When selling products on Amazon, having reviews and ratings can have a big impact on your conversion rates For example, from a buyer’s perspective, if there is one product with no ratings and another with a 4.5 rating, it goes without saying that the latter will be chosen.
In this way, users refer to reviews and ratings as a criterion for deciding whether a product is good.
Product reviews, both positive and negative, significantly impact users’ purchasing behavior. In fact, according to a survey on Amazon’s review credibility by household annual income, reviews significantly impact credibility. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that obtaining reviews can make or break increased sales. This article will explain How to Get Reviews on Amazon.
There are two main types of customer reviews on Amazon:
- Product Review
- Seller rating
Product Review
First, the product review. Product reviews refer to the evaluation of the content of the product itself for each ASIN. In other words, the content of reviews for the same product may differ from store to store. You can check the reviews in the review section at the top of the product page. Even if you haven’t purchased the product from Amazon, you can post a review as long as you have a regular account.
However, if we discover a large number of posts in a short period from users who did not purchase the product, we may take measures only to post reviews from users who purchased the product on Amazon.
It is important to post healthy reviews so that users who have purchased the product in the past can judge whether the product being sold at the store is good or not.
Seller rating
Another important source of information is seller ratings. As a seller, the quality of the services and products you provide is reflected in your seller rating. This rating system will allow sellers to reflect on their business and identify areas for improvement.
How to read seller ratings
Specifically, it will not be displayed on the product page but in the “Feedback” section of the “Seller Information Page,” where feedback from buyers will be recorded. This helps customers trust the seller and makes them feel more confident in their purchasing decision.
Providing high-quality service and earning high ratings will directly lead to long-term business growth within Amazon. The key to getting a good seller rating is to focus not only on the quality of your products but also on the quality of your services and continue making efforts to increase customer satisfaction.
How to get more customer reviews on Amazon
Send a review request email
First, the most orthodox method is to send a follow-up email. It is generally said that around 1% of users write product reviews, and to increase that percentage, we send emails to users who have made a purchase and ask them to post a review.
When requesting a review, please be aware of the following prohibitions:
- Links to external sites
- Customer information entry
- Request a positive review
- Request to change or remove a review
- Using prizes or coupons to get reviews
Let’s work on review request measures without engaging in prohibited activities. We will explain how to send review request emails later.
Send products via Amazon Vine for reviews
You can also use Amazon Vine to offer your products for free and receive reviews. Amazon Vine is a service that provides samples of new products or pre-order items to select members for review.
Because it is not a service aimed at an unspecified number of users, there is no need to worry about inappropriate or malicious reviews being written, and you can get real feedback from people who have actually tried the product, making it an extremely effective method. However, of course, you should remember that this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get positive reviews.
Improve our products and services.
Of course, your product or service must be of good quality to get good reviews. Therefore, reviewing and improving products and services is important to ensure they are truly good for users.
For example, if you sell training equipment that can be used at home and user reviews include comments such as “It’s easy to carry around, so I was able to train on the go!”, you could also appeal to customers by highlighting the equipment’s portability.
In this way, improving the presentation and content of your products and services can also make it easier to receive positive reviews.
Increase customer satisfaction by including thank you letters with products.
One effective way to encourage buyers to leave reviews is to include a thank you letter with the product. A thank you letter expresses gratitude to a purchaser. By sending this letter along with the product, you can convey your gratitude to the purchaser and subtly request a review.
However, this method requires effort and time, and you may need to customize your thank-you messages for each customer. But this small effort can make a big difference, and especially if your product has few reviews, building positive customer relationships can go a long way in increasing the number of reviews you receive.
Host a sale and sell your products
Another effective way to increase the number of reviews is to hold a sale. By temporarily lowering the price of your product, more customers will have the opportunity to purchase your product, which will increase your chances of receiving reviews.
The main benefit of running a sale is the feeling of value buyers get, which is expected to motivate customers and increase the likelihood of them writing a review on your product.
Also, the more people who purchase a product, the more likely it is to receive reviews. However, lowering your price too drastically can diminish the value of your product and can also affect your Amazon SEO.
Therefore, we recommend that you set your sale prices carefully and ensure they do not damage the value of your products.
