Get Five-Star Amazon Reviews The Right Way
Whether you’re a business selling a product or an author publishing your next book, reviews on Amazon can propel you and your sales forward. Before you make any time consuming or costly mistakes there are some key strategies to help bring in great reviews.
According to an article on Econsultancy 61 percent of online purchases are made after reading a review. The article also reveals that recommendations increase your conversion rates and helps remove any doubts from a buyer’s mind. Other benefits include:
- Free word-of-mouth advertising for your product or book
- Stand out from the rest of the competition
- Perceived value
As an author or business owner great reviews also help establish a strong presence on social media, otherwise known as social proof. The more authentic ratings you have the larger your chances are of being noticed in the networks and on Amazon. The key is to have in place authentic, and verified purchase reviews rather than purchasing feedback. In fact, last April Amazon filed a lawsuit against four websites offering fake reviews. Engaging in this practice could mean serious damage to your reputation and possibly being banned from selling on Amazon.
The best way to get the review process started is to reach out to your current community online. This may include your subscribers, social media fans and followers, LinkedIn connections, ect. You will want to do this in advance of a product or book release, which also builds a level of anticipation. Consider hosting a giveaway event or offer free copies to a select group with a request to leave a review. If you’re an author using KDP you can create a free promotion right from your account, and list your book with legitimate promotion services.
Here are several important steps in keep in mind when attracting five-star reviews on Amazon:
- Create an accurate title and description – Many bad reviews are based on customers feeling misled after reading a product or book page. The key is to be honest, clear, and concise as possible without too much or confusing information. Here’s a good example from one of my clients on his newly released book, Flying Thru Life:
- Follow up with your buyers – Amazon will automatically send a reminder to verified purchases about leaving a review, which is generic and can be overlooked. A more personalized approach can get your customer’s attention, which can be done through a service like FeedbackFive, which helps you manage your product reviews for better conversions.
- Reach out to your network – If any of your buyers are from your social media community or website subscribers list then this can be a great opportunity to thank them for their purchase, and ask them for a review. This is also a good time to offer something of value to them for free, which will help place your name or company in the forefront of their minds.
- Contact Amazon reviewers in your niche – This may take some research and time, but is well worth the effort to locate top reviewers who have already made a favorable review on a product or book similar to yours. The place to begin is on Amazon’s Top Reviewer list, which offers a profile for each individual. There you can view their latest reviews, description, and contact information. Some do not wish to be contacted, and may say so in their profiles or leave out that information entirely:
Alternatively you can perform a keyword search in Amazon to discover products or books in your niche and find reviewers that way. I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep a record of my contacts, but you will will want to use whatever tools works best for your business tracking system for contacts. The best way to approach someone is with a free offer for the review, which can be in the form of a gift card for purchase or the actual physical product. For books this can be either the printed edition or a digital copy, and some reviewers may specifically request a printed edition. Craft a professional, descriptive email that does not sell directly, but offers a clear description that will draw in their interest like this example from my Klout Score book promotion: 
After you have reached out to your network, customers, and Amazon reviewers with a commitment to leave feedback you will want to stay in touch with them throughout the process to ensure that they have left a review and to thank them if they already have. This will ensure that the next time you have a product or book release they will be likely to review again.
What about bad reviews?
The Internet has a way of inviting in those who are willing to leave less favorable feedback. Don’t allow this to discourage you as it is bound to happen, especially on a website as large as Amazon. The key is to respond in a positive, and constructive way, and learn from legitimate complaints. Depending on the situation you can offer a replacement, refund, and in the case of book reviews acknowledge their viewpoints addressing any misunderstandings in a polite and professional manner. Amazon has specifically outlined its review policy here.
It’s important to understand that as Amazon reviews continue to evolve the best approach for your business or publication is to maintain great relationships online that generate an interest in what you have to offer. More recently the company announced that artificial intelligence will be slowly rolled out to reflect actual reactions from customers based on “helpful” product reviews. The authentic approach works best when attracting feedback, and can help move your name up to the top of the list on Amazon.
First, may I say, it has been a pleasure shopping at Amazon online. The merchandises I ordered have meet my expectations and the packages are very nicely delivered.
The delivery has been excellent too. In all og my shopping, only once did I have to return an item that had been damaged.
In all my shopping, only once did I return an item that had been damaged. It was picked up outside of my home and another was redelivered immediately.
Truly, I am a very satisfied customer,
Thank you.
Hendryl Harrell