How to Get Amazon Product Reviews and Ratings

You might wonder how to get Amazon product reviews if you’re a seller. Reviews are essential to the success of a product on Amazon. One of the most crucial parts of running a successful online business is undoubtedly getting customer reviews.

Getting reviews has been harder on Amazon as the platform removed incentivized reviews. Amazon is a bustling marketplace with millions of products competing for buyers’ attention. However, there are a few ways to get Amazon product reviews. Some are easy and thorough, and some are less white — in this sea of options, customer reviews can make a product stand out.

Understanding Amazon Product Reviews and Ratings

Amazon product reviews are feedback given by customers. Customers who have purchased products or services from Amazon can give feedback, reviews, and ratings for those items. These reviews and ratings provide valuable information about product efficiency, effectiveness, and reliability. By giving an honest and accurate perspective, Amazon product reviews help other customers make informed buying decisions. Showcasing user reviews and ratings on product pages increases sales and enhances the shopping experience.

How Amazon Calculates Product Reviews and Ratings

Amazon’s calculation or algorithm to determine a product’s rating has become more complex as it removed incentivized reviews and introduced verified and non-verified reviews. Nowadays, not all Amazon product reviews and ratings are weighted equally.

Amazon calculates the average rating of a product using a complex weighted-average algorithm. A product’s rating can range from 0 to 5 stars if it has only one review with five stars.

Amazon does not disclose the factors considered in this algorithm. But it is generally accepted that the following variables are important:

• Review Age
• Reviewer Profile (Number Of Reviews, The Average Rating Of Remaining Reviews, Etc.)
• Review Period
• Number Of Supporting Votes
• Verified Or Non-Verified
• Rating Vs Written Review
• Deviation From The Average Rating

Recent long Amazon product reviews with many helpful votes written by a reviewer with a strong review profile will likely appear at the top of your reviews and weigh more heavily in your overall rating.

How to Get Amazon Product Reviews and Ratings

In 2020, Amazon converted reviews to ratings. Quality customer service is one factor in earning positive reviews. The difference is that customers can now give only star ratings without leaving a text review. By promptly addressing customer concerns, resolving problems, and providing helpful and friendly service, you increase the possibility that customers will give positive reviews.

This article will describe how to get a simple star rating and text reviews for your products. The overall rating contributes to the rating of a product. A comparison of written Amazon product reviews shows that it is now easier to get ratings on Amazon, but ratings are declining even more than reviews.

Here are a few key points to remember to get Amazon product reviews:

• Provide excellent customer service.
• Make it easy for customers to leave reviews.
• Offer incentives for customers to submit reviews.
• Promote your products on social media and other platforms.
• Use Amazon A+ Content to showcase your products.

Getting new reviews on your product listings may seem difficult, but following the strategies below can make it easier. Let’s look at fifteen effective ways to get Amazon product reviews that will help you attract more customers and take your business to new heights.

15 Effective Ways to Get Amazon Product Reviews

1. Understand Amazon’s Review Policy

Understanding Amazon’s review policy is necessary when it comes to getting reviews. These policy guidelines determine what is acceptable and what is not. Violation of these terms may result in the suspension of your seller account. Therefore, become familiar with the policy to ensure that all your review-gathering activities fall within Amazon’s rules.

2. Never Violate Amazon’s Review Policy

It is important to encourage reviews or strive for quality and integrity when it comes to Amazon reviews; however, posting fake reviews can be ineffective and get you in trouble. Amazon takes its review policy seriously, and any violations can result in fines ranging from review removal to account suspension. 

Let’s understand Amazon’s review policy by knowing the most common violations that may lead to a ban:

• Review Manipulation: This is one of the most common violations. This includes encouraging reviews, creating fake reviews, or asking friends and family to write positive reviews.
• Review Swapping: This refers to the practice of sellers mutually agreeing to provide positive reviews for each other’s products. This practice is against Amazon’s policies to inflate your rating artificially.
• Multiple Accounts: Some sellers create multiple accounts to get positive reviews on their products or negative reviews on their competitors’ products. Amazon’s algorithms often detect this behavior and set penalties, including account suspensions.
• Ignoring Communication Guidelines: If sellers pressure customers to leave positive reviews or ask them to delete or modify negative reviews, it violates Amazon’s communication guidelines. It may lead to restrictions.
• Misleading Product Listings: Although this is more related to product listings than reviews, it can indirectly affect them. If a product is not as described in the listing, it may lead to a negative review. If Amazon finds a seller misleading customers through its product listing, it can be fined.
• Not Responding Appropriately To Negative Reviews: Sellers are expected to respond to negative reviews in a way that offers solutions rather than criticism or harassment. Mishandling of negative reviews can result in penalties from Amazon.

