How To Get More Reviews On Etsy
And How To Avoid Bad Ones!
Having good reviews on Etsy is super important, and the more positive ones you have, the more customers are likely to trust you and want to buy your product.
So in this post I go over some of the ways you can get more reviews, and how to avoid bad ones!
If you haven’t already opened an Etsy shop, then you can use this link to get your first 50 listings for free…
Watch the video here…
The below content contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission if you shop through them, however this won't cost you anything, it just helps us to keep the site running for free. For more information on affiliate links, see the disclosure here.
Or take a look below…
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask
First of all, don’t be afraid to ask your customers for reviews. Multiple times. Pop a review request anywhere that they may see it… in your post-sale message that gets sent to them via Etsy, on a card that you insert into each package, on social media, in your emails if you have an email list, and in any other contact that you have with them. Obviously don’t harass them, but don’t assume that because you asked them once that they will have definitely seen the message.
This is especially important with Etsy sales as they don’t always let customers leave a review straight away too, so although they do send their own follow up emails requesting reviews usually, it may also be worth checking in with customers a little while later to see if they’re happy with their item and to give them a reminder about reviews then too.
2. Make It Clear What You’re Selling
A lot of bad reviews I see are from customers complaining that they didn’t receive what they were expecting, whether that’s because the item was smaller than they thought, or they didn’t get exactly what they saw in the main photo. That’s why it’s imperative to give as much detail as possible about the item that you’re selling, even if you think it’s inconsequential, and make it clear exactly what it is they’re purchasing in the title, description, and possibly even the pictures if needed.
This is especially important for decals if you’re showing them applied to a finished product in your example photo.
And it also goes for what your decals can be applied to as well - I usually say most hard, smooth surfaces should be suitable, but that if people have any questions then they can get in touch.
3. Quality Check
It’s so important to make sure every item that you send out is of a high standard.
I’ve had numerous occasions when I’ve been making decals where my machine has ripped a letter slightly, or I’ve cut something wonky and it always goes straight in the bin and gets re-made. The cost of me making it again is much lower than the cost of a bad review honestly, and I just wouldn’t ever send anyone anything that I wouldn’t be happy receiving myself.
4. Give Clear Instructions/Care Cards
Instructions are particularly important for decals, but also anything else that has a DIY aspect to it. And they need to be as clear as possible so that customers can’t get confused. This is also the case for anything that needs specific care taken with it, for example, if isn’t dishwasher proof or can’t be put in the dryer.
For my decals, I send each customer a link to a blog post with detailed instructions on how to apply them, and this also includes a video tutorial too to make things easier for them.
You don’t have to do something digital though, you can print a guide out with every order instead, just make sure each step of the process is laid out super simply.
I have some for sale, as well as care cards, on my Etsy shop if you need them, take a look below…
5. Be Available (Within Reason)
Let your customers know that if they have any issues then they can get in touch with you and you’ll try and help them as best as you can. Even if you don’t know how to help them, all it usually takes is a quick google or a search on Youtube and you should be able to find an answer for them. Or it may mean sending a replacement if there is an issue that can’t be fixed, but again, this is probably going to cost you less than a bad review if you don’t already have a lot of good reviews already.
Obviously, you can’t be available around the clock though, so you may also want to add your office hours somewhere or put an autoreply on for when you’re away from your shop, just so that customers know you’re not ignoring them and will get back to them as soon as you can.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
6. Learn From Bad Reviews
And finally, just remember that no matter what you do, you can’t please everyone. And it’s awful getting a bad review, especially when you’re working super hard for your customers. But rather than obsessing over it like I always used to do, ask them what you could have done to make their experience better and unless it’s a ridiculous request, use it as a learning and growing experience instead.
I hope you found that helpful!
And don’t forget, if you haven’t actually started an Etsy shop yet, then use this link for 50 free listings…
If you have any other great tips, do let me know in the comments section below!