How to Write a Winning Customer Review Email (Free Template Included)

Ecommerce brands that want to optimize for conversions need product reviews. We all know that. 

Reviews work especially well if they have some user-generated content (UGC) attached, whether that’s a photo or video, showing your customers enjoying your product.

Visual reviews have proven extremely effective for Shopify Plus user and Loox customer BlendJet. They've collected more than 55,000 reviews in record time:

BlendJet CEO Ryan Pamplin even said:

"Nothing boosted our conversion rate as much as Loox. The review format is simply the best. It prioritizes photos and videos, which is what people want to see.”

But how do you collect so many visual reviews? And more specifically, how do you optimize your review emails to get higher responses? 

In this post, we'll lay out the top strategies for writing a winning customer review email.

And you’ll even get a free customer review email template.

Now, let’s go improve your response and review rates! 

Customer Reviews Are Your Secret Weapon

Customer reviews are absolutely essential for any ecommerce business. They help improve your conversion rate and increase your average order value in many ways. 

Studies show that: 

• Customers spend 31% more when a business has positive reviews
• When a product gets five reviews, the likelihood of purchase increases by 270%.

Customers need reviews to make an educated buying decision. It’s crucial. So don’t leave your customers in the dark. Collect as many product reviews on your store as possible. 

And how do you do that? With a really good review email. 

The Impact of a Great Customer Review Email

The best way to gather customer reviews is by sending out a review request email to your customers, right after they receive your product. If you make this whole process simple for them, chances are higher that they'll leave a review. 

Our own studies show that review emails are very popular with customers. On average, Loox customers see a 50% open rate on their review request emails (when using the default Loox customer review email template). For every eleven emails sent, brands get one review.

There are three critical aspects of collecting great customer reviews via email:

1. Crafting a compelling email that makes customers take action.
2. Sending the review request email at the right time.
3. Automating the sending > collecting > displaying process with software.

A well-written review email conveys your company’s personality and sets it apart from your competitors. Think of it as a first impression. The better you write it, the greater chance you have of capturing a ton of customer reviews.

Examples of Great Review Request Emails

We get it, starting from scratch can be tough. That's why we're here to help! We've rounded up eight strategies for crafting effective review request emails so you can watch those reviews roll in.

Let’s dive in!

1. Keep it Short and Sweet

Make sure that your review email is short and to the point. No time for fluff. Here’s the Loox customer review email template. It’s short, sweet, and easy to read.

2. Focus on Conversions

There’s only one purpose of a review request email: to get a review. Don’t try to include special offers, make customers sign up for your newsletter, or get them to read your blog. Too many different call to actions will decrease the likelihood of getting a customer review.

That’s why you’ll find a dedicated review request email editor inside of Loox. Loox's default review request email focuses 100% on getting a review and is optimized for a high review submission rate.

3. Match Your Brand’s Voice And Tone

The key to making an effective review request is using the right words. These words have to match your brand identity. If you use strong wording on your store, use the same wording in your review request emails.

The words you use in your everyday marketing are part of your market positioning. People actively choose to join your tribe because of the way your brand speaks to them. The more they can relate, the more loyal they are. So don’t break from that voice in your review request emails.

Look at the following example. This brand sells sustainable totem bags and speaks in a very friendly to its customers.

The voice and design match their brand. Customers feel welcome and are therefore more likely to leave a review.

4. Make it Attractive to Leave a Review

Some people just love to share their thoughts on recent purchases. You can send a single review request email to them and they'll submit an amazing, five-star review. But these people are rare.

The vast majority of customers are not so easily convinced to leave a review, neither text nor photo. But if you make it appealing to them, you might have a chance.

That’s why offering a discount on the next purchase in return for a review works so well. Your customers already showed some love for your brand by buying from you. Chances are high that they will want to buy again. By offering a discount, you’ll not just increase the chances of getting reviews, but also increase the customer lifetime value. Now that's a win-win!

If you know that your customers are strongly incentivized by discounts, it’s a smart idea to create an email banner for your review request emails that makes it clear that they’re getting a discount for leaving a review.