How to send an effective review request email
Here we will introduce how to send an email to request a review effectively. The wording and timing of your review request can affect your chances of receiving a review, so be sure to send it correctly.
The best time to request a review
The timing of your review request is very important. Ideally, you want to target the moment when the customer receives and uses the product and is highly satisfied with it. Specifically, the optimal time is 2-3 days after the product has been delivered.
This is when customers are more likely to have had a chance to fully try out the product and form an opinion about its quality and features.
Some products also have effects that you can feel after using them. For example, it often takes several weeks of use before you notice any effects from skin care products or health foods. For products like these, it’s important to time your review requests to suit the unique characteristics of your product.
How often should you send review emails?
The frequency you send review invitation emails should also be carefully considered. If you send emails too frequently, your customers might perceive it as spam. In general, it’s considered reasonable to request 1-2 reviews per purchase. As mentioned above, the first review request is typically sent 2-3 days after receiving the product.
If you don’t get a review on your first request, the recommended next step is to request it again in a week. However, it’s important to consider why your customer didn’t write a review and tailor your email accordingly.
Timing based on customer purchase history
By utilizing customer purchase history, you can request reviews more effectively. For example, if a customer has purchased the same product in the past, they are likely to be more satisfied with that product.
If you prioritize sending review request emails to these customers, you can expect good results. Additionally, for products that customers purchase frequently, adjusting the timing of review requests can be effective based on the frequency of purchases.
This incentivizes your customers to write a review every time they purchase a new product, helping you generate more reviews.
As mentioned above, the timing of review requests, frequency of sending, and timing based on customer purchase history are all essential elements of an effective review request email. By combining these properly, you can get a large number of high-quality reviews.
Efficiently collect information through automated sending (using a dedicated tool)
Using an automated sending tool is a very effective way to increase customer reviews efficiently. This tool allows you to send review requests to many customers at once. Manual follow-ups would be too time-consuming, especially if a large number of products are purchased daily, so an automated sending tool would be extremely helpful.
For example, review request tools like Amasta and Amapost are powerful tools for Amazon sellers. These tools automatically send review request emails to customers after a purchase is completed, making the process simple and efficient.
The tool’s settings give you the option to choose when to send emails, allowing you to adjust it to the best time after the product has been delivered or after the product has started being used.
Legal restrictions and guidelines for review request emails
Here are some rules regarding review request emails. Be sure to submit your request in accordance with the guidelines provided by Amazon to avoid penalties.
Tips for complying with Amazon policies
Amazon has very strict customer review policies and violating them can result in your account being suspended.
Therefore, when sending a review request email, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Don’t solicit positive reviews: Amazon prohibits soliciting only positive reviews to prevent bias in reviews.
- No incentives: Offering incentives of any kind in exchange for writing a review is also prohibited.
- Personal information collection is restricted. Collecting customer personal information through review request emails violates Amazon’s privacy policy.
- No redirection to sites other than Amazon: Review request emails that redirect to sites or services other than Amazon are not permitted.
Precautions to avoid legal issues
You need to be careful not only to violate Amazon policies, but also to comply with general legal regulations. In particular, sending spam emails is punishable by law, so you must be careful of the following:
- Clear sender information: It should be clear who the email is coming from.
- Opt-out Choice: You must provide an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe from receiving emails from you.
- Provide truthful information: Avoid misleading or exaggerated claims and provide only truthful information.
By following these legal points, you can significantly reduce your risk.
Strategies for improving review quality
Using feedback from reviews
When collected, reviews detail the good points and areas for improvement of the product or service. This information is invaluable and can be used to:
- Product Improvement: You can improve the rating of your product by improving the points pointed out in reviews.
- New sales strategies: Highlighting positive reviews can also inspire new sales strategies.
- Communicate with your customers: You can communicate directly with them by replying to their reviews.
The validity of seller comments on reviews
Seller comments on reviews are also useful information for other potential customers.
The following comments are particularly effective:
- Show your appreciation: First, thank them for writing a review.
- State specific steps to improve: It’s important to state specific steps to improve the negative review.
- Reiterate your product’s features: When responding to a positive review, it’s a good idea to reiterate the product’s features that support the positive comments.
