Ken Zhou

Which do you prefer: three customers making a purchase or a thousand customers with only two making a purchase? Most likely, the former. The same question says a lot about Amazon conversion rate optimization.

On Amazon, conversions are essential in achieving and maintaining a high seller ranking. Amazon's algorithm considers various factors to rank product listings, including the conversion rate (CVR). If your CVR is low, your product listings won't appear on page one of the platform's search results. This robs you of many profitable opportunities on the platform.

But what's a good Amazon conversion rate? How should you achieve it and climb to the top of the shopping results? Keep reading to know the basics of Amazon conversion rates. We'll also share ten tried and tested ways to get a good conversion rate. Let's begin!

All About Amazon Conversion Rates

The Amazon conversion rate is part of the platform's seller metrics and Business Reports. It determines the number of visits to your product listings that turn into a sale.

CVR is a vital Amazon metric for the following reasons:

• It provides a broad view of your product listing's health. See which areas perform well and which require improvement.
• It increases the chances of getting a high product ranking.
• In the long run, it leads to a bigger and more loyal customer base.
• It contributes to your A/B testing evaluation.

The Ideal Amazon Conversion Rate

No specific CVR applies universally to all products and categories on the platform.

 Generally, ideal Amazon conversion rates can be between 10% and 15%. This indicates a good performance; the higher it gets, the better. 

That said, various factors may change your idea of a good Amazon conversion rate. Here are two scenarios that talk about different conversion rate standards.

• Amazon Prime members' conversion rate is as high as 74% (or greater).
• The average ecommerce conversion rate is from 2.5% to 3%.

Don't get confused with the metrics and reports. Analyze the data you have to understand and evaluate whether your Amazon conversion rate is satisfactory.

Amazon Conversion Rate Calculation

Look for the top menu bar on your Amazon Seller Central account. Go to Reports > Business Reports. You'll find a detailed and downloadable report called Amazon Sales and Traffic.

Next, search for a row named Order Item Session Percentage. That's where you'll be able to view your Amazon conversion rate.

If you are curious about how Amazon calculates your conversion rate or want to try it yourself, here's the formula:

Total number of orders / total product listing sessions = CVR

Low Amazon Conversion Rates

The CVR is directly associated with rank product listings. Consequently, a low CVR reduces the likelihood of increasing sales and being shown on the first page of the search results.

The good thing is Amazon won't suspend your account for a low Amazon conversion rate. Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't fix it. A low CVR generally means you need a better strategy; overlooking this may trigger more issues and eventually lead to suspension. Let’s discuss the best practices in the following section.

Amazon Conversion Rate Optimization: The 10 Best Practices

As a seller, Amazon conversion rate optimization is crucial to increase sales. Here, we'll share seven best practices to achieve just that. Conversion rate optimization will be easier with these tips, so keep reading!

1. Target the Right Audience

Targeting the right audience is essential for any business in Amazon conversion rate optimization. Amazon has millions of active buyers worldwide, but not all may be interested in your products. Identify your target audience and tailor your marketing strategies to maximize sales opportunities.

Understand your product’s key features, benefits, and unique selling points to target the correct audience. Through this, you'll know how to weave a message that responds to potential customers’ needs.

Customer demographic and behavior research is another method. Use tools like Amazon's customer insights dashboard or third-party analytics solutions to gather data on your target audience's shopping patterns, preferences, and interests. This information ensures your product listings, pricing, and promotional strategies are geared toward attracting your target audience.

Lastly, you may leverage Amazon's advertising options, such as Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands. These advertising tools allow you to reach specific customer segments based on their search keywords, browsing history, and purchase behaviors. Targeted campaigns increase your visibility and attract qualified leads to your products.

2. Optimize Listings for Search Engines

An optimized product listing is crucial to achieve higher conversion rates when selling on Amazon. It drives traffic to your product and encourages customers to make a purchase. Here’s how to enhance your listings:

Put yourself in your audience's shoes.

Use language that resonates with your target market, from the product title to the high-quality product images. They are most likely to look for the features, benefits, and product specifications of a product. Adding this information boosts transparency and sets the right customer expectations.

Do keyword research.

Customers must type in keywords on the Amazon search box to get to the product they intend to buy. This is where keywords come into play, allowing your listing to appear in the search results. Seamlessly and strategically input relevant and specific keywords to describe your product while ensuring content reader-friendliness.

Use relevant keywords for your listing content, product title, product images, bullet points of product features, product descriptions, and store backend.

Get customer feedback and reviews.

Potential buyers want to ensure they are getting only the best, and where else can they look than customer reviews and feedback? The individuals who have tried your products serve as their reliable sources. Studies show that products with positive customer reviews are more likely to convert into sales than those without. 

Have reliable pricing and shipping options.

Pricing and shipping options can greatly impact your product's conversion rate. When customers see that they can receive their orders quickly and conveniently, they'll be more encouraged to buy.

3. Choose a Shipping and Fulfillment Method Wisely

Customer experience is a success factor in raising your Amazon conversion rate. Buyers will not abandon their orders when the purchasing experience is pleasant and memorable. So always find ways to take the customer journey to another level, like choosing a reliable shipping and fulfillment method.

• Enroll your Amazon business in Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). 
• Make your quality products eligible for Amazon Prime's benefits, such as two-day free shipping. 

These strategies undoubtedly increase conversions because more customers spend on these perks. You'll grow your product listing views, orders, and revenue. FBA also transfers your order fulfillment and return processes to Amazon, reducing your workload.

💡 Whichever delivery or fulfillment method you choose—seller-fulfilled Prime, FBA, or merchant fulfilled—ensure that your shipping and delivery options are clearly displayed on the product page. Include the price, expected delivery time, and any other relevant information.

Doing so sets the correct expectations for potential customers, increasing the chances of good feedback and reducing the risk of customer complaints.

4. Utilize Amazon Enhanced Brand Content

Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) or A+ Content allows you to create a more visually pleasing and informative product page. Investing in A+ Content can significantly improve your conversion rates on Amazon. The feature is a highly effective tool, enabling brands to tell compelling stories, differentiate themselves from competitors, and ultimately drive more sales.

EBC allows you to showcase your product’s unique features and benefits more than what's included in the bullet points, product features, product descriptions, and the product title. The program also allows you to use high-quality product images on a white background and include other multimedia elements. 

Such content quality gives potential customers a more immersive shopping experience on Amazon.

To take full advantage of EBC, here are the things you can do:

• Showcase your product's benefits with clear and informative content.
• Highlight your unique selling points, including any features or benefits. Do competitive research to differentiate your products from your competitors.
• Use high-quality images and videos, showing product features and demonstrating functional products while in use.
• Your product photos and videos should be clear and well-lit, with plenty of details that help customers fully understand what they're buying.

By providing customers with detailed information about your products, you can effectively communicate your product's benefits and the brand's commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. Eventually, this helps you in fostering trust with them.

5. Launch Well-Planned Special Offers

Offering special offers can significantly increase your Amazon Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and boost your sales. Who can resist a fantastic deal? Not many. However, it is crucial to note the offers should appeal to your target market and encourage them to take action. Here are a few tips:

Determine what they look for in a product listing.

What does your target audience value in a listing that entices them the most? Do they look for product variations or limited offers? Offers irrelevant to your target market could result in low conversion rates and minimal ROI. You should also consider your niche and competitors to avoid launching similar offers that they may have already done.

Appeal to the senses and communicate clear offers.

A short but clear message is easy to remember. Short and sweet creativity will make it more appealing to the senses. Product titles and product descriptions highlighting the benefits and savings customers can get will increase their chances of adding the product to their cart.

Give what you offered as promised to avoid negative reviews.

It is crucial to implement your special offers properly. Timing is essential, and you must ensure your customers can easily apply the offer during checkout. Also, prepare enough stock to meet the expected demand during the promotion period.

Fantastic deals increase click-through rates, bring more traffic to a product listing, drive sales, and increase the conversion rate. They help you find a competitive edge in the huge Amazon marketplace.

6. Devise an Excellent Product Pricing Strategy

Amazon is an extremely competitive marketplace. Competitive pricing is crucial to get those conversions and thrive on the platform. Thus, implementing an excellent pricing strategy is one of the best ways to optimize your conversion rate on Amazon.

Competitive pricing gives you more opportunities to stand out from the Amazon crowd. It helps you get a higher ranking in Amazon's search results and a chance to win the Buy Box. 

🧐 The Buy Box is where Amazon features top Amazon sellers' products. Grabbing this spot immensely increases brand visibility and conversion rate.

Here's a step-by-step procedure on how to develop your pricing strategy:

Step 1: Conduct thorough research in your market niche and analyze your competitors’ pricing. You should be looking at not only your direct competitors but also indirect competitors, as this will give you a better understanding of overall market trends and pricing expectations. 

Once you have this information, you can start creating a pricing strategy that fits within the market range and stands out from your competition.

Step 2: Utilize Amazon’s pricing tools. Amazon offers a dynamic pricing system that allows you to automatically adjust your prices based on the competition and other market factors. Additionally, Amazon provides you access to various promotional tools such as Lightning Deals, Best Deals, and Deals of the Day.

Step 3: Regularly monitor and track your pricing strategy. Amazon is a dynamic marketplace, so pricing trends can change rapidly. By regularly analyzing your sales and adjusting your pricing strategy, you stay ahead of your competition and continue to drive sales and conversions.

7. Make the Most of Amazon PPC

In today's digital age, advertising has become essential for companies looking to grow their online businesses, and Amazon is no exception. Using different advertising methods like Sponsored Adscan help improve CRO. 

That said, you don’t have to utilize all of them. Choose the most suitable method(s) for your specific goals and ensure your ad spend will be worth it.

Within Amazon, you can try Amazon Sponsored Products, Amazon Sponsored Brands, Amazon Display Ads, and Amazon Stores, among other programs.

• Amazon Sponsored Products ads are for your product listings to gain more visibility.
• Amazon Sponsored Brands' main goal is to raise brand awareness.
• Amazon Display Ads ensure you can reach audiences in and out of the Amazon platform.
• Amazon Stores allow you to lead customers to your stores and be aware of all your products.

These advertising programs can help increase visibility, drive traffic, and improve conversion rates for businesses selling on Amazon.

8. Advertise in Multiple Channels

Leveraging multi-channel marketing is a success factor in Amazon conversion rate optimization. Marketers can capture a wider audience by ensuring visibility across various platforms, enhancing product discoverability, and gaining customer trust.

Each advertising channel has its unique value. 

• Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are best used for your image and video content and ads. 
• Email marketing allows personalized communication with potential buyers, nudging them toward conversion. 
• Google AdWords puts your product at the forefront when customers actively search, driving high-intent traffic to your Amazon page.

Remember, tracking and analyzing the performance across different channels is equally crucial as creating them. Leverage analytics tools to get insights into each channel's effectiveness and optimize accordingly.

9. Manage Customer Reviews

Many customers rely on reviews when buying a product. Reviews provide information about the item from a customer's perspective, which may or may not persuade them to purchase. If they don't buy yours, it could be due to bad reviews or a lack of social proof on your product listing. 

Here are some tips for managing buyers’ feedback on your products:

🔎	Monitor and manage your Amazon reviews regularly.
🙂	Highlight positive reviews to give buyers confidence in choosing your product.
☹️	Respond appropriately to negative ones to eliminate buyers' doubts.
🏆	If you are successful, Amazon rewards you with badges such as Amazon's Choice, Best Seller, and many more to foster customer trust and conversion.
⭐	Encourage customers satisfied with your product quality to leave reviews politely and non-intrusively. You may add a request within your product packaging. Amazon's Early Reviewer Program can also aid in generating initial reviews for new products.
🔧	Consider using review management tools to monitor and effectively manage your satisfied customers' reviews. These tools provide alerts for new reviews, enabling quick response times.

10. Maintain Excellent Seller Performance Metrics to Avoid Amazon Account Suspension

Maintain a good ranking on Amazon to ensure that the conversion rate and the conversion optimization you worked hard for will not go to waste. You can achieve this by adhering to Amazon’s rules and regulations and tracking metrics.

Below are the seller performance metrics to track to avoid low rankings and keep account suspension at bay:

• Order Defect Rate - Calculates the number of orders reviewed or returned as defective. 
• Valid Tracking Rate - Indicates the rate of packages with valid tracking numbers before shipment. 
• Inventory Performance Index - Refers to the performance of your Amazon FBA inventory over time.
• Pre-Fulfillment Cancelation Rate - The number of orders you cancelled (due to out-of-stock) after a potential customer had already placed their order.
• Late Shipment Rate: Indicates the frequency of your delayed shipments.
• Seller Rating: An overall performance rate of your customer service, fulfillment process, and more.

Surpass the Average Conversion Rate with Seller Interactive

Selling on Amazon is a challenging venture. It involves time-consuming and complicated processes like search engine optimization, account health maintenance, campaign creation, etc. But it doesn't always have to be that way. With the right knowledge about Amazon's CVR and how to achieve it, success may be just around the corner!

Not getting enough conversions for your Amazon products? Work with Seller Interactive to improve your conversion rate.

Book a call now for more information.

Amazon Demand Side Platform (DSP) is all the rage among Amazon sellers and marketers, and it’s easy to see why. The program’s self-service option allows them to fully control their advertising campaigns. It also gives them the power to refine their strategies according to their unique business needs.

Unfortunately, the other option often finds itself overshadowed: managed service. While managed service has a required cost and limited control, dismissing its potential would be a complete mistake. 

Seller Interactive is here to give insights about the untapped power of having an Amazon Advertising Managed Service provider and how it can elevate your digital ads like never before.

Amazon Ad Challenges and How Managed-Service DSP Can Help

Amazon DSP’s vast reach and targeting features offer advertisers a valuable platform for connecting with new and existing audiences. Its relevance is even emphasized by the availability of two Amazon marketing services: self-service and managed service.

Ecommerce business owners highly favor self-service as it grants customers full authority over their ad campaigns. This resonates with many sellers who prefer a hands-on approach to their ad strategies. 

Managed service, on the other hand, caters to companies with limited ad experience and guides them throughout the campaign process.

