Susan Gilbert
January 4, 2016

Get Five-Star Reviews On Amazon

If your business is selling products and/or books online then you need to pay attention to customer reviews in order to stand out from the crowd. This is especially true if you’re selling on Amazon, which the world’s largest online retailer.

According to a new study featured on Moz, 67 percent of buyers make a decision based on reviews:

online-review

Neil Patel wrote in a recent article on Quicksprout that 30 percent of online purchases are made after reading reviews from Amazon. “People trust reviews to inform them about their decisions.” states Patel. “and reviews play a huge role in people’s purchasing decisions.”

When your business has a good number of five-star reviews on Amazon word of mouth recommendations will soon follow, which is free advertising. Additionally, potential buyers will view your book or product as a high value item, which will help you stand out from the competition among thousands of listings.

Last October Amazon took action on too many fake reviews, which is good news for businesses who want to attract authentic feedback from verified purchases. But their lawsuit will not completely remedy the problem as social media plays an important role in attracting a loyal audience through personalized conversations.

In order for your business to attract great feedback on Amazon it takes building the right relationships on your blog and on social media to create brand ambassadors and people you know will be interested in what you have to offer. This can include nurturing them through a helpful email marketing campaign as well as hosting giveaways, contests, free reports, an eBook offer, and more.

Reaching out to like-minded individuals who have a business blog similar to yours and responding to and sharing their content can also go a long way in creating visibility. As you recommend and mention their products chances are they will return the favor on their website, which can lead directly to your Amazon listing(s).

Here’s a great example from entrepreneur, speaker and author, Bryan Kramer, who recently published “Shareology,” which now garners 115 reviews on Amazon:

sharology

 

Here are a few ways your business can begin the building process to attracting five-star reviews on Amazon for more leads and conversions:

●      Stay focused on your topic – With thousands of searches each day online your headline and description needs to be clear, concise, and eye-catching. Keep in mind that many consumers are now making purchase decisions right from their mobile devices, and you will want to grab their attention quickly. It’s important to accurately represent what you have to offer as any disappointment could lead to negative reviews.

●      Communicate with your audience – While your business may not be able to stay in touch with all of your Amazon buyers chances are there are quite a few who have subscribed to your blog or follow you on social media. Take the time to thank them for their purchase, which will also encourage a more positive response if they have not already left a review. While Amazon will send out a generic email asking for their feedback your business can use a more personalized approach by contacting them directly.

●      Find top reviewers in your niche – By performing a keyword search on Amazon or going directly to their Top Reviewers page your business can invest some time in finding individuals who have already left a favorable review on a book or product similar to yours. Many of these people have contact information on their profiles, and your business can craft a professional email with a free offer that garners their attention. Keep a spreadsheet of these contacts and be sure to thank them if they do leave a review. This will open the doors to communication for any future reviews.

Use these steps to get the ball rolling on bringing more eyes to your book or product on Amazon, which can greatly benefit your visibility online. As a general rule approach respond to any negative reviews with caution, as this could affect your online reputation. This is bound to happen, and generally expected. The more favorable reviews your business has the less important these will appear in your ratings.

Amazon reviews are here to stay, especially as the company moves to improve this process and ensure that feedback is original and authentic. As feedback becomes more community driven it is more important than ever to build great relationships online and maintain a personal approach with your community.

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Online Marketing with Focus - Let Susan Guide you to Online Success. Especially loves to help Authors, Speakers, Coaches & Entrepreneurs. Susan Gilbert uses her laser focus knowledge to coach and provide online marketing and social sharing programs. Author and publisher of several books including “The Land of I Can,” and “KLOUT SCORE: Social Media Influence,” Susan combines online marketing with strategic thinking. Follow her Digital Marketing Tips at her blog: www.SusanGilbert.com
Filed Under: Tagged With: amazon reviews, Marketing