You are looking for a shoe rack on Amazon.
You open Amazon and type “shoe rack” in the search bar.
On the first page, you see about 20 items.
Here’s a startling fact: According to Amazon’s own data, there’s a 70% chance that you will choose a shoe rack from these 20 items.
Why?
Over 70% of Amazon shoppers never click past the first page of search results. Heck, over 35% click on the very first product listed on the first page. We are just so damn lazy!
Here’s another bombshell: The first item displayed in search results accounts for 64% of total clicks.
If you are an Amazon seller, the billion-dollar question is: how to make it to the first page.
Short answer: getting good, genuine reviews.
Long answer: Again, getting good, genuine reviews. Lots of them. It’s beyond doubt now that Amazon’s mysterious A9 search algorithm which makes or breaks thousands of businesses daily gives the most weight to reviews (stars + review text) given by users.
See the “Amazon Choice” tab. The biggest factor it takes into account is “Highly Rated.”
How to Get Genuine Reviews on Amazon : Giving Customers a Pleasant Surprise
There’s no secret sauce here. Just make the best product, get great reviews, and you’ll cruise to the top.
Seems very simple and straightforward, right?
Here’s a caveat: customers rarely leave reviews and feedback.
Data shows that only about 10% of customers leave feedback.
Only the happiest or angry customers leave a review.
Let’s say I ordered a shoe rack. You package the item safely, do the postage stamps correctly and ship the item immediately. I get what I was looking for. Everything went as “expected.” There’s very little chance that I’d leave a review for your product.
There should be something beyond the customer’s expectations (in a positive way) that will make them more likely to give a good review on Amazon.
The Power of a Personal, Handwritten Thank You Note
Personalized, handwritten thank you notes politely urging the customer to leave feedback is one of the best and proven strategies to increase your product reviews on Amazon.
When you put a short, handwritten thank you note with your product before shipping, you achieve the following:
Making Customers Feel More Valued Motivates Them to Leave a Review
What makes customers unmotivated to give a review on Amazon and what to do about it?
Understand the subconscious.
95% of a consumer’s thought happens on a subconscious level.
I get my shoe rack at my doorstep. I unbox and see the product. Everything is as it should be. I go on with my Iife.
I subconsciously think that I am just one of the thousands of customers who are getting their shoe racks from Amazon.
No extraordinary experience with the purchase = no review.
Over 57% of customers say they feel valued when they receive a direct mail piece.
We are just hardwired to read notes written with wet ink on hard papers.
If I open the shoe rack box and find a handwritten thank you note directly addressing my name, I’ll definitely feel special and would consider giving a review on Amazon.
The Support Factor
After thanking your customer, if you immediately tell them to contact you in case of any complaint, concern or question, you’ll give a message to the customer: We are always ready to hear you and provide support.
Customer support is what makes or breaks businesses.
Gartner says that a whopping 89% of businesses are expected to compete mainly on customer experience.
If your customer knows that you are always a message away for an exchange, complaint or question, they’ll perceive that your company is great at customer support.
Not only do the chances of getting a review get a boost, but your customers are likely to keep buying from you.
Why? Over 96% of consumers say customer service is an important factor in their choice of loyalty to a business or brand.
Now, some examples for your inspiration:
Personal Notes for Amazon Orders: What Not to Do
Amazon is highly sensitive when it comes to marketplace protocols.
It’s extremely important that you take into account the following factors while writing/boxing personal notes in your orders.
- Never ask the customer to contact you off the Amazon platform.
- Don’t ask for positive reviews. Just politely urge the customer to tell you what they think about your product.
- Don’t offer any incentive/discount in exchange for reviews.
- Don’t overdo it. It’s never recommended to put long, multiple notes in your order box.
- Don’t add direct links for your seller page.
Lastly, keep in mind that Amazon sees the buyer as their customer, not yours. For every completed purchase, Amazon sends a reminder to the customer to leave a review or feedback. Therefore, pushing your customers too much and contacting them again and again for a review could harm your business and overall standing on Amazon.
Execute the strategy smartly and enjoy a huge boost in your sales!
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3 Reasons Why Handwritten Marketing Can Take Your eCommerce Business to The Next Level
