Rave Reviews: The Psychology of Earning Five-Star Ratings on Amazon
Keren Dinkin, Copywriter
5 min read -
Updated:Studies have proven that online reviews and ratings on Amazon greatly influence online shoppers’ purchasing decisions. Research shows that 73% of shoppers use reviews to decide whether or not they will purchase something, while the absence of customer reviews deter 92% of customers from buying something online.
This behavior is deeply rooted in the psychology of word-of-mouth marketing, which, in the digital age, has translated into customer reviews and product recommendations. Research reveals that word of mouth, or “consumer chatter” on social media and e-commerce platforms, affects the following:
- Customers’ product preferences
- Customers’ purchase decisions
- An e-commerce platform’s financial performance
Additionally, 61% of marketing executives also report that word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. This likewise applies to Amazon, where shoppers check ratings and reviews to learn more about a product. Highly rated products with many reviews thus have equally higher chances of bringing in conversions.
Amazon’s ranking algorithm also favors those with higher ratings and more reviews, allowing them to rank high on search results and related products.
If you own an Amazon storefront and are looking to get more reviews on Amazon, this guide will help you find the best way to ask for reviews. In fact, a reliable review automation tool can make requesting reviews a breeze. Let’s begin!
Tips for Getting 5-Star Reviews on Amazon
Want to get Amazon reviews but are unsure where to start? Here are five tips you can follow starting today:
Tip #1: Send Out Review Requests
Human psychology dictates that happy customers often forget to leave reviews, with only 1 in 10 satisfied customers bothering to leave a good review. Sellers should, therefore, be proactive in asking for feedback and reviews, especially from the “quiet” ones.
This usually means that everything went well and the customer is satisfied, raising the chances of getting a good review once they’re reminded. You can do this through your seller account (via Manage Orders) or by leaving a note card with their physical item’s packaging.
You can also automate Amazon review requests with a tool like the Sellerise Review Requester Tool.
- This fully automated solution doesn’t need you to request reviews from each customer manually.
- You can enable and disable automatic review requests per product, allowing you to time requests and customize your strategy.
- Sellerise also allows you to automate review requests for clients who have previously left positive reviews, such as 4 or 5 stars, as this increases the likelihood of you getting another positive review.
Tip #2: Reach Out to Reviewers Who Gave Low Stars
If you think negative reviews hold equal weight as positive ones, think again. Psychology reveals that it takes 40 positive reviews to balance out just one negative review in your customers’ eyes. This ratio is rooted in human behavior: People with bad customer experiences are likelier to leave reviews than happy ones.
So, if your product page is fraught with negative reviews, shoppers will steer clear of your product, assuming that the bad outweighs the good. To remedy this, make it a point to stay vigilant in addressing 1-star reviews. Contact your customer and ask them how you can rectify the situation.
You can either reach out to them privately. Or use the Sellerise Review Puncher Tool, which automatically sends emails to low-star reviewers. You can also set rules for different kinds of reviews, such as:
- Automatically offering a courtesy refund of the full amount to one-star reviewers
- Automatically asking two-star reviewers to leave a clarification on any product issues they may have
- Ignore or delete certain types of negative reviews altogether
- Get instant notifications for bad reviews
By reaching out to a displeased customer, you get the chance to turn their experience into a positive one—and possibly earn their loyalty and get a better review.
Tip #3: Answer Customer Questions Immediately
Potential buyers interested in a product of yours may leave a question before checking out in case they need to clarify details or address any doubts. Amazon allows direct communication between buyers and sellers so that sellers can provide personalized customer service. Use this to your advantage.
Do your best to proactively prevent cart abandonment by answering these questions as quickly as possible—if you can, try to respond within 24 hours or less. This will allow you to improve customer experience and increase brand loyalty while also minimizing the opportunity for missed sales.
Handling customers’ questions promptly, succinctly, and professionally adds to your ranking on Amazon as a marker of good customer relationship management.
Tip #4: Track Your Reviews
Customer reviews are a treasure trove of information relating to potential areas for improvement. When you monitor your reviews, you can identify trends that may be affecting your customers’ experience, such as:
- Product defects
- Poor packaging
- Product quality
- Unclear instructions
You can download a feedback report from your Amazon seller account regularly to read through reviews and address recurring issues. You can also use the Sellerise Review Requester Tool to monitor how many review requests you’ve sent over time and see things like your seller rating, reviews acquired, and whether you are on track with your review goals.
Tip #5: Check Amazon Guidelines
In addition to reaching out to negative reviewers, you can also flag reviews that violate Amazon’s Guidelines on Ratings and Reviews. For example, if a review falls under the following criteria, you are well within your rights to reach out to Amazon to have it removed:
- Contains promotions of other sellers, products, or websites
- Uses offensive language
- Contains abusive and illegal content (racism, violence, pornography, or criminal intent)
- Includes private information like passwords and financial information
Conclusion
Forming a review request strategy is an essential ingredient in your ecommerce store’s growth. By automating requests for customer feedback and addressing negative reviews, you’ll increase your chances of growing customer reviews and ranking better on Amazon’s search results.
Tools like Sellerise Review Requester and Sellerise Review Puncher can also help you stay on top of these reviews as you scale, allowing you to focus on growing your business and providing the best customer experience possible.