Despite the assistance given from the managed-service option, most sellers are still reluctant to embrace it. What are the underlying reasons behind this? Let’s analyze the factors influencing their decision-making process and see how managed-service DSP can help.

#1: Level of Programmatic Advertising Expertise

Programmatic advertising uses algorithms and data to target specific audiences and deliver personalized display, video, or audio ads across various digital channels. This approach increases efficiency and allows for precise targeting and measurement of campaign performance.

It might appear easy because it automates buying and selling digital ads, but it is not. Let’s say you want to create dynamic ecommerce ads. These involve various ad formats, creative assets, and ad copies. If you don’t understand how they work, you’re compromising the chances of achieving optimal results and maximizing your advertising potential.

But with Amazon's managed-service internal team, you can let them create these complex ads in your stead. 

#2: Financial Limitations

The costs vary depending on the chosen approach in Amazon DSP advertising. You can customize your advertising budget with self-service, while the managed service provider comes with a minimum management fee of $50,000. It may also differ per country.

Given the potential cost variations and ad budget optimization, many business owners opt for the self-service option. They don’t want any financial constraints that might affect the flow of their business on Amazon.

But they may not also realize the expertise and support a managed-service team can bring. They can access the ins and outs of the demand side platform advertising so you can efficiently manage your expenses.

#3: Limited Knowledge of Inventory Features

Some businesses are unaware of the exclusive DSP inventory of Amazon managed service. It targets Amazon audiences based on their demographics, lifestyle, and devices used, among other things. 

There are also different types of Amazon DSP inventory, such as AZOO MB (Amazon Owned and Operated for mobile), AZOO DS (Amazon Owned and Operated for desktop), and AZPS (for Amazon publisher services.)

Does the self-service option have an inventory? Yes, but it doesn’t have certain exclusive features like the Share of Voice (SOV) packages with additional impressions or placements for driving brand awareness. If this function appeals to you, the managed-service DSP is a better choice.

#4: Lack of Consultation

Amazon DSP and Sponsored Ads may appear similar in their buy-and-sell process but differ in eligibility, expense, and control, leading to confusion among online sellers.

This circumstance is where the importance of having managed service becomes evident. The managed service option offers consultation, enabling you to contact an Amazon Ads specialist to discuss your concerns and plans for your display ads. It’s reassuring for inexperienced sellers to know they can get help anytime. 

How to Elevate Your Ad Strategy Under Amazon DSP

As you can see, leveraging Amazon-managed service revolves around utilizing an internal team. But note that it cannot address all your advertising needs single-handedly. It would still be best to take an active role in upscaling your programmatic ads and filling the gaps that may arise.

Here’s how you can do that.

https://youtu.be/Zelz06PBpNQ

Key Takeaway on Amazon Managed-Service DSP 

It’s difficult for an Amazon seller to delegate an important part of their business to someone else. But for many, especially startups and small businesses, having a professional on their side is more helpful than not having one. 

A great example of this is Amazon DSP’s managed-service option. Instead of spending time learning the ropes, you let Amazon manage your campaigns. It also includes exclusive perks such as DSP inventory access, consultation support, real-time optimization, and strategy development.

It requires a management fee, which can overwhelm your budget, but it’s still worth a shot. You must understand your business needs and know the best way to utilize them.

Get Expert Amazon DSP Help Today!

Are you planning to take your Amazon brand to the next level through Amazon DSP? Try Seller Interactive’s DSP program expert solutions.

We have well-trained DSP advertisers who devise strategies and provide the tools necessary to reach audiences on and off Amazon. Our Amazon advertising management services include extensive reporting metrics, strategic programmatic ads, customer engagement strategies, and definitive goal setting.

Book a call today for more details!

The Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service was launched in 2006 to streamline processes for both Amazon sellers and customers. Today, learning how to sell on Amazon FBA made sellers’ processes convenient and seamless while customers receive faster, more reliable shipping and delivery. 

This article will give you an in-depth explanation of Amazon FBA and how you can use it to improve operations to increase sales and enhance brand awareness on Amazon. 

How Amazon FBA Works

Amazon FBA became the go-to solution for sellers who don't have their own logistics team, delivery trucks, and warehouses to store their products. The eCommerce shipping and logistics will take care of your deliveries, but it comes with a price. For a better understanding, here's the process:

• Seller sends inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers.
• Amazon receives, sorts, and stores the inventory at the fulfillment center.
• The customer orders the seller's product from the marketplace.
• Amazon picks, packs, and ships the order to the customer.
• Amazon will handle customer service.
• If the customer wants to return the product, Amazon will also take care of it.

6 Benefits of the Amazon FBA Program

More than half of third-party sellers use Amazon FBA. It shows how valuable and useful this service is. Below are the reasons why you should become an Amazon FBA seller:

Top-Notch Logistics and Warehousing Facilities

You can access Amazon's high-end fulfillment centers, truck trailers, air freight, bicycle couriers, merchant vessels, and air drones. The Amazon workforce has years and years of experience and expertise you can take advantage of.

Prime-Eligibility Guaranteed

According to Statista, Prime subscribers spend an average of $1400 yearly compared to non-Prime members who only shell out $600 yearly. So, if you want to sell your products to this group of generous people, joining Amazon FBA gets you instant passes to be instantly qualified for Prime shipping. 

Chances to Win the Buy Box

The Buy Box is the most coveted space on the product detail page. It is the section where customers can quickly add items to their shopping carts. You can win the Buy Box if you're Prime-eligible because Amazon gives priority to them. 

Get the Best Deals on Shipping Rates

UPS, USPS, FedEx, and DHL Express are Amazon-partnered carriers. These shipping companies often grant Amazon discounted shipping rates. If you're an FBA seller, no need to negotiate to save on shipping fees because Amazon does it for you. Plus, your cargo is taken care of by reputable courier firms.

Effortless Scalability

Amazon has several programs under FBA that you can "add on" to your current business strategy and help scale your business quickly, as follows:

• FBA Subscribe & Save — You can offer discounts on qualified FBA products to repeat customers.
• FBA Small & Light — Small, lightweight, and cheap FBA inventory can get lower fulfillment fees.
• FBA Export — You can cross borders and sell your products to more than 100 countries at no additional cost.
• FBA Pan-EU — Let Amazon distribute and sell your products across European marketplaces at no extra charge with faster shipping time.
• Multi-Channel Fulfillment — Amazon allows you to offer your products to third-party eCommerce sites or your site. Plus, they will pick, pack, and ship to your customers.

Amazon FBA Fees Explained

Amazon doesn't charge anything when they ship the order to customers, but you must be aware of the following Amazon FBA fees so you can manage your expenditures wisely:

Professional Seller Account Subscription Fee 

There are two types of seller plans you can choose from: 

• Individual plan - costs $0.99 per item with no monthly subscription fee, for sellers only planning to sell fewer than 20 items per month.
• Professional plan - is $39.99 a month and perfect for sellers planning to sell more than 20 items monthly. Perks include creating bulk listings through APIs, selling in restricted categories, advanced reporting features, promoting your products via Amazon advertising tools, and more.

Both plans allow you to have access to Amazon FBA.

Referral Fees

Amazon gets a commission for each item sold in their marketplace. It could be a flat fee of 15% or less. Referral fees are paid after the sale is made. Here is the current referral fee table:

Categories	Amazon deducts the greater of the applicable referral fee percentage or applicable per-item minimum referral fee.
Amazon Device Accessories	45%
Baby Products	3.5% for items price < $500 6.0% for items price between $500-$10008.0% for items price > $1000
Books	3.0% for items price < $300 4.5% for items price between $300 - $500 9.0% for items price between $500 - $100012.5% for items price > $1000
Camera and Camcorder	5%
Mobile Phones	5%
Consumer Electronics	Televisions, Laptops and PCs - 6.0%Landline phones - 7.0%
Electronic Accessories	17%
Furniture (Indoor and Outdoor)	15.5% for items price < $15,00010% for items price > $15,000
Home	Wallpapers - 11% Kitchen and Bath - 8.0% Security - 6% Waste and Recycling - 6% Other Categories -17%
Music	6.5%
Musical Instruments	Keyboards - 5%Guitars - 8% Others - 7.5%
Office Products	8.0% for items price < $1000 9.0% for item price >$1000
Sporting and Gym Equipment	Sports Equipment - 6.0% for items price < $500- 8.0% for items price > $500 Gym Equipment - 9.0% for items price < $1000- 10% for items price  > $500
Toys and Games	Toys - 11% Video Games and Consoles - 9% Online Game Services - 2%

Categories requiring approval

Automotive	Vehicles - 2% Tires and Rims - 5% Parts - 11% Cleaning Kits - 9% Accessories - 16%
Beauty Products	Fragrance - 14% Body - 7.0% Makeup - 6.0%Luxury Beauty Products - 5%
Clothing	Accessories - 14% Shirts, Jackets, Shorts - 19% Baby Apparel - 14%
Jewelry	22.5% for items price < $1000 24% for items price > $1000
Grocery and Gourmet	4.5% for items price < $500 5.5% for items price $500 - $1000 8.0% for items price > $1000
Personal Health Care	11%
Luggage and Bags	Handbags - 8.5% Suitcase - 5.5% Other Categories - 5.5%
Footwear	Shoes - 16% Kids Footwear - 15% Sandals and Floaters - 10.5%
Watches	13.5%

FBA Fees

Amazon FBA fees consist of four different fees rolled into one, including the storage, packing, and handling of your inventory. The category, weight, and size of the item are also considered in the computation. 

Standard size items	Max dimensions	Item weight	Fulfillment fee (in USD)
Small standard	15" x 12" x 0.75"	4oz or less	$3.22
		4oz to 8oz	$3.40
		8oz to 12oz	$3.58
		12oz to 16oz	$3.77
Large standard	18” x 14” x 8”	4oz or less	$3.86
		4oz to 8oz	$4.08
		8oz to 12oz	$4.24
		12oz to 16oz	$4.75
		1lb to 1.5lb	$5.40
		1.5lb to 2lb	$5.69
		2lb to 2.5lb	$6.10
		2.5lb to 3lb	$6.49
		3lb to 20lb	$7.17 + $0.16/half-lb above first 3 lb

Oversized items	Max dimensions	Item Weight	Fulfillment fee (in USD)
Small oversize	60" x 30"	70 lb or less	$9.73 + $0.42/lb above first lb
Medium oversize	108” (longest side)	150 lb or less	$19.05 + $0.42/lb above first lb
Large oversize	108” (longest side)	150 lb or less	$89.98 + $0.83/lb above first 90 lbs
Special oversize	>108” (longest side)	Over 150 lb	$158.49 + $0.83/lb above first 90 lbs

Storage Fees

There are two types of storage fees:

Monthly Storage Fee

Amazon charges you for any space your inventory takes up in their fulfillment centers before the sale.

Storage Month	Standard Size	Oversize
January - September	$0.87 per cubic foot	$0.56 per cubic foot
October - December	$2.40 per cubic foot	$1.40 per cubic foot

Long-Term Storage Fee

The aged inventory surcharge for Amazon is divided into two: 

271 to 365 days in storage	$1.50 per cubic foot
More than 365 days in storage	$6.90 per cubic foot or $0.15 per unit (fees apply whichever is greater)

Removal Order Fees

Avoid long-term storage fee by requesting a removal order:

Size Tier	Shipping Weight	Removal Fee (in USD)
Standard size	0 to 0.5 lb	$0.97
	0.5+ to 1.0 lb	$1.46
	1.0+ to 2.0 lb	$2.20
	More than 2 lb	$2.83 + $1.06/lb above 2 lb
Oversize and special handling	0 to 1.0 lb	$3.12
	1+ to 2.0 lb	$4.07
	2.0+ to 4.0 lb	$5.56
	4.0+ to 10.0 lb	$9.43
	More than 10.0 lb	$13.05 + $1.06/lb above 10 lb

Returns Processing Fees

Amazon offers free returns for customers that the seller will shoulder. It is equivalent to the total fulfillment fee for a given product.

Additional FBA Fees

You may incur these fees when your inventory has no proper labeling or preparation. Amazon charges you a per-item fee for FBA label service, FBA prep service, manual processing service, and FBA repackaging service.

How to Become an Amazon FBA Seller 

Here's the part you've been waiting for. The step-by-step guide on how to become an Amazon FBA seller:

Step 1: Select a Niche 

FBA has different requirements and restrictions than non-FBA products. If you fail to comply, it will result in any of the following:

• Return or dispose of your inventory upon its arrival at the fulfillment center.
• Amazon will block your future shipments.
• You will be charged for noncompliance or preparation.
• Possible deactivation of your selling account.

You can prevent this by avoiding the following niche or categories:

• Vehicle tires
• Alcoholic beverages (including non-alcoholic beer)
• Products with unauthorized marketing materials, such as pamphlets, price tags, or other non-Amazon stickers
• Gift cards, gift certificates, and other stored-value instruments
• Loose packaged batteries
• Heat-sensitive inventory (during warmer months)
• Products requiring AC, freezing, or refrigeration
• Perishable or expired products
• Items with price tags, marketing paraphernalia, or other non-Amazon stickers
• Damaged or defective units
• Products with labels not correctly registered with Amazon before shipment or did not match the registered product
• Products illegally replicated, reproduced, or manufactured
• Products that do not comply with any agreement between Amazon and the seller
• Products that Amazon otherwise determines are unsuitable
• Products that have not been prepared according to FBA packaging and prep requirements

Step 2: Find Products to Sell

Here’s how to find one:

• Choose small, lightweight products that only need minimum handling and shipping costs since Amazon includes the size and weight in the calculation.
• Source generic products so you can rebrand them easily.
• The product doesn't need Amazon's approval before selling it to save yourself from complicated paperwork and time-consuming process.
• You can sell the product all year round.
• The product must not have a trademark or patent yet, so you can own the rights to sell it exclusively under your brand.
• It has a high demand, low competition, and is marketable.

Step 3: Look for a Supplier or Manufacturer

The right supplier must have the following characteristics:

• They can consistently manufacture a product.
• They welcome third-party inspection to ensure the quality of the product.
• They abide by the rules and regulations of Amazon and local authorities.
• They are willing to communicate with you when needed.
• The supplier is an ethical and socially-compliant company.
• The supplier or manufacturer is okay with providing sample products for every reproduction to check for quality assurance. 

