Created for your business. Their goal is to persuade and instill confidence by showcasing outcomes and success stories.

Tip: Don’t just collect testimonials; align them with your sales objections. If pricing is a common objection, feature a testimonial that says, “It paid for itself in three months.”

6. How Do They Impact the Buyer Journey?

Each plays a different role in moving customers closer to purchase.

• Reviews: Best for the awareness and research stage. They help prospects discover your business, shortlist it, and get a sense of your reputation.

• Testimonials: Best for the consideration and decision stage. They remove doubt, provide proof, and give prospects confidence to choose you.

Tip: Use reviews in your Google Business Profile and ads to attract traffic, then use testimonials on your website and sales materials to convert that traffic into customers.

7. How Do They Affect SEO?

Both influence search visibility, but in different ways.

• Reviews: Direct SEO benefit. Google favors businesses with consistent, fresh reviews because they indicate activity and trustworthiness. A higher star rating can also improve click-through rates.

• Testimonials: Indirect SEO benefit. They won’t improve rankings directly, but they increase engagement metrics like time on page and reduce bounce rate, both signals that search engines reward.

Tip: Embed testimonials in structured data (schema markup) so they’re eligible for rich snippets in search results, making them more visible and clickable.

Here’s a side-by-side view of how they stack up.

Need a jumpstart with the testimonials? Read our guide here: How to Get Customer Testimonials When No One Has Time?

Why Do Both Reviews and Testimonials Matter for Your Business?

Imagine this: you’re looking up a service provider and find their Google Business Profile… but there are no reviews. It feels risky, right? Now picture another moment, you’re about to click away from a product page, unsure if it’s worth the price. Then you spot a testimonial from someone in your exact situation, explaining how it solved their problem. Suddenly, the decision feels easier.

That’s the power of combining reviews and testimonials. One builds confidence by showing real, unfiltered experiences. The other removes final doubts with story-driven proof.

It’s not about choosing one over the other; you need both. Together, they create a powerful layer of social proof that builds trust from the first impression all the way to the purchase decision.

• Reviews: Attract new audiences and build credibility through authenticity.

• Testimonials: Provide in-depth stories that close deals and address last-minute doubts.

The combination gives you a complete marketing toolkit, helping you get discovered, earn trust, and convert prospects into loyal customers.

Think of reviews as your reputation engine and testimonials as your conversion engine. One gets people in the door, the other helps seal the deal.

When Should You Focus on Collecting Reviews?

Reviews are your front-line reputation builders. They work best when you need volume, authenticity, and visibility, especially in competitive industries where prospects rely on public ratings to compare options.

Here’s when reviews should be your top priority:

• Boosting local SEO – A steady flow of Google Reviews can push your business higher in local search rankings.

• Launching a new product or service – Fresh reviews build early buzz and help overcome buyer hesitation.

• Recovering from a negative review – Adding new positive reviews can quickly balance out an unfair dip in your overall rating.

• Catching up with competitors – If rivals have stronger review profiles, building yours is essential to avoid losing leads.

Tip: Automate review requests by sending a link right after purchase or service completion. Make it easy; customers are more likely to leave a review if the process takes less than 60 seconds.

When Should You Focus on Collecting Testimonials?

Testimonials shine when you want to control the narrative and highlight specific outcomes. Unlike reviews, they let you dig deeper into transformation stories, almost like mini case studies. This makes them especially valuable in industries where proof of results is everything (think B2B services, consultants, coaches, or high-ticket products).

Here’s when to prioritize them:

• Building credibility without a physical presence – Online-first businesses need trust signals to make up for the lack of in-person interaction.

• Showcasing a feature or transformation – Use testimonials to illustrate measurable results (“We doubled revenue in six months”).

• Selling relationship-driven services – Consultants, agencies, and service providers benefit from narrative-style testimonials that walk through the customer journey.

Tip: Don’t just ask for testimonials randomly. Time your requests right after a success milestone, when the customer has just achieved a big win with your product or service. That’s when you’ll capture the most authentic and enthusiastic story.

Checklist for Collecting High-Impact Testimonials

1. Choose the right moment – Ask just after a success milestone when enthusiasm is highest.

2. Guide the story – Use open-ended prompts like “What problem did we solve for you?” or “What results did you achieve?”

3. Go beyond text – Capture testimonials in multiple formats: written quotes, short videos, or mini case studies.

4. Address objections – Select stories that tackle common doubts (pricing, speed, ease of use).

5. Repurpose everywhere – Use snippets in proposals, sales decks, landing pages, social media, and even ads.

The challenge, of course, is getting from raw feedback to a polished asset. Customers are busy, interviews can fall flat, and a quote on its own doesn’t always do justice to the value you’ve delivered. That’s where we step in.

