Installing a review app and actually getting customers to submit photos and videos are two completely different problems. I have watched stores install Loox, leave every setting on default, and end up with a trickle of text-only reviews months later. This guide covers the specific setup choices that actually drive photo and video submission rates, not just the basic install steps.
Getting this right matters more for high-ticket dropshipping stores than almost anywhere else, since visual proof does more to close a hesitant buyer on a large purchase than any other single conversion lever. Here is the exact process I use setting this up for Ecommerce Paradise clients.
| Step | Time Required | Impact on Submission Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Import existing AliExpress reviews | 10-15 minutes | Solves cold-start problem instantly |
| Time the request email correctly | 15 minutes | High |
| Set a real discount incentive | 10 minutes | High |
| Customize email copy and subject line | 20-30 minutes | Medium-high |
| Send reminder emails to non-responders | 10 minutes | Medium |
| Place widgets prominently on the product page | 30-45 minutes | Medium (affects display, not collection) |
Step 1: Import Existing Reviews First
Before you worry about generating new reviews, solve the cold-start problem. If you are dropshipping from AliExpress suppliers, Loox’s built-in importer pulls existing photo reviews directly from the supplier listing, up to 20 scanned reviews per product, even on the free Beginner plan. This means a brand-new product page can launch with real visual proof already in place rather than sitting empty for weeks.
If your supplier is not on AliExpress, check whether you have existing reviews in another app or a spreadsheet; Loox supports CSV import as a fallback for getting a head start before your own review requests start generating content.
Step 2: Time the Request Email Correctly
The single biggest lever you control is when the review request email sends. Requesting a review the moment an order ships is too early; the customer has not used the product yet and has nothing real to say. Schedule the request for a few days after delivery confirmation instead, giving the customer time to actually use the product before you ask them to document it.
Loox lets you schedule by delivery status rather than a fixed day count, which is more accurate than a blanket “14 days after purchase” rule, especially if your shipping times vary by supplier or region.
Step 3: Set a Real Discount Incentive
A token 5 percent discount for a photo review rarely moves the needle. Set the incentive high enough that a customer feels it is genuinely worth the extra two minutes of effort to take and upload a photo, typically 10 to 15 percent works well for most high-ticket categories, since the margin on the review still comfortably covers the discount on repeat or referral purchases it generates.
Loox lets you set separate incentive tiers for text-only versus photo versus video reviews, so you can weight the discount specifically toward the visual content that actually moves your conversion rate.
Step 4: Rewrite the Default Email Copy
Loox’s default request email template is functional but generic. Rewrite the subject line and body copy in your actual brand voice, and be explicit about what you are asking for: a real photo of the product in use, not a generic star rating. Customers respond better to a specific, personal-feeling request than a templated automated email that reads like every other review request they have ever received.
Step 5: Use Reminder Emails Strategically
Most customers who submit a review do so after the first email, but a well-timed reminder to non-responders roughly a week later recovers a meaningful percentage of additional submissions. Loox’s reminder emails are included free on every tier, so there is no reason to leave this feature turned off.
Keep the reminder shorter than the original request, a quick nudge rather than a full re-pitch, since customers who did not respond the first time are unlikely to read a long email the second time either.
Step 6: Place Widgets Where Shoppers Actually Look
Getting the reviews is only half the job; displaying them prominently is what actually converts. Place the star rating widget near the product title and price, above the fold, and put the full photo carousel or happy customers gallery further down the page where a shopper who is still deciding will scroll to look for more proof.
Avoid burying visual reviews in a tab that requires an extra click, since a meaningful percentage of shoppers never click into secondary tabs at all. If your theme makes this awkward to configure, that is a common enough issue that some manual CSS or a developer’s help may be worth it.
Step 7: Use the AI Sorting Features
Once you have real review volume, Loox’s smart visual sorting automatically surfaces your best photo and video content first rather than displaying reviews in chronological order. This matters because the first few reviews a shopper sees set their expectation for the rest of the page, so leading with your strongest visual proof consistently performs better than a random or purely chronological order.
Step 8: Monitor Submission Rate and Adjust
Track what percentage of review requests actually convert into a submission, and what percentage of those include a photo or video versus text only. G2’s Loox review data shows response rate consistently correlates with how specific and personal the request email feels, so if your submission rate is low, the email copy is the first place to look before assuming the discount incentive is the problem.
Capterra’s independent review data shows a similar pattern among reviewers who mention improving their submission rates after customizing the default email template rather than leaving it as-is, and Software Advice’s ecommerce software research flags email personalization as a recurring theme across successful review collection campaigns in this category generally.
How Long This Actually Takes
Budget about half a day for the full setup: import existing reviews, configure timing and incentives, rewrite the email copy, and place your widgets. After that, the system runs largely on autopilot, with occasional revisits to update incentive levels or refresh email copy every few months to keep it feeling current rather than stale.
If coordinating this alongside actual supplier sourcing and business formation work is more than you want to take on yourself, check out my Done-For-You Store Service for a full build including review app configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long after purchase should I request a review?
A few days after delivery confirmation, not immediately at checkout or shipping. This gives the customer time to actually use the product before you ask them to document it.
What discount should I offer for a photo review?
Typically 10 to 15 percent works well for most high-ticket categories, high enough to feel worth the extra effort without eating too deeply into margin.
Do I need the paid Loox plan to get photo reviews?
No, photo reviews are included on the free Beginner plan. Video reviews specifically require the Convert tier at $49.99 per month.
What if my supplier is not on AliExpress?
Use Loox’s CSV import to bring in existing reviews from another source, or start with your own review request campaign from day one if no existing reviews are available.
How do I stop fake or low-effort review submissions?
Loox ties requests to verified Shopify order data, so submissions are linked to an actual purchase rather than an open public form, which naturally limits spam and fake reviews.
The Bottom Line
Getting real photo and video reviews on Shopify is less about which app you install and more about the specific choices you make inside it: request timing, incentive size, email copy, and widget placement. Follow this process and most stores see a meaningfully higher visual submission rate than leaving Loox on default settings. For the full feature breakdown, read my complete Loox review.
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A strong review strategy is just one piece of a bigger picture. Learn more about choosing the right niche and the rest of my resources at Ecommerce Paradise.
Trevor Fenner is an ecommerce entrepreneur and the founder of Ecommerce Paradise, a platform focused on helping entrepreneurs build and scale profitable high-ticket ecommerce and dropshipping businesses. With over a decade of hands-on experience, Trevor specializes in high-ticket dropshipping strategy, niche and product selection, supplier recruiting and onboarding, Google & Bing Shopping ads, ecommerce SEO, and systems-driven automation and scaling. Through Ecommerce Paradise, he provides free education via in-depth guides like How to Start High-Ticket Dropshipping, advanced training through the High-Ticket Dropshipping Masterclass, and fully done-for-you turnkey ecommerce services for entrepreneurs who want a faster, more hands-off path to growth. Trevor is known for emphasizing sustainable, real-world ecommerce models over hype-driven tactics, helping store owners build scalable, sellable, and location-independent brands.
