Key takeaways:
- Amazon reviews heavily influence buying decisions, with most consumers trusting them as much as personal recommendations.
- Positive reviews signal to Amazon’s algorithm that a product is popular, which improves search rankings, increases traffic, boosts conversion rates, and enhances chances of winning the Buy Box on the U.S Amazon marketplace.
- Amazon has strict rules against fake or incentivized reviews. Violating these guidelines, such as buying reviews or asking friends to post them, can lead to severe consequences, including listing suppression or account suspension.
- Sellers can legitimately increase reviews by using methods like product inserts, follow-up emails, the “Request a Review” button, the Amazon Vine Program, social media engagement, and strong customer relationships.
Amazon customer reviews are one of Amazon's most powerful selling tools. Shoppers rely on them to make confident buying decisions, while sellers benefit from the boost they provide to brand visibility, search rankings, credibility, and conversion rates.
In this ePlaybooks guide, we'll explore proven, legitimate strategies to earn more reviews, drive sales, and grow your revenue on Amazon. Whatever approach you take, staying within Amazon's guidelines isn't just recommended, it's essential.
Why are Amazon customer reviews important?
Reviews are an integral part of a customer's buying decision. Research reveals that 79 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as they would a personal recommendation. When it comes to buying and selling on Amazon, reviews are one way customers get attracted to a product. Since customers cannot physically inspect a product, reviews are one way they can judge a product.
Customer reviews also present tremendous benefits for sellers. Positive reviews tell the Amazon algorithm that a particular product is popular, thereby increasing traffic, product rankings, and conversion rate.
It is also a great way to qualify to win the Amazon Buy Box, which ultimately increases sales and revenue.
As a U.S. Amazon seller, customer reviews also provide some valuable insight to help you improve your product and service and understand what your customers want.
Ways to NOT get customer reviews on Amazon
Before we dive into the various ways you can earn reviews on Amazon, let's look at how NOT to get reviews on Amazon.
When it comes to selling a product on Amazon, it is important to take note of and follow the guidelines for selling on the platform.
Amazon has zero tolerance for misleading or fake customer reviews. If your Amazon reviews are fake, you could lose all your reviews, have your product listing suppressed, and worst of all, get your account suspended or completely shut down.
It is in your best interest to educate yourself on the rules and guidelines of product reviews. Fortunately, you can do this by simply logging into your Amazon Seller account and checking out the Product Review Guidelines.
Here are a few ways to not get reviews on Amazon:
- Write your own reviews, or have someone you have a personal, close relationship with write reviews on your product
- Having the product manufacturer write a review posing as an unbiased shopper
- Getting reviews in exchange for a monetary reward
- Getting reviews from someone who has a financial interest in the product indirectly
- Buying fake customer reviews.
Amazon expects that your customer reviews should be real and organic. But how do you encourage customers to drop a review?
8 ways to earn more reviews and increase sales on Amazon
Customer reviews boost organic rankings, increase conversion rate, and sales. Here are eight legitimate ways to earn more reviews and boost your sales on Amazon:
- Sell a great product
- Get reviews using product inserts
- Get reviews using emails
- Use the “Request a Review” button
- Use the Amazon Vine Program
- Get reviews using social media
- Check your Seller Feedback
- Build a relationship with your customers
Sell a great product
When it comes to getting positive customer reviews, the first and most important factor is your product. Even the best strategies won’t get you positive reviews if your products are not valuable to your customers. If you sell low-quality products, you are more likely to get anything but a five-star review.
It is important to sell products that customers will want to review. Ensure your product page is top-notch and effectively communicates the value of your product. Also, ensure that you provide a memorable customer experience. This will make it easier to get organic verified reviews (reviews confirmed by Amazon to be from a real purchase). If you are selling on Amazon FBA, Amazon will be responsible for providing quality customer service.
Selling a great product and creating a memorable experience for your customers will encourage them to drop a positive review when you request one.
Get reviews using product inserts.
