A Comprehensive Look into Amazon Seller Feedback and Product Reviews
Want the full rundown on navigating Amazon seller feedback and product reviews? You‘ve come to the right place. In this detailed guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know as an Amazon seller about managing these two powerful sources of customer input.
Drawing from my decade of experience as a successful Amazon seller, I‘ll explain what seller feedback and product reviews are, why they matter, how the systems work, key differences, and most importantly – tips to improve your scores.
Whether you‘re just getting started selling on Amazon or looking to take your business to the next level, you‘re sure to learn valuable insights from this comprehensive resource. Let‘s dive in!
Why Amazon Seller Feedback is Critical
As an Amazon seller, your seller feedback is essentially your trust and reputation report card. It tells potential buyers how previous customers rated their experience purchasing from you.
According to an Ipso survey, 92% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. When it comes to seller feedback, 74% consider it equally or more important than product reviews.
Positive seller feedback signals that you consistently deliver on your promises. This establishes credibility and gives buyers confidence to purchase from you.
In contrast, negative or mediocre seller feedback repels buyers. One study found that 79% of customers won’t complete a purchase if the seller has poor reviews.
The stakes are clear – seller feedback has an enormous influence on conversion rates. Monitoring and managing it is crucial.
A Closer Look at How Amazon Seller Ratings Work
Amazon captures seller feedback in two components – a 1 to 5 star quantitative rating, and a qualitative comment. Let‘s break down how each factor into your overall score:
Seller Feedback Ratings
On a 1 to 5 star scale, ratings are categorized as:
- 5 stars – Excellent
- 4 stars – Good
- 3 stars – Average
- 2 stars – Poor
- 1 star – Unsatisfactory
Amazon considers ratings of 5 and 4 stars to be positive. 3 stars are neutral, while 1 and 2 stars are negative.
Your seller rating is calculated by taking the average of all your feedback ratings over the past year. For example, if over the past year:
- You received 100 total ratings
- 85 were 5 or 4 stars
- 10 were 3 stars
- 5 were 2 or 1 stars
Your overall seller rating would be 85% positive.
Tip: Keep an eye on your recent rolling 3-month average. This predicts potential changes in your long-term rating.
Seller Feedback Comments
In addition to ratings, buyers can leave comments about:
- Product quality
- Shipping speed
- Communication
- Customer service
- Overall experience
These qualitative insights help identify your strengths and weaknesses. As an experienced seller, I routinely analyze my comments to find ways to improve.
Pro tip: Let positive comments inspire you, while viewing negative ones as constructive feedback for growth.
How Buyers Leave Seller Feedback
Buyers can leave seller feedback in two ways:
- Proactively – They can choose to give unsolicited feedback based on their experience.
- When prompted – Amazon reminds buyers to give feedback at certain times, like after delivery confirmation.
As a seller, you cannot delete or edit buyer feedback, but you can report it if it violates Amazon‘s posting guidelines.
Why Amazon Product Reviews Matter
Now that we‘ve covered seller feedback, let‘s discuss product reviews. While they may seem identical on the surface, product reviews focus specifically on evaluating the product itself – its features, quality, value, etc.
Product reviews provide unbiased insights from real customers. They are invaluable to consumers researching products on Amazon.
According to BrightLocal, on average:
- 93% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase
- 92% say positive reviews make them trust a business more
- 88% have their buying decisions influenced by positive reviews
The implications are clear – product reviews significantly impact purchase behavior. Having more positive and authentic reviews builds trust and social proof for your products.
How Amazon‘s Product Review System Works
To maintain the integrity of product reviews, Amazon has strict policies and processes in place:
Product Review Eligibility
Only verified purchases from customers who‘ve spent at least $50 on Amazon in the last 12 months can leave product reviews. This validates the reviewer has relevant experience with your product.
Product Review Submission
Customers can voluntarily submit a star rating and written review for any product purchased on Amazon. The review focuses on their first-hand usage of that product.
Product Review Moderation
Amazon rigorously vets all submitted product reviews for authenticity before publishing them publicly. Reviews may be rejected if Amazon has reason to suspect bias or fake reviews. This upholds the objectivity of their product review system.
Product Rating Calculation
A product‘s overall star rating is calculated using weighted factors like the recency and verified purchase status of ratings. This prevents skewing from suspicious reviews.
Product Review Reporting
While sellers cannot remove product reviews, we can report problematic reviews that violate Amazon‘s guidelines. However, Amazon will only remove reviews at their discretion to maintain fairness.
Key Tip: Rather than viewing negative product reviews as a nuisance, see them as helpful customer feedback to improve your product quality and buyer experience!
Distinguishing Seller Feedback from Product Reviews
At a high level, the core difference lies in the focus of each:
| Seller Feedback | Product Reviews | |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluates | The seller | The product |
| Covers | Seller performance | Product performance |
| Useful for | Assessing sellers | Researching products |
| Removability | Removable by Amazon in limited cases | Typically non-removable |
| Where visible | Seller Central | Product listing page |
While both provide customer perspectives, seller feedback is tied to your personal selling account whereas product reviews are tied to specific ASINs.
Expert Tips to Improve Your Scores
Here are my top strategies for increasing positive seller feedback and product reviews:
For Seller Feedback:
- Provide exceptional customer service – Respond promptly, be helpful, and resolve issues fairly.
- Ship fast with tracking – Get items delivered within your stated timeframes.
- Master logistics – Reduce defects, damages, and delays by perfecting packaging and shipping.
- Automate feedback requests – Use tools to ask happy buyers for feedback. Time requests for when it‘s top of mind.
- Monitor frequently – Stay on top of your rolling 3-month seller rating and comments.
- Reply professionally to negative feedback – Address issues transparently while remaining courteous.
- Learn from trends – Identify recurring complaints and improve weak spots. Prevent future negatives.
For Product Reviews:
- Offer high-quality products – Well-designed, functional products eliminate dissatisfaction.
- Delight customers – Exceed expectations on shipping speed, packaging, instructions, warranty, service, etc.
- Automate review requests – Prompt satisfied customers to share their positive experiences.
- Respond promptly – Address negative reviews professionally and offer solutions.
- Improve continuously – Pay attention to customer commentary and fine-tune your products.
- Stay compliant – Strictly adhere to Amazon’s review policies or risk suspension.
The common thread is obsessing over customer satisfaction. Amazon rewards sellers who go above and beyond on both fronts.
Want Hands-On Help Managing Your Reputation?
Hopefully this guide has helped you better understand the critical role of seller feedback and product reviews on Amazon. Managing both effectively is imperative to long term success.
As an experienced seller, I‘m happy to offer 1-on-1 coaching to optimize your feedback, reviews, and overall brand reputation on Amazon.
Book a consultation to discuss your unique situation and goals. I‘ll provide honest advice tailored to your needs.
Here‘s to your Amazon selling success!
