Wondering what are the best Amazon reviews strategies? Keep reading! I will share what I’ve found to be the best methods to get legit, verified reviews and keep them coming in at the highest rate possible!
Everyone knows that having good reviews, and a lot of them, is IMPERATIVE for Amazon success. In general, the more reviews you have, the higher the rate will be at which,shoppers CLICK and then ORDER your product.
Keep in mind that if you are LAUNCHING a new product, I’ve found getting your FIRST 10+ REVIEWS is Step #1 of a proper launch. This is because shoppers will NOT order a product that has 0, 1, or only a few reviews! For my entire launch playbook, check out my Amazon Launch Playbook – How to Rank on Page 1 FAST!
Ok, let’s dive into the best strategies for getting Amazon reviews!
Product Tester sites
This is the quickest & easiest method to get that initial batch of reviews that I’ve seen in my 6+ years of Amazon selling. I’ve been using this to get my first batch of reviews for new product launches. The site I use is called FBAreviews.com. They have a network of real Amazon Prime shoppers in the US who opted in to receive free products (via rebate) in exchange for honest feedback directly to the seller.
An Amazon review is optional, but about 90% of product testers leave one – making it the highest review rate of any ‘product tester’ or giveaway site that I know of.
They charge a $25 management fee per product tester (for our agency rate, get in contact) – which includes dealing with the customer, instructing them to search your target keyword on Amazon (SFB / Search Find Buy) confirming their order and issuing them the rebate.
Typically I will sign up for 20-40 tests ASAP on day 1 when a new product is in stock, then depending on my strategy, continue to do a handful of tests monthly to keep the reviews coming in.
The Process:
- You order any # of product tests on their website & pay the $25 fee per test.
- You provide your ASINs and target keyword for each (for SFB).
- You pay to cover the cost of the products via a separate PayPal invoice which they send you after the ASINs are provided.
What makes FBAreviews unique is their testers can only receive a free product max 5 times from their site, unlike other sites. On that note, let me know in the comments if you have found any product tester sites that are good!
Pro Tips:
- Place your order with them at least 1 week BEFORE your product is live, so testers are ready to order on day 1 – because there is a queue of a few business days before your deal is broadcasted to the network of testers.
- Turn off clippable-coupons on your listings until all products testers have ordered
- Keep in mind you will receive about 70% of the rebate cost BACK from the full-price Amazon sales made by the testers (sale price minus ~30% FBA fee). So factor this into your cashflow calculation.
Launch Example: 20 product tests, $19.99 sale price.
FAQ
- Is this within TOS? Yes because a review is not required.
- Is it safe? I haven’t seen anyone get flagged or blocked from this.
‘Request a Review’ Button
This is the single easiest thing you can do right now to increase your review rate. This is a new feature on Amazon. It’s a button inside Seller Central next to each order # that says ‘Request Review’. Sellers can click this one by one to send out Amazon’s default review request email to the customer.
Or, you can turn on Jungle Scout Review Automation (included in your Jungle Scout membership), which automates this entire process. Just turn it on and you’re done. Here’s my full article on Review Automation.
Packaging Inserts
Many savvy Amazon sellers use some sort of Call to Action (CTA) on their packaging insert with a QR code to get customers to scan & provide their email addresses.
I’ll bet you have opened a package and seen some sort of insert card that asks you to leave a 5-star review – this is not the way to go. I’ve seen some good ones and some HORRIBLE ones. The crazy thing is, SO many brands are doing it the WRONG way.
The highest converting CTA’s are:
- Get a FREE product
- Register your Warranty (or Extended Warranty)
- A big discount on something, like 50% off your next order
- Get Instructional Videos / Tips & Tricks / Supplemental Content
I have spoken with other Amazon experts and the conclusion I found is the Warranty and FREE product CTA’s are the highest converting.
How do I set up QR codes?
I use Geniuslink.com to set up the QR codes that I put on the insert. This is a useful tool because you can change the link destination at any time (e.g. it’s a dynamic code).
What are the best landing pages?
