How To Collect Product Ratings And Reviews For Your Shopify Store

Key Takeaways 

• Reviews and ratings are trusted more than ads, helping Shopify stores convert casual browsers into loyal, returning customers consistently. 

• Fresh customer reviews keep product pages active, boost SEO rankings, and help your Shopify store show up higher on Google. 

• Review apps on Shopify simplify collection, highlight top-rated feedback, and let shoppers upload photos or videos for stronger credibility. 

• Responding quickly to reviews shows customers you care, improves trust, and often leads to higher store ratings over time. 

• Positive reviews act like social proof, reassuring first-time buyers, while verified purchase badges strengthen trust in your Shopify store. 

• Ignoring reviews hurts credibility, risks losing buyers, and makes your store appear careless, damaging both brand trust and sales. 

What if you found a shortcut to increasing sales on your Shopify store? Well, there is one, and it involves UGC (user-generated content) in the form of product reviews and ratings on your store.  

A survey by PowerReviews found that 99.9% of online consumers read reviews before buying. This unbiased and authentic information convinces shoppers to buy much more than all your advertising efforts.  

As a Shopify store owner, collecting and displaying this UGC in a streamlined way is what will persuade a high number of shoppers to turn from casual browsers to loyal, often recurring buyers.  

What Are Product Ratings and Reviews on Shopify? 

On Shopify, store owners require simple ways to allow their customers to share what they think about what they bought. Product ratings and reviews do this effortlessly.  

Ratings are usually given as stars, while reviews are written comments about the shopping and product experience. What’s important to note is that shoppers actually rely on them heavily.  

How can customers leave star ratings and written feedback 

The reason why reviews work smoothly in Shopify is because customers can leave them right after making a purchase.  

You can set up automated review request emails or even let them post directly on the product page.  

Usually, the review box lets them give a star rating and write their thoughts. Some apps make it even richer by allowing photo and video uploads, which makes the review feel more trustworthy. 

Where do reviews show up in your Shopify store? 

If you notice, reviews are not hidden away. They are positioned right where customers make decisions, on product pages, often below the description.  

Some themes display them in a tab format, while others show them as a continuous feed.  

What’s great is that certain ratings and review apps let you extend this visibility further by displaying reviews clearly on your homepage, landing pages, and sometimes even in pop-ups.  

This way, your potential buyers are surrounded by real customer voices across your store. 

Why ratings and reviews are trusted by new shoppers.

Suppose your customer is new to your store. They have no previous contact or experience with your brand, so reviews help them decide. All they want is proof that the product descriptions and details you have displayed are authentic. They trust real buyers and check the review section to get their product-related questions answered.  

• Authentic customers write reviews describing real experiences with a product. 

• Customers view star ratings as a quick, trustworthy indication of product satisfaction. 

• Verified buyer badges provide additional assurance that feedback is from actual purchases. 

• Consistent reviews across various products are proof of a transparent and customer-oriented store. 

Why Do Ratings and Reviews Matter for Higher Sales? 

The question you may have is, do product reviews and ratings really increase sales figures? Or is it all just theoretical? 

 Seeing as almost every customer (including you) first checks reviews before buying, yes, they directly affect sales. A study conducted by Spiegel Research Centre confirmed that displaying reviews has the potential to grow conversions by up to 270%. 

That’s huge.  

Reviews reassure new buyers, remind returning buyers they’re making the right choice, and even improve your visibility on Google Shopping. If you keep collecting them, your store gradually looks more reliable, which keeps your sales curve moving upward. 

How reviews act as social proof for first-time buyers 

The fact is, first-time buyers usually hesitate before clicking ‘buy now’. On online stores, prominently displayed reviews and ratings act as social proof (it’s a human tendency online, where someone’s actions and behavior are dictated by what other people are doing and saying).  

When customers see that someone else took the risk of buying the product and liked/loved it, they are more likely to make a quick purchase.  

The best part is when reviews mention specific details like fit, shipping speed, or product quality. It is details like that which melt away the doubts of new shoppers, giving them enough confidence to place an order.  

