7 Ways to Get Ecommerce Reviews From Customers in 2025

Reviews have become a cornerstone for a successful ecommerce business because they serve as social proof, which is the tendency people have to make decisions based on the collective actions of others. This type of social proof validates a product’s quality, fit, or performance—building credibility for your brand, and increasing customer trust. 

According to Okendo’s ecommerce trust research, 95% of customers read reviews before purchasing, and reviews can lead to a significant boost in your conversion rate. So the more reviews you have, the better. But how do you get these reviews? And once you have them how do you leverage them? In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at reviews, discuss effective management techniques, provide guidance on showcasing them, and how to get them in the first place.

The Top Ways to Get Ecommerce Reviews From Customers

Motivating customers to leave a review can be a tricky dance. You want to encourage them without feeling too pushy or intrusive. Here are a few of the top strategies for getting more reviews. 

1. Make Reviewing Easy

Leaving a review needs to be a quick and easy process. If it’s confusing, distracts them with unrelated promos, or takes up too much time, customers may abandon the review process. Make your request clear, concise, and focused. 

You can also include an obvious call-to-action review button on your product pages that directly links to your reviews page. The request messaging should be succinct, align with your brand’s voice, and feel like a natural extension of the overall customer experience. A tool like Okendo Reviews offers customizable displays that can match the look and feel of your brand and streamline the review request process so it’s easier for both you and your customers.

2. Offer Incentives With a Loyalty Program

Incentives are a great way to motivate customers to leave a review. In fact, research has shown a 73% increase in review rates when rewards are offered. Incentives can be freebies, discounts, or loyalty points. 

Offering loyalty points can be an effective and strategic move for brands because it accomplishes a few things at once: it incentivizes reviews, reinforces the value of your loyalty program, it attracts new loyalty members, and it can deepen customer engagement. Having a tiered loyalty program is one of the best ways to maximize the effectiveness of this strategy. 

In this type of program, customers earn points to advance through different levels, getting better and more exclusive rewards as they ascend. This can make moving up tiers a reward in itself. When customers are close to reaching the next tier, they may be more motivated to engage in activities that reward them with points, like writing reviews. Okendo Loyalty has the tools to seamlessly integrate the review process into your loyalty program and set up a fully customizable tiered loyalty program. 

3. Send Post-Purchase Emails

One of the best ways to get customers to leave reviews is to simply ask them for one. Post-purchase emails are a great, and effective way to follow up with customers and ask them to leave their feedback. Be sure these emails are personalized with the customer’s name, the product they purchased, and have a clear call to action that takes them to the review page. It’s also helpful to include a link to customer support. This way if the customer has an issue you have the opportunity to address it. This can also help you avoid negative reviews.

4. Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)

Customers crave authenticity, and while a 5-star rating is positive, they don’t always tell the whole story. User-generated content (UGC) like photos and videos offers an even more powerful and genuine form of social proof. In fact, 87% of consumers say that UGC included in product reviews improves their value in informing their purchase decision.

Add a widget that allows this type of content to be displayed on your PDPs, and make sure to specifically request photos or videos during your review process. You can also monitor social media to find organic UGC, and show your appreciation to the creators by responding to them and sharing their content with your audience.

Photos and videos take more time and effort for your customers to generate and upload. To encourage customers to produce these valuable reviews you may need to offer further incentives. For instance, you could provide a higher discount code or extra loyalty points. 

5. Sending Review Requests 

Sending your review at just the right moment can make a difference in whether or not your customer leaves a review. Be sure that you send the request after the customer has already received their product and has had a chance to use it. Be mindful of where your customer is in their journey with your product, and (if applicable) how long it may take to see results before asking for a review. 

The brand Vegamour, a hair wellness company, offers products with different timelines for noticeable results. This means they need to send review requests at different times for each specific product. They use Okendo Reviews to send targeted emails at the appropriate time. Their gray hair products, for example, take three months to see results. So Vegamour sets specific triggers in Okendo to send review requests three months post-purchase. 

