What Percentage of Customers Write Reviews?

Introduction

Product reviews are one of the single most powerful drivers of trust, conversion, and long-term growth for e-commerce brands. Yet merchants regularly ask the same question: what percentage of customers actually write reviews, and how can we move that needle without adding more tools to our stack?

Short answer: On average, roughly 5% to 10% of customers leave reviews naturally, though the rate varies widely by industry, product price, timing, and the tactics you use after purchase. With a deliberate strategy that combines timely asks, incentives, and social proof, merchants can increase that share to meaningful levels—often doubling or tripling the baseline rate over time.

In this post we'll explain the real-world ranges for review submission rates, the forces that push customers to write reviews (or stop them), and a practical roadmap to grow authentic review volume while improving retention and lifetime value. We’ll connect each tactic to how a unified retention platform can make the work easier, reinforcing our "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy. We’re a merchant-first company trusted by 15,000+ brands with a 4.8-star rating on Shopify, and our aim is to turn reviews into a long-term growth lever for your business.

Main message: Reviews are both an acquisition multiplier and a retention asset. With an integrated system that combines email, loyalty incentives, and user-generated content (UGC), you can reliably lift the percentage of customers who write reviews while using the same platform to increase repeat purchase and customer lifetime value.

What The Numbers Say: Average Review Rates and Ranges

The baseline: What merchants usually see

Most e-commerce stores see a small fraction of buyers convert into reviewers without prompting. That natural submission rate generally falls in a range:

• Typical unprompted review rate: roughly 5% to 10% of purchasers.
• With a basic post-purchase ask and follow-up email, average rates commonly reach the 10% to 20% range.
• With targeted incentives, loyalty integration, and optimized timing, many merchants reliably achieve 20% to 40% for specific product lines or customer segments.

These ranges reflect wide variation across industries and product types. High-touch services and consultancies can see much higher rates, while low-cost impulse buys often yield lower participation.

Industry differences that matter

The share of customers who write reviews is not uniform. Expect differences along these lines:

• Services and consulting: much higher — customers are more likely to give feedback (often above 25%).
• Food & beverage, jewelry, home & furniture: mid-range (10%–20%).
• Electronics, fashion, beauty: variable; novelty, perceived risk, and social status play roles (often 8%–18%).
• Low-cost, low-involvement categories (stationery, basic household items): lower (3%–8%).

The takeaway: benchmark against your category, but focus primarily on improving your own baseline.

What the data on review volume actually implies

Even a modest bump in review percentage has outsized returns. A product with 100 reviews converts better than the same product with 10 reviews; search engines reward fresh UGC with visibility; and social proof increases average order value. Because of this multiplier effect, shifting the review rate from 5% to 15% across thousands of orders compounds into meaningful revenue gains.

Why Customers Do — And Don’t — Leave Reviews

Motivations that drive customers to write reviews

Customers write reviews when they feel a clear reason and low friction to do so. Common motivations include:

• Desire to help other shoppers make a decision.
• Positive delight with product performance or a standout feature.
• A prompt at the right time (after they've used the product).
• Tangible rewards, such as loyalty points or discounts.
• Social recognition or the ability to share photos and videos.
• A responsive brand that engages with reviewers.

Barriers that keep customers silent

Several practical and psychological barriers reduce review rates:

• Timing: asking too soon (before use) reduces response; asking too late is forgotten.
• Friction: long forms, unclear CTAs, or multi-step flows deter completion.
• Perceived lack of value: customers won’t take time unless there’s an incentive or they care.
• Privacy concerns or fear of negative exposure.
• Unclear instructions on where and how to leave a review.
• Platform fatigue: too many places to leave feedback lowers participation.

The role of authenticity and negative reviews

Shoppers increasingly expect a mix of opinions. A perfectly positive review profile can look fake; negative reviews — when handled well — increase trust. So the objective isn’t to eliminate negative feedback but to increase meaningful, authentic feedback.