ManyChat
You can set up a custom flow that captures emails and delivers what you want. Here is the flow I created for my brand that captures their email to register the warranty, delivers tips, & then follows up 24-hours later for feedback. If you’d like to use it, get in contact.
Getreviews.ai
Getreviews.ai is a very cool landing page system specifically designed to… GET REVIEWS! It’s the only one I’ve seen with these features. First, it asks the complete a quick survey. Then invites them to optionally copy-paste their feedback as an Amazon review in 2 simple clicks… the first click copies what they wrote to their clipboard, the 2nd click takes them to the review page to easily paste it in.
Basically, it makes it as easy as possible for shoppers to post an Amazon review. Remember, the Amazon review is NOT required to get the reward, because that would be against TOS. It’s not cheap at $89/mo (here’s a 10% discount link), but it will definitely increase your review rate for the long term and help you get to 1000+ reviews way sooner, so def a positive ROI!
Getreviews.ai can embed into a page on your website, or be a standalone landing page.
Free alternative: a simple email capture on your website – if you want a free option, you can create a custom landing page on your website. Create a simple page where shoppers land to enter their email to receive something.
What is the best email software?
ActiveCampaign is best for marketing. Klaviyo is best for eCommerce. I use both – for my marketing company and my physical brand, respectively.
Amazon VINE Program
Many sellers are not fans of this because VINE Voice reviewers have a reputation of leaving picky reviews! For this reason, I usually avoid the VINE program. If you do want to give it a try, I recommend starting with 2-3 units then see if the reviews are positive before enrolling more. You can enroll a maximum of 30 units per ASIN.
The requirements to enroll are:
- Must have less than 30 reviews
- Must be FBA
- Must be Brand Registered
Buyer-Messaging / Email Drips
Auto follow-up emails, aka Buyer-Messaging, have changed as of 2020! Amazon has updated its rules regarding Buyer-Seller messaging – basically you can only send messages that are ‘required to complete the purchase’, plus ONE review request – but you can’t say anything other than simply asking for a review. For details, I wrote an article on Amazon’s new email drip rules.
So, make sure you have that 1 review request email automation set up. I use Jungle Scout for this. Feel free to use my swipe:
Dear Amazon customer,
Reviews are essential to our business. I’d really appreciate it if you could take a sec and leave a review on Amazon. Just click here: ____.
Thanks so much!
Riley Bennett
Owner, Company
If your product requires instructions, you can also send a separate email that delivers the instructions. Remember, the only permitted communication is only what is ‘required to complete the purchase’, plus simple ONE review ask.
Other Methods:
Rebate sites
While rebate sites are primarily used for ranking boost, the review rate can be 2-3x the normal rate. For example, I use Rebaid.com for product launches. When using their SMS follow-up system gets an 8-10% review rate (I have a discount link for 30-days free). The typical review rate for a regular customer is around 2-4%.
Influencers
This can be a bonus to get some video reviews here and there. If you are doing influencer collabs, you could invite them to order it from Amazon and leave an honest, unbiased video review. Keep in mind that it’s against TOS to require a review, or to ask them to say specific things that aren’t their honest opinion. You can give them guidelines, but you can’t tell them what to say. One site I discovered for finding influencers is called Influence.co.
Random people on Instagram & Facebook Groups
I know some sellers who have done this method, including my brother, with some moderate success.
Facebook Groups: make a post in groups where your target customers hang out, explaining that you just launched and are looking for some product testers.
Instagram: search hashtags and pages to find random people who might love your product. E.g. #newmom, #yogalover, #doglover etc. Send DMs to these and explain that you just launched on Amazon and are looking for some product testers. My brother told me that about 25% of people replied to the DM, and 25% of those actually went through with the order.
As always, you can’t require a review but you can explain that it’s highly appreciated. Also as always, have them search for your product on Amazon and order it full-price – no direct links. You can PayPal them to cover the product cost.
My takeaway here is I view these methods as time-consuming, and personally, I’d just pay FBAreviews a $25 fee to save me the time. That said, some people just feel good doing this method as they can engage with the reviewers and pick their brains about their experience. Also, you could have a VA do this.
