Getting reviews on Amazon can feel like an uphill battle, but they’re crucial for building credibility and boosting your product’s visibility. Did you know that over 93% of Amazon shoppers consider product reviews before making a purchase? In this blog, we'll explore how to get reviews on Amazon using proven, legal strategies to help you gather authentic feedback quickly—without risking your seller account. Ready to ramp up your review game? Let’s get started!
Before diving into methods, it's important to understand the impact of reviews.
The Power of Amazon Reviews: Why They Matter for Your Business
As an Amazon seller, product reviews are one of the most powerful tools you have to build credibility and boost sales. Reviews act as social proof, helping potential buyers trust your product based on the experiences of other customers. Products with a high volume of positive reviews typically rank better in search results, improving visibility and driving more traffic to your listing. Without reviews, even the best product can struggle to gain traction.
The Influence of Reviews on Consumer Purchasing Decisions
Customer reviews significantly impact how potential buyers perceive your product, shaping their decision to purchase. Here are some key ways reviews influence purchasing behavior:
Trust and credibility: Positive reviews assure potential buyers that your product meets expectations, reducing the risk of dissatisfaction.
Increased conversion rates: Products with a higher number of reviews, especially detailed ones, have been shown to convert better than those with fewer or no reviews.
Feedback-driven improvements: Reviews offer valuable insights into customer preferences and pain points, allowing you to make data-driven improvements to your product and service.
Influence on hesitant buyers: For undecided customers, positive reviews can be the deciding factor in their purchasing decision, tipping the scale in your favor.
Gaining insights from comprehensive business performance reports, offered by SellerMate.ai, can help you further understand how reviews influence your product's success on Amazon
Now that we’ve covered why reviews are essential, let’s learn about the actionable methods you can use to gather more while staying within Amazon's guidelines.
Methods to Increase Amazon Reviews Legally
Increasing reviews can be a game-changer for your Amazon business, but you need to follow the rules. Here are some effective methods to increase your reviews legally and keep your seller account in good standing.
Use Amazon's “Request a Review” button to increase the review count
Amazon provides a built-in feature to help sellers request reviews directly from buyers, ensuring compliance with their policies.
No customization needed: The "Request a Review" button sends a standard email designed by Amazon, ensuring neutrality and compliance.
One-time use: You can only use this feature once per order, keeping the review request frequency under control.
Quick and easy: With just one click, you can ask for a review, saving time and effort in manual follow-ups.
Enrolling products in the Amazon Vine Program and its benefits
The Amazon Vine Program allows top-tier reviewers, known as Vine Voices, to try your product and leave an honest review.
Access to top reviewers: Vine Voices is among the most trusted reviewers on Amazon, ensuring valuable feedback.
Enhanced visibility: Products in the Vine Program often gain more visibility due to authentic reviews from established reviewers.
Product credibility: The reviews are displayed with a "Vine Voice" badge, boosting the credibility of your product in buyers' eyes.
Utilizing third-party automated email responders within Amazon's rules
Third-party email tools can help you automate the process of requesting reviews, as long as they follow Amazon's guidelines.
Automation: These tools send follow-up emails to customers, gently reminding them to leave reviews without violating Amazon’s policies.
Customization: Some tools allow you to personalize the email content within Amazon's allowed parameters, adding a human touch.
Tracking and insights: Many tools offer analytics on open rates and review responses, helping you optimize your strategy.
For sellers looking to optimize this process, using intelligent platforms like SellerMate.ai for data-driven decisions can significantly enhance campaign outcomes.
Want to know how to engage your customers for reviews outside of Amazon?
Building a Contact List for Reviews
Building a contact list of customers can be a powerful tool for gathering reviews, but it must be done carefully to avoid violating Amazon's policies. Here's how you can create and use a customer email list effectively without breaking the rules.
Creating a customer email list outside of Amazon
While Amazon doesn’t provide sellers with direct access to customer emails, you can still build a contact list through external channels.
Website opt-ins: Create an opt-in form on your website to collect emails from customers interested in updates, discounts, or exclusive content.
Social media campaigns: Use social media promotions and ads to encourage followers to subscribe to your newsletter, offering them incentives like discounts or early access to new products.
Lead magnets: Offer downloadable guides, exclusive content, or product tips in exchange for customer email addresses. This can help you create a more engaged email list.
Brand example: Glossier, a beauty brand, uses its website to collect emails by offering exclusive early access to new products and tutorials. Glossier also integrates its email list with social media campaigns, encouraging followers to subscribe for special promotions, and building a loyal customer base outside of Amazon.
