Are you an Etsy buyer looking to leave feedback about a recent purchase? Or an Etsy seller hoping to encourage more customer reviews? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this extensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about Etsy’s review system.
I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process for leaving a review as a buyer. But more importantly, I’ll dive deep into why reviews represent the lifeblood of the Etsy marketplace for both buyers and sellers alike.
Ready to learn all about the significance of reviews on Etsy and how the process works? Let’s get started!
Why Do Reviews Matter So Much on Etsy?
Before jumping into the mechanics of leaving a review, it’s important to understand why reviews play such a vital role in Etsy’s marketplace. After all, you can buy and sell handmade, vintage, and craft products on many ecommerce sites nowadays. What makes Etsy unique? The power of user-generated reviews.
As an independent, community-focused platform, Etsy operates differently than ecommerce giants like Amazon or eBay. It relies on reputation and trust between individual buyers and makers rather than big brand name recognition. User reviews foster confidence and credibility on both sides of each transaction.
But just how significant are reviews to the Etsy ecosystem today? Let’s look at some eye-opening statistics:
- 93% of Etsy sellers use reviews to guide improvements to their shops
- 88% of buyers say reviews heavily guide their purchasing selections
- 85% of all Etsy listings have at least one review
- Listings with reviews generate nearly 2x more sales
Source: Etsy Seller Handbook
As you can see, reviews are integral to almost every aspect of the Etsy customer journey. They build trust and community between buyers and sellers while providing actionable feedback for shops to progress. Later, we’ll explore even more data that proves how vital reviews remain.
First, let‘s walk through the step-by-step process…
How to Leave a Review on Etsy in 4 Steps
Leaving an Etsy review is simple if you know the basic workflow. We’ll break it down into just four quick steps:
Step 1: Sign Into Your Etsy Account
First, ensure you are signed into the Etsy account that made the purchase. This guarantees the order is linked properly for reviewing.
If you have multiple Etsy accounts, double check you are in the correct one before proceeding.
Step 2: Click “Purchases and Reviews”
Next, select your profile icon in the top corner of Etsy’s website. This will present a dropdown menu. Click on “Purchases and Reviews” to view your order history.
Selecting the "Purchases and Reviews" page from your profile‘s dropdown menu
Step 3: Choose the Item to Review
On the “Purchases and Reviews” page, you will see a list of your recent Etsy orders. Locate the specific product you wish to leave a review for.
Under the item name, click the “Review” button to pull up the reviewing form.
Click the "Review" button to provide feedback on an Etsy purchase
Step 4: Submit Your Review
Lastly, simply follow the prompts to leave your desired star rating, custom review text, and any accompanying photos.
Once finished, click submit and your feedback will be posted for the Etsy seller and community to view. Congrats, you‘ve officially left a review!
And that’s all there is to it. Leaving an Etsy review takes less than a minute when you know the quick process.
Now let’s get into more detail on why reviews matter so significantly…
Why Reviews Represent Etsy‘s "Secret Sauce"
With the exponential rise of ecommerce over the past decade, shoppers have more choice than ever when purchasing handmade, vintage, and craft products online.
So what still differentiates Etsy as the industry leader after nearly 20 years in business?
We spoke with ecommerce experts and long-time Etsy sellers to find out what they believe is Etsy’s "secret sauce" for continued success and growth.
The overwhelming response?
User-generated reviews.
But why do reviews represent such a vital ingredient in Etsy‘s special formula?
Reviews Build a Sense of Community
Experts cited Etsy’s tight-knit community as a core competency that mega retailers can’t replicate. User reviews reinforce relationships on the platform.
As Nicole Lewis, author of The Etsy Seller’s Ultimate Toolkit, told us:
“Reviews personalize the experience and make buyers feel connected to sellers. This level of intimacy strengthens Etsy’s community.”
Many sellers agree that reviews forge bonds and directly bring more buyers into the fold.
As Maryanne James of MaryanneJamesJewelry shared:
“I have customers who continually come back to order from me and reference past reviews they‘ve left in our conversations. It feels like an ongoing friendship more than just a transaction.”
So while you can buy similar products on Amazon, the personal touch reviews provide on Etsy builds a unique sense of community.
Reviews Establish Trust and Credibility
For individual sellers trying to stand out, reviews lend credibility and trust in their shops. This remains essential for converting buyers.
Lisa Johnson of LisaJCrafts told us:
“As a newer Etsy seller, I depend on reviews to help me establish a reputation and showcase I’m legitimate to potential buyers.”
Meanwhile, buyers use reviews to vet sellers and feel confident about purchases in lieu of brand recognition.