For sellers who fail to follow these guidelines, penalties can range from the removal of reviews to account suspension. Loss of selling privileges is subject to legal action in severe cases. That’s why sellers should understand and follow Amazon’s review policy.

3. Provide High quality Customer Service

Respond promptly and politely to customer queries and resolve problems promptly. Providing excellent customer service can encourage buyers to give positive reviews.

Happy customers are more likely to share their positive experiences.

• Be Transparent: Make sure your product descriptions are accurate and honest. Include all necessary information, for example, the product’s dimensions, materials, and limitations. This helps in setting the right expectations for the customers.
• Communicate Effectively: Keep your buyers informed about the status of their orders. Proactively let them know if there are any delays or issues. It is important to respond to customer inquiries promptly and courteously.
• Encourage Feedback: After the product is delivered, send a follow-up message to the customer thanking them for their purchase and asking for their feedback. Remember, this should be a gentle request, not a demand or incentive-driven suggestion.
• Take Advantage Of Amazon’s Fulfillment Services: Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) can help ensure that your products are stored, packaged, and delivered efficiently, increasing customer satisfaction.
• Offer Easy Returns And Refunds: Hassle-free returns and refund policy can improve customer service. Customers will feel more comfortable purchasing if they know they can return the product if it doesn’t meet their expectations
• Continuously Improvement: Use customer reviews and feedback to improve your product and service. This lets customers know you value their input and are committed to providing the best possible experience.

4. Prioritize Product Quality

If your product meets or exceeds customer expectations, it’s natural to get positive reviews. Make sure the product you are selling is of high quality. Misleading customers with substandard products will result in negative reviews and damage your brand reputation, but a substandard product can be compensated for by marketing volume.

Following are the Amazon experts recommended strategies to ensure that your products meet and exceed customer expectations:

• Quality Control: Implement a strong quality control system. Inspect products for defects or problems before shipping. Depending on the scale of your business, consider employing a quality control team or outsourcing inspection services to third parties.
• Trusted Suppliers: Be careful while choosing suppliers. Look for wholesale suppliers known for their quality, reliability, and good reviews. If you buy products from overseas, consider hiring a local agent to test them before they are shipped.
• Product Testing: Test your products regularly to make sure they work. They work as advertised. This is especially important if you are selling electronic or mechanical products.
• Handle Returns Properly: When a customer returns a product, it is returned to your inventory. Check it carefully to see if there are any defects or problems. Here is some feedback that can help you improve your product and prevent future returns.
• Continuous Improvement: Always mention how to improve customer feedback on your product and use it as a guide for product development.
• Packaging: The product invests in good quality packaging that protects it during shipping. Damaged products cause negative reviews.
• Accurate Product Descriptions: Make sure your product descriptions are accurate and clearly describe the product’s features and benefits. Misleading product descriptions can lead to frustration and negative reviews.
• Update Your Products Regularly: If you sell products in a fast-growing industry (such as technology). Stay connected with the latest developments and update your products accordingly.

5. Send Effective Follow-up Emails

Send a follow-up email to customers thanking them for their purchase and asking for a review after they purchase the product. Effective follow-up emails can be crucial in encouraging customers to give positive reviews. Here are some tips for Amazon sellers for follow-up emails:

• Be Polite and Professional: Your email should always be simple, courteous, professional, and respectful. Tell the customer about their purchase and explain why their feedback is valuable.
• Personalize Your Email: Personalization can make a big difference. Use the customer’s name and refer to their purchased product, making email more personal and less automated.
• Keep It Short and To The Point: Customers are more likely to read and respond to your email if it is short and to the point. Get to the point quickly and avoid unnecessary details.
• Request for Review: Politely ask customers to leave a review if they are satisfied with their purchase. Make sure it’s a request, not a demand or expectation. Remember, it’s against Amazon’s policy to specifically ask for positive reviews, so make sure your request is neutral.
• Provide Instructions: Some customers may need to learn how to submit a review on Amazon. Provide simple, step-by-step instructions to make it easy for them.
• Timing is Important: The timing of your follow-up email is essential. You want to give the customer enough time to receive and use the product before requesting a review.
• Subject Line Matters: Your subject line should be compelling and clear. The first thing a customer sees in the follow-up mail is the subject line. That’s why emails should be encouraged to be opened.
• Provide Support: Let your customers know you are available to help if they have product-related issues. This assures the customer that you value their satisfaction.
• Be Compliant: It is essential to stay within Amazon’s guidelines when sending follow-up emails. Never encourage reviews or pressure customers to leave positive reviews.