After you tick all the boxes, here are different ways to find a supplier:

• Subscribe and read industry trade publications.
• Visit trade shows.
• Mingle with business owners.
• Register in online wholesale directories like Worldwide Brands, SaleHoo, The Wholesaler, Price Master, Liquidation, Big Lots, The Wholesale Forums, and Tuesday Morning.
• Join Facebook groups targeting suppliers of your chosen niche.
• Visit online B2B wholesale websites such as DHgate, Amazon Business, Alibaba, Global Sources, and eWorldTrade.

Step 4: Establish Your Brand

A well-researched and developed brand is a valuable marketing weapon for your business. 

Brand Names

If your goal is to expand into other niches, think of a unique and memorable company name, which will be your seller name. You must also assign a brand name for each product you're offering. 

Brand Design

Create a brand logo and design for your company and products. You can outsource this task if you're not artistic or have zero knowledge about graphics design. Don’t use graphics or pictures from stock photo websites because you might encounter a seller with the same design as yours.

Step 5: Sign Up for an FBA Seller Account

Before you start selling, have the following first:

• Tax information
• Government ID
• Active credit card
• Business email address
• Business phone number
• Bank account number

Then choose the right Amazon seller plan: the Individual plan or the Professional plan. 

Step 6: Create Product Listings

The product title should be descriptive enough for shoppers to understand. Upload high-resolution product images shot from different angles to give your customers visual clarity. 

State the benefits of your product in bullets. Remember that you must pass the standards of your prospective buyers and Amazon's algorithm, the A10. Be thorough in performing search engine optimization to target the right keywords or search phrases. 

Step 7: Prepare Your Products for Packaging

Amazon is very meticulous when it comes to inventory preparation and packaging. They have rules on how you must prep up your products to ship them to Amazon's warehouses. Case-packed products must not exceed 50 lbs or exceed 25 inches in length on any side. For more information on Amazon FBA packaging, visit Amazon Seller Central.

Step 8: Ship Your Inventory

Time to create your first shipment! Follow the steps below:

Part 1: Select Products to Ship

1. Register your seller account for FBA. 
2. On your Seller Central account, go to Inventory > Manage Inventory.
3. Select the products you want to ship.
4. In the Actions drop-down menu, choose to Send/Replenish Inventory.
5. Set your Ship From Address, where the inventory will come from. 
6. Decide the Packing Type of your inventory, either individual products or case-packed products.
7. Hit Continue to create a shipping plan.

Part 2: Shipment Creation Workflow

1. Fill in the Unit per Case and Number of Cases fields per product on the Set Quantity page. Then click Continue.
2. The next page is Prepare Products, where you choose who will prepare the inventory by selecting in the Who Preps pull-down list.
3. On the Label Products page, set the number of labels you need in the # of labels to print columns. Then hit the Print labels for this page to start printing.
4. You will be directed to the Review Shipments page to check the details of your shipment plan.
5. If everything is correct and complete, you may now Approve the shipment plan. The page will change to View Shipments after you approve it.
6. Moving on to the next page, the Prepare Shipment, you may now choose your final delivery method.
7. Choose your preferred Shipping method and Shipping carrier under the Shipping service section of the Prepare Shipment page.
8. Double-check the contact information before proceeding.
9. Click Calculate to know how much you will be paying, and you may approve it by selecting the I agree to the terms and conditions.
10. Click the Accept charges button to proceed to the last step.
11. Select the Print box labels. This action will print the FBA shipping labels you will put on top of each box and pallet you ship.

Step 9: Launch Your Product

We've devised an easy-to-follow five-step guide to launch your product.

1. Optimize your product detail page.
2. Create a buzz with off-Amazon advertising, social media, and blog posts.
3. Set up PPC campaigns.
4. Gather organic reviews.
5. Launch Your Product!

5 Amazon FBA Mistakes You Must Avoid

Here are the mistakes to avoid as an Amazon FBA seller:

Dependent on FBA Alone

Always have a plan B. Plan B is to switch to the Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) setup whenever needed. FBM is when you handle the order fulfillment operations by yourself.

Not Protecting Your Brand

Amazon is one of the most competitive marketplaces on Earth. Do everything to protect your brand and reputation. Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry and have your products trademarked. 

Running Out of Stock

You won't be penalized if you run out of stock. But your seller performance metrics and ranking will be affected. Amazon also automatically removes a listing that has zero inventory. Regularly check your stock levels on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Replenish right away to keep selling and earning.

Not Understanding Amazon's Policies

Amazon rules and regulations are overwhelming to read. No wonder sellers skip this part. But failing to do so would put your selling privileges at risk. So read everything from front to back. Stick to the rules to avoid getting banned.

Selling on FBA Gets You Rich Quickly

Nope. Yes, you can earn money as an FBA seller, but it will not be an overnight success. Hard work and dedication are the keys to being a successful Amazon seller. There is no such thing as shortcuts and quick hacks. You need to roll up your sleeves and get to work. 

Wrapping Up!

The FBA service assures customers of free and quick shipping. At the same time, Amazon Prime allows you to offer your products to customers. Enroll in Amazon FBA today to start selling and grow your online shopping business in no time. 
If you want some help to jumpstart your Amazon FBA business, our experienced consultants in Seller Interactive are willing to help you. Call 1-800-820-3746 today.

 

Were your Amazon sales in 2022 able to meet your expectations? Whether you are satisfied with it or otherwise, the truth is that you now have a new opportunity to boost it this 2023. As an Amazon seller aiming to thrive in a highly-competitive environment, you must know how to increase sales on Amazon.

Remember that Amazon is still the largest e-commerce platform in the world. Its enormous customer base allows you to redeem whatever losses you suffered last year.  Apart from optimizing your Amazon listings, there are other essential aspects of improving sales performance. Let’s discuss the strategies you need to master.  

How Does Amazon Measure Sales Performance?

If you want to learn how to get organic sales on Amazon, you must first understand its performance metrics. Amazon is a customer-focused company, so it measures the success of its sellers through its ability to deliver optimal customer service.

Familiarizing yourself with these metrics can help balance your Amazon account health and increase your Amazon sales.

Order Defect Rate (ODR)

Your ODR reflects how well you accurately report your stock's condition and handle customers' complaints before they get out of hand.

Amazon defines a ‘defect’ in three different ways:

• A negative review of your product
• A customer's litany of claims
• Getting a credit card charge-back

The platform calculates your ODR by dividing the number of defect orders by the total number of orders received within a specified period.

💡 How to Keep Your ODR from Spiking: Focus on always attending to your customers' needs. Whenever an issue crops up, resolve it immediately. Not only does being attentive and prompt reduce negative feedback, but it also helps increase the traffic of your product listing, hence improving sales.

Pre-Fulfillment Cancellation Rate (PFCR)  

Amazon determines your PFCR by the percentage of canceled orders you receive before shipping goods. At best, your PFCR needs to be lower than 2.5%. Getting a higher PFCR means failing to meet Amazon's target.

💡 How to Keep Your PFCR from Spiking: Be meticulous in stock management. Always update your record. It should show the number of units you have at your disposal and the number of units comprising the inventory you have sent to Amazon. Keep track of the platform's updates whenever a customer buys your products.

Late Dispatch Rate (LDR)

To know your LDR, Amazon checks the percentage of orders you failed to dispatch on time. Getting an LDR of 4% or higher means you did not meet the marketplace's target. As a rule, an order is late when the shipping details are confirmed after three or more days.

💡 How to Keep Your LDR from Spiking: To avoid late dispatches, ship customers' orders as soon as they have confirmed them. If not, see that you have everything on record and will attend to shipping ASAP. With this, you need to update the information on your seller account. Failure to do so causes your LDR to go up.

Policy Violations

For every violation you make, Amazon sends you a notification. That is why you need to check your Performance Notifications regularly. To locate the warnings, go to the Performance section at Seller Central.

💡 What You Need to Know About Notifications: Checking your notifications is necessary. This way, you are informed on time, especially for immediate issues. If you spot a green tick, it means you have read all notifications. Meanwhile, a yellow tick indicates that you have not read them.

❌ Do not bypass a big red cross. It indicates that Amazon is closely monitoring your seller account.

Buyer-Seller Contact Response Time (CRT)

Amazon recommends that sellers should respond to customers within 24 hours. That is why you need to check your messages regularly. Doing so enables you to reply at the earliest possible time. Delayed responses frustrate customers. 

When this happens, you fail to deliver the high-quality customer service that the platform requires.

💡 How to Avoid Negatively Impacting Your CRT Metric: Set aside a daily schedule for reading and responding to messages only. Stick to it at all costs. If you do not make this task a part of your daily work activities, you could miss out on essential messages necessitating an immediate response.

How to Increase Sales on Amazon: Tips on Boosting Product Sales

Selling more products on Amazon requires a tactical approach that marries strategic techniques with close monitoring and quick response. Here are a few ideas to help you gain more sales on your Amazon store:

1. Optimize your product listings regularly.

Below is a checklist detailing the crucial aspects of optimizing your Amazon listings. If you optimize your product listings, they have a higher chance of convincing your target audience to purchase. 

Improving your listings is also one way to comply with the A10 algorithm of Amazon search engine optimization (SEO.)

• Use relevant keywords. Put yourself in the shoes of your Amazon customers and think about what words or phrases they will use to find the products they want. Include a keyword tool or work with an Amazon SEO expert to maximize your keyword research.
• Optimize product titles. Your product title should include your brand name, quantity, size, and other important features.
• Write optimized product descriptions. Provide detailed product features and usage information to help customers find, evaluate, and purchase products.
• Use eye-catching, professionally captured images that conform to Amazon's guidelines. High-quality images help highlight the value points of the product. 
• Optimize the pages for both Amazon and Google search results. 

It helps to obtain a Category Listing Report whose access you can request from Seller Support. The report will present your listing in a flat file. In this format, spotting gaps and errors become easier.

Below is an example of an optimized product listing to help you visualize.

2. Leverage several channels as part of your marketing strategy. 

It is given that marketing on Amazon puts your products directly before your intended buyers and generates repeat customers. But to fully maximize the advantages of your marketing campaign, include other channels outside the platform. 

It also helps if you have a dedicated website for your brand. Here is a list of widely known channels where you can market your products.

• Amazon marketplace programs (Amazon ads, lightning deals, etc.)
• Your online store
• Your website
• eBay
• Etsy
• Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns 
• Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.,
• Affiliate marketing websites
• Guest posts

3. Encourage favorable reviews from customers.

Your customers' positive reviews are testaments of your product and service quality. They convince potential buyers to choose you and help elevate your page ranking. Such improvements directly impact your Best Seller Ranking (BSR). 

What about less favorable or negative reviews? Do they hold any value? Yes, as long as they are not too many or fake. These reviews offer valuable insights that you can use to improve your product and service.

Here’s what Jayce, the managing director of Seller Interactive, can tell you about getting authentic reviews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwrZ4SnlTbo

4. Take advantage of Amazon's Sponsored Advertising solutions.

Promoting your product on Amazon positions your brand directly in front of potential customers. Amazon advertising helps Amazon sellers reach their customers further, targeting every stage of the buyer's journey.

Amazon offers various advertising services depending on your needs and objectives, such as Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display, and more.

5. Pay attention to your performance via established metrics.

Amazon closely monitors and evaluates seller performance according to the various metrics discussed in the earlier sections. Such metrics were developed to gauge each seller's capacity to deliver top-notch customer service.

6. Keep a well-stocked inventory.

A well-stocked inventory increases the organic ranking of your pages on Amazon. But if you were to manage it alone, you might feel overwhelmed. With little time and knowledge, focusing on other equally important aspects of running your business will be difficult. Worse, it can trigger errors and long-term negative impacts on your efforts.

To make the process smooth, take advantage of specially programmed software or rely on the proficiency of qualified personnel to manage your inventory on your behalf.  You can also try Fulfillment on Amazon (FBA), wherein Amazon picks, packs, and ships your orders. 

This program helps sellers with fulfillment inventory management and provides other incentives such as customer support, returns, and more.

7. Dominate the competition and become highly eligible for Buy Box.

Surviving the highly competitive marketplace environment means learning what your competitors are up to. When you are familiar with their strategies, you will have a better chance to design tactics that could edge them out. 

Help increase your brand's influence by being highly qualified to win the Buy Box. Buy Box is the box on the right side of the product detail page. It allows customers to add items for purchase to their carts easily. 

According to Statista, 82 percent of all Amazon sales happened through Buy Box. However, not all Amazon sellers are eligible to win the Buy Box. If you want to win this spot, becoming an FBA seller can help increase your chance of winning Amazon's most coveted box.

8. Use apps and tools to increase your Amazon sales.

Monitoring your performance is critical to boost sales, so performing the measures suggested previously puts your business at an advantage. You may find it helpful to use the following advanced apps designed to make these processes more efficient.

• CASHCOWPRO - This comprehensive analytics and performance tracking app benefits sellers with an FBA account.
• Forecastly - The app alerts you when your stocks are running low. Additionally, it presents reliable suggestions regarding the quantity or units you need to replenish and the most suitable time for ordering them.
• Shopkeeper - If you want to know what fees apply to which in a given situation, check out the dashboard of this app. It consolidates and presents all pertinent data you can access quickly and easily.
• SellerLegend - This app is the way to go if you want to gain a deeper understanding of your FBA performance. It has power suite tools you need for precisely this purpose.

Final Thoughts

Increasing your revenue is not just about selling your products in any Amazon upcoming sale. Learning and understanding the aspects detailed herein go a long way in helping you create an effective plan of action for targeting higher sales in the future.

Doing so also increases your customers' satisfaction. Overall, combining strategic measures, modern technological innovations, and diligent monitoring improves your service quality.

Need help with listing optimization and other services such as Amazon brand registry or advertising? Let Seller Interactive help you! With our experienced team, we can help you drive more sales, increase traffic and build brand trust. 

Book a call with us to get started.

Imagine the shock and frustration to discover your personal Amazon account has been closed. Perhaps it was due to a misunderstanding, a policy violation, or even an unauthorized access issue. 