Here’s an example:

5. Make it Personal

A group of people became “a segment”. And a personal interest became “a tag”. We all get lost in marketing language from time to time. And that’s okay. But we should never forget that we’re selling to real human beings. Giving a customer review email a personal touch can help here.

While it’s important to keep your tone professional, it’s also vital to show that you care about the customer. Speaking directly to them is one way to achieve that.

Another way is to include a picture of the sender of the review email request. It shows the customer that you’re not just a logo and brand name.

The following example combines two personalization features:

1. A visual of the CEO of the company (she’s not hiding behind a laptop).
2. Creative usage of the customer’s first name in the email copy.

6. Show Other People’s Reviews

Product reviews are all about social proof. They prove that many other people were satisfied with your products before. It decreases their risk and increases your conversions. So why not use the same strategy when trying to get more reviews?

Displaying other people’s reviews in your review request email will show the recipient that many people before them have left reviews. They’re not the first and probably not the last ones to share their thoughts. It’s normal.

Here’s a great example of a brand selling cosmetic products:

Note: They even added five-star icons to set expectations, right from the get-go.

7. Inbox Takeover

Everyone gets too many emails. I think we can all agree on that. Even if you make it to the inbox (and not the spam folder), chances are still high that your email will get deleted, whether that’s because of irrelevant content or unclear messaging.

You need to make sure that your customer review emails get attention. One way to do this is by creating an email that catches the attention of the recipient. We call this “inbox takeover”.

It means that you’re taking advantage of the full inbox size of your customer.

Here’s a great example:

This store’s brand identity allowed them to do this in a direct and engaging way. Full black screen. It’s definitely an attention grabber.

8. Make Your Customers Laugh

Unless you’re binge-watching “The Office” all day, chances are high that you don’t laugh 24/7. It’s the same for your customers. Giving them a smile can really brighten up their day.

If your brand and product allow this, you can create a funny email banner that not only catches the attention of your customers, but also makes them laugh.

Here’s an example of a brand that sells beanies:

Customer Email Review Template

Now, with the eight customer review request email examples above, you might feel a bit overwhelmed.

First off: You don’t need to implement every single point of the example emails to achieve great results. In fact, these templates work best as inspiration for you to spice up your emails.

To make it easy for you, you can use our tested and proven customer email review template. Shopify Plus brands like Lotus and Luna and LYRA Swim use the same copy. They didn’t change a single word.

Subject: #[order_number], please review your latest purchase

Hello [Name],

We would be grateful if you shared how things look and feel. Your review helps us and the community that supports us, and it only takes a few seconds.

Thank you!

For the subject line, we learned that mentioning the order number leads to a high open-rate. It makes the email appear as a transactional email rather than a marketing email. On average, we see open rates of 50%.

To get the best results, we recommend changing the copy and adding styling according to your brand identity.

Send Reminders For Best Possible Results 

You can expect the most review submissions straight after sending the first review request email. 

But, just because you got some, doesn’t mean you got them all. Setting up review request reminder emails on auto-pilot can go a long way for you and your reviews.

However, don’t go overboard with your review email reminders. Statistics show that the response rates significantly drop after the initial email.

The Perfect Timing of Your Review Request Email

Timing is everything.

It doesn't make sense to send the review request email one day after a customer bought the product. Chances are extremely low that the customer received and used the product. You need to find a time when you're 100% sure that your customer has had enough time to get and test the product. You might also want to consider your average return time here.

To scale review request emails at the perfect time, our platform looks at the Shopify fulfillment status and sends review request emails based on your settings in Loox. By default, we send review request emails 14 days after the fulfillment of a customer’s order. But this is not set in stone. You can always change this according to your needs.

To edit your review request timing, go to the Loox dashboard and navigate to Settings > Collect reviews > Review request timing:

Now Take Your Reviews to the Next Level

With all the examples above and the customer review email template, you’re equipped to get as many product reviews as possible.

If you consider setting up a review request email funnel on auto-pilot, Loox is here for you. More than 100K Shopify stores trust Loox already.

With Loox being a certified Shopify Plus Technology Partner and an Official Google Reviews Partner, your business is ready for the future of ecommerce. 

Have a question? Send an email to support@loox.io. We’re available 24/7 for you.