Though Etsy has always filled a niche in the consumer marketplace, it’s more popular than ever and continues to grow every year. For the Etsy shop owner, knowing how to get reviews on Etsy is essential to attracting new buyers.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Direct calls to action to customers are the best way to start getting Etsy reviews.
- Dealing with negative feedback and other issues quickly and with a personal touch and being responsive with a sincere tone builds customer trust and encourages repeat business and word-of-mouth recommendations.
- Etsy’s popularity as a vendor platform has grown exponentially in the past several years- in 2020, there were 1.7 million users selling to 33 million consumers.
You can start getting reviews consistently and increase the numbers you already get by following a handful of guidelines and ideas.
How to Get More Reviews on Etsy
Possibly more than a review on most platforms, a review on an Etsy shop has an enormous impact on the success of any business on the platform as it affects sales even more directly. There are key guidelines to follow that will help maximize your review numbers, satisfy buyers, and even improve the reviews themselves. Also, be sure to not buy or solicit fake Etsy reviews, as they can make your business look untrustworthy.
Related:
Insider Tip
Every purchase should be followed as soon as possible by a warm, personalized, sincere message of appreciation for the purchase and hope they’ll continue shopping with you
Personal and Authentic Customer Service
Treating every customer like your first as well as your highest priority, whether they’ve bought an expensive item, a custom item, or a five-dollar item, is a good general rule of thumb when it comes to customer engagement. Even customers buying digital items deserve the best customer service possible.
Every online shop purchase should be followed as soon as possible by a confirmation email that includes a warm, personalized, sincere message of appreciation for the purchase (that refers to the specific item purchased) and hope they’ll continue shopping with you as well as any relevant information regarding processing time and shipping schedules (managing expectations from the start is important. This is also where you should put your call to action for a review. A message along these lines is a good template to start with:
“We’d really appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to review your experience with us and let us know if you’re enjoying your purchase- or of any issues with an item you may be having.”
Any touches you can use to personalize the message to buyers- a reference to the product they’ve purchased is a good idea- will further make the customer feel as if they matter to your business (which they should.) If you want, including a short section reminding the customer of shop policies can help answer questions before they’re asked, as long as it’s consistent with the message’s tone.
Lastly, another good way to encourage more reviews and increase sales is giving suggestions to buyers on how they could stage a review photo- photographing a clothing item is different than photographing another handmade item like pottery or jewelry, and giving your buyers tips will help advertise the product and make them feel more invested in your store.
Respond to Reviews
Responding to either a negative or a positive review quickly and sincerely is just as important as getting the review to begin with.
Correctly responding to a 1-star review is even more crucial than responding to positive feedback. Negative reviews have a much bigger overall impact on your star rating and your search engine ranking than positive ones. Always start these responses with an apology to the buyer and an acceptance of responsibility for the issue, and offer any way you may be able to help or resolve the issue. Remember that an honest review of your product or service can be the best teaching tool available to a vendor.
Honesty, Authenticity, and Managing Expectations
You’re more likely to have positive customer feedback and build relationships with them if you’re honest, transparent, and clear when it comes to your products and services. This means the most accurate description of items, including any information on their materials, manufacture, or origin. An accurate item description and clear and up-to-date item listings can do a lot to manage expectations and minimize negative feedback.
On top of that, giving realistic and honest information on shipping times and prices, and shop policies will help lower the chances of customer dissatisfaction and can even create a negative experience with a product- whether it’s a defective item or a broken digital download link- translate into a less negative review. If you want to go the extra mile, offering a gift card or free shipping on a future purchase can also help.
Warning
Negative reviews have a much bigger overall impact on both your star rating and your search engine ranking than positive ones.
F.A.Q.S
Where can I post Etsy shop reviews?
Good places to post or embed customer reviews are in Facebook posts, Instagram (Instagram is very quote-friendly), tweets, in responses to customer questions (done tastefully), and your shop announcements and updates.
How do I handle a bad review on Etsy?
A bad review on Etsy is typically considered one with a rating of three stars or lower. The best way to handle negative feedback is to contact the customer directly with an email, leading with a sincere apology, then offer an exchange, replacement, or refund and/or ask them how you can help resolve the issue. If you want, offering a gift card, expedited deliveries, or free shipping on future purchases can go a long way to repairing the damage. Clear and accurate item details can also help mitigate the severity of negative feedback and complaints that the actual item the customer received isn’t the one they thought they were paying for.
Is it illegal to buy fake reviews on Etsy?
Yes, technically, buying fake reviews on Etsy is illegal and unethical. While there isn’t exactly a Federal law about it, it’s a violation of the Terms of Use agreement you sign with Etsy when you set up your shop, and that IS a legally binding contract, which means if Etsy determines you’re buying your reviews, they have the right to shut down your shop. Fake reviews are always bad.
STAT: On average, only about 25% of Etsy customers leave reviews after purchases (source)
REFERENCES:
- https://www.youtube.cohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etsym/watch?v=tMT1aYxAiEY&ab_channel=NancyBadillo
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkW0Y4RkNWE&ab_channel=eShopMarketer
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etsyr
- https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3292500.3330760
- https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Risky-Business%3A-Buyers-and-Sellers-on-Etsy.com-Cuervo/49e03f0abaace873b81c8b77fbae56f4475a4a1a