6. Reviews in Social Media Campaigns

Social media has become an important part of the entire shopping experience. Take advantage of this by incorporating social proof in your campaigngs. Put social proof at the forefront of the customer journey with high-quality reviews, UGC, and product star ratings. By actively engaging with your online community you’ll show your commitment to customer satisfaction, and build a stronger brand reputation. 

7. Follow Up with Repeat Customers

Reaching out to repeat customers allows you to capitalize on your existing relationship and encourage them to share their positive experiences. Send an email thanking them for their continued support and ask if they’d be willing to leave a review. Make sure to include a direct link to review a product they’ve purchased.

The Different Types of Ecommerce Reviews

Ecommerce reviews can come in many forms, each offering its own value. They can be a star rating, written commentary, a review of your site as a whole, or UGC. Understanding the different types of reviews and their potential benefits will help you maximize their impact. 

Product Reviews

The most common reviews are product reviews. They’re written by customers who’ve purchased a product and provide feedback about their experience with it. This usually includes comments about its features, pricing, performance, quality, fit, and overall satisfaction. For many shoppers, these reviews play a crucial role in deciding whether or not to make a purchase, or which item is best for their needs. They can let shoppers know if they should order a size up or down, or if there are any features they may not have noticed.

Dreamland Baby, a company that makes sleepwear for babies & toddlers, understands the importance of this customer feedback. The number one question the company gets asked by customers is, “What size should I get?” Using Okendo’s review system allows their customers to share detailed information about their child’s age, size, and developmental stage, providing helpful guidance for other parents who may be considering the same product. By reading reviews, parents can feel more confident in selecting the right size and product for their little ones.

Site Reviews

Site reviews ask customers to rate their broader experience with your website. These typically include feedback about their overall shopping experience, your site’s navigation, the checkout process, customer support, delivery, and return policy. These reviews help identify trouble spots and improve the overall customer journey. Okendo seamlessly integrates site review requests into your review flow, making capturing this data a breeze since by the time the customer reaches this step, they’re already highly engaged in the review process. 

Photo Reviews

A picture is worth a thousand words… or perhaps a thousand (or more) orders. Photo reviews, where customers share their own photos of your product, can be highly persuasive. This user-generated content (UGC) offers valuable social proof for customers, giving them a genuine glimpse into what the product will be like in real life, and a better idea of what to expect. For example, a photo review for a dress can show customers how it fits someone with a body type closer to their own. These types of reviews do require more effort from your customer so you may have to further incentivize them to obtain this type of review.

Video Reviews

Video reviews are the holy grail of online reviews. They’re another form of UGC and can be one the most powerful tools for building trust and driving sales. Videos allow customers to feel like they are getting a full picture of what the product will be like in real life. Videos may show an unboxing of the product, a closer look at various details, a demonstration of it in action, or a customer testimonial—all of which provide valuable insights that can influence purchasing decisions. 

This authentic form of social proof can have a significant impact on your brand’s reputation and credibility since 90% of consumers say reviews from real customers are more impactful than those from influencers. Video reviews from real customers provide a tangible and relatable way to show your product and its value. It’s the next best thing to actually seeing and trying the product in person. 

The Key Benefits of Collecting Ecommerce Reviews

Ecommerce reviews can have a variety of benefits for brands. Not only can they drive sales, but they can improve your overall reputation, and make your site easier to find in search engine results pages (SERPs). Here’s a closer look at how they accomplish this.

As Lucas Ballasy, CEO at Barrel says, “When customers are considering a product, they’re really asking, ‘Will this work for me?’ That’s why featuring reviews from people who’ve used the product in different ways is so powerful—it can be the deciding factor in a purchase. The more personal and detailed the reviews, the better. Not only do they build trust with potential customers, but they also give brands insights into what truly matters to their community, helping to refine the experience for everyone.”

