Amazon Reviews: Why They Are Important and How to Increase Them

This is why it is important that the products we sell have as many reviews as possible. Amazon puts its users' judgment at the center of everything, trying to obtain as much information as possible from them.

feedback on individual Amazon product features

Now let's go into detail, analyzing the different types of reviews on Amazon and why they are so important.

It should be specified that in this article we will only talk about reviews on product pages, while we have dedicated a separate article to seller feedback.

What is the difference between verified and unverified purchase?

First of all, let's understand who can write a comment on Amazon.

All users who have completed purchases for at least €50 on the platform can post a review.

To publish a product rating, it is not necessary to have made the purchase. Reviews are divided into two categories:

• Verified Purchase: when the review is published by users who purchased the product;

• Unverified Purchase: when the review is written by users who did not purchase the product.

The first category is easily recognizable, as the words "verified purchase" will appear right next to the rating.

This badge, while not particularly relevant to many users, is very important for the Amazon algorithm.

In fact, a positive review obtained in this way can significantly improve the organic positioning of the product for the keyword through which the user purchased it.

Example: If we are selling PVC garden chairs on Amazon, a user might find our listing by typing the query "plastic garden chair". If that same user writes a positive review of our product after making the purchase, the ASIN will improve its positioning for the keyword "plastic garden chair", consequently increasing its sales.

Regarding unverified reviews, however, a brief note should be added. It is possible that the purchase does not result as verified despite the review coming from a user who actually completed the purchase.

This can happen, for example, when a customer writes the review in the wrong way, but we will discuss this later.

First, let's try to understand how to get more reviews by improving your Amazon ranking.

How to get more reviews on Amazon

We are often asked what is the most effective way to get reviews on Amazon.

The simplest method is to directly ask users to leave a review for our product through our SellerCentral account.

This can be done in two ways:

• By writing a private message to the user

• By using the review request option offered by Amazon (recommended)

The first option is certainly more time-consuming, but it offers the possibility of sending a personalized message to each customer. There are more and more software tools that allow you to automate this process, sending a standardized message after each purchase.

However, these messages are not always taken into consideration nor, above all, welcomed. For this reason, we do not recommend it. It is also possible that a customer, after reading our message, decides to write a comment on our product but follows the wrong path. If, for example, they return to the product page through a new search to leave a comment, there is a risk that Amazon will recognize the review as unverified. Another case could be an instance where a user sees the message on mobile, but then publishes the review from another device on which they are logged in with another account.

To avoid all this, Amazon has introduced the possibility of asking for a review from your customers in an automated way. Just a couple of clicks will suffice.

By entering your order history and clicking on any order number (the 17-digit one), you can notice the "Request a review" button on the right side.

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By choosing this option, Amazon allows you to invite your customers to write a judgment on the product, but under certain conditions.

• The review can be requested only once;

• The customer must have received the product within a time interval between 5 and 30 days from the moment the review is requested.

If one of these requirements is not met, Amazon will show an error message.

This option is the one we recommend most because, in addition to being faster, it increases the probability that the user leaves a verified review. By doing so, the user will receive an email containing a URL through which to write feedback.

Tip: Asking for reviews is always a double-edged sword, as it is much easier to get them from dissatisfied customers rather than from users who like our product. Therefore, we recommend not asking for reviews from customers who have already requested a refund.

Another idea to increase your reviews can be to insert a small gift inside the package or a card with clean and attractive graphics, in which you explicitly ask to write a positive comment for our product. You could also attach a coupon with a discount code for the next purchase. Generally, it is a welcome option and can represent an opportunity to create a relationship of trust with the consumer. From our experience as an agency, we have noticed a significant increase in positive reviews whenever a small gadget was inserted inside the package. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, especially for smaller products, but a gift worth a few cents can often generate a strong emotional leverage that will make the buyer perceive a strong attention to customer needs. In some cases, it can also be an excellent opportunity for cross-selling.

A further possibility is to "leverage" customer service. After assisting a customer and ensuring their satisfaction, for example, you can send one last message in which, while showing availability for further assistance, you indirectly imply that a positive rating would be appreciated.

Finally, Amazon has also introduced the Amazon Vine program, through which you can apply by offering your products. The items will be sent for free to top reviewers selected by Amazon, who will provide their opinion on the product.

Warning: Even if free products are always welcome, it is by no means guaranteed that Vine reviewers will give a positive rating. Furthermore, applying for the program does not necessarily correspond to a review. If reviewers are not interested in the product, they may not order it.

