The Reviews are In…
Keep it simple to get great reviews on your products.
How you are perceived by the world has a huge impact on how your business will progress. If you simply believe in your products and keep quality forefront throughout your process, you should have no problem.
As imperfect as most ratings systems are, they are a barometer that the customers see when searching. Some websites have ways of bloating their reviews and there are scammers promising loads of positive feedback. But I have found that organic clientele are the best. They are the people that want your stuff and are happy when they safely receive what they were paying for.
Of course you want great reviews for your products, but patience is mandatory. There is no set formula for getting people to write about their experience in buying from you. You must always strive to WoW! them from jump. Every time.
Still, I have found that only about 1 in 4 buyers will bother writing a review. Some will even leave a photo.
Since I started selling on Etsy in 2008 and (at the time of this writing) have 11,790 sales, with 3,139 reviews. I average 5 stars every month. You can see my Etsy reviews here.
Most ratings are based on the following 3 elements:
A FREE subscription now gets all of my Blog posts, News & Sneak Peeks posts.
I publish at least twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. Please subscribe to get them sent directly to your email as they are published.
If you enjoy what you read and would like to support my habit, I will still happily accept “Paid” subscriptions and tips through my “Buy Me a Coffee” account. I appreciate the encouragement.
Quality
Maintain or exceed the quality of your work, yet always strive to improve. Make sure it is exactly what you are advertising. Be sure to include accurate descriptions in your listings (sizes, material, finish, method of creation, etc.) so that the buyer knows exactly what they are buying.
Being a woodworker, I understand that no two pieces will ever be exactly alike. But, after working with the public on and off for 40 years, I don’t assume that my customers know this. So, I include this disclaimer in every custom listing:
“Due to the very nature of wood, all pieces are unique. Color variances and grain differences are inevitable and appreciated. Natural defects like tight knots and mineral discolorations are NOT avoided unless they threaten the strength of the piece.”
Word-of-mouth advertising is still the top driver of new customers as repeat customers grow. The more people that receive quality products from you, the more they are likely to tell someone of their experience buying from you and write a glowing review, regardless of the platform you use. The recipients who receive your work as gifts will look you up online.
Messaging
Keep your customers in the loop. Answer questions or acknowledge every legitimate message as soon as possible. If they are shopping, they are likely to go on shopping after messaging you and may decide to buy from someone else.
Once purchased, you don’t have to document every step of your process, but if there is any problem, change in material or production time, reply as soon as you realize it. There may sometimes be questions that you will need to clear up before commencing work. Most clients are reasonable and will understand and appreciate the update.
I always send a “Sneak Peek” of finished custom orders (95% of my work). It helps satisfy that they have made a good choice in ordering from you and gives them a preview of the piece(s) if gifts are being mailed directly to their recipients.
Shipping
I consider standard shipping at the inception of a product. If it can’t safely fit it into one of my usual methods, I don’t go any further. I primarily use 00 and 000 sized bubble mailers and 10 x 4 x 2” inch boxes and include the Ground Advantage service that USPS offers. It usually takes 5 to 7 days to arrive, once mailed. I make Small and Medium Priority Mail shipping available at an additional charge, if they require it slightly quicker.
Keep the promises you make in your listing. Adjust your production times to give you reasonable time to create and ship your items. I always add a day as “insurance”.
I know what these packages will cost beforehand, so that I can fold it into my target pricing. Other sellers have different strategies, but I believe that customers like a nice round total when buying an item, whether it is for their own use or when sending a gift. It jibes better with what they had in mind to spend when they started looking.
Although buyers may blame you for slow postal services and base their reviews on not receiving it in time, there is little you can do about it except explain it in a response. Overall, USPS has been very reliable for us, but they have had restructuring issues these last few years with Louis DeJoy at the helm. It seems to be slowly getting better.
Asking for Reviews
Do NOT hound people for testimonials. Etsy or GoImagine will send out reminders to “Review”. In fact, the more reminders they get make them more likely to leave a bad review, mark them as spam and/or prevent important future communications from getting through. They will need no further prodding if they truly like your work. If you do not want an honest answer, don’t ask.
Most of our “Sneak Peek” messages get positive replies. This opens a more personable conversation that will make it more likely for them to leave a positive review and come back for more products.
If, after receiving your work, they write you a nice message, thanking you for your work or its happy reception of it, you can remind them to leave a nice review.
DustyNewt World ~ A map of where I have shipped my woodstuffs. See if your town is represented.
If you are enjoying what you see… I like it hot and black. 😉
