The 7 Best Shopify Review Apps to Strengthen Customer Trust
If you want to increase the credibility and trust of your online store, one effective way to do this is by displaying customer reviews and ratings on your product pages. Not only do reviews provide social proof that can influence potential buyers, but they can also help you pinpoint areas for improvement and get valuable feedback from your customers.
If you’re using Shopify to power your online store, you have a range of review apps to choose from that can help you manage and display customer reviews.
Here, we’ll take a look at some of the best Shopify review apps on the market and help you decide which one is right for your business.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re an experienced eCommerce retailer, there’s a Shopify review app that can help you make the most of customer reviews and ratings.
Here’s what’s in store:
- Why Do You Need Reviews to Sell on Shopify?
- How Can You Get More Shopify Reviews?‘
- What Are The Best Shopify Product Review Apps in the App Store?
- Bonus: Where to List Your Store to Boost Trust Signals
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
Now, let’s get this show on the road!
Why Do You Need Reviews to Sell on Shopify?
Product reviews can be a valuable asset for merchants who sell on Shopify, or any other e-commerce platform, for a few reasons:
- Customer reviews provide social proof: When potential customers see that other people have had a positive experience with a product, it can increase their confidence in the product and make them more likely to make a purchase. Trust in eCommerce is paramount.
- Reviews can improve search rankings: Search engines, like Google, often use customer reviews as a ranking factor, which means that having more positive reviews can help improve a store’s visibility in search results.
- Reviews can help identify areas for improvement: By reading through customer reviews, merchants can get valuable insights into what their customers like and dislike about their products. This can help merchants identify areas for improvement and make changes to their products or customer service.
Overall, product reviews can be a valuable asset for merchants who sell on Shopify and other e-commerce platforms, as they can help increase sales, improve search rankings, and give valuable insights for merchants.
How Can You Get More Shopify Reviews?
Several years back, I was working on a project with a woman (I’ll call her Beth) who was the marketing manager at an online store. It was Beth’s job to add product reviews to the site. After hours of searching the internet for customer reviews and testimonials, she finally compiled a long list of glowing endorsements for each product.
But when she started adding the reviews to the system, she noticed that some products had far fewer reviews than others. Desperate to even things out, she reached out to satisfied customers and solicited reviews. “Please, I’m begging you! Just write a few words about how much you loved that banana slicer and I’ll be eternally grateful,” Beth pleaded to one customer via email.
Her efforts didn’t pay off, and any additional reviews were about as credible as the kid whose dog eats his homework for the third week in a row.
At the time, I didn’t have any type of answer for Beth whatsoever. Lucky for you, I’ve learned a few things since then. If you want reviews, there are some easy ways to get them:
- Import from other marketplaces – If you’re a reseller (your products aren’t unique to your brand), chances are you will be able to import customer reviews from AliExpress, Amazon, or other marketplaces. Today, some apps can help you automate the process.
- Send an email or survey to customers – After they have made a purchase, you can send an email or a survey to customers a few days after they have received their purchase, asking them to leave a review of the product. Make sure to include a link to the product page so that it’s easy for them to leave a review.
- Include a call to action on your product pages – You can include a call to action on your product pages, encouraging customers to leave a review of the product. This can be as simple as a banner or message that says “Leave a review” or “Share your experience with this product.”
- Offer incentives for leaving reviews – You can incentivize customers to leave reviews by offering a discount or other incentive in exchange for their review. For example, consider offering a discount on a future purchase or a free sample in exchange for a review.
Note that with incentivized reviews, as per FTC guidelines, reviewers must disclose what they received in exchange for sharing their experience. So, be sure to include a reminder of this with any quid pro quo solicitations.
- Use social media to solicit reviews – You can use social media platforms, like Facebook or Instagram, to encourage customers to leave reviews. You can do this by posting about your products and asking customers to leave a review in the comments or by using hashtags that encourage reviews.
Overall, it’s important to be respectful and professional when soliciting product reviews and to make it as easy as possible for customers to leave a review. Above all, don’t ever beg. Trust me — You don’t want to be Beth.