Regardless of the reason, an Amazon account closure can have far-reaching consequences. It not only disrupts your ongoing business operations but also raises concerns about starting over on the platform.

You may wonder: if Amazon closes my account, can I open a new one? What are the potential roadblocks, and what steps can you take to navigate this challenging situation?

This article explores Amazon's account suspension policies and provides insights to overcome this unexpected setback. Let's navigate the maze of Amazon's account regulations and see if you have the potential for a second chance.

Three Phases of Amazon Account Suspension

Account suspension is a dreaded scenario for both new and seasoned Amazon sellers.

If you’re in this situation, you are likely searching frantically for answers on reopening your Amazon account after suspension. But remember, it’s not as easy as sending a request to customer service or clicking a button to reactivate it. In this case, it is not a “request” but an “appeal.” 

So yes, you can still plead your case and send an Amazon suspension appeal. Amazon has three levels of account suspension as follows:

• Suspension: This is when you receive a notification with the subject: “Your Amazon.com selling privileges have been removed.” Don’t worry; there’s still hope in reinstating your account by sending an appeal letter.

• Denied: If you receive this notification, it means that Amazon has denied your appeal. Can you send another one? Sadly, no. 

• Banned: At this point, you are permanently kicked out of the marketplace with no chance of creating a new business account ever again. This is due to repetitive appeals or forceful emails that only worsen your situation.

In other words, your only chance of opening a suspended Amazon account is at the suspension stage. The moment you mess this up, you won’t be allowed to sell on Amazon again.

The Curious Case of Opening a New Account

“Can I open a new account instead?”

Yes, you can technically open a new account. But take note: it’s a hassle. Even if you contact customer service or seek assistance from an account specialist, they will refuse to handle your request due to the associated risks.

What risks? According to Amazon’s Seller Code of Conduct, owning multiple seller accounts for each region you sell is prohibited unless you have a legitimate business. They will only accommodate your need for a new account if: 

• You own various brands and operate separate firms for each brand.
• You produce your products for two different companies.
• You’re signed up for an Amazon program that requires a separate seller account.

Amazon strongly emphasizes maintaining a fair and level playing field for all sellers. It doesn’t matter if you’re the rightful account owner; this can still undermine their principles. It can lead to unfair competition, review manipulation, and other violations of Amazon’s policies.

It is always better to be safe than to be banned.

The Right Way of Opening an Amazon Account After Suspension

You have now come to terms with the reality of suspension and understand that opening a new account is not an option. What’s next for you? Write a formal appeal. This step is crucial as it can determine the fate of your business and prevent it from spiraling downward.

If you’re not confident enough to compose it, ask for help from an Amazon suspension expert. But here’s what you can do when creating an effective Amazon suspension appeal for your closed account.

Keep Calm and Don’t Rush It

Of course, it is hard to remain calm right now. We understand your resentment, and losing your cool in this situation is natural. But you need to keep your emotions in check. Venting your anger on social media or threatening Seller Performance will not benefit your case. Take responsibility and acknowledge the problem. 

Don’t play the blame game. Stay calm, collected, and focused on presenting a well-constructed appeal. This is only your chance to reinstate your previous account and resume operations on the ecommerce platform.

Check and Resolve Pending Support Tickets

Do a brief “spring cleaning” first. Resolve any pending tickets and try to improve the health of your account. This proactive approach shows your dedication to keeping a positive seller reputation. It also strengthens your appeal by highlighting your responsiveness and customer-centric focus.

Review your product listings. Analyze your performance metrics and identify areas for improvement. Show your commitment to meeting Amazon’s standards and delivering a great selling experience. 

You don’t want Amazon to doubt your worth as a seller once they start reviewing your appeal and your account.

Find the Reason Behind Your Closed Amazon Account

Know the reason behind the Amazon seller account suspension. Look for specific details or explanations that may shed light on the cause of getting your account locked. These might include:

• Poor Performance Metrics: You can check this out on the Account Health page. Keep in mind that you should meet and maintain the following performance targets:

• Order defect rate: < 1%
• Pre-fulfillment cancel rate: < 2.5%
• Late shipment rate: < 4%

• Amazon Policy Violation: A suspended personal Amazon account means you sell a prohibited product or disobey selling rules. Always stay up-to-date with Amazon's changes and policy updates. 

• Subpar Customer Communication: Amazon is a customer-centric company. Ignoring their most valuable asset is not a good idea. It is crucial to prioritize effective communication, respond to messages promptly, address customer issues, and resolve disputes.

• Listing Infringement Issues: Amazon can suspend you if you have been accused of infringing on intellectual property rights, such as trademarks or copyrights. You must review any claims made against your listings and address them accordingly.

• Suspicious Account Activity: Unusual or suspicious account behavior, such as a sudden surge in sales or a significant change in selling patterns, may trigger an account suspension. 

Create a POA (Plan of Action)

Contacting customer service is just the first step. You must also create a Plan of Action. This document outlines actions to address the suspension and show compliance with Amazon's policies.

Answer the following questions when composing a POA:

• What is the root cause of the issue?

• Articulate the underlying cause or causes that led to the account suspension.

• What will you do to address the issue?

• Outline the specific steps you will take to rectify the problem. Be detailed and provide a clear action plan, including any necessary changes or improvements you will make to your business operations.

• How can you prevent this from happening again?

• Describe the preventive measures you will implement. It could be enhanced quality control procedures, improved communication strategies, or additional staff training.

• What evidence can you provide to support your case?

• Include any supporting documentation, evidence, or data that substantiates your actions. It could be receipts from your previous accounts, invoices, customer feedback, or other relevant information.

Submit Your Letter of Appeal to Amazon

After writing the suspension appeal letter, send it to Seller Performance for review. Here’s how to submit your appeal:

• Open the account suspension notification that you received from them. You’ll find a button labeled “Appeal Decision” at the bottom of the letter. 

• Upon accessing the account menu, fill out all the essential details required in the provided form. Ensure all the necessary information, explanations, and action plans are accurate. 

• Once you are satisfied with the content and accuracy of your appeal, proceed by clicking the “Submit Appeal” button.

Follow these steps, as any mistakes could impact the strength and success of your appeal. Double-check all the information and details to present a compelling case for reinstatement.

Wait for a Reply

Given the vast and diverse seller community, you must understand that you’re not the only one they’re attending to. Patience is the key during this process.

Don’t send multiple letters or status requests. It won’t hasten their decision-making or garner a faster response. It may even lead to a delay as it creates additional administrative work for the Seller Performance team.

Waiting can be challenging and frustrating. Use this time to strengthen your business practices and explore other avenues for growth. Evaluate your product offerings, improve customer service strategies, and seek opportunities to enhance your overall performance as an Amazon seller.

Receive a Response From Amazon

Once Amazon's Seller Performance team has reviewed your appeal, you will receive a reply via email. This email will provide you with their decision regarding the reinstatement of your account.

Hopefully, it is the one you wish for. But always prepare for any outcome, as Amazon's decision may not always align with your expectations.

Final Thoughts

Amazon only wants the best for its customers. Your job as a seller is to provide exceptional service that exceeds their expectations. From prioritizing customer satisfaction to maintaining compliance with Amazon's policies, you can position yourself for long-term success on the platform.

Have you been suspended? Learn and grow. It's not the end of your Amazon selling journey. Understand the reasons behind your suspension and reflect on areas where you can improve. With the right approach, opening a new account will be unnecessary.
Do you need help with your appeals? Seller Interactive has a team of Amazon suspension experts that will provide you with top-notch Amazon suspension help.

Launching your first product on Amazon is a daunting yet exciting task. You're excited to introduce the product you've been working so hard on while also scared that not many people might receive it positively. This turns an Amazon Product Launch into a challenge for many sellers. 

Though experienced sellers consider it a must, launching a product on Amazon can also be a problem. So, how do you pick the best Amazon product launch service? 

If you want to become a seller and launch a product on Amazon, you must know the statistics: 

Keep in mind that the market has been saturated, so distinguishing your product from others is necessary. Imagine the amount of money you can earn if you make the right product launch decisions. You’ve come to the right place. 

In this article, we'll talk about tips on launching your products and Amazon store optimization.

Cracking the Code

Before going over the following tips, let's first take a look at what makes a product rank high on Amazon. You've probably asked, ”What is Amazon's marketing plan? How do they rank and advertise product listings?” 

At first, it may seem tricky to decipher, but it's pretty simple. The answer lies in Amazon's A10 Algorithm.

A10 powers Amazon's search engine. It analyzes Amazon product listings and dictates their ranking in the search results. Google and Amazon's algorithms may be similar in some ways, but they're not identical.

For one, Amazon's goal isn't to become a search engine. They just use their algorithm to help customers search for an item. The results are mainly based on relevance and popularity.

Three metrics affect the Amazon A10 Algorithm. These metrics can help you understand the algorithm better. To know each detail, read below: 

Sales Velocity	The rate of how fast you sell your products on Amazon.  The quicker you sell, the more Amazon will push it upwards on the search result.
Click-Through-Rate (CTR)	The percentage of customers who view and click on your product. It determines how relevant your product listing is to viewers.  The higher the CTR, the more relevant your product listing is. This is the point where the customers decide to purchase the product or not.
Conversion Rate	The rate of customers who buy your product.  The higher your conversion rate, the higher your sales.

Knowing and understanding these three metrics will help you with your product launch. 

9 Amazon Product Launch Tips

After understanding how product listing rankings work on Amazon, it’s time to learn how to create a successful product launch. We’ve listed nine tips to help ensure your Amazon product launch performs beyond expectations.

Tip #1: Do Your Research

If you want to avoid the dreaded low engagement results, you must take the right steps immediately. The first step for your product launch happens way before setting your plans in order—doing your research on the following:

Product Edge

More than a million sellers registered on Amazon this year alone. Each seller can hold an Amazon product launch twenty times a month. With this volume, you can expect that someone in the marketplace is already selling your product or something close to what you’re offering.

Determining your product’s competitive advantage early in the brainstorming phase is crucial. This advantage can be your main selling point and would differentiate your products from the competition.

Target Market

Doing audience and keyword research before your Amazon product launch is highly recommended.

By understanding your audience, you’ll know what your target buyers want. You can identify your target market by analyzing engagement demographics and using analytics tools like SEMrush or Google Analytics. Knowing your target market also informs you of the trends that appeal to your audience, a valuable piece of information for marketing or advertising.

Additionally, once you’ve identified your audience, keyword research will be a breeze. With keyword research, you’ll know what your audience typically types in the search box to find what they’re looking for. You can use these keywords to optimize your listings so buyers can easily find you.

Competitors

An essential part of your research is noting your competitors' best practices. Try observing the products that appear on top of the search results and note how they take product photos, how they write their listings, and how well their product performs in SEO and reviews. You can adapt your launch based on what they do right and try to avoid what they do or did wrong.

Tip #2: Conduct Sufficient Product Testing

High-quality products are not all about functionality and appearance. It must also pass under safety and hazard measures, especially if it's a new product.

Have your products assessed before launching an Amazon product and selling them. Testing the product lets you know which features need improvements or changes. You'll also learn about the essential markings, warnings, and seals. 

Perform product testing while you're still choosing a supplier. Once you've chosen your suppliers, ask for samples and examine the product thoroughly.

Can I just ask the supplier if it is safe or not?

Hiring third-party inspectors to test the products would be better because they are more knowledgeable about safety standards.

Remember that offering an untested product may cost your selling privileges on Amazon, and it may have legal consequences. Product testing can take much time, but this is necessary to avoid jeopardizing your launch and future on Amazon as a seller. 

Tip #3: Get an Amazon Prime Badge

Photo by Erik Mclean on Pexels

Once you’ve conducted your research and product testing, securing an Amazon Prime Badge is next. The Amazon Prime Badge signals to customers that their purchases can be safely shipped to their doorsteps within two days. 

More and more customers are joining the Amazon Prime membership due to its added benefits. Amazon has marketed for over a decade, so it is no wonder that the conversion rate increases when a product has the Amazon badge. 

Prime-eligible products also appear higher on the search results. This allows sellers who spend most of their time and money on the platform to sell their products. If you want your product eligible for Amazon Prime, enroll it in Amazon FBA.

FBA is a fulfillment option where Amazon fulfills its products. Amazon does the heavy legwork for you, which helps you focus more on your products' promotion and marketing. 

Amazon will store your inventory, ship them to the customers, and happily deliver the items to their doorsteps. Aside from these services, they provide customer refunds and returns! All you have to do is set up your store and market your products to earn income. 

Tip #4: Optimize your Brand Content

Before focusing on advertising your product, you have to check your product listing. Most of the time, brands are eager to launch their products but don't check their content. Producing high-quality content is a must to hook customers and increase conversions. 

Your advertising budget will go to waste if you have a low sales volume. Hence, producing high-quality content is vital in generating leads and conversion. 

One of the ways you can optimize your product listing is to use relevant keywords in your product titles and descriptions. When choosing your keywords, consider all the relevant phrases and search terms applicable to your product. You can do keyword research manually through search engines, built-in platform analytics, or keyword research tools.

Create Eye-Catching Product Titles

Customers typically scan through a product title more than any other part of your listing. As a result, your product titles will significantly affect your customers' first impressions. Creating a bland product title that doesn't give any description will surely give you a low conversion rate. 

Customers appreciate product titles that give them an idea regarding the product. It will also be easier to search for the product if relevant keywords are used. Put your most important keywords in your product title and your very most important ones at the beginning.

Take High-Quality Product Photos

It is a known fact that customers tend to look at product photos before reading a product description. The images are visual representations of the product that helps customers decide whether to purchase. If they see a product listing with low-quality images, they'll most likely click the exit button and go to another seller's product listing. 

You can understand why stores on Instagram use visually appealing feeds to attract customers to their stores. Many have even invested in hiring photographers to shoot stunning product images. 

Impress your customers while staying compliant to Amazon with the following pointers: 

• The main image should include the core product, only occupying 85% of the frame on pure white background.
• Each photo should be zoomable with at least 1,000 dpi.
• Show what is inside the package only.
• Don't include additional accessories that the customer will not receive.
• Don't add watermarks, borders, and text.
• Avoid showing the product's sketches or drawings.
• Avoid creating placeholders like "No Image Available."
• Don't include different colors of the product.

