How to Get Revenue-Boosting Amazon Reviews

November 4, 2020
By The Badger

Product reviews — the holy grail of selling on Amazon. Reviews are an effective way to instantly add credibility to your listings and boost your revenues, and just one of many ways to increase your organic sales. A steady supply of good reviews can help your PPC campaigns run a lot more smoothly.

Of course, getting a lot of quality reviews is easier said than done. The average Amazon review rate is around 1-3%, so you may struggle to get reviews on products with low sales volume.

It’s no surprise, then, that some sellers have turned to some less-than-honest means of populating their product pages with 5-star reviews. But should you be willing to bend Amazon’s rules to get the reviews you need?

What Not to Do for Reviews

Way back when, people would join Amazon review groups and simply trade reviews on each other’s products. Those days are long gone, as Amazon has cracked down on reviews from groups like these. These groups still exist, but you’re better off not joining them — most likely, Amazon has already flagged the people in these groups as bad quality reviewers or repeat reviewers.

Similarly, you’ll want to stay away from third-party software promising quick, high-quality reviews on your products, as the accounts they use have often been flagged as well.

You’ll also hear a lot of people recommend asking family and friends for reviews, but this is risky as well, especially if you’re in the same household or network. Amazon values unbiased reviews, and a review coming from someone who has the same IP address or location as you will certainly raise some red flags.

Getting reviews from accounts that Amazon has flagged means not only do they look into the reviews, they may also second-guess the credibility of your ASIN and your product. All your reviews for that product might get removed, or worse yet, your entire product could just be wiped off the site. If you want to stay in the Amazon game for a long time, playing by their rules will help you in your quest for longevity.

Mailing lists might also seem like a tempting way to ask for Amazon reviews, but this is a somewhat morally grey area, especially if you offer some kind of reward or incentive only if they write a review. Plus, if you have people on your mailing list, chances are they’re already customers — they might not need any incentive to leave you a positive review.

Review Strategies that Work

We’ve covered what not to do when you’re trying to get reviews on your products, but what strategies can you use to get high-quality reviews without sounding Amazon’s alarms?

The first strategy might seem like the most obvious: put out a quality product. If you aim for above and beyond your customers’ expectations, they’ll be much more likely to leave a positive review for your product. Of course, customers are naturally more likely to leave positive reviews for some products than for others, but a low-quality product can get hit with negative reviews regardless of its category.

Another good strategy for getting Amazon reviews is also deceptively simple: just request reviews from people who have bought your product. You can go through all of your orders within a certain time frame and hit “Request a Review”.

If you typically have high sales volumes, just the thought of requesting reviews from all your orders might be giving you hand cramps, but there are resources like Sellerise’s free Chrome extension or Feedbackwhiz that allow you to request reviews from all orders within a certain time frame with just one click. Results will vary, but by consistently requesting reviews, you may see your review rate increase to as high as 5-10%!

You may also want to request a rating instead of a review, as people are more likely to give a rating since it takes less time, but it still holds the same weight as a full Amazon review. If you offer a good quality product and your customers are satisfied, chances are they’ll be happy to take a few minutes out of their day to help you out by leaving a review on Amazon. All you have to do is ask.

Responding to Negative Reviews

Of course, there’s no guarantee that every review you get will be singing your praises. You will almost inevitably get a negative review from time to time. Fortunately, you do have the option of commenting on each bad review to apologize for the reviewer’s bad experience and offering to help better the situation.

There’s a 99% chance they won’t respond, but that comment isn’t meant just for the reviewer — it also shows potential customers that you’re responsive, you care about their experiences, and if something goes wrong, you’re willing to make it right.

Sometimes, people will leave bad reviews due to problems that aren’t your fault, but Amazon’s. In this case, never fear — just report it and Amazon will often remove it in a matter of seconds to minutes.

The power of each individual review on your product can change depending on how many people found it “helpful”. If a lot of people vote a negative review as being “helpful”, that may be the first review a potential customer sees. It can drastically affect your reviews and is definitely something to watch out for.

Key Takeaways

So far we’ve learned that cheaters never prosper, especially when it comes to getting Amazon reviews. If you want to keep selling on Amazon long-term, you’re much better off staying on the straight and narrow.

Some of the best ways to get reviews are also the simplest: supply a high-quality product that people will want to give good reviews and reach out to your customers asking them to leave a review on your product. Amazon also offers some programs that promise high-quality reviews for a fee.

Product reviews can be a powerful ally and sourcing them the right way definitely pays off for your credibility and your click-through rate. It may take time, but once those reviews come rolling in, you’ll be glad you made the effort!