Every local business website I build needs one thing above all else: trust. And nothing builds trust faster than real words from real customers. But here is the problem — most business owners either skip testimonials altogether, or they dump them on the page as boring, static text blocks that nobody reads. A well-designed testimonial slider in Elementor changes all of that. It shows off your best reviews in a clean, rotating carousel that visitors actually stop and read. In this guide, I am going to walk you through four different ways to add a testimonial slider in Elementor — using the free version, Elementor Pro, and a free third-party plugin. Whether you are on a budget or have Elementor Pro already installed, there is an option here that works for you. No coding. No complicated setup. Just a practical, step-by-step walkthrough from someone who has built these sections on hundreds of local business websites.
💬 Prashant’s Note
When I set this up for a salon client in Melbourne, the first thing she said was — ‘Can my customers’ photos show next to their names?’ That one detail made the whole section feel so much more real and believable to her website visitors. In my experience building sites for salons, clinics, gyms, and coaches, I always tell clients: do not hide your testimonials at the bottom of the page. Put them front and center, make them slide, and add a photo where you can. That small change alone has helped several of my clients see a noticeable bump in enquiries.
Table of Contents
Why Every Local Business Website Needs a Testimonial Slider
Think about the last time you tried a new restaurant or booked a new service provider. Chances are you checked the reviews first. Your website visitors do exactly the same thing — and if they do not find any social proof on your site, many of them will quietly leave and check your competitors instead. Adding a testimonial slider to your Elementor website solves this problem in a clean, professional way. Here is why it works so well: – Builds trust instantly: Positive reviews from real customers are one of the most effective credibility signals you can put on a website. Visitors who see that others have had great experiences are far more likely to take the next step — whether that is booking a call, filling in a form, or walking through your door. – Improves conversions: A testimonial slider keeps social proof visible without taking up too much page space. Rotating through multiple reviews means more of your best feedback gets seen. – Looks professional: A sliding carousel looks clean and modern. It is far better than a wall of static quotes that visitors tend to scroll right past. – Great for mobile: Elementor testimonial sliders are fully responsive. They look just as good on a phone as they do on a desktop — which matters because most local business traffic comes from mobile. In my experience, even three or four genuine testimonials displayed properly can make a huge difference to how professional a site feels.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you dive into any of the four methods below, make sure you have the following in place: – A WordPress website up and running – The Elementor plugin installed and activated (the free version from WordPress.org is enough for Methods 1 and 4) – Elementor Pro if you want to use the built-in Testimonial Carousel or Reviews Slider widgets (Methods 2 and 3) – A handful of real client testimonials ready to go — name, quote, and ideally a photo and job title To install Elementor, go to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Add New. Search for ‘Elementor,’ click Install Now, then Activate. Once it is active, open any page and click Edit with Elementor to launch the visual editor. A quick note on Elementor Free vs Pro: the free version of Elementor has a basic single Testimonial widget. For the full Testimonial Carousel and Reviews Slider, you need Elementor Pro. If you are not on Pro yet, do not worry — Method 4 covers a completely free plugin option that gives you a carousel layout without paying a cent.
Method 1: Single Testimonial Widget (Elementor Free)
This is the simplest option and it is available on the free version of Elementor. It displays one testimonial at a time — no sliding, no carousel, just a clean individual review block. It is a good starting point if you just want to feature one standout review prominently on a page, for example right above your contact form. Here is how to add it: – Open the page in the Elementor editor – In the widget panel on the left, search for ‘Testimonial’ – Drag and drop the Testimonial widget onto your page – In the Content tab, add the client’s quote, their name, job title or company, and upload their photo – Use the Style tab to adjust font sizes, colors, image size, and layout – Click Publish or Update when you are happy with it This widget is best used when you want to highlight one key testimonial alongside a specific section — like a before-and-after, a service description, or a call-to-action block. For multiple testimonials in a sliding format, you will want to keep reading.