Write a Detailed Product Description

Alt text: Do’s and Dont’s of writing a product description

A common mistake sellers make is creating a lackluster product description. Anyone should understand that product descriptions are essential for a customer to understand the product’s features. 

Your product descriptions should be compelling and truthful. Instead of bombarding potential buyers with technical and irrelevant details, write about the benefits and uses of your product. 

To make it easier on your part, try putting yourself in the customer's perspective. Answer all the possible questions they could have about the product and include these in the description. This way, you'll create a detailed and compelling product description that will help generate leads. 

However, the product description should be concise and clear in describing the details of the product. We recommend keeping your product description to a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 2,000 words. 

Besides the product title, you can also insert your keywords on the key features, product description, and backend. But don't overstuff your keywords.

Tip #5: Use Enhanced Brand Content or EBC

As you implement your Amazon product launch strategy, you need to ensure you’re taking advantage of all available resources on Amazon. One of these is Enhanced Brand Content or EBC. It differs from the traditional product listing page in that you can add visual elements like banners and infographics to make appealing content to increase sales.

Not all sellers on the platform can use EBC for their business. Only those who applied for Amazon Brand Registry and got approved are qualified. To take advantage of EBC, you must invest time, effort, and resources into making content. 

With EBC, you can highlight your selling points, introduce your brand, and focus on your best-selling products first, increasing your engagement and ROI for advertisements while reducing product returns and negative reviews.

Tip #6: Provide Competitive Product Offers and Discounts

If you want to get the ball rolling, you must create an offer that customers will have difficulty refusing. 

Photo by rupixen.com on Unsplash

Price Reduction

Using product discounts to attract customers is the easiest way to get them to buy and increase initial demand. Coupled with winning deals, the discounts can make people feel they receive more value from your product offers. 

Most product launches give coupons and discounts to get traffic to their products and receive new buyer reviews. When launching a new product, try to provide product discounts and bundles. 

You may have trouble choosing the right discount for your product launch. After all, if the discount is too low, you may not encourage potential buyers to purchase your product; if the discount is too high, you may lose money. 

The two primary factors you need to consider are popularity and demand. You can price as high as 20-30% off if the demand and popularity are high but offer 60% off for low demand.

Amazon Giveaway

Giveaways are a great way to generate leads and invite people to your product listing. Most product launches create giveaways to drive traffic and leads. The customers will follow a series of steps, such as watching a video, inviting friends, or joining an email list. 

These steps will help spread the word about your product and provide you with an email list. The winner can leave a review after receiving and using the product, while the other participants can avail of the product discounts. 

You may utilize Amazon Giveaway for your product launch. Amazon Giveaway is a program that allows sellers to set up sweepstake campaigns. These advertisements can create a buzz about your product and attract potential customers. You may enroll through Seller Central. 

You must select 30 physical and 50 digital prizes to set up your giveaway. The entry requirements and awarding shall also be based on your set parameters. It can be a private or public giveaway. Once done, Amazon shall handle the rest. 

Up-Sell Through an Existing Amazon Product

Tie your new product to a successful Amazon product under your store. Giving a discount code is insufficient because you must also provide excellent offers. Price your product based on the cost and quality. Conduct market research and competitor analysis to determine your offer. 

Create a bundle and use your best-selling product for promotion. An example would be to create a discount structure where buyers can receive a discount if they buy both. 

Tip #7: Run Promotions 

You're now near the end of your Amazon launch strategy—the next step: marketing and promotions. You've spent time preparing your product for launch and checked if everything is optimized correctly. Your product is ready for an advertising campaign, so you're prepared to gain traffic and conversions. 

Use social media advertisements, Amazon PPC campaigns, and product reviews to push your products. 

Facebook Ads

Drive external traffic to your products through social media advertisements. Facebook is a popular platform with a lot of users. Capitalizing on this can help you drive traffic to your product listing.

You need a Facebook page for your brand or product to run FB ads and a Facebook Business Manager Page. When creating your Facebook ad, we suggest not directing them to your Amazon product listing just to be safe on Facebook's Terms of Service. 

Instead, direct your customers to your website and install a Facebook tracking pixel. You can use the data for your campaign with a lookalike audience to ensure your ads are shown to the target audience. 

Google Ads

Google ads are similar to Facebook ads and can help you direct traffic to your website. However, Google ads are more expensive than Facebook ads, so you may choose another option.

Amazon PPC

Amazon Pay Per Click (PPC) is a unique advertising solution that pays Amazon a fee for every click on your ad. Amazon PPC connects your products to a specific search term, thereby gaining an audience and ranking high on the algorithm. 

Also, Amazon PPC is more cost-effective than other paid ads, so you may want to utilize it. 

Influencer Marketing

The number of social media influencers has been growing every year. These people have a huge platform, and followers regularly interact with them. Building awareness of your brand through their platform can increase your sales velocity and traffic. 

We suggest targeting Instagram influencers with less than 100k followers and Youtubers with 1k-50k subscribers. They can generate good results for an affordable price. 

Reviews

Product Reviews help persuade a buyer to purchase your product. Over 49% of customers read negative and positive reviews before deciding. The statistics explain why brands should work on their customer reviews. 

But what if you do not have any reviews? You can launch your product on your site first and get reviews from respected sources. Share these reviews on social media where your potential buyers can see the authenticity of your product. From there, you can lead them to your Amazon page. 

Some programs you can use to speed up the reviews are Early Reviewer and Buyer-Seller messaging. 

Amazon Early Reviewer	This is a program where customers who have purchased the product write a review within the offer period and receive a reward such as a $1-$3 Amazon Gift card.  The reward can only be redeemed after a review.
Buyer-Seller Messaging	This is a program that allows you to send a customized message to customers who recently purchased from your store. You can send some tips on how to use the product, word games, or even recipes. But, of course, the main point is to gain reviews.  You can also politely ask for feedback by asking them, "Tell us how we did?"

Tip #8: Monitor Your Account

After setting up everything and you've finally launched your product, it's time to monitor your account. You don't want to set it up and then just leave it. You have to keep an eye on your metrics and conversion rate. 

Check if your keywords and promotions are working with an Amazon product ranking tool. Monitoring your product listing can help you tweak it when needed. 

Tip #9: Use Amazon FBA Launch Services

Are you having trouble launching your products? You can employ the services of a Product Launch Service. They will help you boost your product listing, take care of details during the product launch, optimize your listing, and maintain a high conversion rate. 

Seller Interactive has a group of professionals who can help launch your products on your behalf. Some of the services we provide are the following:

SEO Keyword Check

Before the product launch, we offer a comprehensive SEO keyword check to ensure your product listing has relevant keywords.

Optimize Your Product Listing

To gain a broader set of audiences and increase your initial sales and leads, we optimize your product listing to be easily searchable on Amazon. 

Maintain a High Conversion Rate

After the product launch, we monitor your account and help maintain optimal rankings.

https://youtu.be/7SrUFnN6tBg

Launch a Product the Right Way! | Amazon Authority #Shorts

The Best Amazon Product Launch Service

Selling a newly launched product on the Amazon marketplace can be challenging, especially if you don't have any experience. There are a lot of competitors selling similar items, and becoming relevant is a real task. 

Following the tips above can help you navigate the ecommerce jungle more easily, have a successful product launch, and generate sales beyond your expectations.
Let us help you propel your Amazon business to greater heights. Contact us today.

Building and buying a house may seem like a purely aesthetic endeavor. We may primarily focus on fussing over the building's outline, design, and color and completely overlook deciding on other essential factors such as budget, payment plans, and insurance.

However, building a beautiful (and expensive) house without purchasing homeowners insurance will prove to be a risky, and even foolish, decision in the long run. After all, sheer optimism and aesthetics can’t protect your investment from inevitable disasters. 

The same goes for Amazon. It is easy to get caught up in the goal of making your brand and product known and how your images and ads should appear. But while doing this, many people tend to forget Amazon Brand Protection, which is as essential as any other task on your plate. Brand registry in Amazon can even make or break your business.

If you haven't enrolled in the Amazon Brand Protection Program yet, 2023 is the perfect time to do so! Below are the Amazon Brand Protection services you need to get you ahead of the competition. 

Why You Should Protect Your Products on Amazon

With the rise of Amazon comes the rise of sellers, and not all of them have the best intentions in mind. These are the following black hat tactics your Amazon Brand Protection team will consider red flags. With close monitoring, they can call out the bad actors and prevent further damage to your business. 

Hijackers, Counterfeits, and Piggybacked Listings

As you conduct your weekly optimization of your listings, you notice something odd on your product detail page. Three new selling accounts are offering your private-label products. How can that be?

Sorry to break it to you but you may be a victim of Amazon listing hijacking. 

Hijacked listings happen when another unauthorized seller steals your Buy Box by selling the same product that you have—only a counterfeit version. To unfamiliar sellers, the Buy Box is the small box to the right of the screen that makes the check-out process easy for Amazon's customers. The store with their products in the Buy Box usually has the best price and a larger amount of sales.

Every time a customer clicks the “Add to Cart” button, the one who owns the Buy Box will get the sale—unless the buyer specifies the seller. Usually, sellers of the same product have to compete for the spot, but hijackers will steal your listing and sell a similar or counterfeit product of your listing. This is possible by copying your product's Universal Product Code or UPC. 

Hijackers can also sometimes change your product listings, images, and content so they don’t follow Amazon’s policies anymore. There are even some instances when they put unrealistic claims in the product descriptions (e.g., it can cure cancer, your hair will grow in one week, etc.), so Amazon’s bots detect them and remove your listings.

Similar to hijackers, numerous piggybackers are also present on the platform. Instead of fakes, piggybackers sell actual, authentic products. You may know them as resellers, but piggybackers aren’t authorized to sell these products. 

Unfortunately, it's difficult to tell if someone is selling your exact product (complete with the brand and all). To check, you can purchase a suspicious product to see if it is actually yours.

Various Types of Infringement

Infringement is a broad term: in Amazon, it almost always happens because of the unauthorized use of brand elements. Registering your brand through the proper channels is important—this serves as proof in case of infringement. Below are the most common occurrences of infringement happening on Amazon.

Copyright

Copyright usually refers to your brand's creatives, like your logo, product packaging designs, images, and more. These creative works belong to you, and using any of these without your permission violates the copyright. Laws around copyright can differ from country to country, so do your research about your local copyright laws. 

Trademark

A trademark deals more with the company itself, like your name and logo. It is possible to have a trademark without formally registering your brand. However, cases dealing with non-registered trademarks will be given very little assistance by Amazon. Registering a trademark will prevent others from using your name and logo and is concrete proof that what you claim to own is yours.

Patent

Unlike the infringements mentioned above that deal with creative and proprietary information, patents usually involve innovations or inventions. 

These are the two main kinds of patents:

• Utility: This kind of patent protects the item’s use. Utility patents are technical, and securing one costs a lot of money and time. 
• Design: This patent protects appearances. Unlike utility patents, a design patent takes less time and money to secure. However, you need to prove that the designs are 100% original, which often isn’t easy to do.

False Claims on IP Infringement

Besides the multiple types of infringement mentioned above, another seller can falsely claim and accuse you of committing IP infringement, a cunning way to destroy both your credibility and reputation in the Amazon marketplace. 

How does it happen?

Another seller will file a claim that you breached their IP (intellectual property) using your ASIN to steal from you. Unfortunately, in Amazon's eyes, you are guilty until you prove you are innocent. This is how your legal battle with Amazon and the seller begins.

Amazon will send you an IP infringement notice for infringing someone's trademark, copyright, or patent. In the notice, there is an instruction to email the claimant to resolve the issue. However, since the claimant's mission is to bring you down, they will deliberately ignore your email. Thus, it can result in the suspension of your Seller Central account.

Fake Comments and Reviews

Competition is so fierce on Amazon that even customer reviews are used to sabotage other third-party sellers. Fake reviews don’t have the verified badge, so tracking these is relatively easy. However, the problem is highly rampant on Amazon. 

Fake negative comments and reviews can affect your product listing ranking because customer reviews count as social proof and contribute to seller authority—a crucial factor that Amazon’s A10 algorithm considers in determining a product listing’s rank in the search results. 

Black hat third-party sellers will post numerous fake one-star or five-star reviews on your listing. A slew of one-star reviews may contribute to the suspension of your account because Amazon doesn’t like poorly performing listings. 

On the other hand, if your product listings are flooded with unverified and fake five-star reviews, Amazon may find this suspicious, which will eventually result in account suspension.

Registering and Close Monitoring of Your Account

As you can see, dire practices abound on Amazon. These bad actors have found a way to use Amazon's rules and regulations to get legitimate sellers suspended instead of protected. 

When detected by Amazon bots, these activities will garner an Amazon suspension, so dealing with the wrongdoers as soon as you catch them is vital to ensure that your business stays operational. 

How does an Amazon seller deal with them? Simple: by registering your account early and closely monitoring your product listings. Doing so may seem simple enough, but these activities can quickly turn difficult and time-consuming, especially if you’re monitoring multiple products. 

Amazon Brand Protection teams can offer support and relieve you of these tiresome yet necessary tasks. 

While you're busy perfecting your products and ensuring you live up to your customers' expectations, an Amazon Brand Protection team will begin enrolling your account. Once you have your trademark, copyright, and intellectual property certification from the Intellectual Property Office, your partner agency will handle the next stretch of the process for you. 

After registration, your Amazon Brand Protection team will maximize the services provided by Amazon. Along with these resources, agencies also have tools to check for hijackers and counterfeits.

Constant Surveillance

A dedicated Amazon Brand Protection team is available 24/7 to screen the ins and outs of the Amazon marketplace to spot hijackers. This enables them to act immediately should they spot an unusually similar listing to yours.

Fast Action

Through different tools and thorough research, the moment a hijacker is identified, Amazon policy measures are immediately taken. This can take down the disruptive listing before any bot finds it, causing more significant damage.

Saves Time

With a team of Amazon experts doing the surveillance for you, you can focus on growing your business without the agony of being subject to fraud listings. You will have more time to focus on more critical tasks, like product development, research, and marketing.