What Are The Best Shopify Product Review Apps in the App Store?
If you’ve visited Shopify’s app marketplace, you know that there are thousands of product review apps available. So, which ones are the best? What features do they come with? And, how much will they cost?
1. Revie
Revie is built on a simple, breakthrough idea that you can collect customer reviews via Whatsapp. It has a 5-star rating on the app store, and I couldn’t find a single complaint. You might want to use this app as a standalone review app or use it in tandem with another.
Use Revie to collect product reviews on Whatsapp, then moderate and publish them in minutes. You can even collect photos from customers in a convenient and fast way. Since many people don’t want to bother with multiple tabs and take time out from their day to boost your products, you should do everything you can to make it easy for them—this app provides a great solution.
2. Judge.me
Price: Free to $15 per month
Judge.me has more 5-star user reviews than any other app on the marketplace (more than 12K, to be precise). It’s a fast-loading, customizable app, currently available in 37 languages. And, it enables stores to display carousel ratings, store and product ratings, and trust badges. Users can also share product reviews on social media, rich snippets, and Google Shopping.
Some users complain that the app could enable even more visual customization. Others say that they don’t love the fact that the app displays initials in place of full names, which brings down the perceived credibility of the product pages. And, with the free plan, users are unable to upload their logo, but it’s quite common for free apps to disable branding, so I wouldn’t give this grievance too much weight.
→ Get Started with Judge.me Today!
3. Trustoo.io
Price: Free to $9.99 per month
Trustoo.io or “TT Ali Reviews” is another user favorite. What we love about this one is that it allows users to import customer reviews from Ali Express to Shopify. So, with this app, you can display legitimate product reviews before you sell a single item. It can also send automated post-purchase review requests to your customers, which can help you set product page content on autopilot.
Some Trustoo.io users have had difficulty translating reviews, but it appears that customer support is available to help with this issue if you run into it. On that note, users report being very satisfied with the app’s responsive and knowledgeable support team.
4. Rivo
Price: Free
Rivo is a free app that allows users to display photo reviews in a customizable, on-page widget. The design is elegant and tasteful, which makes it an awesome tool for the product page UGC. If you want to display a modern, on-page popup form to collect reviews, this might be the right pick.
Some users have said that star ratings are not enabled on the product grid display, which might be caused by an incompatibility with certain Shopify themes.
Recommended: Custom Shopify Themes: Make Your Online Store Stand Out
5. Loox
Price: $9.99 to $99.99 per month (free trial available)
Loox is a top-rated Shopify review app that makes it super easy to collect and display customer photo and video reviews. It’s designed to build trust fast by showing off real user-generated content directly on your product pages. From automatic review requests to referral incentives, it helps you turn happy customers into repeat buyers and brand promoters.
The best part is that Loox is very beginner-friendly. It’s built with Shopify sellers in mind—no dev knowledge required. You get full control over how reviews look and where they show up, so you can keep everything on-brand without a hassle.
If you’re looking for a plug-and-play solution to add high-converting social proof, Loox is a solid pick.
→ Get Started for Free with Loox Today!
6. Vitals
Price: $29.99 per month (30-day trial)
Vitals is an all-in-one marketing app that enables you to add product reviews to your site, among other benefits. In fact, they have 40+ built-in features that you might otherwise need multiple apps to do: Upsells, pop-ups, Instagram feeds, urgency and scarcity notifications, live chat, currency conversion, email marketing, and more. If you’re looking for a robust solution, you might find it here.
Now, while there are a ton of features, you may still need additional apps, if the features are limited. For example, some people are unsatisfied with Vitals’ site search feature and use an additional app for this use case. And, some users have complained that customer support is slow to respond.
→ Try Vitals with an Extended 40-Day Free Trial Period!
7. KudoBuzz
Price: Free to $19.99 per month
KudoBuzz is a bit different than the other apps listed here, in that it helps store owners sync their product reviews across several marketplaces: Etsy, Amazon, Facebook, and Google Reviews. While Facebook and Google Reviews are typically more for store reviews than product reviews, this app is worth a mention.
