Getting traffic to your Amazon listings is essential for increasing sales and continuing to grow your eCommerce presence. It’s not an easy task as competition on Amazon continues to heat up, but fortunately, you already have something in your back pocket that plays a big role in refining your Amazon sales strategy.

Your Amazon reviews provide detailed observations about your products. The information shared in reviews can keep you at least one step ahead of the competition. Keep reading to learn three ways to harness the power of reviews for your business.

Power Up Product Development

Understanding what shoppers are actually looking for is key to ensuring you meet customer expectations. Amazon reviews give you a way to quickly see what customers like about a product and what needs work. And while everyone loves a five-star review, sometimes you can learn even more from negative reviews.

Check out the top positive and negative reviews for your products to start identifying trends. Be on the lookout for:

• feature suggestions that will help you improve your existing product.
• opportunities to provide more value by bundling complementary items.
• mentions of product flaws, damaged parts, or other supplier issues.
• trends or ideas that might inspire your next product.

Does your listing highlight the features mentioned most frequently in your positive reviews? Are there opportunities to expand your A+ Content to address common questions or concerns?

Standing out and being successful on Amazon requires creativity, flexibility, and an innovative spirit. Trends change, product popularity wanes, and you’ve got to be ready to take your next step at any moment.

Developing a regular process for analyzing your Amazon reviews is important, but don’t let it intimidate you. After all, you’ve already got the data at your disposal. You just need to make sure that you and your team are using this information to help inform your business goals.

Differentiating Your Products

How do you stack up to your competition? Do you provide the details a comparison shopper needs in a clear and useful format?

Your own reviews are a great place to start getting answers to these questions. Look to see if reviewers mention competing products in their evaluation of your product.

If your item can solve a pain point more effectively than a competitor, awesome! Now consider how to use this information to improve your listing, related content, and advertising efforts. How can you help more buyers find your product?

If your product is not compared favorably to a competing product, identify why. Is your listing misleading? Did you overpromise and underdeliver, or is this an isolated review from a picky buyer? If you start seeing a trend in reviews where competitor products are recommended, consider re-evaluating your manufacturing process, reconsidering your pricing, or making updates to your listing to ensure your value prop is clear to shoppers.

Don’t stop at analyzing your own reviews, either. Check your listings to see the items Amazon includes as other items customers buy after viewing your product. This gives you an idea of what prospective buyers see when they land on your listing, and it also shows you exactly what your competitors are offering.

Knowing exactly what your products are up against means you can make informed decisions about everything from your advertising budget to what your next steps will be.

Want to implement this process, but feeling short on time? Consider monitoring ASINS for your own items and competing products with automated Amazon review monitoring software such as FeedbackFive by eComEngine. You can filter, sort, and even download reviews for further analysis.

Watch Out for Suspicious Activity

Keeping your Amazon seller account healthy is crucial. Monitoring your reviews regularly will help you quickly identify any suspicious review activity.

Amazon takes customer review authenticity very seriously. After all, reviews are part of what makes the platform so appealing to shoppers. In an online environment, there’s no easy way to compare physical products, so reviews and listing information are critical for educating prospective buyers.

If you notice a sudden increase in questionable reviews, such as several positive reviews that are obviously not about your product, report the issue to Amazon. If the issue persists and your account is suspended, consider working with an account reinstatement specialist.

Boost Your Business with Reviews

Don’t overlook the free market intelligence that is being delivered through your Amazon reviews. Take the time to learn from your reviews and make it a regular practice to level up your Amazon strategy.

Getting reviews is often a challenge for Amazon sellers. No matter how you choose to request Amazon reviews, do your homework to ensure that your method is compliant with all Amazon guidelines and policies. One easy and compliant solution for many sellers is to use the Request a Review button in Seller Central or schedule automated requests with Amazon review software.

Check out this free guide to learn more about how to get reviews for your Amazon products.

Becky Trowbridge is the Content Strategist at eComEngine. Her mission is to empower Amazon sellers with the information they need to be successful in a competitive market. When she’s not creating content, she enjoys spending time outdoors, trying new recipes, and reading.