Why positive reviews boost conversion rates 

Getting positive reviews on your Shopify store often has a direct link to conversions. A lot of shoppers who come to your store trust reviews just as much as they would trust personal recommendations from friends.  

That means if someone sees a few good reviews on your product page, they’re more likely to buy because they believe what fellow customers have said more than any claims your brand makes. 

The Risk of Ignoring Customer Reviews 

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It’s not an exaggeration to say that if reviews are ignored, you’d be putting your brand at risk. A store that doesn’t reply to or update reviews gives shoppers the impression that they are careless. Contrary to what you may think, shoppers do notice. 

• Negative reviews on your product page that have not been addressed can lead to customers losing trust in you and damaging your brand credibility. 

• Displaying only older reviews makes prospective customers feel that you do not keep your data updated. 

• Ignoring reviews is not a good idea, as you will miss out on valuable feedback that could improve your products or service.  

Before we delve into the details of ratings and reviews for Shopify products, let’s first explore the importance of user-generated content in ensuring your products rank high on Google. 

How Product Ratings and Reviews Apps Help with SEO 

 Imagine your product pages ranking higher in Google just because customers are sharing their opinions. That’s exactly what happens when you use ratings and reviews apps. All this fresh, user-generated content gives search engines what they are looking for. 

Keeping Product Pages Updated with Fresh Content 

 Everyone knows that Google prefers pages that are active and regularly updated. Each new review adds a little bit of fresh content to your product pages.  

 If you notice, pages with frequent updates are more likely to rank well than pages that never change.  

Reviews Enable Naturally Occurring Keywords  

 What happens when customers post reviews is that they often mention words that your future buyers actually search for.  

 Suppose one of your customers writes, “These eco-friendly sneakers fit perfectly and arrived fast”. Guess what? You just got a long-tail keyword without trying. 

Improving Clicks and User Engagement 

 Reviews can help you improve your ranking on SERPs (search engine results pages), thus increasing chances of people shopping on your store. Plus, the longer someone stays on your ecommerce store, the more Google trusts it.  

• When shoppers spend extra time reading detailed reviews, it increases session duration (time actively spent on a site)

• Star ratings can appear in Google search results, making your listing more noticeable 

• Positive reviews encourage sharing or linking, which creates natural backlinks 

 Enabling Rich Snippets in Search Results 

 Think about the listings you click first on Google search results. More often than not, they are the rich snippets that show star ratings and review counts (as pictured above).   

Adding review content to your product pages can make Google show these stars, which makes your listings stand out. 

So, now that we understand the SEO side of things, let’s figure out how an app can help to streamline the entire review management process.  

What is a Shopify Product Reviews and Ratings App? 

Those who are managing a D2C store would need a way to smoothly manage the reviews and ratings on their site.  

A Shopify Product Reviews and Ratings app gives store owners control and extra tools to make feedback more powerful.  

The purpose of these apps is to help merchants collect reviews easily, show them in flexible layouts, and keep them organized.  

They also allow verified buyer tags, review filtering, and even display photos or videos from buyers, which makes your store feel more genuine and appealing. 

Key features of Shopify product review and rating apps 

The reason these apps stand out is because of the features they bring. 

• Automated review requests 

They save time by emailing or texting customers after a purchase to encourage feedback. 

• Custom display options 

You can display reviews in grids, sliders, or tabs to perfectly match your brand and theme. 

• Verified purchase labels 

These tags let shoppers know the review came from someone who actually bought the item. 

• Photo and video uploads 

Reviews become much more convincing when customers can show their product in real life. 

How Should D2C Merchants Manage and Respond to Reviews? 

Collecting ratings and reviews is all well and good, but what about managing them? 

What’s useful is to understand that reviews are essentially conversations. They need replies, quick checks, and active attention.  

If you reply to them, you’re basically showing customers their opinions matter.  

In fact, Harvard Business Review found that businesses replying to reviews see better ratings over time. That alone makes responding a simple but powerful habit for Shopify merchants. 

