Build Your Brand with Amazon Review Management

Whether you sell exclusively on Amazon or use other sales channels, Amazon reviews can be a huge part of building your brand's reputation. Of course, the number and quality of product reviews affect your listing's ranking in the Amazon search algorithm, and Google often shows the star rating of an item right in the Google search results when it pulls up an Amazon listing. Many shoppers even confess to looking up Amazon reviews for a product while in a physical retail store.

So, how can you make sure those reviews are encouraging your shopper to purchase and keep your brand's image strong?

Get Plenty of Amazon Reviews

Many sellers have the impression that Amazon doesn't allow you to ask for reviews yourself; you just have to take whatever comes or rely on Amazon's efforts.

However, Amazon itself doesn't say that. In its Communication Guidelines, Amazon states that "proactive permitted messages" include one request per order for a product review and/or seller feedback, sent through Buyer-Seller Messaging. Amazon also provides another way to send request messages on the Order Detail page for each order. Just click the big button that says "Request a Review," and Amazon will send a templated message customized to the buyer's order.

While some may argue that this isn't necessary because Amazon does send some review requests, it certainly is not outside Amazon policies. Having an Amazon review management strategy can't hurt, and it just might help! Most happy buyers don't think to leave reviews on their own, so prompting each one with a polite, simple message that makes it easy to leave a review is a good way to gain more reviews.

Don't have time to click the Request a Review button for every order? Of course you don't! Tools like FeedbackFive can automate that process completely so that every buyer gets the right review request at the right time.

Make Sure Those Reviews Are (Mostly) Positive

Of course, to ensure those reviews are mostly positive, make sure your product is high-quality, your listing is accurate and clear, and your customer service is impeccable. Providing an excellent customer experience is a crucial part of Amazon review management because reviews are all about your products.

Ensuring a high-quality product starts with researching your manufacturer thoroughly, requesting samples of each product before listing them online, and getting regular factory inspections to make sure the factory isn't getting sloppy after earning your trust.

Accurate, clear listings make sure the buyer understands exactly what your product can and can't do so that they will only purchase it if it's the right product for their needs. Your listing can also include videos or diagrams of how to set up or use the item if there's any room for confusion. This prevents negative reviews based on improper use or misunderstandings.

Lastly, although customer service is supposed to be rated via the seller feedback system and not the product review system, buyers don't always understand the difference. Avoid a headache by making the effort upfront to provide fast, as-promised shipping, free returns, and speedy replies to any customer questions. (Using Fulfillment by Amazon may help a lot with these things, but research the fees and process thoroughly before choosing that route, and make sure your business will still be profitable.)

Leverage Negative Reviews to Your Advantage

Even with all this, you'll inevitably get a negative review sometimes. This is actually not as big of a problem as you might initially think, as long as there are plenty of positive reviews to outweigh it. With the right Amazon review management strategy, you can often make negative reviews work to your advantage.

First, buyers might be suspicious of a product that has thousands of shiny five-star ratings and no negatives at all. That looks as if the brand has been bribing customers to leave good reviews only or using some other shady tactic to manipulate the ratings (which Amazon strictly forbids, on pain of your seller account being permanently deactivated). The occasional honest negative review from a customer who just didn't like the product, alongside plenty of honest positives from customers who did, gives shoppers an accurate idea of the product and whether it's right for them, which is beneficial as they consider their purchase.

Second, if you have Amazon Brand Registry, you can contact buyers who left negative reviews and send a templated message offering either a refund or a replacement. While you cannot (per Amazon's strict policy) ask buyers to change or remove their reviews, this offer of excellent service might encourage buyers to do so on their own. Even if not, you may build better rapport with that individual customer and even win them over for a future purchase.

Lastly, you can learn a lot from negative reviews, including things that might help you improve your product and listing for the long term. Monitor and analyze all your product reviews and look for patterns in the negative reviews. Maybe you'll discover your factory has gotten sloppy after all and sent out some defective units, or that something in your listing is unclear and causing the wrong buyers to purchase your product. Whatever the issue, being able to correct it over the long term will help you maximize sales and build an even stronger brand.

Simplify Amazon Review Management

FeedbackFive is designed to make Amazon review management easy. Get started sending automated (but customizable!) requests in just a few minutes. You can get alerts for negative reviews, monitor your ASINs, and even send product-specific messages. Plus, you get 24/7 listing monitoring and alerts included with your plan for comprehensive Amazon reputation management. Try it free today!