Integrating insights from SellerMate.ai's AI-driven recommendations can ensure your strategies are as efficient and effective as possible
Effective strategies for utilizing email lists without violating Amazon's policies
Now that you’ve built your email list, the next step is to use it wisely, while staying compliant with Amazon’s guidelines.
Avoid direct review requests: Amazon’s policies strictly prohibit sellers from contacting customers outside of their platform to request reviews for Amazon purchases. Instead, focus on nurturing your customer relationships and providing value.
Send value-driven content: Use your email list to share useful tips, product updates, or exclusive deals. For example, if you sell skincare products, send customers advice on how to take care of their skin or how to use your products effectively.
Encourage feedback: While you can’t directly ask for reviews on Amazon, you can ask customers for feedback or testimonials on your website or social media, which may inspire them to leave a review on Amazon on their own.
According to a 2021 survey, customers who are satisfied with a brand’s email marketing are likely to leave a positive review or recommend the brand to others. This shows how important nurturing customer relationships via email can be for building goodwill and potentially increasing reviews indirectly.
Negative reviews don’t have to hurt your business. When managed correctly, they can be turned into opportunities
Handling Negative Feedback
Negative feedback can be challenging, but it's also an opportunity to improve your product and customer experience. Proactively managing product quality and addressing negative reviews effectively can help protect your brand’s reputation and even turn unhappy customers into loyal ones.
Proactive management of product quality
The best way to handle negative feedback is to minimize the chances of it happening in the first place. Proactive quality management is key.
Thorough testing: Ensure that every product is thoroughly tested for defects before it reaches the customer. Regular quality checks can reduce returns and complaints.
Monitor customer feedback: Keep an eye on reviews, social media comments, and customer service interactions to identify recurring product issues. Quickly addressing these concerns can prevent further negative feedback.
Continuous improvement: Use customer feedback to make improvements to your products. For example, if several customers mention a specific flaw, take steps to address it in future production runs.
Example: Apple is known for its proactive approach to quality control. After receiving feedback about bending issues with the iPhone 6, Apple improved the structural design in future models, ensuring a better product and reducing similar complaints.
Effective strategies to address and mitigate negative reviews
Sometimes, negative reviews are unavoidable, but the way you handle them can make a huge difference.
Respond professionally and quickly: Acknowledge the customer's concerns and apologize for their experience. A prompt and respectful response shows that you value their feedback and are committed to resolving the issue.
Offer a solution: Whether it’s a replacement product, a refund, or assistance with troubleshooting, offering a solution can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Publicly resolving complaints shows future customers that you care about their satisfaction.
Learn and improve: Use negative feedback as an opportunity to improve. If a common issue is highlighted in reviews, work on resolving it in future versions of your product or service.
According to a survey by BrightLocal, 89% of consumers are more likely to use a business that responds to all reviews, both positive and negative. This demonstrates the importance of addressing negative reviews and showing potential customers that you are committed to resolving issues.
Leveraging smart automation, such as real-time alerts from SellerMate.ai, can help you respond to feedback quickly and maintain product quality
Worried about counterfeit listings on Amazon? Discover how Amazon's gating process can keep your brand safe in this insightful read: Amazon Gating & Brand Protection.
Programs to Accumulate Reviews
Collecting genuine customer reviews is essential for boosting product visibility and trust on Amazon. Amazon offers specific programs to help sellers gather authentic feedback, with strict control to ensure review credibility. Here’s an overview of the best programs and methods to accumulate reviews within Amazon's guidelines.
Amazon Vine and its advantages for new products
Amazon Vine helps sellers, especially those launching new products, get early, trustworthy reviews from experienced reviewers known as Vine Voices.
Early reviews for new products: Vine Voices are invited to test and review products, providing new items with authentic feedback even before they gain significant sales.
Trusted feedback: Vine Voices are top-tier reviewers recognized for providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Their feedback often gives potential buyers the confidence to purchase.
Boost in product credibility: Reviews from Vine Voices come with a special "Vine Voice" badge, adding credibility to the product and improving conversion rates.
Example: A beauty brand launching a new skincare product saw a significant boost in visibility and sales after enrolling in Amazon Vine, where early positive reviews from Vine Voices helped build buyer trust.
Amazon Early Reviewer Program (Discontinued)
While Amazon once offered the Early Reviewer Program, which encouraged customers to leave reviews for newly launched products, this program was discontinued in 2021. However, Amazon continues to provide other avenues for sellers to accumulate reviews.
Amazon’s “Request a Review” button
This feature allows sellers to request reviews directly from customers through Amazon’s messaging system, without violating policies.