Measuring Review Submission Rate Correctly

Definition and calculation

When we talk about "what percentage of customers write reviews," use a consistent definition. The common approach:

• Review Submission Rate (%) = (Number of customers who submitted at least one review) / (Number of fulfilled orders during the measurement period) × 100

Be careful with edge cases:

• Count unique customers, not number of reviews, to avoid bias from prolific reviewers.
• Use orders for which an adequate time window has passed (e.g., 14–30 days post-delivery) so customers had a chance to use the product.
• Exclude cancellations and returns from the denominator if they couldn’t realistically leave a review.

Tracking time windows and cohorts

Review propensity changes over time. Measure cohorts by purchase week, product, channel, and first-time vs. repeat customers. Tracking cohorts helps you isolate what works (a particular email subject line, loyalty incentive, or product category).

KPIs to pair with submission rate

Monitor these alongside submission rate to ensure quality and business impact:

• Average star rating and review sentiment.
• Percentage of reviews with photos/videos (UGC rate).
• Conversion lift for products with recent reviews.
• Repeat purchase rate for customers who left reviews vs. those who did not.

Strategies to Increase the Percentage of Customers Who Write Reviews

We recommend a layered approach: remove friction, add incentive, and create social momentum. Each layer is most effective when orchestrated in one retention platform that replaces disparate tools—More Growth, Less Stack.

Timing and sequencing of review requests

• Wait until the product has been used. For consumables, ask earlier; for products needing break-in time, delay.
• Send a friendly post-purchase email with a clear CTA to leave a review.
• Follow up with one or two reminder messages if there’s no response, spaced a few days apart.
• Offer an SMS option for customers who prefer mobile prompts (respect opt-ins).

Practical templates:

• Keep CTAs simple and specific—"Share your experience with [product]"—and include a direct link to the review form or product page.

Reduce friction: make submitting effortless

• Use a single-click rating option and then present a brief optional text box.
• Allow customers to upload photos and short videos directly in the review flow.
• Offer multiple review destinations but streamline the experience for the ones that matter most to your SEO and conversions.

When those elements are in a single retention platform, they can be triggered automatically, tested, and tracked without juggling multiple tools.

Incentives and loyalty integration

Incentives work, but they must be structured to preserve authenticity and comply with platform rules. Effective incentive frameworks:

• Offer loyalty points redeemable for discounts or products in exchange for a review (reward for time, not for positive wording).
• Run time-limited point multipliers for customers who submit reviews with photos or videos.
• Use tiered rewards for multiple contributions (first review, photo review, review on social).

Linking review collection to your loyalty program directly aligns review volume with repeat purchase incentives. Growave’s loyalty features make it simple to reward reviewers with points, increasing collection rates while boosting LTV—learn how to build a loyalty program that drives reviews and retention by exploring our loyalty options.

Use multi-channel prompts without spamming

• Email remains the backbone but combine with in-app banners, order-tracking pages, and post-purchase SMS.
• Add a reminder or CTA inside the packaging (card with QR code to review page) — physical prompts still work.
• Invite reviews via social channels for customers who prefer sharing publicly.

A single retention platform centralizes these channels and ensures consistent messaging without tool overlap.

Make reviews social and visual

• Encourage photo and video reviews; they boost conversions and trust.
• Showcase UGC on product pages and shoppable galleries.
• Feature reviewer highlights in email newsletters and social ads (with permission).

If you want to collect social content and convert it into on-site shoppable galleries, consider the tools designed to help you collect social reviews and UGC and amplify their impact.

Build habits with ongoing engagement

• Add a “review badge” or small recognition for top contributors in your loyalty program.
• Create periodic campaigns asking customers to review recent purchases, seasonal favorites, or new product lines.
• Celebrate reviewers in community posts or emails to encourage social signaling.

These practices turn one-off reviewers into repeat contributors while keeping the effort manageable.

Designing a Review Collection Flow That Scales

Pre-purchase preparation

• Ensure product pages explain the expected product experience so reviewers know what to talk about.
• Make it clear how to leave a review and what types of content (text, photos, videos) you encourage.

