Amazon Reviews: Your Guide to a 5-Star Rating

Having authentic, high-rating reviews for your product listing is crucial in the competitive marketplace of Amazon. Amazon FBA Sellers need to build a reliable brand to stand out in the mix and one of the best ways to do that is to have reviews.

The process of getting Amazon reviews has changed over the past few years, and we’re here to clear things up for you. So if you are wondering how to start pulling in 5-star reviews - look no further.

How Amazon Product Reviews Can Help FBA Sellers

Receiving good feedback from a customer on a product or service is helpful for any business. This is especially true on Amazon, where shoppers have millions of products to sort through, and competition is just a click away. Here are a few reasons why great product reviews will help you rise above the competition, and boost sales.

1. Build Trust. Consumers trust reviews to help them find the perfect product. When a detailed, honest review is available to potential customers it can help them learn about your product. While your product listings should go into detail about product specifics, consumers trust other consumers. Good reviews will share what makes your product special, how durable it is, how easy it is to put together, and how well a customer likes it. 
2. Win the Buy Box. Good reviews help sellers win the coveted Amazon Buy Box. The Buy Box buttons directly link to an individual seller’s product listing on Amazon, where a customer can add the item to their shopping cart or purchase it on the spot. Good reviews show that your product is legit and people love it. This will help Amazon algorithms do the same, and help you to win the Buy Box.

Boost your Product Ranking. Since most sales happen on the first page of search results, and even in the first three listings a good product ranking is essential to maximize your sales. Good reviews mean more sales and more sales means a higher ranking. The better you rank, the easier it will be for new customers to find your product on Amazon.

These are just a few reasons why a good Amazon review or store rating is essential for sellers. But with some of the updates in Amazon’s reviewing system in recent years, are you wondering how Amazon reviews work in 2024? 

We break down all the details below and give tips on getting those helpful reviews and ratings straight to your storefront so you can start to thrive on Amazon.

How to Get Product Reviews on Amazon

Whether you are just starting out, a seasoned pro, or launching a new product a good review is always a great way to boost your seller profile. It will also help potential customers get to know your products and brand more.

At the end of the day, any good rating or review will lead to a boost in your business, whether big or small. So in a marketplace such as Amazon, reviews and ratings are a useful way to help funnel those potential customers to your store so that they can start browsing, clicking, and buying.

So here are a few tips on how to get product reviews.

Amazon Vine 

A few years ago, Amazon created the Amazon Vine Program to help regulate the authenticity of product reviews on the platform. The goal was to help eliminate fake reviews and build consumer trust on the platform. Amazon Vine is the only way buyers can get Amazon Terms of Service-compliant reviews.

While the program was designed to help customers, it can be very helpful for sellers on Amazon. Amazon Vine is an invitation-only program, only registered and trusted reviewers are selected to participate. When reviewers in the Vine program write reviews, they will help future customers evaluate your product, see if it meets their needs, and make a purchase.

Vine is an important tool FBA Sellers can take advantage of. Amazon has found that Vine reviews can boost sales of a new product by up to 30%. 

Vine Hack: List child variations separately during the Vine period, then merge them together once Vine is completed. This can allow you to get up to 30 reviews per variation. 

If you want to participate in the program as a seller, first you’ll have to enroll the product you’d like to get reviewed and provide up to 30 free samples to Amazon. Your new product can get featured in Vine’s Monthly Newsletter, and the reviewers can order your product to be shipped to them in exchange for an unbiased review.

As an Amazon seller, you can join the Vine program if you:

• Have launched your Amazon store
• Have the inventory of the product you’d like reviewed
• Register your brand with Amazon’s official Brand Registry
• Have an image and description of the new product
• Have less than 30 reviews on a product detail page
• Can offer a purchasable FBA product that’s in ‘New’ condition

Amazon’s Request a Review Button

Another way to get reviews is to well, just ask for them. To do this you will need to utilize the ‘Request Review’ button for an order through Amazon Seller Central. With this option you will need to select with customers you would like to ask a review for and manually request a review from them. 

When you “Request Review,” Amazon will then send a message to the customer asking them what they thought of your product and to leave a review. This option is available for sellers to request from a customer 5 - 30 after a purchase. 

A couple of tips if you choose to use this method. 

• Check out the buyers leaving seller feedback, as those buyers are most likely to leave a product review. 
• The reviewer matters, so sellers should always check the rating of the users leaving reviews. 
• Ask for reviews from buyers whom you have interacted with, i.e. any extra communication, or anything that goes the extra mile from a typical purchase. Because you’ve already developed a connection with that buyer, it is more likely they will leave a review for your services.

Package Inserts 

One way to get reviews, and build brand loyalty while doing so, is to include a package insert with your product. This can be as simple as a slip of paper with information about your company and a message asking the seller to leave feedback.

Suppose you really want to go above and beyond here and make a lasting impression. In that case, you can create a branded insert with information about your company, information on how to follow you on social media or get to your website, and a CTA to leave feedback. 

One thing to keep in mind here is Amazon’s terms of service. Make sure any inserts you include are within their set guidelines. 

Frequently Asked Questions

See these frequently asked questions about Amazon reviews.

1. How can I see my reviews on the Amazon app?

To find your Amazon reviews, start by opening the app and go to your profile. Click on the top left corner, then tap the section marked Your Account, then tap the Profile section under Personalized Content. Scroll down to the section marked “Community Activity” and click on the drop-down menu where you can see “View: Reviews”

2. Are Amazon reviews reliable?

The reviews you find on FBA seller accounts through the Vine program are authorized and therefore designed to filter out fake previews. As the program works by invitation only, trusted reviewers are able to post opinions on the latest products set to launch on Amazon. According to the official Amazon website, “the program was created to provide customers with more information including honest and unbiased feedback from some of Amazon's most trusted reviewers.”

3. What is a good product rating to have?

The sweet spot of an Amazon ranking is 4.2 - 4.9 stars. Having a 4+ rating will show buyers that your product is quality and worth the purchase. Anything less than 4.0 can damage your listing, ranking, and turn away potential customers.

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