How to Collect and Use Customer Reviews Effectively?

In the world of DTC eCommerce, customer reviews are deemed as extra credit. But in reality, they're becoming increasingly crucial to improving the conversion rate, refining product strategies, and building customer trust. Especially for new or traffic-driven brands, reviews are no longer just optional decoration. Instead, they turn out to be a powerful trigger for purchases.

This article will help you get more customer reviews and make the most of them. Real-world examples, hands-on guides, and tool recommendations will also be provided for you to better understand what good review management is about.

Automatically Send Review Requests via Email

Why It Works？

Let's face it: Most customers will not leave a review unless something goes wrong or they're reminded to do so. You cannot blame them for that. Think outside the box, why don't you make the first move?

I suggest you send an automatic email request sometime after the package arrives. So far this is one of the most targeted ways to collect the reviews. Your customers are not offended, and you can expect a decent response rate.

Research reveals that review requests should be sent within 3 to 5 days after the package arrives. This is when customers are most willing to share what they think about the product — They have already had basic user experience while maintaining a fresh memory.

You may worry about the possible negative impact you might get if any unpleasure occurs among customers. Well, as long as the reward is fair and good experience is guaranteed, the likelihood of the feared outcome is very low.

How It turns Out in Reality？

According to the Shopify app Loox, after receiving the requesting email, about 5% to 15% of customers will cooperatively leave a review. If your requests specifically encourage them to upload photos or videos, the rate can even go higher — sometimes over 20%. It's predictable that if you keep at the technique, you will see a strong, high-quality base of reviews over time.

Is There Any Available Tool?

Almost all the major Shopify review apps support automated email triggers based on shipping dates. Below are some top picks:

Effective Tool Recommendations

Offer Incentives for Leaving Reviews

How It Works？

The logic is simple: You pay your customers in exchange for reviews. But how to set up the reward system? What could the incentives exactly be? Well, they could be small-value coupons, loyalty points, or discount codes for the next purchase customers get once they successfully submit the review. You can also set different reward levels for different types of review content. For example, offer a 5% discount code for reviews with a photo, and a 10% discount code or extra double points for reviews with a video. You can also set up a raffle for customers who leave reviews for a certain amount of times (e.g., 5 lucky reviewers will win a free order each month").

What you put in will be worth it. Not too much budget is needed. With direct financial rewards, the likelihood of customers leaving a review in your store significantly increases. What's even better, while bringing reviews, the mechanism could also potentially boost the repeat purchase rate.

Real-World Examples

During major sales events like Black Friday and the Christmas season, major brands can always be found launching a review-based rebate campaign. ColourPop offers reward points for photo reviews; Gymshark saw a spike in photo review count of over 50% during one of its campaigns.

Effective Tool Recommendations

Encourage Social Media Shoutouts

How it works?

Well, here comes the people's desire to share and showcase themselves. A great portion of people show a tendency to post something on social platforms (like TikTok, Instagram, etc.) when they have made a satisfying purchase. However, you should note that compared to a photo or video view mentioned above, posting a shoutout on social media demands a deeper level of effort from customers, as the required quality of the photos, texts, and videos will be higher.

How to Do It？

You can include a note card in the package to invite your customers to post content with designated tags, while simultaneously guaranteeing necessary rewards for higher engagement. The reward amount should be slightly higher than what you offer the review-based rebates. Possible reward setups include a discount on the next purchase, a free gift, or exclusive prizes for "Top 5 Shoutouts" from a monthly contest, etc. This not only brings more exposure but creates a natural stream of trust-building UGC.

Real-World Examples

The representation of product usage scenarios has been proven to be a key factor in driving customer purchasing decisions. Brands commonly use Social Media Shoutouts. For instance, Wild One offers points for Instagram users to upload photos of their pets wearing the brand's products; Glow Recipe runs monthly UGC challenges and has accumulated tens of thousands of related short videos on TikTok.

Effective Tool Recommendations

Repurpose Reviews in Various Contexts

Let's say, you've collected the reviews, how to deal with them now? 

First, change your mindset to this: Reviews should never only be displayed at the bottom of product pages. On the contrary, use them across different channels and turn them into high-converting trust assets:

·Homepage: Set up a "Customer Review Wall" or "Top Picks" to highlight the most engaging ones with images.

·Product Descriptions: Incorporate reviews into the copy to increase credibility.

·Ad creatives: Include review Screenshots or statements to enhance authenticity.

·Marketing emails: Combine reviews to boost click-through rates.

·FAQ page: Cite user questions or experiences to demonstrate greater expertise.

·Comparison/Guide Pages: Offer references to customers when they’re choosing products.

With this matrix strategy, your customers are repeatedly exposed to real reviews in different scenarios. It helps dispel customer doubts and gradually builds their trust in your brand, thus maximizing the conversion value of reviews.

Professional Review Display Formats: What's Expected?

A scientifically structured review display section, rather than just a pile of short phrases stacked at the bottom, involves more than just "aesthetics", it also enhances the authenticity, readability, and trustworthiness of reviews. Data shows a refined review section can increase conversion rates by 15% to 30% on average. Below is a checklist of features an ideal review module should have:

·Displays average rating and total review count.

·Shows the breakdown of 5/4/3/2/1-star reviews.

·Filtering options available(e.g., “with photos”, “4 stars and up”).

·Reviewer info: name, country, “Verified Buyer” tag, etc.

·“Helpful” voting buttons or thumbs-up features.

·Photos with expandable previews.

·Supports video embedding.

Effective Tool Recommendations

What If You Have No Reviews Yet?

When your store has just launched, an empty review section could be a headache. However, there's still something you can do: Use existing reviews from platforms like AliExpress.

You should look into high-rated reviews with authentic content and high-quality photos to avoid seeming duplicative and fake. Furthermore, Tools like Ali Reviews filter reviews by rating, content length, and whether images are included, and then import them to your store. Additionally, to keep yourself from the potential damage to your store's credibility, remember to label the imported reviews with tags like “From AliExpress users” or “Global buyer feedback”.

Final Thoughts: Build a Trust Loop

A review strategy is not just about developing a feature module, but also treating it as a condensed expression of your brand story for a complete trust loop. You don't necessarily have to do the brand storytelling all by yourself. Manage every detail of the review system, your customers will actively help tell your brand story in a more engaging way.