Selling firearms online presents its own problems. Regulations and platform restrictions make it difficult for brands to reach customers and build an online presence.
But success is possible. Five firearm brands have used RaveCapture to collect more product reviews and overcome these challenges.
In this post, we’ll show you how they did it and what other firearm ecommerce businesses can do.
Why is Selling Firearms Online So Hard?
Selling firearms online has its own set of challenges that other industries don’t face. One of the biggest is the federal and state regulations that govern firearm sales. These laws require a lot of compliance and make online sales more complicated than selling a carry gun or everyday carry accessories.
Platform restrictions add another layer of complexity. Many ecommerce platforms like Shopify and payment processors like PayPal have policies against selling firearms and related products like trigger spring kits or buffer tubes. This limits options for online storefronts and forces firearm brands to look for specialized platforms like BigCommerce that can accommodate their needs.
Public opinion also affects online presence and customer engagement. Negative sentiment around firearms can make customers hesitant to engage or leave reviews. Collecting user-generated content is tough when customers are wary of publicly endorsing firearm products.
Standard review platforms won’t work with firearm companies, and many only operate on platforms that don’t support firearm sales. Gathering social proof, such as detailed reviews and user-generated visual content, is hard.
Specialized solutions like RaveCapture are needed to collect reviews, help brands increase review volume and show positive sentiment to attract customers.
RaveCapture Solution
RaveCapture is a specialized review solution for firearm brands that sell online. Unlike standard review platforms that don’t work with firearm companies, RaveCapture supports responsible businesses and integrates with BigCommerce.
It collects customer feedback despite industry challenges. With our campaign builder and survey tools, you can get the following:
- Customer Photos and Videos: Visual content that builds trust and engagement. Seeing real customers using your products helps potential buyers feel more confident in their purchase decisions.
- Detailed Feedback: Reviews that highlight product features and benefits. This in-depth information helps shoppers understand how your products meet their specific needs.
- User-Generated Content: Authentic testimonials as social proof. Genuine experiences from other customers enhance credibility and encourage new customers to choose your products.
- Boost Google Ads with Product Ratings: Import your RaveCapture reviews to add star ratings to your Google Shopping ads. This increases your ads’ visibility and credibility, helping you stand out in a competitive market and attract more potential customers.
This content increases your online reputation by boosting your review count and showcasing positive experiences. It builds trust with customers who are interested in products like everyday carry items or custom firearm accessories.
RaveCapture also solves shipping challenges by making review collection easier, even when orders take longer to complete. So, customer experiences are reflected in your reviews, whether they’re positive or constructive.
Let’s look at the firearm brands that use RaveCapture to build their online presence and collect reviews easily from their customers.
Five Firearm Brands Using RaveCapture
1. Mossy Oak Graphics
Mossy Oak Graphics offers high-quality camouflage vinyl wraps and decals for firearms, vehicles, and outdoor gear. Their products allow customers to personalize their equipment with realistic camo patterns for both looks and concealment in the field.
Review Achievement
Mossy Oak Graphics has collected 16,000 company reviews and 500 customer photos with RaveCapture. This huge review volume gives them credibility and customers valuable information about products and services.
The 16,000 reviews are all positive and 10 out of 10. They’re from verified buyers, so customers can trust the feedback is real and from actual customers who have used the products. The 500 customer photos add to that trust by showing the camouflage wraps on actual firearms and gear.
This user-generated content is social proof, building confidence among new visitors to the site. The visual testimonials help customers see the products on their own gear. Mossy Oak Graphics is a great example of how collecting a lot of real reviews and customer photos can impact a brand’s online reputation and sales.
2. VersaCarry
VersaCarry offers holsters, gun belts, and firearm accessories for daily carry. They serve individuals who carry firearms daily and offer products that combine functionality with quality.
Review Achievement
VersaCarry’s site has over 20,000 reviews. This large amount of customer feedback gives customers valuable information about product performance and satisfaction and gives the company credibility.
But customers can also see the reviews on each product page. So, someone looking for a specific product can see if it meets their needs based on others’ experiences.
VersaCarry used RaveCapture’s features to enhance its online presence:
- Trust Badge Display: Displaying the RaveCapture trust badge lets visitors know the reviews are real and verified, building trust.
- Display Widget with Images: Including customer images with reviews lets shoppers see the product in use and makes the experience more engaging.
- Review Sharing: Visitors can share specific reviews, helps spread positive feedback beyond the site – important in an industry where word of mouth matters.
- Helpful Review Votes: Allowing visitors to vote on reviews highlights the most helpful feedback and helps customers make a decision.
3. VZ Grips
VZ Grips is a custom firearm grip and accessory manufacturer focused on quality and design.
They offer a wide range of grips made from durable materials like G10, carbon fiber and micarta. These grips are designed to enhance the look and performance of various firearms for enthusiasts who value customization and functionality.
Review Achievement
VZ Grips has 8,000 product reviews and 4,700 customer photos with RaveCapture. They’re using the RaveCapture review snippet to display customer feedback in an organized and visually appealing way so visitors can browse reviews and see real images of the products.
VZ Grips also has a rating distribution bar that displays the number of 5-star, 4-star, 3-star, and lower-rated reviews in a progress bar format. This visual representation lets customers see overall satisfaction at a glance. By seeing how many people gave the products 5 stars, customers can make a more informed decision.
By using these features, VZ Grips builds customer trust and engagement and gets more visitors to consider their products.
4. Charlie’s Custom Clones
Charlie’s Custom Clones is a custom-built firearm clone and high-end component manufacturer. They specialize in replicating rare and hard-to-find military and law enforcement firearms for enthusiasts and collectors. By offering authentic parts and meticulous craftsmanship, they serve customers who want high-quality, specialized firearms and accessories.
Review Achievement
Charlie’s Custom Clones has 4,800 product reviews and over 1,000 customer photos with RaveCapture. On their homepage, you’ll see the RaveCapture trust badge next to a widget that displays customer testimonials. This builds credibility and trust with visitors, which is important for establishing an online presence for firearm brands.
They are extensively using RaveCapture’s display review features. On their product pages, they have “Ask a Question” and “Write a Review” buttons. This allows visitors to ask questions and read other customers’ reviews before buying.
Charlie’s has a dedicated page for customer photos and reviews. Clicking on an image opens a pop-up with detailed information, star rating, product link, image, “Buy Now” button, and social share options. This gallery shows their products in real life, simplifies the buying process, and encourages social sharing. For firearm brands, these features build customer engagement, social proof, and conversions.
5. Tucker Gun Leather
Tucker Gun Leather is a premium leather holster and gun belt manufacturer focused on customization and quality. They offer handcrafted products made from top grade leather for firearm owners who value functionality and style. They make sure each product is custom made to the customer’s needs and preferences.
Review Achievement
Tucker Gun Leather has 1,500 customer photos with RaveCapture. They have a custom gallery on their website, like Charlie’s Custom Clones, where they display customer-submitted images. Each image has a detailed review, information about the product purchased and a “Buy Now” button.
This is beneficial for firearm brands because it uses user-generated content to engage visitors, show product satisfaction, and convert. It creates a community feel, allows customers to be part of the brand’s story, and gets repeat business.
These five firearm brands use RaveCapture to collect real customer reviews and user-generated content to build trust and engagement with their audience.
Their stories show how specialized tools can help you navigate the regulations and platform limitations.
If you’re an ecommerce store owner in the firearm industry looking to establish an online presence, consider how RaveCapture can help you.