How To Protect My Brand On Amazon: Proactive Steps to Amazon Brand Protection

Getting Brand Protection for your products must be any Amazon seller’s utmost priority, especially those who sell high-value products. 

High-value items require an extra layer of protection because there are higher chances of competitors using this information to design similar products. Enrolling in the Brand Protection Program will ensure all your trade secrets remain confidential.

Besides protecting high-value products, Amazon seller protection provides coverage across all its marketplaces, including the US, UK, Japan, Germany, France, and Canada, among others. It covers individual products sold by authorized sellers even when they use other sales channels to sell them.

Three primary Amazon Brand Protection services become available once you register to the Amazon Brand Protection Program. 

1. IP Accelerator

Securing copyright, trademark, and intellectual property certifications can take ages. Hence, Amazon offers IP Accelerator, which allows you to partner with law firms and get access to lawyers who can focus on getting your certificates immediately. 

Nonetheless, Amazon allows sellers to register their accounts to the Amazon Brand Protection Program even if they have yet to receive proof of copyright, trademark, and intellectual property. To do this, you can upload documents proving that you are in the process of procuring your certifications.

2. Amazon Brand Registry

The Amazon Brand Registry is one of the Amazon Brand Protection services that grants you control over your product listings and prevents a third-party seller from vandalizing them. Registering gives you the following benefits:

• Access to powerful search and reporting tools that can help you track down and remove infringing listings easier, 
• The ability to create and manage product pages for your registered products, giving you greater control over how your brand is represented on Amazon, and
• Access to tools like Sponsored Brands, Stores, Enhanced Brand Content, Brand Dashboards, and Amazon's A+ Content program that helps you boost your product listings with rich media content.

Being on the Brand Registry also allows you to use a self-service tool that removes counterfeit listings without contacting Amazon. While you’re using this self-service tool, you’re helping strengthen the automated protections that protect all brand owners from counterfeiters.

To be eligible for Amazon Brand Registry, you must have the following:

• Active trademark
• Brand logo images
• Serial number
• List of product categories on Amazon
• List of countries where your products are manufactured and distributed

You must pass two stages for Amazon to verify and approve your Brand Registry application. First, Amazon will provide you with a code via email. Enter this code in your Amazon Seller Central account. Then, after one to two days, you will receive a unique identifier.

Once you are registered, first among the Amazon Brand Protection services you can enjoy is the opportunity to build your brand extensively. You can do this through the different Sponsored Ads available. 

Amazon allows registered accounts to use the Sponsored Brand. Here, sellers can enjoy the following benefits: logo features, creating catchy headlines, and even displaying as many as three products on top of the search results.

If you are going to use Sponsored Products for your individual and bundled products, you can freely use your logo. Your brand logo will serve as proof that you are the authentic seller of your product, making it easier for Amazon to catch hijackers and unauthorized sellers.

The lack of a logo, copyright, trademark, and intellectual property rights to the product they are selling allows you to take action against fraudulent sellers immediately. 

3. Transparency Codes

Another advantage of Brand Registry on Amazon is getting transparency codes for all your products. Transparency codes are codes on your products that customers can scan for authenticity. 

To use this process, sellers must enroll their products on Amazon Transparency and apply the transparency codes on their products.

These codes will set you apart from counterfeiters, and you can include this in your product descriptions. Let your customers know that products without the codes are counterfeits, and encourage them to report the fake items in the market. 

Project Zero: Efficient Solutions To Ward Off Hijackers and Counterfeiters

Consider the Amazon Brand Protection services above as your business's defenses; these are preemptive features you build. But what happens when you're in the midst of a problem? We will now discuss the measures you and your Amazon Brand Protection team can take to stop hijackers and counterfeiters from destroying your account. 

Once your Amazon Brand Protection team catches counterfeiters and hijackers, they will maximize Amazon Brand Protection's Project Zero. 

Project Zero is an artificial intelligence tool that continuously scans stores and proactively removes suspected counterfeit listings based on the key data points that brand owners provide Amazon. It can scan over 5 billion listings daily, looking for suspected counterfeit products.

Besides removing counterfeit listings, Project Zero offers a product serialization service that detects and stops the delivery of fake products before reaching a customer.

This initiative from Amazon also allows sellers to contact Amazon wrongdoers directly through cease and desist emails. 

The goal is to stop unauthorized sellers from operating, so your email should contain a strong message. Tell them that if they do not stop the counterfeit selling or the selling of fake products, you will be compelled to take legal action. 

It is your Amazon Brand Protection team's job to create this email. Agencies usually have their templates, so it would take them no time at all to send the warning. With the powerful message of your email, counterfeiters and hijackers will hopefully stop their actions. If not, you and your team always have the choice of escalating the incident to Amazon for further investigation. 

Additional Tips on Protecting Your Amazon Brand

Besides the brand protection programs mentioned above, you can apply the following Amazon brand protection solutions to your account.

1. Use Amazon Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit (FNSKU)

If you want additional protection in Amazon Marketplace, use Amazon FNSKU for your listings and not UPC. FNSKU represents your product's barcodes. 

How is it different from a manufacturer's barcode or UPC? FNSKU is unique to you as a merchant. On the other hand, anyone can get the same UPC if they are selling a similar product to yours. This prevents you from being targeted by ruthless online criminals.

2. Activate Amazon Seller Central’s Two-Step Login

If you want hijackers to have difficulty figuring out your Amazon Seller Central credentials, turn on Amazon's Two-Step Verification feature. You can enable it by going to the Advanced Security Settings of your account. Besides a primary phone number, you must provide a backup phone number if you can't access your primary mobile phone.

3. Optimize Your Product Listings or Activate Amazon Listing Alerts.

As an Amazon seller, one of your top priorities should be creating high-quality product listings. It will not only help you attract customers, but it will also help you safeguard your brand on the platform. Top-quality product listings show your products and brand identity in the best light possible. 

Here are some tips for creating high-quality product listings on Amazon:

• Make sure your listings accurately reflect your brand's identity. 
• Use clear, concise, and keyword-rich language to help potential buyers find your listing and communicate what makes your product unique.
• Use bullets to help your customers browse quicker and highlight the features and benefits of your products.
  • Avoid keyword stuffing.
  • Refrain from promising your customers something that your product does not do.
• Use images that are clear, high-resolution, and professionally taken.
  • Shoot your photos with a white background.
  • Avoid using filters that will distort the images.
  • Ensure that you use at least 1000 pixels in your images (width and height).
• Include all the information potential customers might need to make a purchase decision.

However, if you don't have the luxury of time to optimize and monitor your listings regularly, you can automate this process by activating Amazon Listing Alerts. Get push notifications from Amazon about fraudsters who attempt to steal or copy your product images.

4. Place Your Brand Name or Logo on Your Product

While this one is a no-brainer, it is sometimes overlooked or taken for granted, especially by first-time sellers. Placing a brand name or logo on your product and packaging gives you a sense of ownership and prevents counterfeiters from copying your product. 

5. Monitor Customer Reviews

Brand protection involves more hands-on monitoring and answering your customer reviews. It might be daunting and intimidating initially, especially if you're dealing with hot-tempered buyers who drop negative reviews about your product. Nonetheless, it is another way to track counterfeiters who want to steal your product. 

By examining customer feedback, you can quickly identify and report questionable reviews from unverified users or possible third-party sellers who want to hurt your business. Besides, by monitoring your reviews, you can proactively address your customer's issues and show them that you genuinely care about them. 

Here are a few tips for responding to customer reviews:

• Spend some time going over all of your reviews, both positive and negative. It will help you understand what your customers enjoy and dislike about your products. 
• Thank customers for their positive feedback, and let them know you're working to improve your products based on their suggestions. 
• In response to negative feedback, apologize for the negative experience and assure them that you are taking measures to address the situation. 
• Keep an eye out for fake reviews. Amazon has strict policies against reviews that are biased or not from verified purchasers. If you see a review that violates Amazon's guidelines, you can report it.

Final Thoughts

The number of Amazon sellers is forecasted to rise yearly, bringing tougher competition. Along with the increase of competitors is the addition of individuals who resort to dire practices to succeed. As you continue to make your products competitive in the market, ensure that no distractions happen by registering for Amazon’s Brand Protection programs. 

Seller Interactive can be your partner Amazon Brand Protection team. We monitor our selling partners’ accounts, execute immediate measures to stop dishonest practices, and conduct highly effective proactive efforts to ensure that you make the most out of all the Amazon Brand Protection services there are. 

Book a call with us today and find out more about how we can work together to protect your brand.

Categories such as Amazon sports and fitness are becoming more popular post-lockdowns due to an increasing interest in exercising and appreciation for the outdoors. If you plan to build a brand with the outdoors-loving Canadian market, you'll need to explore Canada's trendy and top-selling sports products on Amazon first.

Now more than ever, there is a skyrocketing demand for Amazon Sports & Fitness, so let’s discover just how profitable athletic and outdoor products can be for Canadian audiences.

Why Canada Suits the Sports Industry Market

Let’s begin by stating one of the most apparent reasons Canada can be the right market for your sports and outdoor goods: Canada is among the top countries that compose Amazon’s ever-growing market.

In 2021, Amazon Canada made over 13 million CA dollars; this February alone, the marketplace gained almost 160 million visits, making it one of the most popular websites in the country. 

Canadians’ preference for such activities may stem from the nation’s climate and geographic structure. While Canada is the second-largest country in the world by land area, boasting the biggest latitude range of any country, most Canadians are situated in the country’s southern portion, given the mountainous terrain of North Canada.

The country’s mountainous landscape doesn’t stop Canadians from appreciating nature’s beauty, as the Canadian terrain provides several beautiful sceneries for both citizens and tourists to enjoy. As a result, many citizens are into hiking, camping, and fishing.

The climate also allows for various winter sports and activities, such as ice hockey, curling, skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling, snowboarding, and tobogganing. Of course, these are just some top sports activities that most citizens participate in. Other common sports and outdoor activities in Canada include:

Daily Exercise	Walking, biking, jogging, cross-country running, hiking, rollerblading
Mind-Body Exercise	Pilates, yoga, tai chi
Team Sports	Football, soccer, field hockey, ultimate, baseball, lacrosse, volleyball, baseball, street hockey
Water Sports	Swimming, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, fishing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, rowing, dragon boating, jet skiing (seadooing)
Recreational Activities	Going to the beach, park, or playground; picnics; barbecue; camping; all-terrain vehicle (atv); hunting; bird watching; outdoor photography

According to Canadian market researchers and analysts, nearly 4.7 billion US dollars were spent on sports-related goods in 2020. In fact, Canada is projected to gain more than 5 billion US dollars from the sports equipment market alone by 2025.

With this knowledge, you can now develop and choose which sports and outdoor products to sell on your Amazon store. These products should match the demands of your target audience (in this case, the Canadians) participating in such sports activities.

Besides being one of Amazon’s biggest markets, selling sports goods and fitness equipment in Canada may prove profitable and fruitful in the long run, given the country’s natural inclination to sports and outdoor activities.

Top-Selling Sports Products on Amazon: Best-Selling Subcategories

Knowing Canada's huge sports industry may be your final push to establish an Amazon brand in the Canadian marketplace, so learning more about the Sports & Outdoors category is crucial.

Below are the 23 subcategories that fall under this Amazon product category and the list of sports and outdoor-related items that belong in each subgroup.

Accessories

These products mostly complement the sports and daily outdoor activities in Canada, which include:

• Smartwatch bands
• Water bottles - insulated, with tea infusers, etc.
• Bags - duffel, gym, camping, etc.
• Sunglasses
• Ski goggles
• Ball pumps and inflation needles
• Water bottle filters
• Jockstraps

Action Sports

In the Canadian context, action sports products are mostly about skiing, snowboarding, and other climate-based outdoor activities, like:

• Ski jacket, overalls, and scarf
• Watch hat
• Snow goggles and pants
• Kick scooter
• Turbans
• Skateboard
• Hoverboard
• Skateboard/roller skate bearings and helmets
• Protective gear sets
• Hand warmers
• Roller skates
• Action camera accessories kit for GoPro Hero

Boating & Watersports

Since the country is gifted with several bodies of water, Canadians unsurprisingly love all sorts of water activities and sports. To help them enjoy such activities, these are the top products under the boating & watersports subcategory:

• Water shoes
• Swim trunk, vest, and cap
• Bathing suit coverups
• Swimsuits
• Waterproof phone pouch
• Goggles
• Inflatable paddle board
• Snorkel mask
• Summer casual dress
• Waterproof dry bag

Cycling

With fuel and car prices continuously skyrocketing in recent years and the growing popularity of the sport, biking and cycling are becoming the norm. Hence, these products are among the best-selling items under the cycling subcategory:

• T-shirts, yoga pants, biker shorts, and cycling gloves
• Socks
• Fitbit trackers
• Bike locks
• Bike pump, front light, seat cover, and mirror
• ECG monitor
• Knee brace
• Bike phone frame
• Arm and leg compression sleeves
• WD-40 bike lubricants

Dance & Gymnastics

Dancing is a timeless artistic hobby appreciated by many individuals across the country. These dance-related products are commonly bought:

• Silicone rings
• Leotards, leggings, ballet skirts, and shoes
• Liquid/ball/block chalk
• Gymnastics and exercise mat
• Belly dance scarf
• Ribbon streamers
• Stadium horns
• Leg warmers
• Jazz shoes
• Mesh balls
• Hand grips
• Footpads
• Turning boards

Equestrian Sports

Canada surprisingly has a prominent horse-riding culture evident from the products sold under this subcategory, which include:

• Leather conditioners
• Pet grooming set
• Saddle soap
• Adhesive bandage
• Shoe pads 
• Horse shampoo and conditioner
• Horse riding elastic leggings and pants
• Nylon halter
• Wound cream
• Hay bag
• Horse joint supplement and dewormer
• Electric shears
• Felt pad
• Horse riding helmet
• Bell boots
• Horsewhip and crop
• Cast iron beetle
• Slip lead
• Leather paddock boots

Exercise & Fitness Equipment

Of course, daily exercise and fitness routines shouldn’t be left out of the conversation. The products below are some of the items Canadians buy and use all year round to ensure they perform their exercises effectively and comfortably.