Method 2: Testimonial Carousel Widget (Elementor Pro)
If you have Elementor Pro, this is the option I recommend for most local business sites. The Testimonial Carousel widget lets you add multiple reviews that rotate in a sliding format — it looks great, it is easy to set up, and your clients can manage their own testimonials without needing to call you. Step-by-step setup: – Open your page in the Elementor editor – Search for ‘Testimonial Carousel’ in the widget panel – Drag it onto your page – In the Content tab, you will see a list of testimonial slides — click Add Item to add each review – For each slide, fill in the quote, the client’s name, their title or position, and upload their photo – Under Additional Options, toggle on Navigation (arrows and/or dots) and enable Autoplay if you want the slider to rotate automatically – You can control how many slides show at once, the transition speed, and whether it loops Once your content is set, switch to the Style tab to dial in the design. You can adjust: – Slide background color and border radius – Quote typography and text color – The gap between the testimonial text and the client info (name and title) – Image size and border radius – Arrow and dot navigation size and color Keep the design clean and consistent with the rest of your site. I always tell clients — simple and readable beats fancy and hard-to-read every time.
Method 3: Reviews Slider Widget (Elementor Pro)
Elementor Pro also includes a Reviews Slider widget, which is slightly different from the Testimonial Carousel. The Reviews widget is specifically designed to display review-style content — it includes a star rating field, which makes it perfect for businesses that want to show off their Google or platform ratings in a visual format. The setup process is very similar to the Testimonial Carousel: – Search for ‘Reviews’ in the Elementor widget panel – Drag it onto your page – Add each review — include the star rating (1 to 5), the reviewer’s name, their image, and their review text – You can also add the platform name (e.g. Google, Facebook) if you want to indicate where the review came from – Use the Style tab to control colors, typography, star rating color, and navigation styling I have used this widget on a few clinic websites and it works really well. Displaying five-star ratings visually next to a quote is far more persuasive than just showing the text alone. If your business has strong ratings on Google, this widget is a great way to make that visible without sending visitors away from your site.
Method 4: Free Testimonial Carousel Plugin (No Pro Required)
No Elementor Pro? No problem. There are solid free plugins that add a testimonial carousel widget directly to Elementor. This is my go-to recommendation for clients who are working with the free version of Elementor and do not want to upgrade just for this one feature. One of the most reliable free options is the Strong Testimonials plugin, which works independently of Elementor but can be embedded on any Elementor page using a shortcode block. Another approach is to use a free Elementor addons plugin — several of these (like HT Mega or ElementsKit Lite) include a built-in testimonial carousel widget that slots right into the Elementor widget panel. General setup steps for a free addons plugin: – Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard – Search for your chosen free Elementor addons plugin (e.g. HT Mega, ElementsKit Lite) – Click Install Now, then Activate – Once active, open your page in the Elementor editor – Search for ‘Testimonial’ in the widget panel — you should now see the new widget from the plugin – Drag it onto your page and fill in your testimonials exactly as you would with the Pro widget – Use the plugin’s Content and Style tabs to customize the layout and appearance The free plugin options have fewer styling controls than Elementor Pro, but for most local business sites — salons, gyms, coaches, clinics — they do everything you need. Keep it simple, keep it clean, and the results will look great.
How to Style and Customize Your Testimonial Slider
Whichever method you use, here are the key styling decisions you will need to make inside Elementor’s Style tab: – Background color: Use a color that contrasts with your page background so the testimonials section stands out. A light grey or a soft brand color works well. – Typography: Match your testimonial quote font to the rest of your site. Keep the font size readable — at least 16px for the quote text. – Image style: Round (circular) profile images tend to look more personal and friendly. Set the border radius to 50% to achieve this. – Navigation: Enable both arrow navigation and dot indicators so visitors know they can scroll through more reviews. Set the dot and arrow colors to match your brand. – Autoplay: Enabling autoplay is a good idea for homepage sections where visitors might not realize the slider is interactive. Set the speed to around 4000–5000 milliseconds so there is enough time to read each review. – Responsive settings: Always check how the slider looks on mobile after publishing. Elementor lets you adjust settings separately for desktop, tablet, and mobile — so if the text looks cramped on phone, you can reduce the font size just for mobile without affecting the desktop layout. One thing I always do for my clients: I make sure the slider section has enough top and bottom padding so it does not feel squeezed. Give it room to breathe and it will look far more polished.
