Client logos on your website: permission and placement

Key takeaways

Client logos build credibility quickly because recognisable names act as borrowed proof. Use them only with permission and only for genuine clients. Show five to eight relevant logos near the top of the homepage or beside the contact action, and link at least some to a case study so visitors can see what you actually did.

• Get written permission before showing a client's logo.
• Show five to eight logos relevant to the buyer you want.
• Place them near the first screen and the contact action.
• Link to case studies so logos are backed by detail.

Why do client logos build credibility?

Client logos build credibility because visitors infer that if a recognisable organisation chose you, you must be capable. It is a form of social proof, which Nielsen Norman Group describes as people looking to others' choices when uncertain. Logos work at a glance, before visitors read anything, which makes them powerful on the first screen.

• How website design influences brand credibility
• Where to place social proof so it lifts enquiries

Do you need permission to use client logos?

Yes, you should get written permission. Logos are usually registered trade marks, and many client contracts restrict publicising the relationship. Showing a logo without permission can breach a contract and damage the relationship. Showing logos of organisations you have not worked for, or only quoted for, would mislead buyers and can breach consumer protection law.

• Website claims and the CAP Code: what UK firms can say
• Should a small business try to look bigger online?

How should you display client logos?

Display logos so they are easy to scan and believable.

• Use a consistent size and a single colour for a calm strip.
• Show the logos most relevant to the visitor's sector.
• Add a plain label, such as 'Clients we have worked with'.
• Link logos to case studies where you have them.
• Remove logos of past clients if the relationship ended badly.

• Testimonials and case studies on your website
• Visual hierarchy: guide the eye to the next step

When do client logos not help?

Logos help little when buyers do not recognise them, for example small local firms shown to a national buyer. In that case, a short named testimonial with a result is stronger. They also fail when the logo wall is so long it looks like padding. Fewer, relevant names beat many unknown ones.

• Showing Google reviews on your website, the right way

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a firm's best client names are buried on a 'Clients' page nobody visits. Moving six permitted logos to a strip below the homepage headline, with two linked to short case studies, puts the strongest proof where every visitor sees it.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Client logo checklist

• Get written permission for every logo.
• Show only genuine, current or past clients.
• Choose five to eight relevant logos.
• Place them near the first screen.
• Link some to case studies.

• The website credibility score: rate your site out of 10
• Accreditation badges on your website: which to show

Next step

Email your three most recognisable clients this week and ask permission to show their logo and a one-line quote.