Simple and compliant: Amazon’s Request a Review button is a built-in tool that sends a pre-formatted email to buyers, encouraging them to leave a review.
Automated follow-up: Sellers can use this tool within 4-30 days after a sale, allowing for a timely and compliant way to gather reviews.
No customization required: The message is automatically generated by Amazon, ensuring it aligns with the platform’s strict guidelines.
Amazon’s control over review programs
Amazon has strict policies to prevent abuse or manipulation of its review system, ensuring reviews are genuine.
Prohibition of incentivized reviews: Amazon strictly prohibits offering free products, discounts, or incentives in exchange for reviews, except through Amazon Vine. Sellers violating these rules risk having reviews removed or even facing account suspension.
Verified purchase badge: Reviews from verified purchases are weighted more heavily in Amazon’s ranking algorithm, which helps ensure that reviews are from genuine buyers.
Monitoring and detection: Amazon actively monitors suspicious review activity through advanced algorithms and manual reviews, maintaining the integrity of its review system.
According to a 2021 report, Amazon removed over 200 million fake reviews from its platform to ensure the integrity of its review system, reinforcing the importance of following Amazon’s strict review policies.
Third-Party Review Platforms (within Amazon’s guidelines)
While Amazon limits direct contact for review requests, some third-party tools offer automated email sequences that comply with Amazon’s rules.
Automated emails: Tools like FeedbackWhiz and Jungle Scout help automate review requests, following Amazon’s strict guidelines. These tools remind customers to leave reviews without violating Amazon’s terms.
Compliant solutions: These platforms ensure that sellers stay within Amazon’s rules while effectively increasing their review count through regular, automated follow-ups.
Following Amazon’s review policies is critical to maintaining your seller account and brand reputation.
Adhering to Amazon’s Review Policies: Staying Compliant and Ethical
Amazon has strict guidelines to maintain the integrity and authenticity of its review system. Following these rules not only ensures that your product maintains a strong reputation but also protects your seller account from penalties. Here are the key rules to keep in mind:
Avoiding incentivization and buying of reviews
One of Amazon’s primary policies is to prevent sellers from manipulating the review system through incentives or purchasing fake reviews.
No incentivized reviews: Offering free products, discounts, or rewards in exchange for positive reviews is strictly prohibited. Sellers who violate this policy risk suspension or permanent removal from Amazon.
Buying reviews: Purchasing fake reviews through third-party services or individuals is against Amazon’s terms of service. Amazon uses advanced algorithms and manual checks to identify and remove inauthentic reviews.
In 2020, Amazon filed lawsuits against more than 1,000 entities involved in fake review schemes, highlighting the platform's ongoing crackdown on review manipulation.
Rules against self-written and competitor reviews
Amazon has strict policies to ensure reviews are genuine and unbiased, which includes banning self-written reviews and reviews aimed at competitors.
Self-written reviews: Writing reviews for your products, or having friends, family, or employees leave reviews, is considered a violation of Amazon’s guidelines.
Competitor reviews: Leaving negative reviews on competitors' products to undermine their reputation or boost your own product is also forbidden. Amazon closely monitors suspicious review activity between competing sellers.
Ensuring compliance while maximizing sales efficiency is possible with SellerMate.ai, which provides data-driven ad management solutions without breaching Amazon's guidelines
Consequences of Violating Amazon's Review Policies
Account suspension or removal: Sellers caught violating Amazon’s review policies, such as incentivizing reviews or using fake reviews, can face serious consequences, including account suspension or even permanent removal from the platform.
Removal of reviews: Any reviews found to violate Amazon's policies are often removed by the platform, which can significantly affect the overall rating and visibility of a product.
In 2021, Amazon introduced stronger penalties for sellers found engaging in review manipulation, including withholding payments and permanently banning sellers from the platform.
Gaining reviews on Amazon can be a challenge, but other sellers have shared valuable insights on how to do it effectively. Check out this Reddit thread to explore their strategies: What is the Best Way to Get or Buy Amazon Reviews?
Conclusion
Adhering to Amazon’s review policies is essential for building credibility and maintaining your seller account in good standing. Avoid incentivizing or purchasing fake reviews, as Amazon strictly prohibits these practices and enforces penalties for violations. Also, refrain from writing your reviews or targeting competitors with negative feedback. Instead, focus on how to get reviews on Amazon ethically by using built-in tools like the 'Request a Review' button and the Vine Program to gather authentic feedback
Want to streamline your Amazon selling process while staying compliant? Book a demo with SellerMate.ai today and see how their tools can help you boost sales and manage reviews efficiently! Book a demo here.
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