Post-purchase automation blueprint

• Order confirmation: thank-you message and what to expect next.
• Delivery confirmation + product usage tips: set expectations and prime customers for review timing.
• First review request: send after an appropriate use window with a direct link to the review form.
• Follow-up reminders: use two short reminder messages if customers don’t respond.
• Reward delivery: grant loyalty points or coupons automatically when a review is received.

When these steps are automated inside one retention platform, you reduce operational cost and improve consistency.

Example of an optimized email sequence (conceptual)

• Email subject lines should be clear and low-friction. Avoid inflated emotional appeals—keep it practical.
• Messages should include a direct, single CTA and highlight the reward or social benefit of leaving a review.
• Make mobile-first design a priority—many customers will complete the review on their phone.

Incentive Design: What Works and What's Risky

Effective incentives

• Loyalty points (non-monetary recognition) that can be redeemed for discounts or products.
• Small, immediate perks (e.g., 50 points) redeemable later, preserving margin.
• Contests for best photo or video review, where the prize is a new product or store credit.

What to avoid

• Paying for positive reviews or explicitly rewarding only positive ratings (this risks platform penalties and loss of trust).
• Incentives that require customers to change their review's content to get rewards.
• Over-relying on discounts that erode margins and attract discount-seeking reviewers rather than genuine fans.

A retention suite that integrates loyalty and reviews removes the need to cobble together incentives across multiple systems. If you want to combine review asks with point-based rewards, a unified solution simplifies the logic and reduces manual errors—see how to build a loyalty program that supports review growth.

Displaying Reviews to Maximize Impact

Placement and presentation best practices

• Put recent reviews on the product page near the CTA for maximum conversion effect.
• Use a mix of short highlights and full reviews; show photos prominently.
• Add an average rating badge sitewide and on collection pages to influence browse behavior.

Freshness and moderation

• Surface recent reviews (e.g., reviews in the last 90 days) to show ongoing validation.
• Moderate for spam and fake content, but don’t delete honest negative feedback—respond and learn from it.

Social proof beyond product pages

• Create shoppable UGC galleries that link to products in reviews.
• Use reviews in ads and social posts to increase conversions in paid channels.

If your platform supports shoppable UGC and seamless review display, you avoid stitching together multiple tools and keep site speed and UX optimal. Learn more about collecting social reviews and UGC to drive conversions by visiting our social reviews features.

Handling Negative Reviews: Turn Risk Into Opportunity

Respond quickly and constructively

• Acknowledge the issue and offer a path to resolution offline when appropriate.
• Public responses that are empathetic and solution-oriented increase trust for onlookers and can recover customers.

Learn and loop back

• Track themes in negative reviews to fix product issues, packaging, or service gaps.
• Use reviews as R&D input—customer voice is a free focus group.

When negative reviews help

• Well-handled negatives show transparency and can increase conversions: shoppers are suspicious of perfect review profiles.
• Display responses to negative reviews publicly to demonstrate customer care.

Authenticity, Compliance, and Platform Policies

Keep reviews authentic

• Avoid incentivizing only positive reviews.
• Ensure reviewers disclose if they received a free product or discount, if required by platform rules.

Platform compliance

• Each review destination has policies regarding incentivized reviews. Maintain compliant wording and reward structures.
• Using a single platform to manage destinations reduces the risk of accidental policy violations.

Operational Playbook: From First Purchase to First Review

Day-by-day schematic for the initial 90 days after purchase

• Day 0: confirmation email includes friendly note about upcoming tips and optional review.
• Day 3–7: shipping/delivery confirmation with usage tips (prime customers to notice key benefits).
• Day 14–21: first review request, tailored by product complexity.
• Day 25–35: reminder for non-responders with small loyalty point offer and visual prompts to upload photos.
• Day 45–90: reactivation campaigns highlighting customers who submitted reviews (social proof loop), and follow-up asks if not yet left.

