Editor’s Note: Thanks to Henson Wu from FeedbackWhiz for the following guest post.
Product reviews are an important part of the Amazon marketplace. Almost everyone checks product reviews before making a purchase, and around 84% of people will trust a product review as much as a recommendation from a friend or family member.
Unfortunately, most customers do not leave product reviews. Product reviews are critical to your success, but they can be hard to come by. So what is a seller to do? How do you prompt customers to leave product reviews on Amazon without violating Amazon’s strict terms of service?
One highly effective way to encourage customers to write reviews is to use email marketing.
Using email marketing to encourage customers to write reviews
Email marketing is a virtual form of customer service, making it vital to any e-commerce seller. If you were running a brick-and-mortar store, you’d be friendly and helpful to your customers and hope that, in part, this is enough to bring them back in the future and even recommend your services to others. It won’t always work, but it will work often enough to make a difference to your bottom line. Email marketing, when done properly, can take the place of these face-to-face interactions.
Using a software tool like FeedbackWhiz, you can automate the process and design email templates to maximize their effectiveness towards their intended purpose. FeedbackWhiz enables you to respond promptly to buyer communications, strengthening the relationship and setting you up for more purchases from them in the future. You can also use email marketing to encourage customers to write reviews on Amazon.
Customers expect a quick response from you. Satisfying this expectation may be enough to prompt positive seller feedback, but it might not be enough to get a positive product review. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can follow to increase your chance at success.
Here’s what you need to know in order to set up a successful email campaign and start receiving more Amazon product reviews now:
Setting up a successful email campaign
Once a buyer purchases a product, you should follow up with a short series of emails. Using FeedbackWhiz’s automation tool, you can set up and design this series well in advance so that your communications go out how and when you need them to.
The timing of your emails will depend primarily on the type of products you sell. Some products require more time before an accurate product review can be left. If you sell a skin cream, for example, you might want to send your follow-up emails after the buyer has had enough time to use the cream and see its effects.
On the other hand, if you sell small and inexpensive products or products that serve specific and practical purposes, you probably want to send your follow-up emails sooner. These products are less likely to stay in the buyer’s mind, especially if they work as they should. In reaching out closer to the time of purchase, the likelihood of receiving a product review increases because the item is still fresh in the buyer’s mind.
Typical email sequence
No matter what product you are selling, a typical email sequence should look a little something like this:
- Order confirmation: Once an order has been received, email the buyer to let them know that you have received their order and inform them of when the item will be shipped.
- Shipping confirmation: Once an order has shipped, email to the customer to let them know that the package is on its way. Include a tracking link so they can check up on the location of their order.
- Purchase follow-up: Once you have shipped the product, wait until the buyer has had the chance to use and familiarize themselves with the product and then send a follow-up. As mentioned above, the timing of this email will depend on the nature of the product. This email is a check to make sure that everything is okay. It’s also a reminder for the customer to leave an honest product review. Be careful with your language; Amazon does not allow you to ask directly for a positive product review. Simply ask the buyer to take a moment to share his/her experience.
In the order and shipping confirmation emails, you might also consider including extra content. The nature of this content will vary depending on the product. For example, adding a PDF that includes product use tips or some sort of valuable additional information can go a long way to increase customer satisfaction with both you and the product, making them more inclined to leave you a product review.
While you may be tempted to add more emails to the sequence, less is often more. Any more than three emails and you run the risk of alienating your customer. Open rates trail off after these first communications. If you do not receive a product review after three emails, it is unlikely that you ever will.
Creating the design and content of your email series
The way you shape your content can have a considerable impact on your success in soliciting product reviews. Designs should be clear, uncluttered, and concise. The writing should be friendly, helpful, and not too sales-orientated.
The subject line
Begin by grabbing the buyer’s attention with a solid subject line. Short, sharp, and urgent subject lines are crucial to improved open rates. Personalize the subject line by using the buyer’s name and the product they have purchased. With FeedbackWhiz, you can A/B test your subject lines to track open rates and determine which version is most effective.
Design
When it comes to content, simple details like your color choices can influence customer behavior. Red, for example, is a powerful color that evokes desire and action. It can make a buyer more likely to purchase or click on a link. Yellow and orange are two of the most striking colors on the spectrum and are often used by marketers to grab a reader’s attention. As the first color seen by the eye, yellow should be used to highlight areas you want people to see. Think of your intention and plan your color choices accordingly.
Email marketing is far from an exact science. What works for one seller may not always work for everyone else. Pay close attention to your open rates and where your product reviews are coming from. Through tracking these metrics, you can fine-tune your email sequence to be even more effective. Getting this part right could be the key to getting more product reviews on Amazon, increasing your seller rating, and improving your sales.
Henson Wu is the co-founder and CEO of FeedbackWhiz. FeedbackWhiz helps Amazon sellers monitor, manage, and automate emails, product reviews, orders, and feedback. Build professional email templates with gifs, emojis, buttons, and attachments. A/B test subject lines and view open rate analytics. Send or exclude emails based on triggers such as refunds, shipment, delivery, feedback, and repeat buyers. Track and manage all product reviews. Instant notifications whenever a review is posted. Monitor all product listings and get alerts when critical events such as hijackers, buy-box loss, and listing changes occur.