Best Practices for Testimonials on Local Business Websites
Over 15 years and more than 1800 websites, I have seen testimonial sections done well and done poorly. Here is what actually works: – Use real photos whenever possible: A quote next to a real face is far more convincing than a quote with a grey silhouette avatar. Even a casual smartphone photo looks better than nothing. – Include the client’s name and role or location: ‘Sarah M., Melbourne’ is more trustworthy than just ‘Sarah M.’ For B2B clients, adding the company name adds even more credibility. – Keep quotes concise: Long testimonials get skimmed. The sweet spot is two to four sentences — specific enough to be credible, short enough to be read in full. – Use your best testimonial as the first slide: Most visitors will only see the first one or two slides, so lead with your strongest review. – Aim for at least four to six testimonials: This gives the slider enough content to rotate meaningfully without looping too quickly. – Do not make testimonials up: It sounds obvious, but it is worth saying. Genuine quotes — even if imperfectly worded — are always more convincing than polished-sounding fakes. – Place the section strategically: On most local business sites, I put the testimonials section just above the contact form or the call-to-action section. That is where visitors are making their decision — and a great review at that moment can push them over the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Elementor Free have a testimonial slider?
Elementor Free includes a basic single Testimonial widget, but it does not include a Testimonial Carousel (slider) widget. For a sliding carousel, you either need Elementor Pro or a free third-party Elementor addons plugin that adds carousel functionality.
How do I add a testimonial carousel in Elementor Pro?
In the Elementor editor, search for ‘Testimonial Carousel’ in the widget panel and drag it onto your page. Then add your testimonials one by one in the Content tab, and use the Style tab to adjust the design, colors, navigation arrows, and autoplay settings.
What is the best free plugin for a testimonial slider in Elementor?
Several free Elementor addons plugins include a testimonial carousel widget, including HT Mega and ElementsKit Lite. Install your chosen plugin from the WordPress plugin directory, activate it, and a testimonial widget will appear in the Elementor widget panel.
What is the difference between the Testimonial Carousel and the Reviews Slider in Elementor Pro?
Both are Elementor Pro widgets for displaying client feedback in a sliding format. The Reviews Slider includes a dedicated star rating field, making it ideal when you want to visually display star ratings alongside review text. The Testimonial Carousel is more flexible for general quotes without a rating.
How many testimonials should I add to the slider?
For most local business websites, four to six testimonials is the sweet spot. This gives the slider enough content to rotate through meaningfully without repeating too quickly, and gives visitors a solid sense of your reputation without overwhelming them.
Will a testimonial slider slow down my website?
If built cleanly in Elementor without heavy animations or oversized images, a testimonial slider should not significantly impact your page speed. Keep your testimonial photos optimized (compressed to under 100KB each) and avoid stacking multiple heavy slider plugins on the same page.
Can I show star ratings in an Elementor testimonial slider?
Yes. Elementor Pro’s Reviews Slider widget includes a built-in star rating field for each slide. If you are using the free Elementor with a third-party plugin, check whether your chosen plugin’s testimonial widget includes a star rating option — many of them do.
Final Thoughts
And that is everything you need to add a professional testimonial slider to your Elementor website — four different methods, from completely free to Elementor Pro, all explained in plain English. Whichever route you take, the important thing is to just get those testimonials on your site. Real reviews from real clients are one of the most powerful things you can put on a local business website, and a clean sliding carousel is the best way to show them off. If you are more of a visual learner, I have put together a full video tutorial where I walk through all four methods live — building each layout step by step so you can follow along. Go ahead and watch the video embedded in this post, and feel free to pause and work alongside me. If you have any questions or get stuck at any point, drop a comment below — I read every one and I am happy to help. And if you would rather just have someone set this up for you properly, reach out to me directly through the contact page. I have been building Elementor sites for local businesses for over 15 years and I would be glad to help you out.
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