The Vine program is a very interesting tool that regularizes a mechanism that was escaping Amazon's control: that of fake reviews.

The Vine program has several conditions:

• Available only for registered brands

• Products must not have more than 30 reviews

• A maximum of 30 units can be enrolled

• Products must be fulfilled by Amazon (FBA)

• The enrollment cost for each Amazon is:

  • Free for 1-2 units;

  • €70 for 3-10 units;

  • €170 for 11-30 units.

As mentioned, enrollment in Vine does not absolutely guarantee a positive review. Program reviewers often publish a very long and detailed review that analyzes every aspect of our ASIN. It is therefore advisable to activate it only on products in which you have full confidence.

Vine reviews are usually highlighted more by Amazon than others. This program is an excellent starting point for those who have recently launched a product on Amazon and aim for rapid growth. Positive reviews through the Vine program can give a really significant initial boost to the product.

What NOT to do to increase Amazon Reviews

Customer centricity is essential for Amazon, which does everything to ensure that reviews are authentic. Moderation tools are increasingly accurate, and the number of removed reviews or even suspended user profiles is growing.

Forcing reviews is very dangerous for Amazon sellers and can lead to the suspension of the Seller Central account.

Some forbidden actions are:

• Compensating customers in exchange for a review;

• Offering gifts, refunds, or discounts in order to obtain a review;

• Using customers' phone numbers (visible for merchant-fulfilled orders) to request a review;

• Using external platforms, such as Facebook groups or Telegram channels, where the product is offered in exchange for a review.

Therefore, we strongly advise against resorting to these means to obtain positive reviews from customers.

How to behave if you get a negative review

So far, we have talked about reviews almost exclusively referring to positive ones, but how to behave if you receive negative ones?

First of all, don't despair. It is perfectly normal to get 1 or 2-star reviews, even if the product is of excellent quality. Something can always go wrong and, as mentioned, users are much more prone to leave negative reviews rather than 5-star ones. If the product is good, positive reviews will come anyway.

The review should then be analyzed; if it is not compliant with Amazon guidelines because, for example, offensive language is used, references are made to other brands, it doesn't talk about the product or other reasons, you can request its removal.

Finally, you can always learn from any negative event. Every cloud has a silver lining. A critical comment can make us reflect on the wrong way we are communicating to present the product, or make us realize that our item needs some small modification to meet full market approval. A negative review can represent a turning point, even in an extremely positive way. For this reason, it is necessary to monitor them often and analyze customer comments.

What is the difference between an Amazon rating and a review?

Amazon has recently introduced a further novelty, which is the distinction between review and rating. While the first refers to the classic score from 1 to 5 stars accompanied by a title and comment, the second refers to a judgment expressed only with the score.

But why did Amazon introduce ratings?

Amazon has not expressed itself directly in this regard, but since reviews have considerable importance for the algorithm, it is intuitive to deduce that it is a way to obtain a larger number of comments.

Users on the web, and Amazon is no exception, spend less and less time on a single page and ratings are certainly an effective strategy to obtain more feedback, as writing an entire comment can take several seconds. This time span, though short, can deter many users.

For now, it seems that the rating mechanism has been well received.

How is the review score calculated by Amazon?

Many wonder how Amazon calculates the score of each product and if ratings have a different weight than reviews.

The marketplace has never expressed itself clearly on this matter, although it specifies that it does not use a simple average. Amazon has only made known that, for calculation purposes, verified and unverified reviews have different weights. Furthermore, the marketplace takes into account the publication date of the review and the reliability of the reviewers, checking every single feedback before publication.

From the moment a user writes a review, Amazon takes at least 48 hours before making it visible to other users.

Conclusions

Reviews are one of the most important tools to improve as a seller on Amazon, both in the eyes of customers and the algorithm. Optimizing reviews is one of the many aspects to take into consideration to improve your positioning on Amazon. For more information or to understand how to set up a correct strategy for your products on Amazon

Are reviews important for selling on Amazon?

Reviews are a fundamental element for products on Amazon, often more determining than price for increasing sales. A well-reviewed product has a significantly higher conversion rate than one that is not.

How to increase reviews on Amazon?

To increase the number of reviews on Amazon, it is first necessary to offer a quality product. Furthermore, you must not betray the customer's expectations, inserting images and descriptions that are as realistic as possible. Another effective method is the use of Amazon Vine.

How to delete Amazon reviews?

Removing a review from Amazon is unfortunately much more complex than seller feedback. It is however possible to report to customer service reviews that are deemed not compliant with Amazon guidelines.