When you buy as much online as I do, you get a ton of after-purchase emails that ask for reviews. Even though I fully understand how important it is to leave reviews for online sellers, I’ll admit I delete the majority of after-sale emails before I read them. Chances are pretty good that your customers do, too. Here’s why.
- Sent Too Soon
If I get a follow-up email that asks for a review the day I receive the package (or one or two days later), it gets deleted. I haven’t even had a chance to break the tape on the shipping box yet, so I’m certainly not ready to leave a review.
Give me some time to use the product and decide what I do and don’t like about it. Then, maybe, I’ll leave you a review.
Instead of sending the email out within a few days of shipping, wait a week or so. If you send the request too soon, it will be a colossal waste of time.
- Badgering Customers With Follow-Ups
Some sellers are so eager to get customer reviews that they end up pestering buyers with endless follow-up messages. Would you want to receive all those emails from a seller? I’ve actually purchased products from Amazon before and had the seller send 5, 7, or 10 follow-up emails. That was annoying, to say the least!
If done correctly, you don’t have to mail an obnoxious number of requests to customers. In many cases, one properly timed and expertly written message can do the job. If need be, send a second message, but I can’t think of a case where I’d recommend more than two.
- Order Number in Subject Line
This is a dead giveaway that your email is the same old, tired, boring (and ineffective) review template that every other Amazon seller is using. Yawn! It’s obviously a canned template that isn’t personal to me at all.
What’s more, lots of spam emails insert a fake order number in the subject line to try to get you to click to their site (or open their virus/malware, etc.). When I see an order number in the subject, my knee-jerk reaction is to delete the message.
Creating a subject line that is enticing and specific to the product the customer bought will go a long way toward ensuring that your emails are opened and read.
- Taking But Not Giving
The vast majority of review email templates used by Amazon sellers ask for something: a review, seller feedback, a video, refer the product to a friend, and so on, and so on. Instead of doing all the taking, give something … and I don’t mean a bonus.
Tips, hacks, and other helpful information can be valuable to buyers. Your efforts to make sure they get the most out of their new product will be appreciated. Your customers will view it as a gesture of good will and excellent customer service.
When you create after-purchase emails, stop thinking about what you need. Instead, put the customer first and brainstorm ideas about what you can offer within the message that will put a smile on their face. This will go a long way toward increasing the number of reviews your products get while also instilling a sense of loyalty in shoppers.
It’s not that hard to create customized follow-up emails for the products you sell on Amazon. In fact, my ebook “Review Advantage: Email Strategies for Getting Amazon Product Reviews (Legally!)” walks you through exactly what you need to do and gives you several templates to follow.
Pick up your copy and save $10 today when you use coupon code revblog10 (lowercase, no spaces).
Great post as always Karon!
Thanks Chuck!
Thanks for the post ,
In regard to the 1) point about sending to soon, there are some products like food when the buyer still has the sweet taste ,and more willing to give feedback
Thanks
Right. And you, as the seller, have to know when the products are most likely to be used. Not everyone gets a package, opens it and uses/eats it all on the same day. If you know for a fact that this is how your customers receive/use their products from you, then send the message sooner.
Words of wisdom as always Karon. Thanks.
Thank you, Karen! I so appreciate it.
Hello Karon,
Thanks for your great post, as always!
We have 2 emails campaign sending to our buyers; 1st email is talking about product tips (right after purchased) and 2nd email (10 days after delivered) is request for reviews or contacting us if they have encounter problem on the product.
Our issue is we did received negative product reviews (normally 1 star) 2 – 4 days after the buyers received their product.
May I know what is your advice to eliminate this happening?
Thanks again Karon.
We always recommend giving a way in email campaigns for buyers to contact you if they have questions or issues. If you have a problem with your product that needs to be fixed, however, then you would – of course – want to correct that to prevent the negative reviews. No type of email will make up for a faulty product or poor quality.
Hello Karon,
Thanks for your advice.
Just to clarify we have the premium high-quality product with 300++ product reviews at 4.8 average rating.
Our challenge is the minority of the buyers didn’t use the product properly; maybe they didn’t read the 1st email regarding the product tips and end up disappointment by posting the negative review.
May I know what is your advice to eliminate this happening?
Thanks again Karon.
I don’t know that you can eliminate it from happening entirely. You can’t force people to read instructions. If the instructions aren’t complicated, you might be able to work them briefly into your bullets or description in some way. For instance, if the problem is that the customer isn’t adjusting a particular setting before use, you could include some copy that states something like, “Simply flip the switch to the “auto” setting before use and watch your {product} _________.” Or, the reverse, “Be careful never to {do whatever} or you’ll get poor results.”
Still, that would require shoppers to read and they just don’t always do that.
Something else you could do (for those who leave reviews) is comment on poor reviews and explain (nicely) how to get the results they want. Then, at least, when future shoppers read reviews, they’ll see your comments and know they have to use the item correctly.
Bought the Review Advantage and very good as is all of Karon’s insights.
Don Schaefer
Oh… thanks, Don!