Avoid incentivized reviews at all costs
There were a lot of presentations at the conference about Amazon’s ban on incentivized reviews in the US. Major changes to the Community Guidelines mean that all incentivized comments will be removed, and they will continue to be removed unless they occur internally on the site. Amazon Vine program. For readers who are not familiar with it, Amazon’s hosted Vine review program invites trusted reviewers to give their opinions on new and pre-release items to help customers make informed purchasing decisions.
Amazon’s strategic decision to curb incentivized reviews is to improve the integrity of the review process – reviews are an important way for buyers to recommend specific brands and products. For sellers, this means getting your feedback strategy right is crucial, so make sure you abide by the community rules. For serious, established sellers, this is a positive development, as it will be difficult for competitors with inferior products to “buy credibility.” The message is clear, there are no shortcuts when developing a feedback strategy.
Although the move has not yet been announced for the UK market, seller rules are likely to remain consistent across all markets. It is estimated that this change will be implemented in 3 to 6 months time. If your UK business is not already compliant with the new feedback guidelines, you will need to get your feedback strategy right ahead of this legislation.
Take feedback seriously
Amazon is really serious about maintaining the integrity of its review system, and as a seller, this is positive news. This is something you need to be very careful about so you don’t accidentally stray from the guidelines.
Amazon is using their technical expertise to verify the quality of reviews at scale. An example of this campaign was a mother in the United States who took the initiative to leave a review for her son. They have different last names, live in different parts of the United States, and Amazon has the resources to make that connection and track it.
Her son never asked for the censorship but discovered they were connected, so he received a letter warning him about the censorship practices. If he fails to act on this warning, he risks having his account suspended.
Rachel Greer, a former employee who spoke on the Amazon panel, stressed that there is absolutely no tolerance for seller mistakes — Amazon’s customers are buyers, and buyers are their top priority.
Do your competitor research
How do you differentiate your business from your competitors? Greer stressed that sellers must use search listings to increase competitor visibility. Ask yourself - is there a market for your product?
Before launching a new product, it is imperative to research all competitor feedback, and Greer points out the importance of negative customer feedback. If you research competitor feedback, you can ensure that your business will avoid costly mistakes, avoid negative reviews, and ultimately gain a competitive advantage.
Make sure your images comply with regulations and provide detailed and clear product descriptions. Avoid ambiguity at all costs - you’ll receive fewer negative reviews and reduce the number of returns because your customers will know exactly what to expect from your product upon arrival.
Review your value proposition
The ex-Amazon guys on the panel were very focused on sellers identifying their value proposition. A product's value proposition is a feature or service that will attract your customers over your competitor's products.
Do you know what your product offers compared to the market competition? Experts advise making sure to research every aspect of your competitor’s products and product listings – from design to brand name, and everything in between.
The key to gaining a competitive advantage? Ensuring you’re providing your customers with the best possible experience.
Sellers need to realize that their customers are the most influential brand ambassadors for their business, second only to your customer support team. Customers trust other customers — so having positive reviews for your products will increase your sales, seller ranking, and search ranking.
In the Age of the Customer, it’s all about personal interaction with your buyers. If you do this, you’ll build trust between your brand and your customers, and they’ll keep coming back.
I hope these insights are helpful to you – happy selling!
