How to ask for a review on Etsy | A Helpful Guide With Examples

  • By: Reece Williams
  • Date: June 22, 2023
  • Time to read: 6 min.

Get more Etsy reviews using our example email templates. Reviews are hugely important for Etsy stores. Read our guide on how to get more reviews for your store and build more sales today!

How do you ask for reviews on Etsy? Sellers are allowed to request reviews from customers who have purchased. The only restriction is that they cannot incentivise a buyer to leave a review through coupons or offers. It’s best to lead with why a buyer should leave a review, focusing on benefits to them, and other buyers, as opposed to you the store owner.

Why reviews are important

Before we get into the “How” it’s always good to understand the “Why?”.

There is a lot of work involved in preparing your processes so that they are geared towards getting more reviews, it’s always good to know what the reward is for the hard work.

Reviews are important for 3 main reasons:

  1. Search Rank. Etsy uses reviews as a major source of information for its search rankings. Well reviewed products will be pushed towards the top.
  2. Trust. Reviews act as the main source of “social proof”. This is big in marketing as buyers are more attracted to items that have been enjoyed by others
  3. Buyer information. Reviews act as an extra source of information for buyers. Reviews offer extra insight that you can’t offer with images and descriptions.

You can learn more about the importance of reviews on my guide to reviews. guide to Etsy reviews

When to ask for a review on Etsy

As a seller, you have several contact points with your customer as they go through the purchase process.

You should focus on each step to make sure you are getting the most out of the customer’s attention. It’s hard to get it, so make use of it when you do!

Email confirmation

This is the time to set your stall out. You should set the expectation that you will ask for a review later down the line.

This can be a simple as a note at the bottom of the message to say “if you like the product please leave a review as it helps other buyers”. I would recommend keeping this mention of reviews brief at this point. It’s important to set expectations for the whole process for now.

The expectations you set now will be the basis of their future review. Be sure you can meet and exceed these with your packing and delivery!

The focus should be kept on what the buyer has ordered, when are they likely to get updates, and of course, when will they get the item. Something like the following will be ideal.

Email Confirmation Example

Hi,

Thank you for your purchase!

I have already made a start on getting your order ready. Expect to get a notification in 2-3 days time to say your package is on its way to you. This shipping notification will have all of the details you need to track your goodies to your door!

For UK orders I would expect your package to be with you within 2 days from the date you get the shipping notification. For EU and US deliveries it can take up to 2-3 weeks.

Once the item gets to you please check it over to make sure you’re happy with it – I’m certain you will be!

If you love it as much as I do then please leave us a review and send a photo with it to show it off! Other buyers are grateful for the insight you have.

If you have any questions or concerns please drop me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Thanks,

Reece

From this example, I have kept the focus on the product, the delivery, and the quality. A simple 2 sentence mention of a review is kept until the end.

Packaged insert cards

Package insert cards are often overlooked. They are normally mentioned in regards to saying “thank you” and for giving it “repeat purchase” coupon codes, however, they can be much more powerful for your business.

This is likely the most excited they will be. It’s important to get the idea of leaving a review into the buyer’s mind as soon as they open it.

Also, a good idea to open a line of communication at this point in case they have any issues. Offer several different options so they can contact you in a way that suits them. This can turn a negative review into a positive one.

A great way to guide the buyer is to mention how they can stage their review photo! Here is an example.

Side One:

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER

HAVE 15% YOUR NEXT ORDER USING COUPON CODE

THANKS15%

Side Two:

Thank you for your order. We hope you love it as much as we do! If you want to share the love with other buyers on Etsy then leave us a review! Why not pop it on your mantelpiece and send a photo so everyone can see it!

If you have any issues or concerns please reach out us. You can contact us : Email: myetsystoreemail@gmail.com Through Etsy: Send us a Direct Message on Etsy

Please include your order ID and we’ll do our best to sort any issue you may have.

By keeping the focus on one side of the card you are able to maintain attention on what you would like from them.

Follow up email

This is the most important time to ask. This is now the time the customer can actually leave a review. Etsy will only allow a review once it believes the customer has had a chance to receive and inspect the item. This can be several days after the estimated delivery date.

A clear CTA (call to action) is important. Make it as easy as possible for them to leave a review. Tell them HOW and tell them WHEN i.e. Leave a review by FOLLOWING THIS LINK and do it NOW.

Make a note to send a message to a buyer 2 days after their estimated delivery date. Here is an example.

Scheduling review reminder emails is hard. It takes plenty of organisation and time to do.

The impact on your store if you don’t follow up for reviews gets worse over time, so you don’t want to forget!

If you want to hand over this organisational nightmare, then try EtsyHunt’s “Follow-Up Reminder” service.

It will tell you exactly what to send and when – it even provides templates so you don’t have to worry!

Follow up email example

Hi [CUSTOMER NAME],

Once again, thanks for your order. I hope you have found a new home for it already!

Just checking in to make sure everything is as you expected and that there are no issues with your order.

If you have enjoyed your item and we’ve met your expectations then please leave us a review. You can do so by going to https://www.etsy.com/your/purchases. You should see a prompt once you’re in.

We’d love to see your photos of how you’re using it! It also gives other buyers ideas for what they can do in their homes too!

If you do have any issues or concerns then please let me know and we can see how we can help.

Thanks,

Reece

All of the groundwork that has been put in at previous stages should now pay off. This request for a review won’t be new. Hopefully, they have already thought of it when they opened their package, and the final message should be the last nudge they need to follow through.

By setting clear, and meet-able service expectations, and by preparing the customer for the request, you should see a better conversion of orders to reviews.

How you shouldn’t ask for a review on Etsy

We’ve gone over how you SHOULD ask for a review, however, what should you avoid?

Firstly, make sure you only ask for a review. Offering extra discounts or free gifts for reviews is against the Etsy sellers policy, and can get you into some hot water if you try this.

Secondly, if you don’t get a review after the final follow-up message, then just let it go. You won’t get a review from everyone, and it should always be up to the buyer as to when and IF they do leave a review.

How many reviews you should expect

The average conversion rate of orders to reviews is around 10%. This means you have to make 10 sales to get 1 review.

By making the changes that I’ve outlined you can expect to go above this figure. This will put you at an advantage over your competition!