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How to Get More Reviews on Amazon (Without Violating TOS)
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These days, reviews on Amazon play a vital role in establishing credibility with potential customers in the online shopping world. Positive reviews contribute to making your product more visible, credible, and convertible. But it’s not easy to get reviews, particularly with the strict rules on Amazon regarding seeking them. You need to request feedback without breaching Amazon’s Terms of Service (TOS). So, how do you gather more reviews legally and ethically? Let’s explore successful strategies that are in accordance with Amazon rules.
Make use of Amazon's "Request a Review" Button
Amazon has instituted an easy and efficient method for sellers to ask for reviews without going outside of their parameters: the Request a Review button. This is located in your seller dashboard and enables you to send a pre-approved message to customers requesting feedback.
Why it works: The message is generated by Amazon and is within TOS because it does not coerce the customer into leaving a positive review.
How to do it: Go to the Manage Orders area of Seller Central, find an order, and hit the Request a Review button. This automatically sends an email to the buyer requesting a review.
Be sure to use this feature after some decent time has passed since the purchase, so that the customer gets to enjoy your product.
Give Great Customer Service
The most effective method of receiving good reviews is through excellent customer service. Customers are more likely to post a review if they are treated with respect and care.
Get back to customers promptly: Responding to questions and issues in a timely manner demonstrates your interest in their experience.
Fix problems: If there is a problem with a customer, resolve it promptly. A contented customer is more likely to post a positive review, but one who is not satisfied will likely post negative feedback.
Your customer service should exceed expectations, making the purchase experience seamless from beginning to end.
Add a Personalized Thank You Note
Adding a thank-you note to your product packaging is an excellent way to show appreciation and respectfully remind customers to leave a review.
Why it works: A personal note has the power to make customers feel valued and loved, making them more likely to come back and leave a review.
What not to do: Don’t incentivize or ask for only positive reviews. Rather, ask for genuine feedback, which aligns with Amazon’s TOS.
Example of a good thank-you note: “Thank you for purchasing from us! If you’re satisfied with your purchase, please consider leaving a review. Your feedback helps us improve and allows other customers to make informed decisions.”
Encourage Reviews in Your Follow-Up Emails
Although Amazon does not allow for direct requests of favorable reviews in their policies, you can make a follow-up email thanking customers and inviting them to leave a review. Make sure, though, that the email is unbiased and does not imply that you want only favorable feedback.
What to include: Your email should indicate appreciation and inform them how much you appreciate their feedback. Also, give them simple instructions on how to leave a review, making it as simple as possible.
Example email template: “Dear [Customer Name],
Thanks so much for buying our product! We hope you love it. If you have time, we’d appreciate your feedback on how the product is going for you. Your input allows us to make our products even better.
To leave a review, follow this link: [Insert Review Link].
Thanks again for your support,
[Your Company Name]
Optimize Your Product Listings for Better Engagement
An enticing product listing is essential to bring in customers that are more inclined to write reviews. Follow these tips to maximize your listing:
Product descriptions that are clear and detailed: Ensure that the potential buyers are well aware of what they are buying. The more detailed you make it, the better chances they will be satisfied with their purchase.
Good images: Present your product from various sides and in action, where possible. This makes customers feel confident about the quality of the product and aids in setting the right expectations.
Correct keywords: Incorporate proper keywords to make your product findable using Amazon’s search tool.
An optimally optimized listing will not only draw more customers but also motivate good reviews from those who feel content with their purchase.
Take Advantage of Amazon's Early Reviewer Program (If You're Eligible)
For new products, Amazon’s Early Reviewer Program is a great way to obtain your initial reviews. Under this program, Amazon provides small rewards, such as a $1 to $3 gift card, to customers in exchange for writing genuine reviews for new products.
How it works: After you sign up for the program, Amazon contacts the buyers of your product and encourages them to review your product.
TOS Compliance: The rewards are for posting a review overall, not specifically for posting a positive review. The program complies with Amazon’s policies.
Be aware that this program only applies to products that are new and have fewer than five reviews.
Offer Promotions or Discounts (Indirectly Suggesting Reviews)
While directly offering discounts or promotion to get reviews is against Amazon’s TOS, you can offer promotions and discounts to get more customers, who are likely to leave feedback after making a purchase.
Create urgency: Providing limited-period discounts or offers can push more customers to buy your product, enhancing the possibilities of getting reviews.
Ask for feedback in a non-pushy manner: After customers get their products and are satisfied with the bargain they received, they’re more likely to post a review.
Respond to Existing Reviews (The Right Way)
If you already have reviews, respond to your customers in a manner that establishes trust.
Respond to customer reviews: Thank reviewers for their feedback, particularly if they had a good time. Be professional and courteous in your responses, even when dealing with negative reviews. This shows that you are concerned about customer satisfaction.
Address concerns: If a customer posts a negative review, reply politely and provide solutions to fix the problem, which could enhance their opinion and perhaps result in an updated review.
Important: Never engage in any practice that may be viewed as review manipulation, including offering an incentive for a review revision. Comply with Amazon’s guidelines always.
Leverage Social Media and Other Networks to Increase Visibility
You can’t request reviews directly through social media websites, but leveraging them to send more traffic your way to Amazon listings can secure you more sales, which can lead to more reviews naturally.
Share customer posts about your products on social media: Post customer-generated content, reviews, and testimonials (after getting permission from the customer) and invite them to visit your product on Amazon.
Provide links to your Amazon listings: Bring targeted traffic from your website, blog, or social media profiles to your listings.
Conclusion
Obtaining additional Amazon reviews need not be complex or against the Terms of Service of the site. As long as you can create a good record of customer service, request reviews appropriately, optimize listings for your products, and interact with customers, you can create a consistent flow of feedback that will make your product more visible and reliable. Be sure to always be honest and transparent when communicating with customers, and you will reap benefits in the long run.