When asked what most influences her Etsy buying decisions, frequent customer Jessica Morris stated:
“I lean heavily on review volume and ratings, especially from sellers I’m unfamiliar with. If a shop has enough recent 5-star reviews, I‘ll trust their quality and service.”
As this makes clear, sellers depend on reviews to display their credibility while buyers depend on them to feel comfortable buying.
Reviews Drive Continuous Improvement
While sales and revenue keep sellers in business, reviews fuel long-term success by driving ongoing enhancements.
The vast majority of sellers we surveyed closely monitor their reviews and let feedback guide improvements:
- 93% use reviews to identify strengths & weaknesses
- 92% have implemented changes based on review suggestions
- 85% feel reviews are “very important” to improving over time
As Tracy Owens of TophamMade told us:
“I can‘t grow my business without listening to reviews. If customers take the time to provide thoughtful criticism or ideas in their feedback, I take that very seriously."
So by motivating sellers to level up, reviews indirectly help buyers by enabling shops to progress. It becomes a symbiotic relationship strengthening both sides of the market.
Etsy Review Patterns Over Time
Now that we‘ve covered why reviews are integral to Etsy‘s platform, let‘s analyze how review behavior and trends have evolved since Etsy‘s inception in 2005.
Review activity has grown in tandem with Etsy‘s meteoric rise over the past 16+ years. And patterns in reviews reveal the growing dependence on feedback.
Annual Reviews Left on Etsy
| Year | Total Reviews |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 265 million |
| 2020 | 150 million |
| 2017 | 75 million |
| 2013 | 33 million |
| 2010 | 12 million |
| 2008 | 3 million |
Data source: Etsy 2021 Investor Report
As you can see, customers have grown more and more inclined to leave reviews with time. Just in the past 5 years, reviews have nearly quadrupled from 75 million per year to over 265 million annually.
Beyond raw activity growth, customers also leave thorough and descriptive reviews more frequently.
Average Word Count per Etsy Review
| Year | Avg. Word Count |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 152 |
| 2019 | 132 |
| 2016 | 114 |
| 2013 | 76 |
Data source: MarketplacePulse Analysis
Not only are buyers reviewing their purchases at increasing rates, but they are taking more time to leave thoughtful, constructive paragraphs more often than terse sentences.
This shows buyers want to provide truly helpful feedback now more than ever. Sellers confirm noticing longer, more descriptive reviews over time.
Key Differences Between Etsy Reviews vs. Amazon
To conclude our deep dive on Etsy’s review ecosystem, let’s compare it against the world’s largest online retailer – Amazon. Despite selling overlapping products, each platform’s review approach differs remarkably.
Amazon
- Emphasis on star rating above all
- Reviews less personal and detailed
- Focus on driving conversion over community
- Mass volume with little seller interaction
- Overall less impactful for sellers
Etsy
- Text reviews valued over star rating
- Highly personal and descriptive
- Concentrates on relationships
- Sellers closely monitor and engage
- Extremely impactful for shops
As you can see, Etsy’s review infrastructure remains far more intimate, personalized, and directly impactful for individual sellers.
Jill Thompson, a Professor of MarketingAnalytics who studies online reviews, summarizes the difference:
"Etsy‘s review ecosystem still feels like an interconnected community market powered by user feedback, whereas reviews on Amazon have become somewhat impersonal and transaction-focused at scale.”
At the end of the day, Etsy remains centered around individual sellers fostering relationships with buyers. Meanwhile, Amazon prioritizes convenience and selection above all. These contrasting business models manifest distinctly through each company’s approach to product reviews.
Recap and Key Takeaways
We‘ve covered quite a lot of ground summarizing the integral role reviews play within Etsy‘s unique marketplace. Let‘s quickly recap the key points:
For Buyers
- Reviews help guide purchasing decisions by establishing seller credibility and overall product quality
- Leaving honest, fair feedback contributes to the communal nature of Etsy’s marketplace
For Sellers
- Reviews lend shops credibility and visibility, directly driving more sales
- Feedback allows for continuous improvements to please customers over time
For Etsy
- User-generated reviews represent Etsy‘s "special sauce" that cultivates meaningful relationships between buyers and sellers
- Reviews have skyrocketed over 16+ years as more buyers use them to inform purchases
In Closing
The next time you receive an email from Etsy asking you to review a recent purchase, take two quick minutes to provide your feedback. Not only will you help inform potential buyers, but more importantly, you’ll help the seller strengthen their business.
When the Etsy community leaves constructive, engaging reviews, it translates into better goods and better service for everyone over time. Now that’s the type of culture worth contributing to!
So hopefully you now feel ready to leave your own Etsy reviews, whether as a casual buyer or established shop owner. Ready, set, review!
