Reviews Widgets: Display Rules, Sources, and Placement Standards

Hibu Policy

Hibu One supports a standardized Reviews widget is a standardized Hibu One component that displays customer ratings and review content sourced from:

Hibu Reviews
Google Reviews
Facebook Reviews

Reviews (star rating and review count) will display in the header, homepage, category landing pages, and right gutter only when a client has:

Three (3) or more total reviews, and
An overall rating of 4.0 or higher
If either threshold is not met, review stars and counts will not display in those areas.
The dedicated Reviews page will display all eligible reviews regardless of star rating or review volume.
Only the Hibu Reviews widget is supported in the header. Third-party review widgets are not permitted in the header area.

If the client requests removal of any version of the Reviews widget, Hibu may remove the widget with the understanding that doing so may negatively impact conversion.

Purpose / Why It Matters

Reviews are a core trust signal. Placement in high-visibility areas—especially the header—directly supports credibility and conversion.
Internal research and performance data show measurable conversion lift when reviews are displayed prominently in the header.
The Hibu Reviews widget is performance-optimized and structured to maintain schema integrity, speed, and consistency across devices.
Removing reviews may reduce trust signals and conversion performance. Teams must clearly communicate this risk when requests are made.

Reviews Widget Placements

1. Header (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile)

Displays overall star rating and total review count.
Visible only when the 3-review minimum and 4.0+ rating threshold are met.
Only the Hibu Reviews widget is permitted in this area.
Third-party widgets are not allowed in the header.

2. Homepage & Category Landing Pages (“Recent Reviews”)

Displays the two most recent reviews.
Requires 3+ total reviews and 4.0+ overall rating.
If thresholds are not met, reviews do not display.
If the client requests removal, the widget may be removed.

3. Right Gutter (Core Service/Product Pages)

Displays shuffled reviews from varying time periods.
Refreshes dynamically across page loads.
Requires 3+ total reviews and 4.0+ overall rating.
May be removed upon client request.

4. Dedicated Reviews Page

Displays all review sources in chronological order.
No minimum review count requirement.
No rating threshold requirement.
If one review exists, one review displays.
If the overall rating is below 4.0, it still displays here.
This page reflects the full review dataset without front-end threshold restrictions.

Review Source & Inclusion Rules

Included Sources

Hibu Reviews
Google Reviews
Facebook Reviews

On the Reviews page:

Reviews appear in chronological order.
Hibu reviews are marked with a purple Hibu icon.
Google reviews display a Google icon.
Facebook reviews display a Facebook icon.

Negative Review Handling

Negative Hibu reviews are not displayed.
Negative Google and Facebook reviews may appear.
All Google and Facebook reviews (positive and negative) count toward the total review count and overall rating.

Third-Party Review Widget Policy

Hibu Policy

Only the Hibu Reviews widget is supported in the site header.
Third-party review widgets (including Google, Facebook, or other externally embedded platforms) are not permitted in the header under any circumstance.

Rationale

Third-party review widgets:

Load dynamic external scripts
Can negatively impact page speed, especially on mobile
May interfere with structured data and schema
Introduce visual inconsistency across devices

The Hibu Reviews widget is performance-optimized and aligned with Hibu One standards.

Allowed Placement

Third-party review widgets may appear on the dedicated Reviews page only.

They are not supported in:

Header
Homepage recent reviews
Category landing page recent reviews
Right gutter widgets

Review Star Color Standards

Default Standard

Yellow or gold remains the default and recommended star color. It is the industry standard and provides strong visibility and recognition.

Approved Alternative Colors

When deviating from yellow or gold, the star color may be:

Blue (or variation of blue)
Green (or variation of green)
Purple (or variation of purple)
Orange (or variation of orange)

These colors are permitted only if:

The exact shade used exists within the client’s established color palette.
The same shade is used consistently across the entire site.
The color maintains sufficient contrast against the background.

Do not introduce a new variation of a color if a different shade of that color already exists in the brand palette.

Black and White Usage

White stars may be used only on dark backgrounds.
Black stars may be used only on light backgrounds.
Contrast and accessibility standards must be maintained.

Restricted Colors

The following are not permitted:

Red
Pink
Maroon
Burgundy
Any variation of red or pink tones
Pale or low-contrast colors
Colors that closely match the background

Implementation Requirement

When changing the review star color, the update must be made in the site’s Theme Colors using the designated placeholder for review stars (Color #14).
All review placements (header, homepage, category pages, right gutter, and Reviews page) must reflect the same color.
It is expected that the Hibu design team will rename any updated image or asset files and apply appropriate alt text where applicable.

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