• Sweatshirts and sweatpants
• Hoodies, shorts, and leggings
• Dumbbell
• Foam rollers
• Sports bra
• Socks and shoes
• Fitbit
• Rowing machine
• Yoga ball
• Resistance bands
• Watch hat
• Baseball cap
• Waist trainer belt
• Fanny pack
• Jump rope

Golf (Outfits)

Dubbed the third largest golfing nation in the world, it’s no surprise that many Canadians would buy the following golf outfits:

• Socks
• Baseball caps
• Shirts
• Vest
• Skorts
• Umbrella

Hunting & Fishing

As mentioned, fishing and hunting are common hobbies for most Canadians. Here are some items that can help your customers suit up for a good old hunting or fishing session:

• Dog & coyote attack deterrent
• Fishing line, reels, and net
• Hunting/tactical knife
• Berets, balaclava, and fishing hat
• Tactical belt
• Goo & adhesive removers
• Rubber boots
• Rifle sling with swivel
• Fishing and hunting chest waders
• Dog clicker
• Lockbox
• Tactical vests
• Ice cleats
• Hunting arrows
• Trail camera
• Earplugs
• Tactical gloves
• Precision steel bbs
• Lubricating oil
• Hunting pellets
• Ruler
• Belt holster

Leisure Sports & Game Room

Who says the Sports & Outdoors category is only for athletes? This subcategory houses plenty of games and items that regular individuals can enjoy for leisure.

• Play Nine
• Standard playing cards
• Trampoline
• Tennis balls
• Skip ball
• Card shuffler
• Ping pong paddles
• Ring toss games
• Easter basket stuffers
• Indoor table tennis table
• Mounted bike rack
• Darts set
• Flying rings
• Spikeball game set
• Ping pong balls
• Sports disc
• Chromino
• Scooby-Doo in Betrayal at Mystery Mansion
• Dartboard
• Ball pit
• Italian playing card deck
• Do or Drink drinking card game
• Replacement jumping mat for trampolines
• Blank playing cards

Martial Arts & Combat Sports

• Butterfly knife
• Hand wraps
• Boxing pads, gloves, and hand wraps

Memorabilia Display & Storage

Most Canadian customers would use the following items to keep their space and belongings organized:

• Card binder, holder, and sleeves
• Wood display
• Page protectors
• Storage boxes

Outdoor Gear

You can’t enjoy your outdoor activities without the proper outdoor gear and equipment. Below are some items that can enhance your prospective customer’s outdoor experience:

• Ski jacket and goggles
• Balaclava
• Ant killer baits
• Water purification tablets
• Travel towel
• Paracord
• Trekking poles
• Multitool knives
• Ice grips
• Mugs and water filter
• Female urination device
• Multi-purpose hammock
• Sleeping bag
• Hardshell cleaning and waterproofing
• Insect killer spray
• UV flashlight
• Aluminum D-ring locks
• First aid kit
• Headlamp
• Lighter fluid
• Reusable ice packs

Paintball & Airsoft

While paintball and airsoft are undeniably enjoyable activities, most players may be injured without the proper equipment and attire. Hence, these items are commonly bought:

• Tactical vest
• Airsoft guns
• Knee and elbow pads
• Military jacket and pants
• Hunting pellets
• Drop leg holster
• Shooting target
• Tactical gloves
• BBs
• Airgun pellets
• Rail sections
• Laser sight

Racquet & Paddle Sports

• Ping pong balls
• Tennis balls
• Ping pong paddles

Snow & Ice Sports

With how deeply intertwined winter sports and activities are in Canadian culture, it’s no surprise that these products are among the best-selling in the Sports & Outdoors subcategories:

• Snowmobile dolly sets
• Hockey balls
• Ski goggles
• Insulated overalls
• Hand and toe warmers
• Leg gaiters
• Beanies and balaclava
• Hockey sticks
• Snowmobile cover
• Ski helmet
• Mouthguard
• Floorball tricks
• Snowboard and boot bags
• Ski tip connector

Sports Apparel

Physically active people will always seek fitness clothing that is trendy and aesthetically pleasing while being comfortable. That's why fitness clothing consistently ranks high in Amazon's sports and outdoors category. 

• Yoga and compression pants
• Snow and compression tops
• Fleece tops and pants
• Bonnets
• Baseball caps
• Gym shorts
• Socks

Sports Collectibles

While they don’t actively participate in the sport, several sports fans wish to show their support and love for their teams through collectibles and items, such as:

• Hockey blaster box
• Sticker collections
• Country flags
• Soft/penny sleeves
• Victory banner
• Magnetic cardholders
• Sports team t-shirt
• Pennants
• Trading cards
• Trophy replicas

Sports Medicine

Most athletes and gym lovers go by the saying, "No pain, no gain." However, while the statement rings true for some experienced individuals, enduring the pain while exercising will only lead to serious injuries in the long run. Hence, these items can help:

• Adhesive bandages
• Foam rollers
• Toothpaste
• Ankle, knee, elbow, wrist, and back braces
• Bath treatment
• Sports tape
• Vitamin D3 supplements
• Gauze bandage rolls
• Posture and bunion corrector
• First-aid tape
• Hernia belt
• First aid kits

Sports Technology

With unending technological advancements, many innovators have developed various sports tech and equipment to allow athletes and other regular users to measure their health stats promptly and accurately. 

• Fitness and health trackers and smartwatches
• Smartwatch bands
• Electronic pulse massager unit
• Bike phone mount
• ECG monitor
• Muscle stimulator
• Action camera accessories kit for GoPro Hero
• Bike cadence sensors
• Pedometers
• Charger cable
• Heart rate monitors

Team Sports

There won’t be any successful team sports activities without good camaraderie, a sense of community, and good team sports equipment, which includes:

• Basketball set
• Lacrosse balls

Trophies, Medals & Awards

It’s always sports season somewhere in Canada—recognize deserving athletes in the form of trophies, medals, and awards:

• Gold award trophies
• Medal hangers and holders
• Gold, silver, and bronze medals
• Medal lanyards
• Gold glove awards

Boost Your Sports and Outdoor Goods Business With Seller Interactive

Amazon's sports and outdoors category is very profitable, considering it's one of the top categories with the most commercially successful sellers. 

Many products are in demand due to Canada's climate and natural landscapes and Canadians' inclination towards physical and outdoor activities. As an Amazon seller looking for products to sell, you can make these trending items a baseline for your product research. 

If you wish to learn more about the niche, the top sellers, and the current high demand in the sports and outdoors category on Amazon, talk to Seller Interactive’s team of Amazon professionals and make your business boom! 

Book a call with our experts today!

Imagine you're doing your best selling on Amazon. Everything's going great until you receive an email from Amazon suspending your selling privileges. You’re in shock, especially since selling on Amazon is your primary source of income. You feel panic creeping up on you, and you don't know where to direct that pent-up energy.

Appealing an account suspension requires a lot of planning if you expect your account to be reinstated. Instead of relying on multiple sources, you can rely on this complete guide, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned seller, so you can be sure your Amazon suspension appeal goes smoothly. Here we go!

The Ins and Outs of Amazon Account Suspension

Amazon suspensions mean you have violated one or more rules in Amazon's terms of service, whether intentionally or not. Below is a sample of an Amazon suspension email you may receive from the Seller Performance Team:

Section 3 of Amazon’s Business Agreement

If Amazon believes that your account should be suspended or terminated, they will do so promptly, especially in these situations:

1. There is a breach of agreement, and sellers failed to respond to the suspension notice and correct the mistakes cited within seven days upon notice receipt. Amazon may allow a longer response time if a third party is involved, such as in Intellectual Property cases.
2. Your account was hacked and being used to mislead customers and enact illegal and fraudulent actions.
3. Your account and selling actions harmed other sellers, customers, and even Amazon.

In these cases, there is a high chance that Amazon will remove your selling privileges or ban you from selling a particular product. Your funds may be held as well. As you experience this, you must still deliver any pending orders to avoid adding effect to your account.  

3 Stages of Amazon Suspension

On rare occasions, Amazon won’t be that harsh regarding account suspension. You will go through three stages as follows:

• Amazon Suspension Phase - In this stage, sellers are notified by Amazon about the products that will no longer be allowed to be sold on the platform. They will first state their reasons for the suspension. Once received, the seller has the right to file a formal appeal.
• Amazon Denial Phase - Sellers attempt to revert Amazon’s decision for a suspension by filing an appeal. In Amazon terms, they are called Plans of Action. Some are fortunate enough to get their appeals accepted, but others face the hard fact that their appeals are denied.  
• Amazon Ban Phase - Once the appeal has been denied, you’ll be banned from selling on Amazon. Some sellers try to send forced appeals and additional letters, but there is a slim chance for reinstatement in these cases.

Consequences of Having an Amazon Suspended Account

Having your Amazon account suspended can be a real pain. Not only can it negatively impact your business, but it can also be grueling to get your account reinstated. Whatever the reason, having an Amazon seller account suspended can have significant consequences for your business, including the following:

• You will no longer be able to sell on the platform. This may be disastrous for businesses that depend on Amazon for income.
• Your account will be locked, so your data won't be accessible to you at all. This can make it very difficult to communicate with your customers or resolve any issues that may have led to your suspension.
• Amazon will delete any reviews or ratings you had on your account, which could make re-establishing your business on Amazon difficult once your account is reinstated.
• It will damage your reputation. Customers will see that you can no longer sell on Amazon and may not trust you with their business. Because of this, growing your business and finding long-term success on the platform may be challenging.

Getting your seller account suspended can have far-reaching consequences. It would be best to be a champion in suspension prevention and have a clean track record. But if your account has been suspended due to unfortunate circumstances, don't worry! There are ways to get your business back up and running on Amazon.

A Step-by-Step Plan to Appeal Your Amazon Account’s Suspension

This step-by-step guide shows you how to develop an effective plan to appeal for your account suspension.

Tips to Prevent Amazon Suspension

Whatever the reason for Amazon seller account suspension might be, the fact remains that prevention is better than spending sleepless nights trying to get your account reinstated. So, here's how you can avoid the Amazon seller suspension problem:

Tip No. 1: Sell the Right Products and Describe Them Right

Conduct thorough product research as you set up your Amazon business to ensure you get your products from a trustworthy supplier to avoid selling counterfeits and products from Amazon’s restricted list.

Set the right expectations for customers by using Amazon's general condition guidelines in your product description:

• New: a brand-new item that hasn’t been removed from its original packaging, and the warranty is still intact.
• Renewed: A "pre-loved" product with minimal to no signs of wear or visible imperfections when held 12 inches away. The product must be inspected to see if it works well and looks new.
• Rental: A product inspected by an authorized person to check if it is in good condition and functioning correctly. 
• Used, Like New, or Open Box: A product whose original packaging is intact with minor imperfections. It must be in perfect working condition despite missing protective wrapping.
• Used - Very Good: An item that was slightly used but is in excellent condition. It may show little signs of wear, scratches, or cosmetic blemishes.
• Used - Good: A product that shows wear from consistent use but still functions properly. Its packaging might be damaged or has been repackaged.
• Used - Acceptable: An fairly used item that shows signs of scratches, dents, and wear. It may be missing some parts or accessories.

Tip No. 2: Optimize and Audit Your Product Listings

No rule prohibits sellers from offering the same product. If Amazon detects duplicate or identical product pages, it merges them into one listing. This means that anyone, Amazon or another seller, or even black hat sellers whose mission is to vandalize your listing or steal your Buy Box to sell the wrong items, can modify the information on the listing page.

Take control of your online store by regularly auditing and monitoring your listings. Ensure no changes are made in the images, bullets, or descriptions. Once Amazon receives a "wrong item sent" complaint from the customer, they will not hesitate to suspend your account.

Tip No. 3: Don’t Try to Hack the System

The competition on Amazon is undeniably fierce, with more than 6.3 million Amazon sellers worldwide. Despite the competition, never hack your way to success. Amazon is obsessed with pleasing its customers so that they can even detect a minor glitch, also known as the black hat technique.

Your online business should operate based on Amazon's leadership principles, such as customer obsession, earning trust, delivering results, ownership, and insisting on the highest standards. In this way, you can sell in harmony with the largest online marketplace in the world.

Tip No. 4: Protect Your Brand

You know that you are following Amazon's house rules by the book. However, Amazon keeps sending warnings to your Seller Central account for some reason. Crooked third-party sellers can falsely accuse you of intellectual property infringement to destroy your reputation and brand in the Amazon marketplace. In this case, you may be a victim of black hat sellers.

One of the solutions to fight this is registering in Amazon Brand Registry. It is a brand protection service that gives you complete control over your listings and content. Moreover, it reassures customers that the information in the listing is accurate.

Trademark application is time-consuming, so we suggest signing up on Amazon IP Accelerator. To sign-up for the service, have an active registered trademark. It can help you obtain a trademark and, at the same time, enjoy Brand Registry benefits.

Tip No. 5: Be On Top of Your Seller Performance

Ensure that your business complies with the standards that Amazon gives. Continuously monitor your Amazon account health through the Customer Metrics tool in Seller Central and hit the goals for the following metrics:

Late Shipment Rate: This is the frequency of delayed shipments and should not exceed 4%.

Pre-Fulfillment Cancel Rate: These are the out-of-stock orders you cancel after a customer places an order. Canceled orders from the customer won’t affect your cancellation rate. Pre-fulfillment cancel rate should be less than 2.5%

Order Defect Rate: This pertains to the percentage of orders that yielded negative feedback, service credit card chargebacks, or even resulted in an A-Z Guarantee claim. Ensure that your order defect rate does not exceed 1%.

Conversion Rate: Sales your Amazon business is getting. You won't get suspended for this, but it lowers your ranking, making it an important metric.

Inventory Performance Index (IPI): Your FBA inventory performance over time.

Valid Tracking Rate (VTR): Customers can track their orders from shipping to delivery. Your VTR should be below 5%.

When you fail to achieve these performance standards, Amazon notifies you about your poor performance. A suspended account may follow if you fail to improve within the given timeframe.