Some users complain that the app lacks customization, compared to others, and that product titles must be exactly matched for the sync to be successful. This isn’t exactly optimal, since product SEO should be optimized on a case-by-case basis and vary from marketplace to marketplace.
Still, this would be helpful for sellers with small catalogs.
Bonus: Where to List Your Store to Boost Trust Signals
If you haven’t already started down this path, you’re going to need store reviews in addition to product reviews. For one, if people can see that you have happy customers, they’re more likely to trust you. Next, search engines like to see your brand and your domain listed on multiple sites.
For now, let’s look at a handful of places where your store should be listed to upgrade your trust signals even further.
I. Social Media
First, establish and optimize your social media presence. Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are especially popular platforms for eCommerce, but the goal should be to meet your audience wherever they are hanging out.
II. Niche Directories
What are you selling? Now, which directories list resources and stores like yours? Make sure that your brand and store are listed in them — choose at least the top three niche directories and submit a listing with your logo, store description, and a link back to your website.
III. Trustpilot
While eCommerce stores aren’t exactly the most loved category on Trustpilot (Amazon only has a 1.7-star rating), adding your store to their directory can instantly make it seem more legit. Trustpilot is one of the most trusted review sites for brands in most industries. Be sure to reply to any reviews you receive (if you can keep up). Hint: Great customer service can boost your Trustpilot score.
IV. BBB
The Better Business Bureau (BBB), to this day, is the authority on U.S. business credibility. If you haven’t already, get your store listed on the platform. Bonus points if you get BBB verified. In addition to scoring your business, the system can even help you work out disputes and tends to rate businesses fairly based on how they respond.
V. Niche Blogs
Surely you’ve seen countless “top online store” and “best place to buy” blog posts. It can do wonders for your website traffic to reach out and ask bloggers if you can get your store or products listed in their existing posts. If you’re following best practices and your store has aesthetic appeal, writers will be stoked to have another store to add to their lists. Or, pitch a few bloggers your own topics, and link out to your store in the author bio.
Consider listing your store in directories that encourage reviews, likes, and upvotes. As you build out your business and your brand, you never know where people might find you.
If you have any other helpful suggestions, please share them in the comments below.
Recommended: This is How to Earn Trust in eCommerce [2023 Online Merchant’s Guide]
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best review app for Shopify?
The best app for you can depend on a few things (firstly, your needs and budget). While all of them come with unique features, Judge.me is currently the highest-rated product review app in Shopify’s marketplace.
Can you use Amazon reviews on Shopify?
Yes, you can use Amazon reviews on Shopify, as long as the product is, in fact, the same. It is not acceptable to use deceptive reviews. You can use the Judge.me app to import reviews from Amazon to Shopify.
What is the best review site for products?
Amazon has the largest catalog of products with the most effective review solicitation process. So, in most cases, they are the best review sites for products. However, watch for deceptive merchants who add new, unrelated products to older listings with lots of reviews (which seems to be a new, albeit annoying problem).
Can I add fake reviews to Shopify?
You can certainly add fake reviews on any platform that enables on-page reviews. However, this is not recommended. Phony reviews are typically easy to spot and can harm your credibility, rather than help it. Plus, you want the bad reviews too — they tell you what your customers don’t like so you can make changes to keep them satisfied.
Final Thoughts
There are hundreds of thousands of Shopify apps available that can help merchants improve their stores and grow their businesses. Whether you’re looking for tools to help with marketing, shipping, or customer service, there’s a Shopify app that can help.
While it’s important to carefully evaluate the features and cost of each app before installing, the benefits of using the right Shopify review app can be huge. From providing social proof, improving search rankings, and identifying areas for improvement, a review app can totally revamp your operations.
Ultimately, the best Shopify app for your store will depend on your needs and goals. By carefully weighing your options and taking the time to research and test different apps, you can find the perfect tool set to help your store thrive.
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Ashley is a freelance copywriter and the founder of Aurajinn. She's been working in eCommerce and technology for over a decade. Here, she shares her best cyst-like gems of wisdom to help new and intermediate online sellers level up their operations.
