Customer reviews play a crucial role in driving sales and building trust. Recognizing this, Walmart has introduced an innovative solution for sellers on their platform: the Review Accelerator Program. This initiative aims to boost the number of authentic customer reviews for products, providing valuable insights for potential buyers and helping sellers improve the visibility of their product listings on Walmart.com.
Understanding the Review Accelerator Program
At its core, the Review Accelerator Program is designed to encourage customers to share their honest feedback after purchasing items on Walmart.com. The program provides customers with a digital reward that can be used towards their next purchase on the platform. This incentive is offered in exchange for genuine, accurate reviews of the products they've bought.
It's important to note that this program maintains integrity by ensuring customers are unaware of the incentive before making their purchase. This approach helps to prevent bias and ensures that the reviews remain authentic and valuable to other shoppers.
How the Program Benefits Sellers
For sellers on Walmart's Marketplace, the Review Accelerator Program presents an excellent opportunity to gather more customer feedback.
- Increased Review Volume: The program helps generate more reviews for your products, which can lead to improved visibility and customer trust, which in turn leads to increased conversion rates. According to Walmart: “products with up to 10 reviews are 52.2% more likely to convert than those without reviews.”
- Authentic Feedback: All reviews come from verified purchasers, ensuring the feedback is genuine and based on real shopping experiences.
- Targeted Approach: The program focuses on products that need reviews the most, helping to build a balanced profile across your product range.
- Automated Process: Once enrolled, the program runs automatically, saving you time and effort in soliciting reviews.
Enrolling in the Review Accelerator Program
To take advantage of this program, sellers need to enroll their eligible items. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:
Step 1: Check Eligibility
Before you can enroll your products, they must meet specific criteria:
- The item must have had sales in the last 30 days.
- It should have fewer than 15 reviews.
- Alternatively, if it has 15 or more reviews, there should be no new reviews in the last 90 days.
These criteria ensure that the program targets products that would benefit most from additional reviews.
Step 2: Access the Review Accelerator Dashboard
Log in to your Seller Center account and navigate to the Review Accelerator program dashboard under the Growth Opportunities section. This is where you'll manage your participation in the program.
Step 3: Select and Enroll Items
On the dashboard, look for the "Enroll items" option. This will allow you to search for and select the items you want to include in the program. Once you've made your selections Walmart provides a column "Est GMV impact" to indicate how this can impact your listing.
Step 4: Set Review Targets
For each enrolled item, you can set a target number of reviews (the options are 5, 10, 15, or 20 reviews). This target helps you control the number of incentivized reviews you're aiming for and, consequently, the cost associated with the program. After completing this step, click on "Enroll items" to add them to the program.
Step 5: Monitor Progress
Once your items are enrolled, you can track their progress on the Review Accelerator dashboard. You'll be able to see how many reviews each item has received and how close it is to reaching its target.
Understanding the Costs
Participation in the Review Accelerator Program does come with a cost. Sellers are charged a fee for each review collected through the program. The exact cost per review is displayed on the Review Accelerator dashboard for each eligible item, typically set at $10.
It's worth noting that you'll only be charged for reviews up to the target number you've set for each item, and any additional ones you earn before the item is dis-enrolled will be free. This gives you control over your budget and ensures you're not surprised by unexpected costs.
The Review Process and Display
When a customer purchases an enrolled item, they'll be invited to leave a review in exchange for a digital reward. These reviews are then posted on the item's page on Walmart.com, complete with an "Incentivized Review" badge. This badge maintains transparency, letting other shoppers know that the reviewer received an incentive for their feedback.
It's crucial to understand that Walmart maintains the integrity of these reviews. They won't modify or remove reviews unless they violate specific guidelines. This policy ensures that all feedback, whether positive or negative, remains visible to potential customers.
Maximizing the Benefits of the Program
To get the most out of the Review Accelerator Program, consider these tips:
- Choose Products Strategically: Focus on products that would benefit most from additional reviews. New items or those with few existing reviews are ideal candidates.
- Set Realistic Targets: While it's tempting to aim for a high number of reviews, set targets that align with your budget and the product's sales volume.
- Monitor Performance: Regularly check the Review Accelerator dashboard to track progress and customer engagement so you can adjust your strategy if needed.
- Address Feedback: Pay close attention to the reviews you receive. Use this valuable feedback to improve your products or address any issues customers may have raised.
- Maintain Product Quality: Remember, the program doesn't guarantee positive reviews. The best way to ensure good feedback is to consistently provide high-quality products and excellent customer service.
Managing Your Participation
The Review Accelerator Program offers flexibility in managing your participation. You can remove enrolled items at any time by accessing the "Enrolled" tab on the Review Accelerator screen and selecting the "Opt out" option for specific items.
Once an item reaches its target number of reviews, it's automatically removed from the program. These completed campaigns can be viewed in the "Completed" tab, providing a history of your participation.
Conclusion
The Walmart Review Accelerator Program offers a powerful tool for sellers looking to increase their product reviews on Walmart.com. By incentivizing customers to share their honest feedback, the program helps build a robust review profile for your products, potentially leading to increased visibility and sales.
While participation does come with a cost, the strategic benefits of gathering more authentic customer reviews can be significant. By carefully selecting products, setting appropriate targets, and actively engaging with the feedback received, sellers can leverage this program to enhance their presence on Walmart's platform and build stronger connections with their customers.
Remember, the key to success with this program lies not just in gathering more reviews, but in using this feedback to continually improve your products and customer experience. By doing so, you'll be well-positioned to thrive in the competitive world of e-commerce on Walmart.com.
NOTE: Review Accelerator is also available for 1P Suppliers through the Supplier One portal.
