Over the years, one recurring question has echoed among ecommerce store owners: “How do I get more product reviews?”
At first glance, it seems simple. After all, customers love sharing their opinions, right? But dig a little deeper, and the challenges start to pile up. How do you encourage real customers to leave feedback? How do you manage the risks of fake reviews or respond effectively to a negative review? And most importantly, how do you turn customer feedback into a tool for business growth?
This guide cuts through the noise with practical, actionable tactics to help ecommerce businesses collect impactful user-generated reviews.
1. Create Post-Purchase “Unboxing Moments”
The excitement of unboxing combines curiosity and satisfaction, offering a perfect opportunity to showcase your product’s quality and presentation.
Customers love sharing these moments because they feel special, creating a ripple effect that inspires trust and interest from others.
Unboxing moments highlight your product and give potential buyers confidence in their purchase, fostering loyalty and encouraging reviews.
How to Encourage Unboxing Shares
- Add a Personal Touch With Handwritten Notes. Include a short handwritten note that shows customers you value their support. Use it to thank them for their purchase and invite them to share their unboxing experience on social media using your branded hashtag.
- Offer a Discount Coupon for the Next Purchase. Add a visually appealing card with a discount code for future purchases in the package. Mention the discount as a thank-you gift and encourage them to share their experience alongside their review.
- Create a Branded Hashtag and Feature Customers. Use a clear, memorable hashtag and regularly feature customer posts on your social media. Highlighting their content motivates others to share their experiences, creating a sense of community around your brand.
Benefits of Unboxing Moments
- Generates Authentic Content: Customers share real experiences, creating valuable marketing material.
- Builds Emotional Connections: A memorable unboxing experience fosters trust and loyalty.
- Expands Visibility: Shared moments expose your brand to wider audiences, boosting sales and reputation.
Example: Apple elevates the customer experience by designing packaging encouraging positive feedback and satisfying unboxing experience.
2. Leverage QR Codes for On-the-Spot Reviews
QR codes are a simple yet effective tool for collecting authentic reviews and customer testimonials. Placing them on receipts, thank-you cards, or product packaging makes it incredibly easy for customers to provide honest feedback.
Imagine a customer unwrapping their product, delighted with the experience, but unsure how to leave a review. Instead of searching for an email link or navigating your website, they scan a QR code and are instantly directed to your review request email page or product review app.
This convenience eliminates friction and encourages customers to share their thoughts while their experience is still fresh.
How to Implement QR Codes for Reviews
- Create Easy Scanning Opportunities. QR codes should link directly to your review submission page, cutting out unnecessary steps. Use clear instructions, such as “Scan to share your feedback!” on the packaging or thank-you card. Position the code where it’s immediately visible, such as inside the box or on the receipt.
- Add Incentives for Scanning. Boost engagement by offering rewards for scanning and leaving reviews. These could be discount codes, loyalty points, or access to exclusive offers. For example, “Scan and leave a review to get 10% off your next purchase!”
- Integrate With Post-Purchase Emails. Include QR codes in your post-purchase emails or feedback request emails. A message like “Loved your purchase? Let us know!” with a scannable code makes it effortless for customers to respond.
Benefits of QR Codes
- Encourages Quick Responses: Reduces the effort for customers to leave user reviews while their impressions are fresh.
- Optimizes for SEO: Collecting customer feedback strengthens your site’s search engine optimization and online presence.
- Enhances Customer Interaction: QR codes offer a frictionless way to engage with your customers and build customer trust.
Example: Some small businesses add QR codes to their receipt to gather customer feedback surveys, a tactic that can drive positive experiences for online stores.
3. Integrate Reviews With Referral Programs
Pairing a review incentive with a referral program creates a dual benefit: it encourages customers to leave feedback while expanding your customer base.
Although referral programs don’t directly increase the number of product reviews, they bring in new customers who can be invited to share their experiences.
The more customers you have, the larger your audience for review requests, and the more feedback you’ll likely collect.
How to Implement
- Create a Reward System. Offer a $5 discount for leaving a review and $10 when a referral leads to a purchase. Use referral tracking tools to automate and manage rewards efficiently.
- Promote Across Channels. Share program details on social media, in post-purchase emails, and through thank-you cards in your packaging. Use QR codes or links for easy access.
- Leverage Confirmation Emails. Add referral links to confirmation emails with a message like, “Loved your purchase? Share this link with friends and get $10 when they shop.”
Benefits
- Increases Review Potential: More referrals mean more customers and, eventually, more reviews.
- Builds Trust and Loyalty: Personal recommendations enhance credibility while rewards keep customers engaged.
- Encourages Repeat Purchases: Incentives tied to referrals and reviews drive ongoing interaction with your store.
4. Gamify the Review Process
Instead of simply asking for reviews, gamification adds an interactive element, such as earning points or unlocking rewards, to encourage valuable feedback from real customers.
A great example of how this works is Starbucks Rewards. The loyalty program keeps customers engaged by offering points for purchases, which can be redeemed for free items.
This approach can be adapted for ecommerce customer reviews. You can create a similar sense of excitement and ongoing engagement by rewarding customers with points for leaving feedback—especially detailed reviews with photos or videos.
How to Implement Gamification for Reviews
- Point-Based Systems. Offer points for every review a customer submits. Points can be redeemed for discounts, free products, or exclusive perks. For example, customers earn 10 points for a written review, 20 points for a photo review, and 30 points for a video review.
