Best Way to Drive More Amazon Reviews Legally

In the world of e-commerce, a product lives or dies by its online rating. One study conducted by Bright Local revealed that almost 80% of consumers think that online reviews are just as reliable as personal recommendations. Positive reviews can drastically alter a person’s buying decision, and finding new ways to drive more Amazon reviews should be a top priority for any e-commerce business.

The problem is that many sellers try to fake their reviews in hopes of attracting more customers. Not only is this an unethical practice, but it can also put your business in jeopardy. You want to obtain positive reviews organically and the best way to do this is through careful planning and preparation.

In this article, we’ll discuss the best ways to drive Amazon reviews honestly so that you can develop a successful business through the use of white-hat strategies.

Why are Amazon reviews important?

When people look for products on Amazon, they’re looking to purchase the best quality items they can afford. Good reviews tell consumers that the product is worth their hard-earned money. There’s a sense of comfort in knowing that other people are satisfied after purchasing a product with a stellar rating.

The more positive reviews you get for your product, the better the chances of you selling that item. There are plenty of ways a product can benefit online businesses, and these are:

• Lead customers into buying – A product with a good amount of positive reviews springs consumers into buying. It helps earn their trust and convinces them that the product is superior compared to other similar items on the marketplace.
• Increased sales – When customers see a product that’s full of positive reviews, it increases the product’s visibility online. This, in turn, generates more sales, and the word-of-mouth recommendations also keep coming.
• Meets customer expectations – People have certain standards when looking for products on Amazon. A product with a 4 to 5-star rating assures buyers that the product meets their expectations.

Because of how impactful product reviews are, some sellers utilize black-hat strategies to gain more positive ratings. Black-hat refers to tactics that are frowned upon by the industry while white-hat refers to favorable methods of obtaining reviews. One example is asking friends and acquaintances to leave reviews, even if they haven’t tried the product itself.

Another example is posting on social media groups requesting a review of your product. The reason you want to avoid black-hat strategies is that Amazon hands out serious penalties to anyone caught doing fake reviews. At worst, you could face legal ramifications if you’re not careful with your product ratings.

How to drive more Amazon reviews legally

Now that you know what to avoid, it’s time to discuss how to drive more Amazon reviews the right way. Product ratings are earned, not bought or asked for. If you want to receive positive reviews, then you have to obtain them legally. The following methods will help spring customers to action and leave favorable ratings for your products.

Step 1: Create an outstanding product

There are no two ways about it. A product’s quality will speak for itself better than any rating or review will. If a product is outstanding, a customer will know once it arrives at their front door. When you offer a superior product that’s unmatched by the competitors, the customers will buy into the hype.

You want your product to deliver on its potential. Of course, sourcing a high-quality product isn’t easy, but that’s what separates the good sellers from the bad. You want to invest the time and resources in your product sourcing to ensure you’re getting the best items possible.

Not every product is perfect, and you must play to your product’s strengths and weaknesses. You want to identify a product that matches what your target audience is looking for. When you fulfill a customer’s needs and expectations, you influence them to leave a positive review.

Focus on the quality of your product and make sure it addresses a pain point for your consumers. When you do that, expect positive reviews to keep coming.

Step 2: Provide excellent customer service

Excellent customer service is the backbone of any quality product. Sellers often underestimate the importance of aftersales support when it can help transform a one-time customer into a loyal one. Any positive interaction you have with your customers helps improve your brand image, thus netting you excellent reviews based on client satisfaction.

When you resolve an issue or question, you’re proving yourself to be trustworthy and reliable. You show that you genuinely care about your customers and you don’t sell products just to line their pockets.

Aside from solving their problems, you want to provide customer service that’s fast and responsive. You want your team to be efficient in offering support as this will affect the customer’s perception of your company. Remember, the more satisfied your customers are with your service, the more likely they’ll leave a 5-star rating.

Step 3: Add product inserts to your packaging

A product insert is a small piece of informational material wherein you enhance the customer’s buying experience. You don’t make product inserts that directly ask buyers to leave a positive review (that goes against Amazon’s policy), instead you use them as a friendly reminder of how satisfied they are with their purchase.

There’s a small window of opportunity for a buyer to leave a review after they’ve opened their package. Why not take advantage of that opportunity the moment they receive their product? A good product insert encourages a customer to leave a review, not ask them for it.

How do you create a good product insert? Start by expressing your gratitude to the customer. Make them feel appreciated for their purchase and offer customer support in case they need it. From there, you can give them a little nudge by saying how beneficial product reviews are for your business.

Again, you want to avoid pushing the customer to leave a positive review. You can give them clear instructions on leaving a review for your product based on how satisfied they are. When you do this correctly, you are likely to gain more product ratings from your buyers.

Step 4: Offer discounts and promotions

Customers love discounts and they are most satisfied when they purchase a quality item at a reasonable price. There’s a fine line between pricing a product too high and too low. When offering discounts, you want to stick to the middle where you can create a memorable buying experience without slashing the price tag excessively.

Happy customers are more likely to leave positive reviews than those who are dissatisfied with their purchase. Everybody loves discounts, so why not offer promotions from time to time? Sure, you can’t ask customers to leave positive reviews in exchange for a discount, but you can offer discounts as part of your marketing strategies.

A great way to launch a new product is to offer your email subscribers an introductory price. The discounted offering will generate fanfare from your target audience. Once they’ve bought the item, you can send them an email and ask them how their purchase was. Like the product insert, you want to take advantage of this opportunity and remind customers of how crucial product reviews are to your business.

Not only are discounts effective at obtaining reviews, but they also help with growing your customer base. As more and more people are attracted to your product launches, you get to establish your presence online and net more positive ratings in return.

Step 5: Communicate clearly with your customers

As you can see, obtaining positive reviews is about enhancing the customer’s experience. Each of the methods we’ve mentioned is tied together in hopes of guaranteeing the customer’s satisfaction. The last strategy you can implement to gain more positive reviews is to communicate clearly with your customers.

How do you achieve this? By making sure your product listings are as accurate as can be. Product listings have a huge impact on a buyer’s decision. You want the images to be clear and the description to be accurate for them to understand what you’re selling.

There’s a reason why the top sellers on Amazon optimize their listings and it’s because they want to communicate well with their buyers. When a customer reads a good listing, it addresses their product search and says “This is the product I’m looking for!”

Consistency across your brand image is crucial to netting positive reviews. With product listings, you want to provide as much accurate info as possible to further enhance the buying experience.

In summary

There’s no denying that Amazon reviews are impactful for any online business. When a product has a high number of good reviews, it attracts the top buyers and creates a positive image for your brand.

It’s time to put an end to the black-hat strategies and implement organic, sustainable methods of obtaining product reviews. When you follow these tips, you’ll be able to drive more Amazon reviews and ensure the success of your products both in the short term and the long term.

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