Amazon shoppers have countless options to choose from before making a purchase. That’s why, as a seller, it’s crucial to give them a compelling reason to choose your product over the rest. This requires building credibility for your brand and items, and one of the best ways to accomplish this is by getting Amazon reviews. Positive reviews show customers that the product you’re selling is a reliable, trustworthy choice.
Unfortunately, not all buyers will have good things to say about your product, even if it’s high-quality. Negative reviews are inevitable, but the good news is that you can strategically take action against them. By eliminating bad reviews and generating more positive ones, you can help boost that all-important star rating.
Here’s what you need to know about the impact of negative reviews and what you can do about them.
Key takeaways
- Negative Amazon reviews can have a major impact on sales. Customers trust online reviews, so optimizing yours as much as possible is well worth your time.
- Reviews influence various components of your business, including your seller rating, your chances of winning the Buy Box, and the effectiveness of your paid ads.
- To remove a negative review, you can reply directly to the customer or request Amazon to delete the review.
- Take a proactive approach to managing reviews. Use the Request a Review feature to ask customers for reviews, and constantly update your review strategy as you learn new tactics.
How negative Amazon reviews impact sales
When customers browse products on Amazon, one of the first things they see is the item’s overall rating. This number heavily influences the buyer’s perception of the product. Naturally, a product with a higher rating will be viewed more favorably in the customer’s eyes, while a poorly rated product will be seen as a low-quality item. According to research on online reviews, 36% of consumers aged 25 to 34 use online reviews for product research.
Likewise, 49% of customers report trusting online reviews as much as a recommendation from a friend or family member. To earn the trust and loyalty of Amazon customers, it’s in your best interests to optimize your product reviews as much as possible. Here are some key factors that your star rating can impact.
Seller rating
Amazon awards each seller a rating between 0 and 100 to monitor their selling performance. Your seller rating is determined by several factors, but one of the most critical is aggregate reviews. Amazon constantly updates your rating based on the product reviews you receive. It’s worth noting that this rating is relative, so if other sellers in your category are performing better and receiving better reviews, your rating will dip below theirs. Overall, this rating fosters a good relationship with Amazon and trust with customers that your business is worth buying from.
Buy Box
Most importantly, the higher your seller rating is, the better your chances are of winning the Buy Box. The Amazon Buy Box (also known as the Amazon Featured Offer) is a window located above the Buy Now button on a product page. Its purpose is to recommend products to customers to help them find what they need. By winning the Buy Box, you can significantly boost visibility and sales potential. However, if poor reviews hurt your chances of securing the box, your organic ranking and visibility will also take a hit.
Advertising effectiveness
Paid advertising is a highly effective strategy for maximizing sales. When executed well, ads can drive more traffic to your product listing and boost the visibility of your brand. However, if your product is suffering from negative reviews, you may notice a decline in the effectiveness of your ad campaign. This is because customers who land on your product page via a paid ad will be less inclined to purchase it based on feedback from previous buyers.
How to remove negative Amazon reviews
If you’ve received any negative product reviews, don’t fret. Amazon reviews aren’t necessarily permanent. By employing the right strategies, you can boost your chances of eliminating a negative review and improving your Amazon FBA seller reputation. We recommend trying one or more of these tactics:
- Reply directly to the review with strong customer service,
- Hide it with more positive reviews,
- Request that Amazon delete the review (if applicable).
Keep in mind that the nature of the negative review will influence the effectiveness of each strategy. We’ll explore each in more detail to help you decide which course of action is best for you.
How to reply to a negative review
Often, simply reaching out to the customer goes a long way. Most buyers are understanding, especially if you maintain a professional, courteous attitude when communicating with them. Taking the time to reply will also help set you apart from other sellers and improve your Amazon store reputation.
If you choose to reply to a review, do so in a timely manner. Most customers appreciate prompt responses. Additionally, investigate any issues they cited and be honest if something did go wrong. If you made a mistake, this is your chance to offer a sincere apology and explain what steps you’ll take to remedy the situation.
How to request Amazon to delete a negative review
In some cases, you can ask Amazon to remove the negative review you received. However, Amazon will only do this if the review violates Community Guidelines. If you believe it does, report it immediately. You can do this by navigating to the product detail page. Once you’ve found the offending review, click the “Report Abuse” button and follow the steps to report the review.
If you wish to take further action, you can also email [email protected] and report the review there. This will help bring the review to Amazon’s attention and increase the likelihood of them deleting it.
Proactive Amazon review management tips
While it’s impossible to prevent every negative review that comes your way, you can take steps to manage them proactively. One of the most effective ways to do this is by encouraging more positive reviews. Take advantage of the Request a Review feature, which is available in Amazon Seller Central. This allows sellers to request customer reviewers within four to 30 days of purchase.
You can also reach out to customers who have purchased similar products or belong to Amazon’s list of top reviewers. If their preferences align with your product, they will be more likely to provide you with positive seller feedback.
Other strategies include fine-tuning your ad targeting strategies to align closely with the intent of potential buyers within your target audience and providing clear and accurate disclaimers alongside accurate visuals.
Are all negative reviews bad?
It might not appear this way at first glance, but not all negative reviews are inherently bad. Some poor reviews can be a learning experience on what you can do differently going forward. In many cases, they even present you with the opportunity to respond to the buyer and convert them into a happy customer. In this sense, you can turn a negative review into a positive experience. With the right tools and perspective, you can manage less-than-flattering reviews in a way that benefits your business.
What’s a good product review rating?
Generally speaking, customers consider a “good” product review rating to be four stars or above. However, this highly depends on the type of product you’re selling and your industry. A good rule of thumb is to look at the average review ratings for your competitors’ products. This will help give you a clearer idea of what number or range you should aim for with your own items.
Can you ask customers to leave Amazon reviews?
When it comes to getting more Amazon reviews, sometimes all you need to do is ask. Many buyers are pleased with their product but simply don’t think to leave a review. By taking the initiative to request a review, you’ll help amplify the voices of your most satisfied customers. That said, it’s important to note that Amazon strictly prohibits asking for positive reviews. All you can do is request that buyers review the product and use a friendly, courteous tone to boost the likelihood of getting a positive rating.
There are numerous ways to ask customers to leave a review, including product inserts and feedback request emails. As discussed earlier, you can use the Request a Review feature in Amazon Seller Central to garner more feedback.
Final thoughts: Handling negative Amazon reviews
No seller wants to receive a negative product review. While you can’t always successfully remove these ratings, you can take steps to increase your chances of getting rid of them. In addition, you can optimize your products to be the best they can be when listing them on Amazon. With Trellis, we make selling on this platform straightforward, whether you are just starting out or are looking to grow your storefront to new heights. Our Amazon software tools leverage advertising, dynamic pricing, and more to take your business, and reviews, to the next level. Connect with us today.