- Tiered Star Ratings and Rewards. Create tiers of rewards based on the quality of feedback provided. Customers who leave detailed reviews, include photos or videos, or provide insights that other shoppers find helpful can earn higher-tier rewards.
- Engaging Email Templates. Use creative, branded email templates to encourage participation. Include gamified language like, “Earn 20 points by reviewing your recent purchase!” or “You’re one review away from unlocking a reward!”
Benefits of Gamification
- Encourages Detailed Feedback: Customers are motivated to provide richer content, such as photos and videos, beyond basic reviews.
- Strengthens Customer Relationships: Gamification creates an ongoing connection with your store, encouraging repeat interactions and loyalty.
- Increases Engagement Across Platforms: Customers who enjoy the gamified experience are more likely to interact with your store on social media and other channels.
5. Use Review Management Tools for Better Collection
Manually tracking and requesting reviews can quickly become overwhelming as your store grows.
Crafting individual requests, monitoring responses, and updating product pages is tedious and often leads to missed opportunities for collecting valuable feedback.
Review management tools like RaveCapture simplify the process by automating online review request emails, organizing submissions, and integrating feedback and social proof directly into your store.
How to Implement
- Automate Review Requests: Set up post-purchase emails to automatically send a review request a few days after the customer receives their order. Tools like RaveCapture make scheduling simple while keeping the messages personalized.
- Create Branded Review Forms: Use custom design options to align the review form with your store’s look and feel. Keep the questions clear and concise to make it easy for customers to share their thoughts.
- Showcase Star Ratings: Use the tool to add average rating badges to product pages, which helps reassure prospects by showing the experiences of happy customers.
Benefits
- Saves Time: Reduces manual work for your customer support team, allowing them to focus on engaging with customer issues.
- Boosts SEO Efforts: More user-generated reviews improve your rankings on search engines.
- Increases Conversions: Positive feedback on product pages encourages potential customers to shop confidently.
6. Collaborate With Influencers for Joint Review Campaigns
As an ecommerce store owner, think about your own purchases. How often have you been swayed by seeing someone you trust—whether an influencer or a friend—using a product?
These relatable moments carry far more weight and help them make informed decisions than traditional ads. Collaborating with influencers or loyal customers taps into this trust, generating authentic reviews and user-generated content that resonate with their audiences.
How to Implement
- Identify Relevant Influencers. Partner with influencers whose audience matches your target market. Tools like Instagram Insights can help assess demographics and engagement rates. Focus on micro-influencers (10,000–50,000 followers) for stronger engagement.
- Product Gifting. Send free products for influencers to review or feature in their content. Include simple instructions to ensure your product is presented in its best light.
- Transparency and Compliance. Encourage influencers to use disclosure tags like #Sponsored or #Ad to maintain transparency and comply with advertising regulations.
Benefits of Influencer Collaborations
- Community Growth. Reach new audiences through influencers’ engaged followers.
- Builds Trust. Authentic content from satisfied customers showcases real usage, helping you build solid customer trust.
- Quality Content Creation. Influencers produce polished content you can repurpose for your social media channels.
7. Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Providing outstanding customer service can turn ordinary transactions into memorable experiences that inspire positive reviews.
Chewy exemplifies this by focusing deeply on customer care. Their approach includes heartfelt gestures like sending pet portraits created by a dedicated team of artists or sympathy flowers when a pet passes away.
They even encourage customers to donate incorrect purchases to shelters rather than return them. Chewy’s 24/7 support team answers calls promptly, creating trust and personal connections that leave a lasting impact.
How to Implement
- Celebrate Customer Stories. Feature exceptional reviews in personalized follow-up emails to highlight customer voices and build a sense of community.
- Thoughtful Gestures. Surprise customers with small, meaningful acts, such as complimentary extras or tailored thank-you notes that connect to their purchases.
- Empathetic Support. Train your customer support team to handle issues with care, offering solutions like refunds or donations for misordered items to build goodwill.
Benefits
- Generates Authentic Reviews. Exceptional service inspires customers to share genuine feedback about their experiences.
- Builds Long-Term Loyalty. Thoughtful care strengthens relationships, leading to repeat business.
- Humanizes Your Brand. Personal interactions show customers you genuinely care, increasing trust and engagement.
Build Momentum With Customer Reviews
Customer reviews are one of the most effective tools to build trust, drive business growth, and create meaningful customer relationships.
Here’s a recap of the seven ways to get more reviews from customers:
- Encourage customers to share their unboxing experiences for authentic user-generated content.
- Simplify review submissions with scannable QR codes on packaging or emails.
- Combine incentives for reviews and referrals to expand your customer base.
- Make reviews fun and rewarding with point-based systems and tiered incentives.
- Automate the review collection process with platforms like RaveCapture.
- Partner with influencers to amplify reviews and connect with niche audiences.
- Deliver personalized care that inspires positive feedback and loyalty.
By implementing actionable marketing strategies as business owners, you can improve customer satisfaction and influence the purchase decisions of your prospects with healthier and more genuine approaches.
Ready to simplify the collection of ecommerce product reviews? Try RaveCapture today to automate review requests, gather authentic reviews, and display them on your store to boost customer trust and sales.