Testing and iteration

• Test subject lines, timing, and incentive levels with A/B tests.
• Track which combinations yield the best tradeoff between review quality and cost per review.
• Use cohort analysis to understand long-term retention lift from reviewers vs. non-reviewers.

Examples of Tactics That Increase Review Rates (No Fictional Case Studies)

• Use packaging inserts with a QR code for an immediate review flow—reduces friction at the moment of experience.
• Ask for reviews only after a short satisfaction survey—route satisfied customers to public review sites and unhappy customers to private support.
• Reward photo reviewers with double loyalty points for a limited time to quickly build visual social proof.
• Offer VIP status or early access to product launches for consistent reviewers to create an ongoing incentive for participation.

Each tactic should be implemented as part of an integrated flow to avoid duplicates and to respect customers’ attention.

Why a Unified Retention Platform Beats a Patchwork Stack

The problem with app fatigue

Many merchants add multiple point solutions—one for reviews, one for loyalty, another for UGC galleries, plus separate email and SMS tools. That creates:

• Fragmented customer experience and mixed messaging.
• Data silos that make cohort analysis hard.
• Higher maintenance and integration costs.

Our "More Growth, Less Stack" philosophy means you replace overlapping tools with a single retention platform that harmonizes loyalty, reviews, UGC, wishlists, referrals, and shoppable social. That simplifies workflows and makes it easier to move the needle on review rates while increasing retention.

Practical benefits of an integrated suite

• Synchronize loyalty rewards automatically when a customer leaves a review.
• Trigger review request flows based on lifecycle events without building custom integrations.
• Centralize moderation and display of UGC and reviews with consistent branding.
• Reduce time-to-launch for campaigns that motivate reviews.

If you want to evaluate how a single retention suite can handle reviews, loyalty, and UGC with fewer moving parts, check our plans and pricing to see how a consolidated solution fits your roadmap.

Technical Implementation: What to Set Up on Your Store

On-site integration

• Add review widgets to product pages with a prioritized design—large photos and the ability to filter by rating or by photo/video.
• Include review snippets in collection pages and search results.
• Ensure review widgets are lazy-loaded to preserve page speed.

Email and SMS integration

• Hook review request flows into your transactional and lifecycle messaging.
• Use personalization tokens to reference product names and images in the review request.

Analytics and reporting

• Track review submission rate by product, channel, and cohort.
• Monitor UGC rates (photo/video submissions) and correlate with conversion lift.
• Set alerts for drops in review volume or spikes in negative feedback.

If you’re on Shopify, you can quickly get started by installing Growave from the Shopify App Store—this streamlines deploying review collection flows and loyalty links without complex engineering work. Many merchants choose to install from the Shopify App Store to get set up in hours, not weeks.

Privacy, Fraud, and Moderation Policies

Protect customer privacy

• Use opt-in flows for SMS and clear disclosure for email review requests.
• Allow anonymous reviews where required, but prefer named contributions for trust.

Detect and handle fake reviews

• Use automated moderation flags for suspicious content (repetitive text, extremely high posting frequency from single IPs).
• Manually review flagged items and have a consistent policy for removal or response.

Be transparent in moderation

• Include a short moderation policy that explains your commitment to authenticity and how you handle disputes.

Mistakes That Reduce Review Rates — And How To Fix Them

• Asking too early: wait until customers have used the product.
• Overcomplicated forms: shorten the path to submission and offer optional fields.
• Asking everywhere, all the time: centralize and sequence asks to avoid fatigue.
• Ignoring negative reviews: respond promptly and offer remediation.
• Incentivizing only positive feedback: reward participation, not positivity.

Putting It All Together: A 90-Day Sprint to Raise Review Rates

Sprint goals

• Increase review submission rate from baseline to target (e.g., 5%→20%).
• Grow photo/video UGC share to at least 25% of reviews.
• Tie review activity directly to loyalty program engagement.