If you’d like to take it further, we can help transform those raw stories into polished case studies, videos, and sales-ready assets. Think of it as turning kind words into a marketing engine that actively drives conversions.

At SaaSpirin, we specialize in turning your happiest customer stories into conversion-ready assets, whether that’s a written case study, a short testimonial, or a video that feels authentic but still looks professional.

The result? Testimonials that aren’t just nice words, but strategic tools that shorten sales cycles, answer objections, and drive inquiries.

How Does SaaSpirin Turn Testimonials Into Strategic Marketing Assets?

Collecting reviews is essential for visibility, but converting customer experiences into high-impact marketing materials requires a different approach. That’s where we come in. At SaaSpirin, we specialize in transforming customer testimonials into assets that actively drive growth.

Here’s what sets us apart:

• End-to-End Process – We handle everything from customer outreach and interviews to producing polished written stories, video content, and sales-ready assets.

• Multi-Format Output – Each testimonial is repurposed into different formats: case studies, social clips, quote cards, or PDFs for proposals, so one story delivers maximum value.

• Conversion Focused – Our work goes beyond showcasing happy customers; we craft narratives that address objections, highlight measurable outcomes, and guide prospective customers toward a purchase decision.

• Built for B2B and SaaS – We understand the types of businesses where proof is critical, SaaS, B2B services, and relationship-driven industries, and know how to position testimonials for authority and impact.

By combining the authenticity of customer experience with professional storytelling, we help you bridge the gap between honest feedback and conversion-ready content.

The result is not just testimonials, it’s a scalable library of customer proof that strengthens every stage of your marketing strategy.

Book a call with us today.

Conclusion

The real power of reviews and testimonials isn’t in choosing one over the other; it’s in knowing when and how to use each. Online reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile fuel visibility, trust, and discovery. Customer testimonials, especially when crafted into compelling stories or video content, influence the purchase decision and give prospective customers the confidence to act.

If your marketing strategy leans too heavily on one, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. The best way forward is to treat reviews as your reputation engine and testimonials as your conversion engine, combining both to consistently boost inquiries and close deals.

The next step is yours: how will you start collecting, curating, and leveraging customer experience in a way that not only builds credibility but also shortens your sales cycle?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do customer reviews and testimonials help businesses convert more leads?

Boosting inquiries with client testimonials and reviews provides honest feedback and personal experience. Online reviews attract prospective customers early, while customer testimonials in marketing materials build trust and boost inquiries, guiding them toward a confident purchase decision.

Why do companies use both reviews and testimonials in their marketing?

Businesses use both because online reviews add credibility, while customer testimonials, in their own words, showcase success stories. Together, they create a balanced marketing strategy that overcomes conflicts of interest and persuades prospective customers effectively.

Are testimonials more trustworthy than reviews for potential customers?

Not necessarily. Customer testimonials are curated and positive, while online reviews reflect honest feedback. Prospective customers weigh both; testimonials inspire confidence, but reviews on platforms like Google Business Profile often feel more unbiased and authentic.

What are the key features that set product reviews apart from testimonials?

The difference between reviews and testimonials lies in origin and purpose. Reviews are voluntary, often on Google Business Profile, showing a varied customer experience. Testimonials are requested success stories, sometimes shared through video content in marketing materials.

How should I collect customer testimonials versus reviews?

The best way to collect reviews is by encouraging customers on platforms like Google Business Profile. For testimonials, reach out directly, guide customers to share personal experiences in their own words, and repurpose them in video content or marketing materials.

Can a user review be considered a testimonial or are they always different?

They are not the same, but an overlap exists. With permission, a positive online review can be reframed into a customer testimonial. The difference between reviews and testimonials is that reviews are unsolicited, while testimonials are curated for marketing strategy.

What common myths exist about reviews and testimonials?

A common myth is that testimonials are always more valuable. In reality, reviews and testimonials serve different purposes. Testimonials can create a conflict of interest, while online reviews deliver honest feedback that prospective customers rely on for purchase decisions.

What is another word for customer review?

Another word often used for a customer review is testimonial. However, they are not identical. Reviews are independent feedback on public platforms, while customer testimonials are curated stories used in marketing materials by different types of businesses.

What is the difference between a review and a testimonial?

The difference between reviews and testimonials lies in control and tone. Reviews are public and unfiltered, reflecting customer experience. Testimonials are requested, polished endorsements, sometimes with video content and job title details, crafted to persuade prospective customers at decision stages.