The first reviews on Amazon are of enormous value. After all, hardly any customer buys a product without reviews. However, buying the first reviews is not always the solution. We explain which mistakes you should avoid and how you can get real reviews on your products.

The importance of reviews on Amazon

Alongside product images, reviews are the biggest lever for building trust in the brand and the product. Amazon reviews play a major role in deciding whether the customer buys from you or switches to the competition, which is just a click away.

A study shows just how important reviews on Amazon really are: 27 per cent of all respondents stated that they base their purchase decision heavily on the reviews. A total of 42 per cent also stated in the study that reviews provide an important first impression of the product on Amazon.

Amazon reviews, especially those of a positive nature, give the customer confidence! They provide what is known as social proof, i.e. proof that other people have already decided in favour of the product and were satisfied with it. They therefore encourage other users to do the same.

Amazon’s position on reviews

Amazon repeatedly emphasises the importance of authentic reviews for the platform. Jeff Bezos commented: “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn a good reputation by working hard and doing your job well.”

Many people ask themselves: isn’t there a way to manipulate reviews? Amazon’s terms and conditions are clear here: ‘Any attempt to manipulate judgements, ratings and product reviews is prohibited.’

What exactly falls under this ban is also clearly stated: Retailers may not ‘offer compensation for a review or write a review of their own or a competitor’s product.’ It is often said that customers should be asked for a review by email after purchase, sometimes even with discount codes and rewards as an incentive. But here too, Amazon is clear in its terms and conditions: ‘Unsolicited emails to Amazon customers (unless necessary for shipping and related customer service) and marketing-related emails of any kind are prohibited.’

However, there is a little trick: the request/encouragement for a review is permitted on the invoice. Own product test campaigns are also excluded by the terms and conditions. However, this is not because Amazon sees this as a threat to the validity of reviews. Rather, such campaigns mean competition. This is because Amazon has now launched its own programmes such as the Early Reviewer Programme (USA and UK only) or Amazon Vine.

No-gos when dealing with Amazon reviews

You should avoid the following points at all costs:

Buy Amazon reviews

For many, buying reviews seems to be the easiest way. However, if you take a closer look at the offers, you quickly realise that they are not reputable. Most offers for purchased or fake reviews are advertised with absurd promises. Negative Amazon reviews can even be bought for competitors – an absolute no-go under competition law.

Repurpose an old article

Another popular tip is to repurpose an old item with good Amazon reviews for a new item. This can be observed particularly with mobile phone accessories, so that cases sometimes already have a few reviews before the product launch. However, if Amazon finds out about this, e.g. through a competitor, you will be removed from the listing. And there is also the threat of your retailer account being closed! This also means that you are not authentic for the customer and lose credibility.

Excessive discounts

Also frequently read: Offering the item far too cheaply at the beginning, often even below cost price. Retailers hope that this will result in quick purchases and reviews, after which the product, including Amazon ratings, is then sold at the normal price. However, there is a realistic risk of being penalised by Amazon. You often lose the Buy Box or the item slips down in the search.

How to generate more purchases through Amazon reviews

As you can see, many tips tend to be detrimental to success on Amazon in the long term. Nevertheless, there are a few ways in which you can generate authentic reviews.

Optimise the listing content

To rank as high as possible with your listing, you need to make sure you use the right keywords. Include these relevant keywords in all important parts of the listing. At the same time, high-quality photos and convincing product texts are also crucial for a successful listing. Emphasise the benefits of your product to increase the click rate and conversion rate. This is because you will appear higher up in the search results, sales will increase and you will receive more reviews. However, this tip is particularly important for long-term success on Amazon. For a new product, however, it does not directly lead to more reviews.

Excellent customer service

Courteous customer service is the goldmine for new positive reviews on Amazon. Even and especially if a customer wants to return a product or has another problem, you can receive a positive product review through excellent customer service. This is because you are much more likely to receive a customer review from a customer with whom you have already had contact. But again, you have to wait for the first orders or enquiries for your product without reviews.

Use Amazon programmes for reviews

Amazon itself has also long recognised how difficult it is to generate the first reviews. Amazon Vine stood initially only available to vendors. However, the product tester programme will also be available to German retailers from the end of 2019. Reviewers classified as trustworthy receive their product free of charge so that they can give it an honest review. The reviews are labelled as Vine reviews with a green label Participating products must.

• Belong to a brand for which you are registered as an authorised representative
• Less than 30 Amazon reviews have
• New and offered with shipping by Amazon and
• Be in stock when shipped by Amazon
• Can be used independently of other products (except protective covers for common mobile phone models)

In the past, quite high fees of $2,500-7,500 per product were charged for this. This meant that Amazon Vine was only worthwhile for very large launches. With the launch in Germany, however, participation is free for the first 6 months. This makes Amazon Vine a very good way to get your first verified product reviews. With this official programme for product testing, you do not run the risk of being blocked by Amazon.

E-mail lists

If you have already built up an extensive list of email addresses outside of Amazon, you can use these to receive reviews. This allows you to send the link to the new product directly to your target group and also ask for a review from your ‘regular customers’. The prerequisite for this, however, is a large list of at least several thousand email addresses. This usually takes years of work. However, it pays off because this method is very effective.

The Facebook Bot

The Facebook Bot is an interactive advert in your customers’ newsfeed. It encourages interaction so that you can answer the customer’s questions directly. At the same time, you can also ask the customer questions. This not only makes them feel noticed, but you can also learn more about them to customise the buying experience for your customer. Used correctly, this creates a conversation that feels like a conversation with a friend. This enables personal interaction, bringing online sales much closer to the familiar sales experience in offline retail.

Parcel inserts

You can also encourage your customers to write a review with small flyers in the package. However, you should be careful not to promise a benefit in return or demand a purely positive review. And ultimately, parcel inserts are not a miracle cure either. Only a few customers will be persuaded to write a review.

How to successfully launch a product on Amazon with ratings and reviews

It is and remains difficult to successfully launch a product on Amazon. The first reviews in particular represent a decisive hurdle here. Nevertheless, it is not worth buying Amazon reviews. You also run the risk of generating inauthentic reviews through your own product tester campaigns or extreme discounts. In the long term, it helps to offer customers high added value with meaningful listings and excellent customer support. In all marketing measures, you should take particular care not to ask for positive Amazon reviews or offer the prospect of a reward.