Why Reviews on Amazon Matter
Reviews constitute social proof and are an indication of how well a product is received by customers. Since potential buyers cannot physically inspect productsand high-quality images can only convey so muchreviews act as the strongest piece of evidence for how well a product performs.
On Amazon, 1-5 star product reviews not only inform potential customers about product functionality but also serve as a metric against which seller performance is judged. Amazon strives to maintain its reputation as the most customer-centric company on Earth and does not tolerate low-performing sellers on its platform.
In light of Amazons strict quality control standards, its safe to assume that it also attracts sellers that are willing and capable of offering superior products. It then becomes a major problem if, despite an increase in sales, no reviews appear on your product detail page.
Impact of Verified Purchase vs. Non-Verified Purchase Reviews
Not all reviews are createdor treated asequal. Verified Purchase reviews are submitted by buyers that have purchased the product from Amazon and did not receive it via major discounts. An example can be seen in the image below. The first review comes with the Verified Purchase tag, but the one below doesnt.
Verified reviews have a greater impact on rankings as compared to non-verified reviewsa strategy employed by Amazon to stem the growth of what it regards as disingenuous product reviews.
Common Reasons for a Review Not Showing Up
Reviews not showing up could be due to three reasons. Amazon has either blocked, deleted, or limited the number of reviews based on the extent of its policy violations. Sometimes, its none of these reasons as a review usually takes anywhere from 1 to 3 days to appear and in rare cases, up to 2 weeks.
Its worth mentioning that for the most part, without Amazons disclosure, there is no way to verify the exact reason behind reviews not appearing.
As such, the reasoning behind reviews not showing up [apart from those that explicitly go against Amazons Terms of Service] is sometimes based on speculation as well as seller feedback gathered over the years.
Lets take a look at the possible reasons why Amazon prevents product reviews from showing up.
Buyers Confuse Seller Feedback for Product reviews
Amazon may sometimes strike off or remove a product review that talks about the delivery, shipping, or packaging as all of these matters are related to seller feedback. Buyers are known to confuse the two. Such reviews may be removed by Amazon if the products are sold through the FBA [Fulfillment by Amazon] method.
This is one instance where its better not to have such a review show up. If it does, you can request removal by:
- Accessing your Seller Central Account
- Going to the Performance Tab
- Selecting Feedback
- Scrolling down to the Recent Feedback section
- Selecting Negative
- Locating the relevant Order ID
- Selecting Request Removal
The Review Contains Profanities, Threats, or Inappropriate Text and Images
Buyers express their opinions regarding products by posting reviews and are more than welcome to share negative experiences. What is not allowed; however, is to hurl abuse, profanities, or personal threats at the seller. The same goes for attaching images within the review that are deemed to be inappropriate, indecent, completely unrelated to the product, or unsuited for a younger audience.
If such a review is noticed by Amazon it stands a high chance of being removedand rightfully so.
Reviews Are From Friends or Family
The entire point of having a product review section is to allow buyers to provide feedback that genuinely reflects the product quality. Reviews from friends or family tend to overrate a product and end up misleading potential buyers. Heres what Amazon has to say on the matter:
Reviews Are Incentivized
Amazon adopts a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to incentivizing reviews. It does not hesitate to suspend seller privileges or dish out harsh penalties in light of unfair play. If you are engaged in such activities, we strongly recommend that you stopreviews not showing up would be the least of your concerns.
Keep in mind the following points as rules of thumb:
- Dont directly ask for a positive review; however, asking for a review is just fine
- Dont offer monetary benefits for positive reviews
- Dont extend any kind of bonuses or discounts in exchange for positive reviews
Similarly, offering any sort of incentive for removing negative reviews is equally dangerous. If comments like the one in the image below appear on your product detail page, Amazon will be quick to notice and may even suspend your account.
Sudden Increase in Review Velocity
A sudden increase in review velocity is considered unusual behavior. Just to clarify, were not talking about seasonal products that experience a high review velocity during peak sales season. This point refers to an artificial increase in reviews that cannot be explained through normal means.
For example, if sellers start handing out heavily discounted coupons [anything above 20-30%], this will naturally increase sales. Barring the reduced impact this has on product rankings, it also results in an uptick of non-verified reviews that may cause Amazon to limit the number of reviews showing on a product listing.
The Ultimate Solution The Review Automator
To sum it all up, the reason for reviews not showing up can be narrowed down to two main reasons:
- Written content that goes against Amazons TOS
- Reviews resulting from purchases made outside of Amazon
The solution? ZonGurus Review Automator tool successfully manages to bring in product reviews while avoiding actions that get sellers in trouble. It does so by sending review requests through Amazons official review request system, making it fully compliant with Amazons Terms of Service.
All you have to do is activate the tool and sit backfrom that point on, the Review Automator will automatically send review requests for all orders made since the past month. Since customers are asked to give a 1-5 star product review, there is little to no room for reviews with personal information, abusive content, seller feedback, or anything that violates review policies.
Also, all reviews are solicited through official channels which eliminates the risk of raising suspicion from Amazons end. Whether youre an international seller or operating in one of the smaller Amazon regions, the Review Automator offers complete functionality across US, EU, and AU marketplaces.
All in all, its an invaluable addition to any sellers toolkit as it increases the review count, improves BSR ratings, and enhances overall brand image!
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