Why quick responses to reviews matter 

If you respond quickly to reviews your customers have left, they will feel heard. A thank-you for a positive review creates goodwill, and a quick response to a complaint helps to diffuse the situation. 

Shoppers tend to read the brand’s response as much as they read the reviews themselves. So, when they see your store being active, it tells them you are a reliable and accountable brand. 

Converting negative reviews to opportunities 

The fact is, negative product reviews don’t necessarily have to hurt your sales. You can turn things around by using them properly, allowing them to actually work in your favor. 

• Responding to complaints demonstrates your professionalism to customers, showing that you always settle disputes ethically. 

• Public responses, yes, even to negative feedback, can assure prospective buyers that you pay attention to comments. 

• Learning from repeated negative reviews offers brands a chance to improve product quality in the long run. 

Highlighting top-rated reviews on product pages 

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It’s obvious that top reviews should take centre stage. By highlighting them strategically, you give potential shoppers the confidence to make a purchase. And, they won’t be forced to scroll endlessly to find the reviews. Shoppers get a quick snapshot of the most loved products that you offer. 

• Pin top-rated reviews 

By placing the highest-rated reviews at the top, customers first read the best feedback; this is very effective in shaping their buying choices. 

• Showcase testimonials on home and landing pages 

With customer testimonials on your page banners or visible sections on your home page, first-time visitors get instant reassurance. 

How Can Merchants Use the WTS Like, Rating & Review App from the Shopify App Store 

What’s interesting about the WTS Like, Rating & Review app is how it blends review management with shopper engagement.  

The app is available on the Shopify Store, and it helps you collect, display and manage your product reviews while maintaining your brand identity.  

Your store will get smart features such as “like” counts, layout styles, and custom sections for most reviewed or most liked products.  

Features like these are vital. Firstly, because they make it easier for customers to browse through reviews, and secondly, as it shows customers that you value and showcase their feedback. 

Key ways merchants can showcase reviews with WTS 

The app allows shoppers to quickly sort through reviews with pre-built sections, highlighting your most preferred products in just a few clicks. 

Letting Shoppers Like and Discover Products 

The WTS likes, reviews and ratings app gives shoppers on your store the chance to “like” your products, see “like” counts, and even view all the items they or others liked. 

Enabling Multimedia Reviews for Stronger Impact 

The app allows multimedia reviews. Buyers can attach photos and short videos alongside their star ratings, giving future shoppers a much clearer view of what the product looks like in real life. 

Offer grid, list, or card-style review displays 

The app allows online shops to customize review displays easily with grid, list, or card styles. This makes your review section blend with your store layout and look like it is part of the brand. 

Showcasing Trust with Visible Star Ratings 

Pretty much all your customers would glance at the star ratings of products that they are interested in buying. With WTS, you’ll be able to show them not just on product pages but also on collections pages. 

Final Thoughts 

By now, you will have realized that reviews and ratings are vital for building a long-term foundation for your store. When you keep collecting them, you create a library of customer voices that influence new buyers again and again.  

Authentic reviews feel stronger than any paid campaign because they’re written by people who already trusted you once. But, since it would be a headache to manage and optimize these reviews manually, it’s best to use a good review app to take care of everything effortlessly.  

Are you looking for the best plugin for your Shopify store that can easily manage reviews and ratings? The WTS Like, Rating & Review app would be the perfect fit, as it works seamlessly in the background to boost your sales and grow your brand.  

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q1. How do I collect reviews on my Shopify store? 

You can send automatic review request emails to customers or let customers write directly on product pages. Installing the WTS Like, Rating & Review app on your store makes this super easy. 

Q2. Do reviews really help me get more sales? 

Yes, absolutely. Shoppers read reviews before buying, and seeing positive experiences from others makes them trust your store and purchase faster. 

Q3. Can reviews improve my Google rankings? 

Definitely. Each new review adds fresh content and keywords to your product pages, which search engines love. That helps your visibility. 

Q4. What should I do if I get a negative review? 

Don’t panic. Reply quickly, be polite, and show you care. Often, handling it well actually wins new customers’ trust.