Day 13 of 20 · AI for E-commerce

Reviews & Social Proof

⏱ 5 min 📊 Beginner

Here's a number that should shape your entire marketing strategy: 93% of consumers say online reviews influence their purchasing decisions. Not ads. Not product descriptions. Not influencer posts. Reviews.

Social proof is the most powerful conversion tool in e-commerce. People trust other people more than they trust brands. Today you'll learn how to get more reviews, respond to them strategically, and turn them into marketing copy that sells.

Getting more reviews

The biggest barrier to reviews isn't customer satisfaction — it's friction. Happy customers rarely leave reviews on their own. You have to ask, and you have to make it easy.

Timing matters. The best time to ask for a review is 7–10 days after delivery. The customer has had time to use the product but the excitement is still fresh. Too early and they haven't tried it. Too late and they've moved on.

Make it one click. A review request email should link directly to the review form — not to your homepage, not to their account page. Every extra click loses 50% of potential reviewers.

Give a reason. "Your review helps other shoppers make the right choice" appeals to altruism. "Leave a review and get 10% off your next order" appeals to self-interest. Both work. Test which resonates with your audience.

Follow up once. If they don't respond to the first review request, send one follow-up 5 days later. "We noticed you haven't had a chance to review your [product] yet. It only takes 30 seconds." Never send more than two requests — that crosses into annoying.

Knowledge Check

When is the best time to send a review request email after a customer's order has been delivered?

A

Immediately after they place the order

B

30 days later with a discount incentive

C

7–10 days after delivery, when they've had time to use the product but the experience is still fresh

D

The day it's delivered

If you ask too early, the customer hasn't used the product and can't give an honest review. If you ask too late, the excitement has faded and they can't remember the details. The 7–10 day window hits the sweet spot — they've experienced the product, formed an opinion, and the purchase is still recent enough to feel worth commenting on.

Writing review request emails with AI

AI can write review request emails that feel personal and get results. Here's a prompt template:

"Write a review request email for my [product type] store. The customer bought [product name] [X] days ago. Brand voice: [describe]. Include a direct link placeholder for the review form. Make it short — under 100 words. Add a subject line and preview text."

Key elements of a great review request email:

- Use their name and reference the specific product

- Keep it under 100 words — brevity increases completion

- One clear CTA button: "Leave a Review"

- A small incentive if appropriate (discount code, entry into a draw)

- A genuine tone — "We'd love your honest feedback" not "Please rate us 5 stars"

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ChatGPT

online

Write two versions of a review request email for my candle store. Version 1: no incentive, just a genuine ask. Version 2: with a 10% off incentive for leaving a review. The customer bought the "Fireside Vanilla" candle 8 days ago. Brand voice: warm, cosy, conversational. Store name: Glow & Co. Keep each email under 100 words.

**VERSION 1 — No incentive:** Subject: How's Fireside Vanilla treating you? Preview: We'd love to hear your honest thoughts Hey [First Name], Your Fireside Vanilla has had a little over a week to settle into its new home. How's it going? Love the scent? Burn time holding up? We'd really appreciate a quick review — it helps other candle lovers find their perfect match. [Leave a Review →] Takes about 30 seconds. Honest thoughts only — we want the real feedback. Warmly, Team Glow & Co. --- **VERSION 2 — With incentive:** Subject: Quick favour + 10% off your next candle Preview: Tell us about Fireside Vanilla — get a treat Hey [First Name], You've had your Fireside Vanilla for a week now — we'd love to know what you think! Leave a quick review and we'll send you 10% off your next order as a thank-you. Deal? [Leave a Review →] Honest feedback only — even the stuff we need to hear. Your review helps us get better and helps other customers find their perfect candle. Code arrives as soon as your review is live. 🕯️ Warmly, Team Glow & Co.

↻ Replay conversation

Responding to reviews strategically

Every review response is marketing content. Future customers read your responses as much as they read the reviews themselves.

