Shopify Product Reviews Are Literally Dead: What Now?

As you probably know by now, Shopify’s own Product Reviews app has been removed as of May 6, 2024.

If you had reviews in the app, you should have exported them before that date.

In case you failed to do so… Unfortunately, your reviews are gone.

But let’s not fall into despair! You can still implement many different apps to collect and showcase product reviews.

We’ll cover some of the most popular Product review apps, but also introduce you to a new idea: Business reviews.

Why are business reviews necessary when you already have product reviews?

You’re about to find out.

Why Shopify Product Reviews Matter

Shopify product reviews provide social proof, building trust and credibility with potential customers. Genuine reviews from other shoppers help to:

• Increase conversion rates
• Improve SEO rankings
• Enhance customer engagement
• Provide valuable feedback for product improvements

Managing product reviews within the Shopify admin is crucial, as it allows you to reply to and report reviews that may violate policies.

Alternatives to Shopify Product Reviews App

If you want to continue showcasing product reviews on your Shopify store, here are some alternative solutions to look into:

1. Yotpo: Great choice for businesses looking for an all-in-one solution that includes reviews, loyalty, and referral programs, and stores with a strong focus on social media marketing and user-generated content.
2. Judge.me: For budget-conscious businesses that need a reliable, feature-rich review app without high costs, and stores that cater to international customers and need multilingual support.
3. Joox: For store owners looking for a straightforward, easy-to-use review app and businesses that prioritize customer support and need help with setup and ongoing use.

All of these apps are downloadable from Shopify’s App Store.

Why Use Business Reviews In Your Store?

Here’s a kicker: Unless you produce all your products by hand and they are completely unique, the chances are that someone else is selling the exact same products (or at least something very similar).

So, at the end of the day, when people have already decided to buy the product, one question remains:

Why should they buy it from you?

This is where business reviews are crucial.

Unlike product reviews that describe the properties of the products, business reviews justify your store’s credibility in general.

People often ponder the following questions when shopping in an online store:

• Is this store legit and trustworthy?
• Is this the best price for this product?
• Why should I pay more for this company when I can get the same product for cheaper somewhere else?
• Will I get my order delivered in time?
• Is the product listing accurate or will I be disappointed?

These questions can only be answered by past customers. Authentic business reviews from customers can help address these questions and build trust.

The Best Business Reviews App

Trustmary might not be the best product reviews app, but it certainly is the best business reviews software.

With Trustmary, you can collect and showcase customer reviews automatically, while also collecting customer feedback and improving your business based on customer insights.

Try it for free or book a meeting with us to learn more!

Best Practices to Collect Product Reviews

1. Collect Reviews and Gather Social Proof: To enhance brand trust and drive sales, it’s crucial to collect reviews from customers. Gathering social proof can be achieved through various methods such as automated requests, social media engagement, and custom prompts. Showcasing these reviews in visually appealing layouts can further boost credibility.
2. Offer Incentives: Encourage customers to leave reviews by offering discounts or rewards.
3. Follow Up: Send follow-up emails reminding customers to leave a review.
4. Make It Easy: Simplify the review process with user-friendly forms and clear instructions.

Displaying Reviews Effectively for Social Proof

1. Showcase on Product Pages: Display reviews prominently on product pages to influence purchase decisions. Reviews can be managed and displayed across different platforms, including the online store, ensuring consistency and credibility.
2. Highlight Positive Feedback: Use star ratings, featured reviews, and customer photos to create a positive impression.
3. Use Widgets: Add review widgets to different parts of your site, like the homepage or checkout page, for increased visibility.

Read more about review syndication to learn how to make the most out of your reviews.

Responding to Reviews

1. Engage with Customers: Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show that you value customer feedback. The Shop app can be used to manage and respond to these reviews efficiently, ensuring that all customer interactions are handled promptly.
2. Resolve Issues: Address any negative feedback promptly and professionally to maintain a positive brand image.

Leveraging Reviews for SEO

1. Use Keywords: Encourage customers to include relevant keywords in their reviews.
2. Rich Snippets: Enable rich snippets to display review stars in search engine results, improving click-through rates. Using a reviews app can further enhance SEO by simplifying the process of generating rich snippets and ensuring that review stars are displayed accurately.

Encouraging More Reviews

1. Email Campaigns: Regularly send out email campaigns asking for reviews. If you encounter a network security block, log in to your account or provide a developer token to continue collecting reviews.
2. Social Media: Promote customer reviews on social media to reach a broader audience.
3. Post-Purchase Requests: Include review requests in post-purchase confirmation emails.

FAQs