Friends ‘n Family
Don’t do it! Friends and family are NOT allowed to leave reviews. I’ve personally received 2 warning emails about this because a friend left a review on 2 of my products. If friends or family order my products, I specifically them to NOT leave a review.
Early Reviewer Program
This has been discontinued as of early 2021.
Wondering how to REMOVE negative reviews? Check out our blog post on How to Remove Negative Reviews
Your Goal: The Snowball Effect at 1,000+ reviews.
This is the Holy Grail of Amazon. If you can achieve 1,000+ reviews and be at 4.3+ stars, oftentimes it leads to what I call The Snowball Effect. It’s like an upward spiral of sales & reviews. Shoppers really trust products that have 1,000+ reviews, so your conversion rate will go up – which leads to more sales – which leads to more reviews – which leads to more sales… and on and on!
The Snowball Effect: Achieve 1,000+ Reviews with 4.3+ stars and you will see an Upward Spiral of Sales, and be Solidified on Top of Page 1.
The BIG money $ on Amazon is on top of page 1 – and you will be there. When you achieve the Snowball Effect you will be what I call ‘solidified’ on top of page 1 because your CVR will be great, and will continue to be great as long as your rating remains good.
From there, your ranking will remain solid until either new competition comes to take your spot, your rating falls, or the demand for your product dwindles.
Case Study
One of my products, The StickyWallet, experienced this Snowball Effect. I implemented Product Inserts and Request Review Automation. It took 3 years to hit 1,000 reviews, at which point sales boosted by 10%.
By then it was sitting comfortably on the top half of Page 1 for its main keyword ‘stick on phone wallet’. Then it took just 1 year more to hit 2,000 reviews, at which point sales boosted by another 10%.
Conclusion
Getting reviews and keeping them coming in at a good rate is a huge part of selling on Amazon. These are the best ways I’ve found to get more reviews! Oh yeah, and of course, having a GREAT product that customers LOVE will also help tremendously!:)
What are your strategies? Do share in the comments!
Wondering what are the best Amazon reviews strategies? Keep reading! I will share what I’ve found to be the best methods to get legit, verified reviews and keep them coming in at the highest rate possible!
Everyone knows that having good reviews, and a lot of them, is IMPERATIVE for Amazon success. In general, the more reviews you have, the higher the rate will be at which,shoppers CLICK and then ORDER your product.
Keep in mind that if you are LAUNCHING a new product, I’ve found getting your FIRST 10+ REVIEWS is Step #1 of a proper launch. This is because shoppers will NOT order a product that has 0, 1, or only a few reviews! For my entire launch playbook, check out my Amazon Launch Playbook – How to Rank on Page 1 FAST!
Ok, let’s dive into the best strategies for getting Amazon reviews!
Product Tester sites
This is the quickest & easiest method to get that initial batch of reviews that I’ve seen in my 6+ years of Amazon selling. I’ve been using this to get my first batch of reviews for new product launches. The site I use is called FBAreviews.com. They have a network of real Amazon Prime shoppers in the US who opted in to receive free products (via rebate) in exchange for honest feedback directly to the seller.
An Amazon review is optional, but about 90% of product testers leave one – making it the highest review rate of any ‘product tester’ or giveaway site that I know of.
They charge a $25 management fee per product tester (for our agency rate, get in contact) – which includes dealing with the customer, instructing them to search your target keyword on Amazon (SFB / Search Find Buy) confirming their order and issuing them the rebate.
Typically I will sign up for 20-40 tests ASAP on day 1 when a new product is in stock, then depending on my strategy, continue to do a handful of tests monthly to keep the reviews coming in.
The Process:
- You order any # of product tests on their website & pay the $25 fee per test.
- You provide your ASINs and target keyword for each (for SFB).
- You pay to cover the cost of the products via a separate PayPal invoice which they send you after the ASINs are provided.
What makes FBAreviews unique is their testers can only receive a free product max 5 times from their site, unlike other sites. On that note, let me know in the comments if you have found any product tester sites that are good!
