25 exceptional examples of websites built with HubSpot Content Hub
Nov 08, 2024
When someone visits your website, they're looking for evidence that you can deliver on your promises. They want to know that other businesses trust you, that your solution works, and that you're the right choice for them. This is where social proof comes in.
Social proof is more than just adding a few customer logos to your website. When done well, it's a powerful tool that builds trust, validates your claims, and shows potential buyers that businesses just like theirs are already achieving success with your solution.
Social proof is any element on your website demonstrating that real companies and people use and value your product, service, or solution. It's a powerful trust signal because it validates your claims throughout your site with evidence from actual customers achieving real results.
The psychology behind social proof is deeply rooted in human decision-making. When faced with uncertainty, we naturally look to others' actions and experiences to guide our choices. When your claims are backed up by evidence from real businesses achieving success with your offering, it becomes much easier for potential buyers to trust you.
Social proof is a fundamental element of building trust with website visitors. When you make claims about your product or service, potential buyers naturally want validation that you can deliver on your promises. Social proof provides that validation by showing that real businesses are already achieving the results you promise.
In B2B contexts, where buying cycles often involve multiple stakeholders and longer evaluation periods, social proof becomes even more valuable. It helps buyers build internal consensus around your solution and understand how similar companies are using your offering. This makes it easier for them to envision successful implementation in their own organisation.
Not all social proof carries the same weight. Understanding the different types and their relative impact can help you prioritise which to collect and showcase on your website.
Case studies represent the ultimate form of social proof for B2B websites. They provide comprehensive evidence of your solution's effectiveness by telling the complete story of a customer's journey. A well-crafted case study should detail the challenges your customers faced, why they chose your solution, and the specific benefits they've achieved as a result.
Testimonials from individuals at companies using your product or service add credibility through personal experience. The most effective testimonials come from named individuals with real job titles and include specific details about results or benefits. And generic praise without context won't carry the same weight as a testimonial that relates to particular features or use cases.
Client logos are a common form of social proof, but they need context to be truly effective. Simply displaying logos can be viewed with scepticism - after all, anyone can add a company logo to their website. The key is providing context around how these companies use your solution and the specific benefits they've achieved, this can often be achieved through case studies for those companies.
Third-party aggregated reviews provide unfiltered feedback about your solution. These platforms collect ratings and reviews from your customer base, offering potential buyers an independent perspective on your offering's strengths and real-world performance.
When you can present specific, verifiable metrics that matter to your target audience, numbers can be powerful social proof. The key is ensuring your data is current, regularly updated, and directly relevant to the problems your buyers are trying to solve.
While not as impactful as customer-led social proof, certain certifications and awards can build trust. Focus on recognitions that have strict qualification criteria and directly relate to your core offering.
To maintain credibility, it's crucial to be selective about the social proof you showcase. Here are the types to avoid.
Generic testimonials that lack specificity do more harm than good. When a testimonial simply states "Great product!" or "Excellent service!" without any context, it appears inauthentic. Effective testimonials need real names, job titles, and specific details about how your solution helped solve actual business problems.
Not every award or recognition deserves a place on your website. Awards that are unrelated to your core offering or come from unknown sources can dilute your credibility. Focus on showcasing recognition that directly relates to your expertise and comes from respected industry sources.
Using old data can seriously harm your credibility. Market conditions, technology, and business practices evolve rapidly. When you showcase statistics from several years ago, it suggests you haven't achieved anything noteworthy recently. Keep your metrics current and regularly update them to reflect your latest achievements.
Some numbers might look impressive at first glance but offer no real value to potential buyers. Social media follower numbers, or generic statistics don't demonstrate the actual impact of your solution. Instead, focus on metrics that directly relate to the business outcomes your buyers care about.
This should go without saying, but never use fabricated social proof. This includes made-up testimonials, manipulated statistics, or logos of companies that aren't actually your clients. The damage to your credibility, if discovered, is devastating and long-lasting.
Where you place social proof on your website isn't a complex decision - it's about choosing what fits contextually and visually with each page.
Your homepage is often the first impression potential buyers have of your business. The most effective elements to include are:
The key is to make these elements visible without overwhelming the main message of your homepage. Keep the focus on your core value proposition while using social proof to reinforce your credibility.
Product and service pages need social proof that validates specific features and benefits. Include:
Make sure each piece of social proof directly relates to the product or service being described on that page. This helps potential buyers understand how your solution solves specific problems and delivers real value.
The most important thing to remember is that social proof should feel natural within the context of each page. Don't force elements that don't fit just for the sake of including social proof - choose the types that support your page's main message and enhance the user experience.
At key conversion points like demo requests, contact forms, or pricing pages, social proof plays a crucial role in reducing hesitation. These are high-intent pages where visitors are close to taking action, but might need that final push of reassurance.
The goal is to show that businesses similar to theirs are already using and succeeding with your solution. This might include:
You don't need all of these elements - choose what works best for the page while maintaining a clean, focused conversion experience. Remember that at this stage, your visitor is likely convinced of your solution's value and just needs confirmation they're making the right choice.
HubSpot's case studies page showcases the power of comprehensive social proof. They've created a filterable, user-friendly interface that lets visitors find relevant success stories quickly. Each case study provides detailed data and clear results, giving potential buyers concrete evidence of HubSpot's impact.
Below their main hero banner, Algorand displays live blockchain performance and usage data through a rotating banner. By connecting directly to their API, they ensure visitors always see the latest figures - providing immediate, verifiable proof of their platform's capabilities.
Databox wastes no time building trust with visitors. Their homepage hero section combines ratings from Capterra and G2, complete with star ratings and review counts, alongside a comprehensive customer logo section. They even highlight their total number of users, providing immediate scale validation.
Equiem places testimonials strategically throughout their website, appearing wherever they're most relevant to the content. Each testimonial includes the full name, job title, and company of the person giving it, making them more relatable and credible. They've also linked each testimonial to its corresponding case study, allowing visitors to dive deeper into specific success stories.
As an e-signature platform handling sensitive information, PandaDoc knows security credentials matter. Their dedicated security section prominently displays compliance badges and certifications, giving potential buyers confidence in their data protection capabilities.
Robin Radar's homepage features bold statistics that resonate with their target audience's priorities. These numbers are instantly scannable while offering additional context for those who want to learn more - striking a perfect balance between impact and detail.
Apollo's homepage social proof section focuses on scale and leadership. They lead with their user count and customer base, followed by their G2 awards and category leadership status. This combination of social proof helps justify their pricing and builds confidence at a crucial decision point.
On our HubSpot website design services page, we focus on what matters most - results. We showcase specific client outcomes and link to detailed case studies that explain how we achieved them. This is reinforced by client testimonials and our HubSpot partner directory reviews, creating multiple layers of credibility.
Cognism's demo request page - their primary conversion point - uses social proof strategically to reduce last-minute hesitation. Below the copy, they display their customer count and logos of similar businesses. Interestingly, they've added a section showing who they're not a good fit for, which builds additional trust with their ideal customers.
Allica Bank takes a refreshingly authentic approach to reviews, displaying them in a scrolling section that is authentic rather than over-designed. This presentation style adds credibility to the reviews themselves, making them more believable and impactful.
Creating effective social proof isn't a one-time task – it requires ongoing attention and updates. Start by auditing your current website social proof. Is it recent and relevant? Does it speak to your target audience? Is it positioned effectively on your site? Does it support your key value propositions?
Remember, while social proof is crucial for building trust and credibility, it's just one component of an effective B2B website. To truly drive conversions and revenue, you need to consider how social proof works alongside your messaging, design, user experience, and overall website strategy.