Improves Conversion Rates

Improving conversion rates is a top priority for brands. Reviews drive sales through social proof. Customers are more likely to trust other customers because they see them as having no ulterior motive. They aren’t concerned about promoting a product or making a sale. Positive reviews from other real-life customers reassure potential customers that the item they are considering is a good choice. This makes them feel more confident and more likely to convert. 

Builds Trust and Credibility

With countless brands out there offering every type of product, it’s hard to tell which are reliable and have quality products. When real people endorse a product, it can instill trust and confidence in the brand, far more effectively than self-promotion could. Seeing that others have had positive experiences, through either reading reviews or viewing UGC, provides social proof that reassures customers, and can create an online reputation that customers can trust. It’s not just the brand saying their product is good or does a certain thing, other real people agree, which can instill trust and confidence in the brand.

Improves Website SEO

Ranking high in SERPs makes it easier for potential customers to discover your products through search engine results. This is due to the fact that customers often use keywords in their reviews like the product name, which increases the online content associated with your brand. This improves your search engine visibility and makes it more likely customers will find positive reviews about your product. Reviews can also help you discover new keywords. Video reviews can further improve your website’s SEO. Google’s algorithms increasingly prioritize websites with video content.

How to Strategically Display Ecommerce Reviews

Once you’ve gotten reviews, it’s time to show them off. Add them to your product detail pages so customers can see what others have to say about the specific item they’re looking for. It’s also a good idea to create a dedicated review page so customers can easily see all your reviews in one place (this will also boost your SEO). Display them on social media in your feed, on stories, and in social ads to build interest and trust. Adding reviews to your marketing emails and automated emails (like abandon cart emails) can also help increase conversion. 

How to Effectively Manage Ecommerce Reviews 

Reviews offer an opportunity to connect with customers. You can thank them for their positive experiences or address any concerns they have. Here are three strategies for effective review management:

Responding to All Reviews (Positive and Negative) 

Every review, positive or negative, deserves your attention. Responding to reviews lets customers know that you value their feedback and are willing to address issues. Your response to reviews also shows shoppers that they can trust your brand. Taking the time to acknowledge reviews builds a relationship with your customers, can convince someone to give your brand another chance, make others more likely to share their thoughts, and can even boost your SEO. 

Address Harmful or Fake Reviews

Unfortunately, brands often face challenges from harmful reviews. These can include malicious or inappropriate comments, fake reviews, or reviews from bots. These can significantly harm your reputation so it’s important to monitor your reviews closely and flag anything suspicious for investigation. Take proactive steps to address negative reviews by responding to them promptly. If inappropriate photos or videos are posted, you can hide them without removing the entire review.

Monitor Reviews Regularly

It’s important to regularly monitor the reviews on your site and on social media. Reviews act as a direct line to your customers’ thoughts, revealing how they feel about your products and their overall thoughts. Alerts can be set up to notify you when new reviews come in. This way you can respond to them promptly, address concerns, improve customer satisfaction, and even identify new trends. 

Boosting Review Collection with Automation

Automating emails makes collecting reviews a simple process. A post-purchase email automation sequence should include an initial review request and a follow-up reminder. Emails can be set up to go out a certain number of days after purchase or can be customized by product if results from the product take time. 

How Okendo Makes Collecting Ecommerce Reviews Easy

Okendo Reviews simplifies the process of requesting, displaying, and managing reviews. It also makes it easy to add ecommerce reviews to your store as a dedicated page, or as a carousel on your PDPs. 

By using an all-in-one customer marketing platform, you can craft and compelling review requests and automate follow-ups. We also give you the tools to showcase your reviews in engaging ways to build trust and drive conversions. By streamlining the review generation process, Okendo empowers you to increase sales, boost customer loyalty, and drive long-term growth. 

Conclusion

A strong review strategy is not a “nice to have,” it’s necessary for ecommerce success. By staying proactive with collecting and managing reviews you can build customer trust and loyalty, address issues, improve your SEO ranking, and, ultimately, drive sales.