Pro Tips:
- Place your order with them at least 1 week BEFORE your product is live, so testers are ready to order on day 1 – because there is a queue of a few business days before your deal is broadcasted to the network of testers.
- Turn off clippable-coupons on your listings until all products testers have ordered
- Keep in mind you will receive about 70% of the rebate cost BACK from the full-price Amazon sales made by the testers (sale price minus ~30% FBA fee). So factor this into your cashflow calculation.
Launch Example: 20 product tests, $19.99 sale price.
FAQ
- Is this within TOS? Yes because a review is not required.
- Is it safe? I haven’t seen anyone get flagged or blocked from this.
‘Request a Review’ Button
This is the single easiest thing you can do right now to increase your review rate. This is a new feature on Amazon. It’s a button inside Seller Central next to each order # that says ‘Request Review’. Sellers can click this one by one to send out Amazon’s default review request email to the customer.
Or, you can turn on Jungle Scout Review Automation (included in your Jungle Scout membership), which automates this entire process. Just turn it on and you’re done. Here’s my full article on Review Automation.
Packaging Inserts
Many savvy Amazon sellers use some sort of Call to Action (CTA) on their packaging insert with a QR code to get customers to scan & provide their email addresses.
I’ll bet you have opened a package and seen some sort of insert card that asks you to leave a 5-star review – this is not the way to go. I’ve seen some good ones and some HORRIBLE ones. The crazy thing is, SO many brands are doing it the WRONG way.
The highest converting CTA’s are:
- Get a FREE product
- Register your Warranty (or Extended Warranty)
- A big discount on something, like 50% off your next order
- Get Instructional Videos / Tips & Tricks / Supplemental Content
I have spoken with other Amazon experts and the conclusion I found is the Warranty and FREE product CTA’s are the highest converting.
How do I set up QR codes?
I use Geniuslink.com to set up the QR codes that I put on the insert. This is a useful tool because you can change the link destination at any time (e.g. it’s a dynamic code).
What are the best landing pages?
ManyChat
You can set up a custom flow that captures emails and delivers what you want. Here is the flow I created for my brand that captures their email to register the warranty, delivers tips, & then follows up 24-hours later for feedback. If you’d like to use it, get in contact.
Getreviews.ai
Getreviews.ai is a very cool landing page system specifically designed to… GET REVIEWS! It’s the only one I’ve seen with these features. First, it asks the complete a quick survey. Then invites them to optionally copy-paste their feedback as an Amazon review in 2 simple clicks… the first click copies what they wrote to their clipboard, the 2nd click takes them to the review page to easily paste it in.
Basically, it makes it as easy as possible for shoppers to post an Amazon review. Remember, the Amazon review is NOT required to get the reward, because that would be against TOS. It’s not cheap at $89/mo (here’s a 10% discount link), but it will definitely increase your review rate for the long term and help you get to 1000+ reviews way sooner, so def a positive ROI!
Getreviews.ai can embed into a page on your website, or be a standalone landing page.
Free alternative: a simple email capture on your website – if you want a free option, you can create a custom landing page on your website. Create a simple page where shoppers land to enter their email to receive something.
What is the best email software?
ActiveCampaign is best for marketing. Klaviyo is best for eCommerce. I use both – for my marketing company and my physical brand, respectively.
Amazon VINE Program
Many sellers are not fans of this because VINE Voice reviewers have a reputation of leaving picky reviews! For this reason, I usually avoid the VINE program. If you do want to give it a try, I recommend starting with 2-3 units then see if the reviews are positive before enrolling more. You can enroll a maximum of 30 units per ASIN.
The requirements to enroll are:
- Must have less than 30 reviews
- Must be FBA
- Must be Brand Registered
Buyer-Messaging / Email Drips
Auto follow-up emails, aka Buyer-Messaging, have changed as of 2020! Amazon has updated its rules regarding Buyer-Seller messaging – basically you can only send messages that are ‘required to complete the purchase’, plus ONE review request – but you can’t say anything other than simply asking for a review. For details, I wrote an article on Amazon’s new email drip rules.
