There’s a simple way to import Amazon reviews to Shopify and there are two apps that work very well for doing this.
In many ways, Amazon “invented” the way product reviews are done for physical products. People who buy from Amazon know what to look for the reviews have become an important part of Amazon’s trust factor.
If you are already selling on Amazon and have collected a good chunk of positive reviews then you can easily port copy those reviews over to your Shopify store by using Loox or Opinew.
If you are just starting your Shopify store with zero sales history then you could use these apps to “borrow” reviews from Aliexpress or even Amazon but there are some moral issues we need to consider and we will talk more about that later.
Lets quickly look at these 2 apps; how they work and how you can import reviews from Amazon to your Shopify store.
Import Amazon Reviews To Shopify With Loox
Latest Update: Loox have removed the option to import reviews from Amazon. I suspected something like this will happen and I am sure that Amazon requested they remove it.
Loox still offer Aliexpress review imports and I highly suggest you stick to that. Eventually Amazon will shut down this option for all apps or maybe Shopify will also step in to stop this.
For the time being, you can use Opinew to import reviews from Amazon to Shopify as it still works great and offers a LOT of options.
As for Loox, it is till the #1 rated review app and I recommend it if you want to collect your own reviews. It makes it very easy to offer incentives to customers to give you reviews and I still prefer the look of the Loox reviews on my stores.
If you are desperate to keep using Loox and still import reviews from Amazon then you could format the reviews directly from the Amazon site and place it into the Loox CSV template file.
Once you have it all in the CSV file you can simply import the file using the “Import From Spreadsheet” function.
Import Amazon Reviews To Shopify With Opinew
Opinew has become one of the most popular photo review apps because it allows you to do things that most other apps simply can’t.
Apart from the ability to easily import reviews from Aliexpress and Amazon, it also allows you to import reviews from Ebay.
Ebay is flooded with dropshippers and you can find almost any Aliexpress product on Ebay – with reviews that you can use and import.
Imporing Amazon reviews with Opinew is simple. Above is an example setup of how you would import reviews.
I pick “37” reviews to import – this is an arbitrary number which appears more realistic than a round number like 50. I also include reviews 3 stars and above so it includes a few not so good ones.
I also only import reviews with images.
Once you’ve imported the reviews you can actually edit the reviews by deleting ones you don’t want to display. You can also edit the actual text in the reviews but I don’t recommend that.
The final step is just to make sure the reviews display correctly in your store and blends nicely with your theme.
There’s enough good documentation on their site that shows you how to do this.
Important Tips When Displaying Reviews
There is both an art and a science to displaying reviews on your store. While reviews can do wonders for building trust and boosting your conversion rates, it can also work against you.
If you import reviews you need to be very picky about what you import and how it looks on your store.
Spammy looking reviews and reviews that do not look authentic WILL damage your conversion rate and have the opposite effect of what they are designed to do.
Here are some of the most important things to look out for.
- Don’t just show reviews with 5 stars. It is not realistic that ALL your reviews are great. Don’t be afraid to include the odd negative review. It actually helps to build trust.
- Try and use image reviews only. Customer photos can be an incredibly powerful sales tool. The more “unprofessional” the pictures look the better. It makes it authentic.
- Try and find pictures of people actually USING the product. This helps potential customers see themselves using the product. They can associate better.
- Watch the language. When importing reviews from Aliexpress or international Amazon stores then the reviews will get translated. This in itself is not a problem but if there are names or words that don’t translate it looks bad. Your customers need to relate to the reviews and having it from people in their own language and country is by far the best.
- Make sure the reviews are current. Remember that potential customers WILL read these reviews. They will also see the dates. If all the reviews are from 2 years ago it creates doubt. In this case, it is better to leave out the dates.
- Make it look part of your theme. With both Loox and Opinew you can edit the look and feel of the app so that it blends in seamlessly with your Shopify store theme. Make sure that you at least match the colours and fonts with that you use in your Shopify store theme.
- Don’t go overboard with reviews. If you are importing reviews, stick to around 20 to 30 good quality reviews. You do not need 100. Unless they are your own reviews that you have personally collected it is just not worth the risk of displaying that many borrowed reviews.
The Importance of Showing Product Reviews on Your Store
Showing product reviews on your Shopify store can make a big difference in your conversion rates.
Reviews add something that is commonly called “social proof” and what it boils down to is that people trust other people who are like themselves.
When a potential customer can see someone who bought the product and get real and honest feedback about their purchase they are far more likely to trust your store and your products.
People have become jaded with a lot of online stores – especially ones selling products from China.
Trust is a BIG deal.
People want to know that when they give you their credit card details that they will:
- Actually get the product
- That the product accurately resembles what you show and claim
Social proof addresses both these trust issues – especially when your product reviews include pictures of happy customers.
When there is enough social proof it builds trust with a potential customer and removes 2 very big barriers to complete a sale.
Other people just like me, bought the product. They got is in a reasonable time frame and they are happy with their purchase.
Product reviews can also be used to help remove many barriers to a sale. When your review describes aspects of the product is can even answer questions that potential customers may have.
Potential customers who are serious about buying your products WILL read the reviews.
While they may just scan over much of your sales copy, it is the reviews that tends to be read in much more detail.
This is why you need to pay a lot of attention to the reviews you add to your store as they can make or break a sale.
Borrowing Reviews From Aliexpress and Amazon – Is It Okay?
If you are dropshipping products from China and you start a store from scratch you are really up against it.
Popular dropshipping products have a lot of competition and if you set up a new store then you need to work really hard at establishing trust.
Reviews is a powerful way to do this but what it your store is new? And you don’t have any customers yet?
The easy solution is to simply “copy” the reviews from your Aliexpress seller over to your Shopify store. Both Loox and Opinew can do that very easily.
This can instantly make your store look both “busy” and established – even if it is only 1 day old with zero sales to its name.
The real question is whether this is morally right or wrong? If you are selling a product from Aliexpress and you use their reviews then it is perfectly fine.
You may not have collected the reviews yourself but since you are selling the exact same product from the exact same vendor then your reviews will be accurate and perfectly legit.
The problem comes in when you sell a product from China and find the exact same product on Amazon and use their reviews on your Shopify store.
It may be the exact same product and even come from the same manufacturer but the fact that you are borrowing the reviews from Amazon is questionable.
Amazon could come after you as they are known for not taking kindly to their stuff being copied. I think that eventually, apps will have to let go of their Amazon import feature.
If you do decide to go down this path then make sure you only borrow these reviews to give you a start and begin collecting your own reviews as soon as you start making sales.
