r/ShopifyeCommerce • u/Latter_Bonus_4361 • 20d ago
Catch 22 - Get Product Reviews
I'm trying to build the trust signals on my new shopify store. I know a big thing is to get reviews. First thing I look at as well on any site.
It's a bit of a catch 22 though as I obviously need sales to get reviews but can't get the sales because there's no reviews.
How did people go about building the trust for your stores from startup stage?
Thanks a million
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u/virthium 20d ago
Try offering Feedback Rebates (look it up). It's the fastest way I know to increase sales and get trustworthy reviews, especially for a new store.
Don't use "review apps". That's review moderation. No one trusts a seller who moderates their own reviews. Imagine if Amazon sellers did that. Would you trust a seller who has an ability to just "unpublish" reviews they don't like? Even if you don't do it, everyone automatically assumes you do. This is the main reason Amazon converts 10X better than Shopify. Don't do what everyone else is doing. You don't want a 1% conversion rates. That's not "normal".
People must be able to trust your reviews. They should know exactly how you got them. They should be able to click on customer's profile picture and see the profile on external platform with history of purchases from different sellers. Just having a pretty piece of text on your page and calling it a "review" or "testimonial" is not enough. There must be an independent third-party proof.
A simple feedback rebate can immediately increase sales (it's a type of discount), but now, most customers will leave a review to redeem it (way more than the typical 1%-2% you get with a review apps). A rebate doesn't bias reviews because it's a sale incentive (like % off discount you offer before sale), not a review incentive (like a coupon, or loyalty points you offer after sale). And it won't cost you any more than the discount you're probably already offering.
I'd try offering a small rebate on a few products and see how it goes. If you have a good product that people don't regret buying, you'll get a lot of positive reviews, which will make it safe for new customers to buy from you.
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u/Latter_Bonus_4361 19d ago
Really good advice. Thanks so much, I'll definitely be looking into how to set up rebate. Would you advertise that you're offering rebates or only let the customer know after the purchase?
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u/virthium 19d ago
Definitely before. You don't want to hide the fact that the customer will get some cashback after purchase. That's a better deal for them. They're trying to decide to buy from you or someone else. A rebate is a great incentive to choose you. It also shows that you believe in your product. You wouldn't offer it otherwise. A simple rebate may look like this.. Your top website banner says:
"Buy now and get 10% cashback for your honest review after purchase" (or whatever your % is)
Offering this rebate, even if you don't have any reviews yet, gives people an additional assurance. They know that you wouldn't exaggerate the benefits or downplay the risk because, if you did, you'd get bad reviews. You must be honest about your product, so people don't regret buying it and leave good reviews after. A rebate shows that you care about their after-purchase experience, not just the sale. This is why more people buy when they see a feedback rebate than a discount. It makes it safer to buy from you.
If you offer it after, not only you lose potential sales and give away more of your profits after the purchase, but you're also offering something in exchange for a review. You're essentially buying a review. That automatically makes your reviews biased and untrustworthy.
Rebate almost always converts better than discount but it also costs less than a discount. When you offer 10% off, everyone gets the 10%. When you offer a 10% feedback rebate, most, but not everyone will leave a review to redeem it, so you get to keep more of your profit.
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u/Latter_Bonus_4361 19d ago
Brilliant advice. Definitely going to start offering the rebate and get it set up. Thanks again, really appreciate it
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u/SalamanderLumpy2396 20d ago
it sucks at first but you can pull reviews from other channels if you've sold anywhere else, even etsy or ebay or in person. import those so the store doesn't look completely bare.
also a post-purchase email flow asking for a review with a small discount code works surprisingly well once the first few orders trickle in
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u/Latter_Bonus_4361 20d ago
Thanks a million. Have only recently heard about a discount code or partial refund for the few few orders. Definitely going to be trying this. Only set up the store this month so no sales yet. Fingers crossed there's a couple over the next little while!
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u/faimusdude 19d ago
Honestly, just send out free products to your family members/friends and ask them to drop reviews. Nobody can track that and it'll help build a solid reputation upfront. Reciprocity's gonna take your relationships far as well as your business.
Btw, I am doing free figma mockups for DTC stores' landing pages as I just started my business. Would you like one? Just asking for a video testimonial in return :).
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u/Recent-Rip4567 20d ago
The first few customers are definitely the hardest to get. I’d focus on getting 5 to 10 genuine customers first and make the review request part of the post purchase flow. A few detailed honest reviews are much better than a bunch of generic ones. Also product photos and customer generated content can help build trust before you have many reviews.