So, make sure you have that 1 review request email automation set up. I use Jungle Scout for this. Feel free to use my swipe:
Dear Amazon customer,
Reviews are essential to our business. I’d really appreciate it if you could take a sec and leave a review on Amazon. Just click here: ____.
Thanks so much!
Riley Bennett
Owner, Company
If your product requires instructions, you can also send a separate email that delivers the instructions. Remember, the only permitted communication is only what is ‘required to complete the purchase’, plus simple ONE review ask.
Other Methods:
Rebate sites
While rebate sites are primarily used for ranking boost, the review rate can be 2-3x the normal rate. For example, I use Rebaid.com for product launches. When using their SMS follow-up system gets an 8-10% review rate (I have a discount link for 30-days free). The typical review rate for a regular customer is around 2-4%.
Influencers
This can be a bonus to get some video reviews here and there. If you are doing influencer collabs, you could invite them to order it from Amazon and leave an honest, unbiased video review. Keep in mind that it’s against TOS to require a review, or to ask them to say specific things that aren’t their honest opinion. You can give them guidelines, but you can’t tell them what to say. One site I discovered for finding influencers is called Influence.co.
Random people on Instagram & Facebook Groups
I know some sellers who have done this method, including my brother, with some moderate success.
Facebook Groups: make a post in groups where your target customers hang out, explaining that you just launched and are looking for some product testers.
Instagram: search hashtags and pages to find random people who might love your product. E.g. #newmom, #yogalover, #doglover etc. Send DMs to these and explain that you just launched on Amazon and are looking for some product testers. My brother told me that about 25% of people replied to the DM, and 25% of those actually went through with the order.
As always, you can’t require a review but you can explain that it’s highly appreciated. Also as always, have them search for your product on Amazon and order it full-price – no direct links. You can PayPal them to cover the product cost.
My takeaway here is I view these methods as time-consuming, and personally, I’d just pay FBAreviews a $25 fee to save me the time. That said, some people just feel good doing this method as they can engage with the reviewers and pick their brains about their experience. Also, you could have a VA do this.
Friends ‘n Family
Don’t do it! Friends and family are NOT allowed to leave reviews. I’ve personally received 2 warning emails about this because a friend left a review on 2 of my products. If friends or family order my products, I specifically them to NOT leave a review.
Early Reviewer Program
This has been discontinued as of early 2021.
Wondering how to REMOVE negative reviews? Check out our blog post on How to Remove Negative Reviews
Your Goal: The Snowball Effect at 1,000+ reviews.
This is the Holy Grail of Amazon. If you can achieve 1,000+ reviews and be at 4.3+ stars, oftentimes it leads to what I call The Snowball Effect. It’s like an upward spiral of sales & reviews. Shoppers really trust products that have 1,000+ reviews, so your conversion rate will go up – which leads to more sales – which leads to more reviews – which leads to more sales… and on and on!
The Snowball Effect: Achieve 1,000+ Reviews with 4.3+ stars and you will see an Upward Spiral of Sales, and be Solidified on Top of Page 1.
The BIG money $ on Amazon is on top of page 1 – and you will be there. When you achieve the Snowball Effect you will be what I call ‘solidified’ on top of page 1 because your CVR will be great, and will continue to be great as long as your rating remains good.
From there, your ranking will remain solid until either new competition comes to take your spot, your rating falls, or the demand for your product dwindles.
Case Study
One of my products, The StickyWallet, experienced this Snowball Effect. I implemented Product Inserts and Request Review Automation. It took 3 years to hit 1,000 reviews, at which point sales boosted by 10%.
By then it was sitting comfortably on the top half of Page 1 for its main keyword ‘stick on phone wallet’. Then it took just 1 year more to hit 2,000 reviews, at which point sales boosted by another 10%.
Conclusion
Getting reviews and keeping them coming in at a good rate is a huge part of selling on Amazon. These are the best ways I’ve found to get more reviews! Oh yeah, and of course, having a GREAT product that customers LOVE will also help tremendously!:)
What are your strategies? Do share in the comments!