Product inserts are one of the most popular ways Amazon sellers encourage customers to drop a review. You can add a product insert to your packaging, thanking them for their purchase and encouraging them to drop a review. However, you want to keep it simple. Avoid telling customers to drop a five-star review on your post or discouraging negative reviews. You want to keep it as neutral as possible.
You can incentivize them to join your email list or follow you on social media. Additionally, you can drop your company details to help customers reach out to you if they have any issues.
Get reviews using emails.
Emails are an effective way to build customer relationships and encourage your customers to drop a review after they make a purchase. Amazon doesn’t give you access to customer emails, so the only way to build an email list is to do so off Amazon. You can utilize your social media channels or run Ads to get customers to click on the link to your Amazon product page. You can then request their emails in exchange for, say, a discount. After they make a purchase, you can send them a thank-you message and request that they drop a review on Amazon.
Use the “Request a Review” button.
The “Request a Review” button is a feature that allows you to manually request reviews for your orders within 4-30 days. When you open your Amazon Seller Central account, you can hit the “Request a Review” button, and your customer will get a standardized email asking them to rate or drop a review on your product. This is a powerful and easy way to get customer ratings and reviews on your product.
Clicking on the button for every order can be a very tedious activity. Thankfully, some tools like SageMailer and Jungle Scout help you automate this process.
Use the Amazon Vine Program
The Amazon Vine Program was launched in 2019 for all sellers. This program selects a group of highly esteemed reviewers to review pre-release or new products before they hit the market. These reviewers have to fulfill several criteria to be considered for the program. Once selected, these reviewers or “Vine Voices” are given new products to try out, review their performance, and then share reviews on the Amazon platform. Many sellers enroll in the Vine program before they launch their product so that when they start selling on Amazon, they already have existing reviews.
To enroll your product for the Vine program, click on the Advertising menu on your Amazon Seller Central and then click on “Vine”. You must have at least 30 units of your product and only enroll products that have fewer than 30 reviews.
With the Vine program, you are most likely going to get honest reviews on your product. So, it is important to fix any issues you may have with your product and ensure they are high-quality.
Get reviews using social media.
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram can be great channels to connect with your customers and also request a review after they make a purchase. Customers who follow you on social media will most likely trust your product and be willing to drop a review. You can offer discounts and promotions to sensitize your followers to make a purchase and invite them to drop a review.
Check your Seller Feedback
Some buyers on Amazon may not know the difference between dropping a Seller Feedback and a review. A lot of customers drop their reviews in the Seller Feedback section. You will want to check your Seller Feedback for positive reviews on your product. You can then reach out to these customers, perhaps via email, thanking them and encouraging them to drop the same review on the product review section.
Build a relationship with your customers.
One of the most effective ways to get positive reviews consistently is to build a relationship with your customers. If your customers can connect with your brand on a deeper level, they are more likely to write high-quality reviews that increase your conversion rate. One easy way to build a relationship with your customers is to connect with them on social media and create a likable brand persona. You can create content that offers value to your customers. You can also offer special discounts and promotions. You can use emails to update your customers on the latest products and offers.
Listen to customer feedback and complaints and attempt to resolve them as quickly as possible. One mistake you want to avoid making is consistently selling your products without delivering value to your customers. Simply focus on connecting and delivering value to your customers and watch them reciprocate over time.
Bonus tip - mitigate negative reviews
Let’s face it. Selling on Amazon won’t come without some negative reviews. But how you approach those negative reviews makes all the difference. You can turn your negative reviews into a positive learning experience. Start by assessing the situation with a clear mind. Is there room for improvement? Or is it just an emotional rant? You might also consider offering a refund or a replacement. You also want to avoid responding emotionally to negative feedback, as this can escalate the situation. Seek to improve your product and provide a good customer experience to mitigate negative reviews.
Conclusion
Amazon customer reviews come with tremendous benefits. You can increase organic rankings, build credibility, and boost sales. You can implement the tips mentioned above to help you earn more reviews and increase sales on the U.S. Amazon marketplace.