Using these strategies will help you generate better reviews and attract more customers. By following these points, you can minimize the risk of violating Amazon’s policies.
Things to be aware of when using Amazon customer reviews (prohibited items)
As mentioned earlier, there are six things to keep in mind when using Amazon customer reviews:
- Requests that encourage high ratings are prohibited
- Requesting reviews with gift tags is also prohibited.
- Do not redirect to sites other than Amazon
- Requests to amend or remove reviews are prohibited
- Do not collect personal information of customers
- It is prohibited to use review agencies
Requests that encourage high ratings (fake reviews) are prohibited
When requesting reviews, you should absolutely avoid encouraging so-called “fake reviews,” which is the practice of asking buyers to give only positive ratings. This is not only a violation of Amazon’s policies but can also undermine consumer trust. A request for a high rating may make your product look attractive in the short term.
However, if reviews that contradict your product’s true value pile up, sooner or later, consumers will see through the lies, and your business will lose credibility.
If a customer makes a purchase based on inaccurate information and it turns out to be a fake, it will negatively impact your brand and weaken your standing on Amazon.
On the other hand, if you communicate honestly and transparently and are confident in your products and services, honest, positive reviews will naturally follow. Listening to honest customer feedback and making continuous improvements will lead to long-term success and building trust in your brand. Communicate the value of your products and services honestly and strive to improve customer satisfaction after purchase.
Requesting reviews with gift tags is also prohibited.
And you can’t request a review with a gift attached. For example, you cannot ask someone to write a review in exchange for a coupon, a prize, or any other monetary or other reward. Please note that you cannot request an exchange for something.
Do not redirect to sites other than Amazon.
It is also prohibited to direct users to your website other than Amazon. For example, you may not solicit customers to register or write reviews on websites other than Amazon. If you do this, your account may be suspended. If you use customer reviews, make sure you complete them all on the Amazon site.
Requests to amend or remove reviews are prohibited
Customer reviews reflect customers’ honest opinions and ratings of products, so generally, sellers cannot delete them. Therefore, asking users to modify or delete reviews to provide only positive customer reviews is prohibited.
If you engage in any behavior that appears to be fraudulent, Amazon will likely consider you to be engaging in malicious review manipulation.
In rare cases, some users may leave malicious reviews. If this is the case, you can report it to Amazon Customer Service, who will investigate the potentially malicious reviews.
Do not collect the personal information of customers.
It is strictly prohibited to collect the personal information of users who review products. Such information includes information that can identify an individual, such as the user’s name, date of birth, address, telephone number, email address, and credit card information.
Such actions, which violate personal privacy, also lead to credibility issues. They require careful consideration and are prohibited because they undermine the trust of users and Amazon.
It is prohibited to use review agencies.
Some sellers may consider using a review agency to boost their sales, but this practice is against Amazon policy and is strictly prohibited.
Review agencies are often paid to generate fake reviews, which misinform consumers and lead to misleading product descriptions.
Amazon uses technical measures to detect fraudulent activity, which, if detected, may result in the suspension of your account or more severe penalties.
Similarly, asking family members or employees to write reviews is also prohibited as these reviews may be biased and will not be considered an unbiased assessment of the product.
Amazon can easily track access from the same Wi-Fi or IP address.
You must adhere to these prohibitions and collect reviews honestly and fairly in order to maintain your credibility as a seller and position your business for long-term success.
For more information or any questions, refer to Amazon’s official help page.
How to send a review request email
Sending a review request email on Amazon can be done easily in five steps:
- Log in to Amazon Seller Central
- Click on “Manage Orders” under the Orders category in Seller Central
- On the order management screen, click the “Order Number” of the product for which you want to send a review request email.
- Click the “Request a review” button in the top right corner of the order details screen.
- When the “Request a review” confirmation screen appears, click the “Yes” button.
After these five steps, a review request email will be sent to the buyer.
Please note that you only have a limited time to request a review: the “Request a review” feature is only available between 5 and 30 days after your order’s delivery date.
Review the request email template.
Now that you understand how to send a review request email on Amazon, it’s useful to have a template that you can use repeatedly when making the request.
Here we will introduce a template for a review request email. Please feel free to use it as a reference.
