There’s never been a better time to sell on Amazon. The global marketplace’s net sales are expected to reach as high as $162bn this year, and the company is likely to also overtake Walmart as America’s largest retailer in the coming year. But success doesn’t come without the work to back it up. To perform well on Amazon, sellers must establish a reputation as a quality provider of goods. A key way of doing so is through Amazon product reviews – that is, the written reviews that those who buy products on Amazon leave for sellers.
With nearly 2 million sellers on Amazon, the online platform remains an ideal way to reach customers and build a thriving sales business, and Amazon product reviews are an important part of a product’s success in the marketplace. According to a G2 study, 92% of consumers are more likely to buy a product after reading a positive review, and 79% of consumers shopping on Amazon are influenced by the product reviews they read.
But best practices around reviews are constantly changing, and it’s crucial for sellers to keep up.
So, what are the best ways of getting more Amazon product reviews in 2024? This post will detail some of the best methods to help those selling on Amazon secure quality reviews that drive value for their business.
1. Implement Product Inserts
Product inserts are leaflets that many sellers include in the box when shipping a product to a customer. A leaflet may include a thank-you message, warranty information and a subtle message encouraging the customer to review the product, its shipping, and the customer service they received from the seller.
Product inserts can additionally include the seller’s social media accounts, which offer another way for customers to connect with and review the seller on other platforms, in addition to Amazon. Product inserts are underutilized; many merchants don’t include a product insert, which is a missed opportunity, as they’re very effective.
Just make sure you follow Amazon’s Terms of Service when asking for a review.
2. Highlight the Benefit to the Customer
Rather than simply asking customers to write a review, sellers can create a stronger emotional connection with their customers by letting them know that the review they leave will help influence product development or improve customer service.
Making customers feel that their feedback is valued and that it will inform the direction of the business gives them the incentive to leave reviews.
3. Get the Timing Right
The adage ‘timing is everything’ absolutely applies to asking for customer reviews. It can be off-putting for a customer to receive a request to review a product if they haven’t even received the product itself.
When soliciting Amazon reviews, make sure that the customer has received the product and that they’ve had a few days to use the product. Following up a few days after delivery is an optimal time to ask for a review, with another gentle follow-up around the 10 to 14 day mark if they still haven’t left feedback.
Alternatively, using feedback software specially designed for Amazon sellers helps take the guesswork out of the timings and automatically optimizes the feedback request process.
4. Go For Quantity to Get Quality
The number of reviews that a seller has can sometimes be a simple numbers game. In other words, the more products that a merchant has sold, the higher their chances of having more reviews. As a seller’s business grows, so will the number of its reviews, organically to an extent.
But there’s a simple way to increase the process. To cast a bigger net, offering up promotions, discounts, and other specials can help drive more sales and thereby increase the odds of more people leaving feedback.
5. Ask Seller Feedback Reviewers for Product Reviews
There are some buyers on Amazon who are prolific review writers. When a growing business encounters such a customer, it makes sense to contact them directly on behalf of the business to see if they would be willing to write a review.
If a buyer has previously left seller feedback for other (previous) transactions, it’s an indication that they are the type of person who’s willing to write a review for other products they purchase.
In this situation, it is acceptable for an Amazon seller to professionally message such a customer to ask if they wouldn’t mind leaving a review for the product they’ve purchased from the seller, using the techniques in #2 and #3.
6. Make the Most of Social Channels
Platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can be untapped goldmines for getting reviews. Amazon sellers can run a campaign on one of those social media sites, asking people to leave feedback on their purchases.
One caveat when doing so is to be careful of how requests for feedback are worded on certain sites. It’s always better to take a tailored approach to each social media site, making sure to match its audience’s ‘tone’ and spirit.
For example, Redditors are very sensitive to companies appearing to shill their products, so it’s helpful to do research first on each social channel and its audience to learn the etiquette of different social media sites.
7. Get Back in Touch With Buyers You’ve Provided Customer Support To
Providing direct customer service offers an excellent opportunity to ask for a review. It’s not uncommon for Amazon sellers to receive customer service requests from customers – whether it’s to do with product questions or shipping queries following a transaction.
For sellers who have interacted directly with a customer to provide some type of customer support, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask for a review. This is an opportune time to do so, in fact, since people are more likely to leave a favorable review following a positive customer service experience.
So, maximize the moment and do ask customers to leave a review following an interaction. Need some help? Check out this free Amazon Product Review request template.
8. Target Repeat Customers
Customer loyalty is important. Research shows that repeat customers have a 60-70% chance of buying from the same seller again. It’s also more cost-effective to sell to existing customers, rather than finding new ones.
For this reason, Amazon sellers would be remiss not to reach out to repeat customers for reviews. One way that this can be done is by launching new products specifically to loyal customers, like those on a seller’s email list.
Such loyal customers are more engaged than the customers who prefer to stay in the background, so offering them an exclusive peek at new products is a valuable way to build relationships and increase sales over the long term.
When a seller offers loyal customers perks, not only is it a way of saying thanks for their loyalty, but it can also inspire them to provide the first reviews of a new item.
9. Leverage Amazon Vine
Amazon does not allow sellers to offer free products in exchange for returns – with one exception: Amazon Vine for new sellers. For sellers with fewer than 30 reviews, Amazon Vine is a program that allows sellers to submit 30 products, which are shipped to specially selected Vine reviewers.
The Vine reviewers are users who are chosen by Amazon for the strength and integrity of their other reviews. By participating in Amazon Vine, new or smaller sellers looking to increase their reviews can have the chance to do so – with verified users who are likely to leave detailed, honest reviews.
10. Use Amazon Feedback Software
Of course, the easiest method a seller can employ to get more product reviews is to let software like eDesk Feedback handle it automatically. Once a sale is complete, a seller can send smart, selective requests proven to drive higher engagement with buyers. Using Amazon feedback software is the smart, hassle-free way of maximizing Amazon reviews.
Final Thoughts
For sellers interested in getting more product reviews on Amazon, eDesk Feedback is worth checking out. It helps eCommerce sellers grow their business by generating positive reviews on Amazon, eBay and more by automating feedback requests to the right customers, on the right products, at the right time.
