This article is a guest post from our friends at FeedbackWhiz.
Amazon product reviews are important to the success of your business. No, that’s not a myth; it’s a fact that most Amazon sellers know.
Reviews are featured prominently all over Amazon’s marketplaces and are an integral part of the decision process for many Amazon customers shopping for a product.
Considering how important product reviews are on Amazon, there are bound to be plenty of strong opinions and misconceptions about them.
You’ve probably heard that “only angry customers leave reviews”. Or perhaps that it’s “best to just ignore them” when they do come up. But these common Amazon product review myths just aren’t true.
Here’s a look at nine Amazon product review myths and the real truth behind them.
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9 Myths About Amazon Product Reviews Busted
1. More reviews equals more sales
Yes, quantity is nice to have when it comes to product reviews on Amazon. Potential customers will feel comfort in knowing that many other people have tried your product and are likely to trust the accuracy of these reviews given the high quantity of them.
So while this myth is partially true, it doesn’t tell the whole story; quality is just as important (if not more important) than quantity.
A product with 150 reviews that averages 4.5 stars might draw more interest than a product with 3000 reviews that averages 3.2 stars. Offering a quality product and great customer service will inevitably lead to higher-quality product reviews.
The truth: More positive reviews equals more sales.
2. Getting reviews on products just comes down to luck
Many Amazon sellers don’t take proactive measures to gain more product reviews. They focus on other elements of their business and figure that customers will leave good or bad reviews based on luck.
In reality, you have control over your own luck when it comes to generating product reviews on Amazon. Product inserts requesting product feedback, Amazon’s Request a Review button, and automated email campaigns within Amazon’s Buyer-Seller Messaging rules are all great ways to boost your chances at earning reviews from your customers.
The truth: Like everything else, review generation comes down to strategy and execution.
3. All product reviews carry equal weight
Reviews may seem like they are interchangeable given that they cumulate into one average rating score and overall number.
But many customers actually read reviews before making a decision on their purchase, and this is where some reviews prove to be more valuable than others. And Amazon’s A9 algorithm also weighs certain reviews more than others.
Product reviews from verified purchases (those tied to an order on the site) are more valuable. The recency of reviews is also important as those that have come within the last 30 days are often considered more reliable than older ones.
With this in mind, it’s important to keep striving for new reviews even if you already have a good amount on a product.
The truth: Not all product reviews are created equal.
4. Customers only leave negative product reviews or feedback
It’s true that anger and frustration are powerful motivators to leave feedback on Amazon. These anger-induced reviews are far from the majority, however.
Sometimes you might get the odd or hilarious product review. Take advantage of that opportunity! If you implement the same tone as your customers across your brand channels, you’ll provide a better omni-channel customer experience.
Many customers take pride in sharing their honest opinion with others in this digital media age, and others are just happy to take a few seconds to leave a review to help other potential customers make a better decision.
But you want to make sure you capture that happiness at the right time. For example, if you’re selling supplements or vitamins, make sure the buyer has plenty of time, like 28-30 days, for them to reap the rewards of your products.
You also don’t want to ask for a review if the customer has already submitted a reimbursement or refund; those buyers are more likely to leave a negative or netural review.
Think about your customer, assess your customer data, and plan the right time to send out a product review request.
The truth: The right customer will leave the right review at the right time.
5. There’s nothing you can do about negative reviews
While you can’t control negative reviews, you can control how you handle them. Each negative review offers the opportunity to provide excellent customer service, which might lead to the customer removing or updating their review.
Even if they leave the review as is, they may still consider your brand for future purchases. An account monitoring tool can alert you immediately every time you receive a negative product review so that you can act on it and try to fix the situation as soon as possible.
There’s even more you can do: prevention. It’s much easier to set up a strategy that mitigates potential future negative reviews.
Again, start with your data. If you see a common variable of certain customers returning your product or asking for a refund – say, they’ve already submitted a refund request via Amazon – then start excluding that type of customer from even receiving a review request.
Or if you really want to pile on the positives, target repeat customers that have already given you a 4 or 5 star review in the past. Empower your customers to tell their stories with your products.
The truth: Your data will tell you what you can do about negative reviews.
6. People don’t trust Amazon reviews
Amazon has had its share of issues with fake reviews and is always looking for new ways to combat them. The presence of unreliable reviews hasn’t destroyed most people’s faith in the review system, however.
Poll after poll (see below) consistently finds that a clear majority Amazon customers still turn to product reviews when researching their buying options.
The truth: Don’t buy into the hype: 84% of shoppers trust reviews as much as friends.
7. All 5-star reviews on your product is ideal
Striving for perfection is a trait that many entrepreneurs share. When it comes to Amazon product reviews however, it’s okay to have some imperfections.
As mentioned above, Amazon does have a consistent issue with fake reviews. A product with a high quantity of nothing but positive reviews is likely to arouse suspicion from customers.
Consider your reviews of under five stars to be a valuable part of proving the authenticity of the reviews you have received overall, and an integral part of learning from your customer (see myth 8 below).
The truth: Perfect ratings look inauthentic to a buyer. Empower your customers to make the best decision for your product, even with a few 2 or 3 star reviews.
8. There’s nothing to learn from negative product reviews
Bill Gates once said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”
It’s easy enough to write off a negative review as bad luck or the product of a customer having a bad day. But it’s important to keep in mind that most customers don’t have an agenda when it comes to leaving a negative review; they are providing honest feedback. You should make an effort to learn something from that feedback.
Did they spot a flaw in your product? Maybe you can fix it. Were they confused by something? Perhaps something that is obvious to you might be confusing to others and can be improved on. Not every negative review will offer actionable advice, but it’s a good habit to look for it.
The truth: If you’re not willing to learn when things are bad, then you’re in the wrong business.
9. It takes too much time and effort to request reviews on your products
This is actually mostly true at face value. It’s incredibly time-consuming to send out emails or manually press the request-a-review button thousands of times a month.
That’s where a review automation management tool comes in handy. FeedbackWhiz is an Amazon seller tool that automates this process, giving you the opportunity to:
- Implement review request timing triggers before and after delivery
- Add exclusion lists to mitigate negative review potential
- Monitor your child ASINs 24/7 to protect your brand
- Amazon vetted pre-built templates to drive higher review rates
- Full visibility into your feedback and review data all-time
- Focus your time on scaling your business
The truth: Automate the review process, and you’ll laugh at this myth.
Work Smarter, Not Harder for Product Reviews
An automated Amazon email tool helps you increase email conversion rates with advanced analytics, so make sure you check out great tools like FeedbackWhiz to help you generate more Amazon product reviews, improve and repair seller feedback, and fully scale your store with an in-depth review management strategy.
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