Reviews on Etsy ✽ An Important Aspect to Building Trust

One of the things that is going to help people decide to buy from your Etsy shop is going to be having good reviews! If they get to hear others excited to share that you were an awesome person to order from, it will help build that confidence that you'll work well with them, as well! Obviously, you don't have a lot of say over people giving your reviews. They either will, or they won't. You can give them a little nudge to think of doing so, but ultimately they'll decide whether the time is worth it to give back to you. So how do you make that time worth it? You become a seller worth giving great reviews to! Go above and beyond, and always do everything in your power to make sure the customer is getting what they are paying for!

-Don't make promises you can't keep. Make sure your product is as stated, make sure your shipping estimates are realistic, and don't tell someone that you can definitely do something when you mean you can *try* to do something!

-Do NOT let your items seem better than they really are before the person is holding them. Make sure you are certain what your products are made of and what it includes. Make sure the quantity is what they expect, ect. Be honest!

-Mail your orders out ahead of time. This really grabs people's attention! It's always nice to get what you ordered ahead of time, instead of constantly having to worry about whether it will arrive in time, if it's even on it's way to you, because it just feels like it's taken for.EVER to get here... it's really appreciated!

-If you make items that can be changed up slightly, you may want to consider allowing your buyers to have an option to change those! And I personally love offering completely custom orders. My Family Goals Canvas was actually originally my regular Custom Quote Canvas, but two ladies came to me separately, asking if a larger one could be made with phrases rather than quotes, and it was a neat idea :). The more your customers get to know you, and the more you go out of your way for them, the more involved with your shop they feel, and it really makes the worth of their review go up in their own eyes, I think!

-Make your package special. Don't just mail them their order, put a little effort into making it seem like a gift box than just something they earned. This will look different for each seller; I'll share what I include in my packages tomorrow :).

While you don't have a say in who writes your reviews, or if they even will... your actions are chiefly responsible in determining whether their review will be average, poor, or glowing! Outstanding service will often be rewarded with a review; a review makes future customers a little more willing to make their purchase!

And it is perfectly alright to tell them you would appreciate a review in their package... a lot of people don't think about how important it is for small sellers to get them! I also like to convo buyers after they should have received their item; it helps me be proactive about any issues, it gives me another chance to make sure they know I am available to help them with their order, and, they often take the initiative while already on the site to go ahead and rate your shop when they answer your convo :)!

How do reviews change your view of a shop? What would you do to create outstanding customer service?