[Main text]
Dear customer (name of purchaser)
Thank you very much for purchasing XX (product name). My name is XX (name) from XX (store name).
Regarding the item you recently ordered from Amazon Marketplace, did it arrive safely?
If you have received XX (product) safely, we would appreciate it if you could take the time to rate XX (product).
Regarding [Seller evaluation procedure]
1. Log in to your Amazon account
2. Go to your account
3. Display the items you have ordered by “View your order history”
4. Enter your evaluation comment by “Rate the seller”
The steps are as above.
In the unlikely event that there is a problem with the product, we will respond as soon as possible. Therefore, we apologize for the inconvenience, but please contact us using the inquiry form below.
Inquiry form → ○○
We will continue to strive to further improve the quality of our services. Thank you for your patronage of XX (store name).
[Store name] XX
It would be a good idea to have a template like this ready.
Points to include in the email
When creating an email template, keep the following four points in mind:
- Thank you to users who purchased
- Are there any defects in the product? Are you concerned about the user?
- Contact information if there is a defect in the product
- Comments encouraging evaluation
Keep it concise and focus on the important points.
If you are worried about improving your Amazon reviews or increasing your sales, please contact Pure Flat. We assign each customer a consultant to help them achieve their goals.
Deal with negative reviews directly
While increasing the number of ratings and reviews is important, an increase in negative reviews could damage the store’s image. Even if your product is actually good, if it gets too many negative reviews, people will be less likely to buy it.
To deal with such situations, Amazon’s customer reviews allow you to contact buyers who have left low ratings.
Conditions for contacting customer reviews directly
Let’s look at the conditions under which you can contact customer reviews directly. The conditions under which you can contact customer reviews directly are as follows:
- Registered with Amazon Brand
- Representatives of the above brands
- Maintaining a Professional Seller Account
- Reviews with verified purchases
- Orders received within the last 12 months
- Not a digital subscription
- Buyers haven’t stopped communicating
If you meet the above criteria, you can contact us directly.
What you can submit in customer reviews
There are two main types of content that can be sent in customer reviews:
- Full Refund Policy
- Customer support (asking why you gave a low rating)
If you choose Refund, an automated email will be generated to refund the buyer in full, and you can then process the refund, or if you choose Customer Support, you will receive an email asking you to provide more details about your review.
It’s important to note that although you can contact them directly, you cannot ask them to change the content of the review or request that they be deleted.
Get direct feedback from buyers with the sole purpose of improving your products and services.
How to contact customer reviews directly
Here’s how to contact a customer directly regarding a review. In short, there are 5 steps to contact us:
- Open Seller Central
- Go to Brand → Customer Reviews
- Click “Contact Buyer” in the top right corner of the review you want to contact
- Choose a full refund or customer support
- Check the email and click Send if there are no problems.
Just follow the steps above to send a message. Try it out for any reviews you’re interested in that you want to contact.
Example sentences for contacting someone about a low rating
As a seller, receiving a low rating can be disheartening.
However, it is important to see this as an opportunity for improvement and act accordingly. Your willingness to contact buyers directly and resolve their issues will be appreciated by other customers.
Can I remove a low seller rating?
In conclusion, not all negative ratings can be removed, but you can request their removal if you have a valid reason. It is important to protect your reputation and maintain your credibility by proactively dealing with unjustified negative feedback, for example when a review contains obscene language or personal information.
Additionally, reviews may be removed if they are about a seller rather than a product and the content is clearly inappropriate for a product review.
In addition, if a product that is directly fulfilled by Amazon receives a low rating due to a problem attributable to Amazon’s services, such as a delivery delay, the seller may be able to request the removal of the rating.
If you have a negative rating that you believe falls into one of these categories, you can request its removal through Amazon’s Seller Central.
How to Delete Product Reviews on Amazon
When selling products on Amazon, sometimes reviews may be left that are inappropriate or misleading. These reviews may damage the product’s reputation and should be removed. However, not all reviews can be removed on Amazon.
The reviews that can be removed are determined strictly based on Amazon’s guidelines.