Sprint actions (executive summary)

• Week 1–2: Audit current flows, choose timing windows, and design email/SMS templates.
• Week 3–4: Configure review widget on product pages and enable photo/video uploads.
• Week 5–6: Launch incentivized review campaign integrated with loyalty points.
• Week 7–12: Optimize based on A/B results, amplify UGC in marketing, and create a feedback loop to product teams.

Using a single retention platform collapses these steps and reduces cross-tool coordination, so you ship faster and iterate with real data.

Measuring Success Beyond Review Count

• Conversion lift for products with recent reviews.
• SEO impact and organic traffic changes from fresh UGC.
• Increase in average order value and repeat purchase rate tied to loyalty activity from reviewers.
• Cost per collected review (if you’re investing in incentives or paid campaigns).

These metrics tie review generation to commercial outcomes and justify investment.

How Growave Helps You Shift the Percentage Up

We built Growave to help merchants turn retention into a growth engine — not to add more tools to manage. With an integrated retention platform, you can:

• Automate review requests, reward participation with loyalty points, and showcase authentic UGC across your store.
• Reduce tech overhead by replacing multiple point solutions with one vendor that handles loyalty, reviews & UGC, referrals, wishlists, and shoppable social.
• Use built-in analytics to measure review submission rate by cohort and attribute revenue lifts to review-driven social proof.

If you want to experiment with combining loyalty and reviews to boost submission rates, explore our loyalty features or learn how to collect social reviews and UGC. For Shopify merchants who want a fast path to setup, you can install from the Shopify App Store and start configuring your review and loyalty flows.

Common Questions Merchants Ask (Answered Simply)

• Will incentivizing reviews get us penalized? Incentivizing participation is acceptable when you reward honest feedback, not positivity. Structure rewards as points for time spent and disclosure where required.
• What’s the quickest way to see meaningful uplift? Start with a single high-margin product, add a photo-review incentive, promote via packing slips and a timed email, and measure the lift.
• Should we encourage reviews on external platforms or on-site? Both. External platforms help SEO and discoverability; on-site reviews directly influence conversion. Route satisfied customers to external platforms and keep on-site flows simple and visual.

Conclusion

Understanding what percentage of customers write reviews is the first step — the next is increasing that share in a sustainable, profitable way. While the average unprompted rate is modest (roughly 5%–10%), a coordinated program of timing, low-friction forms, photo/video encouragement, and loyalty incentives can raise the rate substantially. The multiplier effect on conversions, SEO, and retention makes even small increases highly valuable.

We build for merchants, not investors, and our mission is to turn retention into a growth engine with a single, merchant-focused retention platform that replaces multiple tools. If you’re ready to start collecting more reviews while increasing repeat purchase, explore our plans and pricing and set up your review, loyalty, and UGC flows in one place. See our plans and pricing to begin your 14-day free trial and start converting customers into reviewers and repeat buyers.

Hard CTA: Start a 14-day free trial to see how integrated review collection and loyalty can raise the percentage of customers who write reviews and boost your retention.

FAQ

What percentage of customers write reviews for e-commerce stores?

Most e-commerce stores see between 5% and 10% of customers leaving reviews without prompting. With targeted asks, incentives, and optimized timing, that rate can commonly rise into the 20%–40% range for prioritized products or segments.

How long after purchase should I ask for a review?

Timing depends on product type. For consumables, ask after a short use window (7–14 days). For complex or durable goods, wait longer (21–45 days). The key is to ask after customers have had a meaningful experience with the product.

Are incentives for reviews allowed?

Yes, but structure them carefully. Reward participation (e.g., loyalty points) rather than positive wording, follow platform rules, and disclose any free products or discounts where required. This preserves authenticity and reduces compliance risk.

Which metrics should I track to know if my review program is working?

Track review submission rate by cohort, UGC rate (photo/video), conversion lift on reviewed products, repeat purchase rate for reviewers, and cost per collected review if using paid incentives. These indicators show both quantity and commercial impact.