Responding to positive reviews (4–5 stars):

- Thank them by name

- Reference something specific from their review

- Reinforce the product benefit they mentioned

- Invite them to try something else

AI prompt: "Write a reply to this 5-star review for my [product]. Mention [specific thing they said]. Suggest they'd also love [related product]. Keep it under 50 words."

Responding to negative reviews (1–3 stars):

- Acknowledge the issue immediately — no excuses

- Apologise genuinely

- Offer a concrete resolution

- Take details offline: "Please email us at [address] so we can make this right"

- Never argue, never be defensive, never blame the customer

AI prompt: "Write a reply to this negative review. The customer's complaint is [issue]. Apologise, offer [resolution], and invite them to contact us directly. Professional but warm tone. Under 60 words."

Knowledge Check

Why is it important to respond to negative reviews publicly (rather than just reaching out privately)?

A

Future customers see how you handle problems — a professional, empathetic response builds trust even when the review is bad

B

To discourage other customers from leaving negative reviews

C

To defend your product and set the record straight

D

Platforms rank stores higher when they respond to all reviews

Negative reviews are inevitable. What separates great stores from average ones is the response. When a prospective customer sees a 2-star review followed by a thoughtful, solution-oriented reply, they think, "This brand cares and will take care of me if something goes wrong." That builds more trust than a wall of 5-star reviews with no responses.

Turning reviews into marketing copy

Your best reviews are marketing gold. Here's how to use them across every channel:

Product pages — Feature the top 3 reviews prominently, not buried in a scrollable list. Use pull quotes: "Best candle I've ever owned — Sarah K."

Ad copy — "Don't take our word for it" followed by a real customer quote. Review-based ads consistently outperform brand-written ads because they feel authentic.

Email marketing — Include a customer review in your welcome series, your abandoned cart emails, and your product launch announcements. Social proof reduces hesitation at every stage of the funnel.

Social media — Screenshot a great review and post it as an Instagram Story or a static post. Add a simple caption: "This made our day." UGC-style review posts get high engagement because they feel real.

Product descriptions — Weave customer language into your copy. If customers keep saying your candle "fills the whole room," use that phrase in your product description. It's more credible than anything you'd write yourself.

AI can extract the best quotes from your reviews, reformat them for different channels, and even identify recurring themes in customer language that you should use in your marketing.

Knowledge Check

Why is using actual customer language in your product descriptions more effective than brand-written copy?

A

It saves time on copywriting

B

Customer language uses better grammar

C

Customers describe products using the same words other customers use to search and evaluate — it feels authentic and matches how buyers think

D

Search engines prefer customer-generated text

When a customer says "fills the whole room" instead of "features exceptional scent throw," they're using the exact language other customers use when evaluating candles. Marketing jargon creates distance. Customer language creates connection. It also happens to match the search terms real people type — "candle that fills the room" — which improves discoverability.

One great review powers five marketing channels. Extract, reformat, and deploy.

Building social proof across platforms

Reviews are just one form of social proof. Here's how to build a full social proof ecosystem:

Review platforms — Get reviews on Google, Trustpilot, and your own product pages. Different customers check different platforms.

User-generated content — Customer photos and videos of your product in real life. Feature them on your website, social media, and ads.

Press and media mentions — "As featured in [publication]" badges on your homepage. Even small mentions carry weight.

Numbers — "Join 12,000+ happy customers" or "4.8 average rating from 3,400 reviews." Specific numbers are more credible than vague claims.

Real-time proof — "14 people are viewing this right now" or "Sold 47 in the last 24 hours." Creates urgency through social validation.

Each form of social proof reinforces the others. A customer sees your ad featuring a real review, visits your product page with a 4.8-star rating, notices "12,000+ happy customers," and sees a user photo in their exact aesthetic. That's not one proof point — that's a wall of evidence that makes buying feel like the obvious decision.

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Day 13 Complete

"Reviews are your most powerful marketing asset. Ask for them strategically, respond to them thoughtfully, and turn the best ones into ad copy, email content, and social proof across every channel."

Tomorrow — Day 14

Your Marketing Machine

Tomorrow we'll recap Week 2 and make sure your marketing engine is firing on all cylinders.

Continue to Day 14 →