The goal of a follow-up email isn’t just to get a review. But to show our commitment to customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer is more likely to leave a positive review.

6. Optimize Your Product Listings

Create a well-optimized product listing. This helps buyers understand your product and encourages them to give a product review. Optimizing your product listing means generating positive reviews on Amazon. Here are some tips for sellers to effectively optimize their Amazon product listings:

• Detailed and Accurate Product Descriptions: Make sure your product descriptions are accurate, described, and easy to understand. Clear and concise content helps customers remember your products for a long time.
• High-quality Images: Use high-quality images that show the product from different angles. Include pictures that show the product being used.
• Use Bullet Points For Features: Bullet points make your product listings easier to learn and understand. Highlight the key features and benefits of your product in this section.
• Include Relevant Keywords: Use relevant keywords in your product title and description to improve your search visibility on Amazon. However, keep keyword content private, as this can make your list look spammy.
• Encourage Product Questions: Allow and encourage customers to ask questions about the product. Answering these questions right away can help reduce returns and negative reviews.
• Highlight the Uses and Benefits of the Product: Don’t just list the features of your product; Explain how these features benefit the user. This can help customers understand the value of your product.
• Monitor and Respond To Customer Feedback: Check customer feedback regularly. Address any frequent issues with your product listing.
• Optimizing For Mobile: About 76% of American adults use smartphones to buy products online. Make sure your product listing is optimized for mobile view.
• Use A/B Testing: Experiment with different product titles, descriptions, images, and prices to see what works best to generate sales and positive reviews.
• Include Product Videos: Include a video that shows the product in use. This helps customers understand your product better and outperform your competitors.

Remember, an optimized listing not only helps attract customers. But it also sets the right expectations, which means generating positive product reviews.

7. Use Product Inserts

Product inserts are small cards or flyers in your packaging that can be a means of requesting customer reviews. This is a great way to remind customers to give feedback after their purchase.

Product inserts can be a powerful tool to attract customers and encourage them to leave positive reviews on Amazon. Here are some ideas and tips for using product inserts effectively:

• Thank You Note: A simple thank you note can go a long way in making the customer feel appreciated. This shows that you value their support, which makes a positive impact.
• Review Request: If customers are satisfied with the product, politely ask them to leave a review. This is to stay within Amazon’s guidelines, NOTA demand or expectation.
• Instructions and Tips for Use: Include instructions in your inserts if your product requires assembly or specific steps. You can also give suggestions for improvement. This can improve customer experience and prevent negative reviews caused by wrong usage or mishandling.
• Contact information: Provide information on how customers can reach you if they have any problems or questions. This gives them a chance to contact you before leaving a negative review.
• Warranty or Guarantee Information: Your product comes with a warranty or guarantee, including this information. This can build trust and give customers peace of mind.
• Tell Your Story: You can create a personal connection with the customer by sharing the story behind your brand or product. This may make them more likely to leave a positive review.
• QR Code: It’s the easiest way for customers to leave a review. Create a QR code that links directly to your product review page. Just be sure not to connect to a page that only allows positive reviews, as this would be within Amazon’s guidelines.
• Design and quality: The design and quality of your Amazon product inserts should reflect your brand. A well-designed, high-quality inserts can make a positive impact.

8. Use Amazon Vine Program

The Amazon Vine Program is an exclusive service offered by Amazon that allows customers to receive free or heavily discounted products in exchange for writing honest and genuine reviews. The program is designed to help sellers launch new products and improve their ratings through valuable product feedback from trusted reviewers. 

You can use Amazon Vine to get high-quality product reviews as a seller. However, wine reviewers are invited by Amazon and may not always be forced to write positive reviews in exchange for free products.

9. Leverage the Power Of Social Media

Social media platforms can be powerful tools to get Amazon product reviews. Provide a direct link to your product page on Amazon and encourage your followers to give a review after the purchase. Using social media to generate positive reviews on Amazon can be a powerful strategy if done within the guidelines of Amazon’s review policies. Here are some tips:

• Build Community: Use social media platforms to build a community around your brand or product. Connect with your followers regularly and create a space where they feel heard and appreciated.
• Share User-Generated Content: Encourage customers to share photos, videos, or experiences using your product on their social media accounts. You may repost this user-generated content on your account. Show potential buyers how real people are enjoying your product.
• Educate Your Followers: Educate your followers about your products using social media. Share tips, tutorials, or interesting facts. Not only does this make your product more valuable to customers, but they are also more likely to give positive reviews.
• Provide Excellent Customer Service: Respond to any customer questions or complaints on your social media platforms promptly and professionally. This can turn a potentially harmful situation into a positive one, resulting in a positive review.