Buyers can cancel or change reviews
After purchasing an item on Amazon and leaving a review, customers have the option to edit their review or delete it entirely, meaning you can
respond appropriately if they realize they made a mistake in their review or change their mind later. You can edit or delete your review on the Amazon website or app.
A buyer can simply log into their account, select “Order History” under “Your Account” and locate the item they have reviewed. From there, they will have access to the review detail page with the option to edit or delete it.
It may be possible for the seller to remove it.
As a general rule, sellers cannot directly delete or edit reviews from other customers. This is to keep the platform transparent and provide a level playing field for all users.
The main examples of content you may be asked to remove are if it contains false statements, uses inappropriate language, or is completely unrelated to your product.
You can request removal of these reviews through Amazon’s Seller Central – from your Seller Central dashboard, access the problematic review and use the “Report” option to request removal.
However, reviews based on consumer opinions and impressions, even if they are negative, are difficult to remove without a valid reason.
Before you begin the removal process, make sure you check whether the review in question violates Amazon policies and, if necessary, provide specific reasons for its removal.
Reviews that can potentially be removed
- Comments containing obscene or profane language
- Comments containing personal information
- Comments in seller reviews that only contain product-related content
- Comments in product reviews that only include seller and order-related content
- Shipping service comments regarding Amazon shipping
- Reviews that contain false information in violation of the Product Review Policy
Reviews that can’t be deleted
- Contains content based on buyer opinions or experiences
- Reviews posted more than 90 days ago (seller reviews)
- Reviews posted more than 60 days ago (product reviews)
How to Post, View, and Delete Amazon Reviews
Here, we will show users how to post, check, and delete reviews on Amazon.
How to post: Product rating/review
Product reviews help other customers make purchasing decisions, so sharing your honest and unbiased opinion is important.
First, log in to the Amazon website and select “Order History” from the account menu in the upper right corner of the screen. Find the item you purchased and click “Write a product review.”
On the review page, you can rate the product you purchased with a star rating and provide any specific comments you may have.
Your review should be based on your post-purchase experience, including the product’s quality, usability, satisfaction, etc. You can also attach images and videos, but this is optional. After you have entered all the information, click the “Submit Review” button and your review will be sent to Amazon.
After you submit your review, it may take some time to publish it, so you’ll need to wait a bit.
How to post: Rating and reviewing the seller
To rate a seller, click “Your Account” and open “Order History.” Find the transaction you want to rate and go to the order details page.
Click the “Rate Seller” link at the bottom of the page to access the rating page, where you can rate the seller on a 5-point scale on the product’s responsiveness, shipping speed, and product condition.
We encourage you to add specific comments after rating the item with a star rating so that other buyers can get more information.
Once you’ve finished rating, click the “Submit Review” button to finish. This rating helps shape the overall trustworthiness of sellers and is an important part of the health of the Amazon marketplace.
How to check reviews
The process for checking the reviews you’ve posted on Amazon is very simple.
First, visit the product page to check if the review you posted has been reflected on it. New reviews usually appear within a few hours or days of being posted, but in some cases it may take longer. If you want to see reviews you have posted in the past, you can access “Order History” from “Your Account” on Amazon, where you can see details about each item you have purchased. You can directly check the reviews posted for each item you have purchased.
You can also manage your reviews from the “Profile” section in “Your Account” if you’re using a computer. Your profile page will display a list of all the reviews you have posted, and you can click on any review to view its details, edit it, or delete it if necessary.
How to remove a review
It’s also easy to delete a review you’ve posted on Amazon. First, log in to the account you manage and access “Account Services” from the account section in the top right. Select “Profile” from there to go to your user profile page.
On this page, you’ll see a list of all the reviews you’ve ever submitted. Find the review you want to delete and click on the three dots in the top right-hand corner of the review.
When the menu opens, select the option “Delete review.”
Next, in the confirmation pop-up or new screen that appears, select “Yes” to the question “Are you sure you want to delete your review?” to confirm the deletion.
Once you’re done, the review will be removed from your profile and will no longer be accessible to other users.
Summary
Customer reviews are extremely important and essential when selling products on Amazon. In many cases, reviews are the deciding factor for purchases, so it is necessary to take proper measures within the rules. If you neglect these measures, your chances of making sales will decrease significantly.
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