10. Create a Brand Website

Creating your brand website gives your business a professional look and another platform to engage with customers. With the help of a website, sellers get the power to generate reviews ethically. Also, own brand website offers many benefits for Amazon sellers, such as 

• Control Over Branding and Messaging: A branded website gives you complete control over your brand image, messaging, and customer experience. Share your brand story and create a more engaging experience for your customers. You can highlight the unique selling points of your products.
• Building Customer Trust: A professional website helps customers build trust in your brand and products. This trust can influence customers to leave positive reviews on Amazon.
• Direct Communication With Customers: On your website, you can communicate directly with customers without the restrictions imposed by Amazon. You can ask for feedback or reviews in follow-up emails or through pop-up prompts on your website, as long as you’re sure you’re asking for honest feedback and not encouraging positive reviews.
• Collecting Customer Emails: With a brand website, you can build an email list of your customers. This allows you to send personalized follow-ups, thank you notes, and gentle reminders to leave product reviews on Amazon, building stronger customer relationships.
• Display Reviews: You can show product reviews from Amazon and other platforms on your website. This adds credibility to your products and encourages others to give reviews.
• Customer Support: Customer service through your brand website can lead to satisfied customers and positive reviews and ratings later. You can handle queries, resolve issues, and even use live chat support to help your customers in real time.
• SEO Benefits: A well-optimized website using SEO tools can help your brand and products get discovered on search engines, which can drive more organic traffic to your Amazon listing and potentially increase the number of reviews. 

11. Redirect Your Website Traffic to Amazon Listing

If you have a website, driving traffic to your Amazon product page is a great option. Add a simple call-to-action asking website visitors to view your products on Amazon and leave a review.

Besides reviews, redirecting website traffic to Amazon is beneficial for increasing sales and reaching a larger audience. Thousands of people use Amazon daily as a reputable and well-known platform. Sellers can benefit from this existing customer base and increase their overall performance and visibility on the Amazon listings.

Additionally, Amazon offers several tools and services to help sellers with listing optimization, inventory management, and product advertising.

Redirecting website traffic to Amazon pages can be smart for sellers looking to expand their business.

12. Incorporate Review Requests in Your Email Marketing

If you have a mailing list, consider sending a periodic newsletter asking customers if they’ve purchased your product recently. Request them to leave a review.

As a seller, it’s important to include review requests in your email marketing for a few reasons:

• Reviews from satisfied customers can help build trust and credibility with potential buyers.
• Review feedback can help you improve your products or services and address any issues or concerns.
• Positive product reviews can also serve as valuable social proof, encouraging others to purchase.

Ask your customers for honest feedback and include those reviews in your email marketing works. Remember to keep your request neutral and specifically asking for positive reviews.

13. Organize Giveaways and Contests

Who doesn’t love free stuff? Running a giveaway or contest can be fun to attract customers and encourage them to leave reviews.

You can offer a chance to win a free product in exchange for writing a review.

As per Amazon guidelines, customers should feel free to leave honest feedback. Just remember to keep it inside you. Whether positive or negative.

14. Collaborate with Influencers

Influencers can market your product to a large audience. If their followers buy your product and have a good experience, they can leave a review.

Choose influencers whose audiences match your target customers, and make sure they disclose the nature of your partnership to comply with FTC guidelines.

15. Use Amazon A+ and Premium A+ Content

Brands enrolled in the Amazon Brand Registry benefit from A+ and Premium A+ content. Using Amazon’s A+ content feature can help you provide more comprehensive product descriptions and present your product’s features, benefits, and applications.

Amazon A+ or enhanced brand content features can help get product reviews. With this feature, you provide potential customers with high-quality and detailed information about your product, making it easier for them to understand it. As a result, more satisfied customers are more likely to give positive reviews.

Additionally, A+ Content showcases your product’s unique features and benefits, which can also encourage customers to leave reviews and feedback. If you want to increase your product reviews on Amazon, A+ and premium A+ content services are worth considering.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many ways to get Amazon product reviews. Following the tips in this article can increase your chances of getting positive reviews, which will help increase your sales.

Getting product reviews and ratings can be an important step in increasing sales and building a brand on Amazon. You can increase your chances of getting positive reviews from happy customers by following the advice above, such as optimizing your product page, follow-up emails, product inserts, and providing excellent customer service. Always give a high priority to being honest and transparent with customers, and work hard to improve the potential of your goods and services.