Tip No. 6: Do Not Open a New Seller Account

If you are a first-time seller, you’re probably considering creating a new seller account under a new name or email. Don't do this. Amazon has ways of linking accounts together, and they can also trace if you have a second account.

Tip No. 7: Do Not Falsify Documents

If the reason for your suspension is “inauthentic inventory,” you might think of modifying invoices or receipts to make your products pass Amazon’s standards. But under no circumstances would this work. 

Amazon reviews thousands, if not millions, of invoices every day and can spot an authentic from a fake document in a second. If you do this, you will give Amazon a reason to prolong your suspension or ban you from the platform altogether.

Tip No. 8: Do Not Send Seller Support Multiple Emails After Sending Your Appeal

Sending multiple emails after submitting your appeal is a waste not only of your time but also theirs. Amazon Seller Support reviews thousands of appeals, and flooding them only increases their pile of work. 

After sending in your request, trust that Amazon Seller Support will read your appeal as soon as possible and promptly contact you. 

Tip No. 9: Do Not Pursue Legal Action Against Amazon and Seller Support

Frustrated, you might be tempted to threaten legal action against Amazon for a simple suspension complaint. Involving an Amazon attorney into the mix will hurt your chances of getting your account back.

Tip No. 10: Most Importantly, Do Not Panic

If this is your first time getting your account suspended, do not fret. This problem happens even to established sellers. All you need is a good plan of action and an effective appeal letter. Trust the process, and trust your appeal strategy will work.

What to Do if You’re Unable to Sell on Amazon Anymore

If you're now experiencing the consequences of an Amazon suspension, it can feel like everything you built while selling on Amazon has gone down the drain. It can devastate you to suddenly find that you can no longer sell on Amazon. But don't despair! Here are some of the things you should remember:

Not All Suspensions Are Permanent

Just because you've been suspended doesn't mean you can't reinstate your account. Amazon is a huge company, and they understand that mistakes happen. If you take the time to reach out to them and explain what went wrong, you'll have a good chance of getting your account reinstated.

You can also seek help from a professional Amazon appeal service, as they have the expertise and experience to reinstate suspended accounts and create Amazon appeals.

All Is Not Lost Even if Your Account Is Not Reinstated

There are other platforms out there where you can sell your products. Ecommerce sites such as Etsy, eBay, or Walmart have a large base of potential customers, and they don't require you to have your website. However, they may charge listing fees or take a percentage of your sales, so research these hidden fees before you decide to list your products on one of these sites.

You can also build your website and sell your products without the risk of getting suspended. Although you may have a different reach than you did on Amazon, plenty of customers are still willing to buy what you're selling.

An Amazon Suspension Doesn’t Have to Be the End of Your Business

Amazon is a great platform to start selling online. But being unable to access that platform doesn't mean your e-commerce business journey is over. Plenty of successful businesses out there got their start after being suspended from Amazon. The bonus is that starting your business again elsewhere, you now know what to do and what not to do next time. 

You can find success elsewhere if you're willing to put in the work. So don't give up hope and keep moving forward, and you'll find success despite being suspended from Amazon.

Seller Interactive Offers Amazon Account Suspension Appeal and Reinstatement Services

There you have it! Our complete guide on Amazon suspension and reinstatement. The Amazon appeal process takes a lot of work, but when you receive an email like the one below, you'll know the efforts are worth it! We hope that the information we shared can help you regain your account. To help you get that dream email quickly, partner with us here at Seller Interactive. Our team of experts is well-versed in the Amazon suspension appeal and reinstatement process. Talk to you soon!

Every time we look back on Amazon's launch, we're amazed at how many people it helped grow into full-fledged ecommerce entrepreneurs. From stay-at-home parents with small businesses to household names that consumers have come to know and love, Amazon has undoubtedly been a catalyst for ecommerce's success as a whole. 

With the growth of Amazon as an effective platform to reach potential buyers, the Marketplace now boasts a whopping 9.7 million Amazon registered sellers on the platform. 

While there is no doubt that Amazon is a money-making platform that business owners cannot overlook, the level of competition is now off the charts. Entrepreneurs need to go the extra mile by keeping up with relevant updates and hope they remain ahead of their competitors by employing the best possible Amazon search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.

Most people think a comprehensive guide is impossible to teach in one article. After all, search engine optimization is a tricky game, especially in the competitive ecommerce environment. Nonetheless, we’re doing it here.

This article is a tutorial on how the Amazon search engine functions within the platform and how to formulate a sound Amazon SEO strategy for your business. 

The Amazon A10

A10 is the powerful Amazon ranking algorithm that organizes Amazon's search results on its platform. It was launched in 2018 to provide potential buyers with a more accurate and relevant search experience. 

The A10 algorithm considers crucial ranking factors for products, including positive customer reviews, product availability, shipping speed, pricing, and relevance to the customers' search queries.

One of the most significant advantages of the Amazon A10 algorithm is its ability to learn and adapt over time. This means it can analyze user behavior and search patterns to improve its search results and provide personalized recommendations to each user. 

The algorithm is constantly being updated and refined by Amazon's team of data scientists and machine learning experts to ensure it remains effective and relevant.

Understanding and optimizing for the A10 algorithm is critically important for businesses selling products on Amazon. Optimizing a product page based on the algorithm can improve search rankings and increase visibility to potential customers. This includes optimizing product titles, descriptions, and images to ensure they contain related keywords and provide clear product descriptions. 

Additionally, it is essential to focus on building a solid reputation on Amazon through high-quality products and excellent customer service, as this can significantly impact search rankings.

The Benefits of Amazon SEO

Amazon SEO, or search engine optimization, offers numerous benefits for sellers. By implementing effective SEO strategies, you can boost visibility and credibility and improve sales and revenue. You can also help customers make informed decisions to develop trust in your products and brand. Let’s get into the details below.

Increases Sales and Revenue

By optimizing product listings with relevant keywords, high-quality images, and compelling product descriptions, businesses can appear higher in search results and attract more potential buyers. This increased visibility leads to higher click-through rates, improved sales, and ultimately, enhanced revenue generation.

Increases Product Visibility and Credibility

The more your prospective customers see, hear, and read about you in and out of Amazon, the more they see you as a credible business. The products you offer may be similar to your competitors, but customers will tend to pick you over the others because of familiarity.

Helps Customers Make Informed Decisions

With effective keyword optimization and product descriptions, customers can easily find the products they need. They can make informed decisions with relevant and accurate product information that is readily available. This leads to increased customer satisfaction and higher conversion rates.

Enhances Brand Awareness and Loyalty

By optimizing product listings with relevant keywords and ensuring high visibility in search results, businesses can reach a wider audience, increasing a brand's exposure. This improved visibility helps build credibility and trust amongst potential customers, encouraging repeat purchases and fostering long-term loyalty.

Improves Competitive Advantage

Amazon SEO helps to improve a company's competitive advantage by increasing its visibility and rankings in search results. With higher rankings and more potential customers, companies can gain an edge in the highly competitive Amazon Marketplace.

Better Seller Ranking

With Amazon SEO, your products are more likely to appear at the top of search results, increasing visibility and driving more traffic to your listings. This can significantly boost sales and revenue, as customers often choose products from top-ranked sellers.

Utilize Amazon SEO Tools for Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first step in optimizing your Amazon store as the task provides insights into what search terms customers use when looking for Amazon products similar to yours. You can look for the most reliable Amazon keyword research tool or delegate the task to experts.

Valuable insights from the research can help you devise keyword strategies to rank higher in the search engine results page (SERP) and eventually reach a broader and more relevant audience. Through keyword research, you’ll learn about your competitors' keywords and how they implement them.

However, results from keyword research aren't always easy to understand, especially for beginners. To guide you, here are some concepts you need to take note of.

Search Volume

This refers to the average number of times a keyword is used to search on Amazon. You want to use people's words and lead them to your Amazon store or listing. The higher the search volume, the more traffic it'll bring. 

Ranking

Keyword ranking shows the product listing's position in the Amazon SERPs for a particular keyword. Therefore, you need to use a high-ranked keyword to increase your Amazon listing's visibility in the search queries.

Competition

The lower the competition, the easier it is to rank your Amazon product page for that search term. However, this isn't to say that you must only use low-competition terms. Instead, mix some high-competition relevant keywords to get more clicks, especially for backlinking.

CPC Rate

The cost-per-click or CPC rate refers to how much you pay per PPC campaign click. It helps you understand the value and competition of each keyword. The Amazon keywords with higher CPC rates have higher competition but can also give you a better chance of conversion.

Conversion Rate

Conversion rate on Amazon is the percentage of visitors that make a purchase on the platform. It measures the effectiveness of turning potential customers into actual buyers.

Trends

Keywords aren't evergreen. Search volume increases on a seasonal basis. Typical examples are holiday-related search terms. They're profitable only at the right time; trends will show this. Incorporate them accordingly. 

Amazon SEO Strategy for Store and Product Listing Optimization

In reaching this part of the article, you must already have a clear perception of the Amazon SEO process, its primary functions, and its overall impact on your ecommerce business. Now, let’s learn which areas of your Amazon Store and product listings you should optimize.

Product Title

As the first text your customers will read on your product page, the product title should be straightforward and contain the most crucial information about your item. Amazon Seller Central uploads Style Guides to help sellers structure their titles better, and a well-crafted product title typically provides the product's unique characteristics and benefits.

While product titles highly depend on what type of product is being sold, entrepreneurs generally include the following details: 

It's important to note that each product niche has a corresponding Amazon title formula, so you cannot randomly mix these details on your title. For instance, Amazon suggests the following templates for these popular product types: 

• Kitchenware: Brand + Model Name + Model Number + Size + Product Type
• TV Sets: Brand + Model Name + Product Type + Color
• DVD Players: Brand + Model Name + Size + Product Type + Screen Type
• Jewelry: Brand + Product Category + Sex + Metal Variation + Shape + Material + Product Type
• Video Games: Brand + Product Type + Type of Platform

By optimizing your product title, you can immediately catch your customer's attention and increase your business's likelihood of producing sales.

Product Description 

Since Amazon is an entirely online platform, the only way that entrepreneurs can make a sales pitch to customers is through a clear product description. Think of it as an opportunity to persuade customers with the right words for their purchasing decision. Below are some of our Amazon SEO tips for product detail page keyword optimization.

Do not rewrite.

A well-crafted product description does not merely mimic what is written in the product title but expands on its details and makes the benefits a focal point of the text.

Tell a story.

If you want to take your product detail page to another level, tell a story of how exactly the product came into existence. This is a real-life testimonial about the product that presents a unique viewpoint on why people need it in their lives.

Make it readable.

Customers on Amazon typically hate reading large chunks of text, so you have to make your product descriptions as concise as possible. We recommend maintaining three lines for each paragraph and separating them using the line break HTML code. You can also utilize Amazon Enhanced Brand Content/A+ Content to create informative images.

Utilize Amazon SEO tools.

The product description tab has a set of tools to choose from, including the ability to put bullet points, lists, and bold/italicize/underline texts. Take advantage of these tools to make your product description stand out.Product descriptions provide an avenue for you to talk to your target audience. Why not make the most out of them? Enhanced Brand Content can really help you with this.

Bullet Points

Bullet points are yet another way to make a compelling case to your target audience that they should purchase your product. Most Amazon customers prefer reading concise bullet points over lengthy descriptions. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that bullet points contribute positively to a business' increase in conversion rates. 

Here’s what you can do to write bullet points that convert.

Outline the best points.

It's your job as an entrepreneur to make sure bullet points are written differently from your title and description. Instead of being straightforward or telling a story, clearly outline the product's best attributes.

Focus on one benefit per bullet point.

Writing an individual benefit per bullet point is an excellent way to entice your audience. For example, instead of writing “Easy to use, high-quality” in one bullet, you can separate them into two for better readability.

Be aware of the limits.

An Amazon product listing has a limit of 200 characters per bullet point, so make sure your highlights are compact but still loaded with important information.Every time a product listing has a formally-structured and compelling set of bullet points, it will have the upper hand against other listings on the platform.

Product Images

People are naturally drawn to visual imagery more than other types of content, and high-quality product photos are valuable visual information that Amazon entrepreneurs can provide for their customers. Good product photography doesn't only mean taking photos of your Amazon items. It utilizes specific techniques to showcase your products and communicate to your audience effectively. 

To achieve this, you need to follow these essential tips.

Take high resolution images.

Before taking your product photos, consider investing in a high-resolution camera for optimal image quality. Your most crucial goal with product photography is to ensure each product will be displayed in its best visual condition. Avoid taking blurry or low-quality photos, or you might lose customers.

Find the proper lighting.

One of the most important Amazon SEO ranking factors is adequate lighting. Most high-quality photos have a natural light backdrop (generally soft tones) or artificial lighting, with reflectors and lightboxes. While the appropriate lighting depends on what products you have, your end goal should always be to make your products look better for your audience.

Use a white background.

Most product photos on the Amazon platform are taken with a white background. It is one of Amazon’s image requirements to eliminate all possible distractions and allow the camera to completely zero in on the product.  A white background can also give your product listing added professionalism, which is beneficial since Amazon customers prefer visually credible photos. Nevertheless, Amazon also allows you to post product images with different backgrounds. You can experiment with your product photos until you get the best outcome.

Take product images from multiple angles.

As an Amazon entrepreneur, you are responsible for taking your customers by hand and giving them a visual tour of your product. Think of yourself as a museum tour guide. Since your audience cannot physically see or touch the product, an alternative trick to convince them is by taking photos from multiple angles. These product images should showcase a combination of your product's exterior and interior look. For instance, if you're selling sports apparel on the Amazon Marketplace, try taking photos of your products from afar, up close (to display the material used), and when worn.

Backend Keywords

Like air, backend search terms are unseen. Like air, backend keywords are also critical (for your Amazon SEO). As the name suggests, backend search terms are hidden but are essential Amazon SEO ranking factors. The backend is where you put search terms you cannot put in the title, bullets, and descriptions.

Make sure to implement only the best practices, and here are some of them.

• Don’t stuff keywords. Backend search terms have a limit of 250 bytes, and each keyword counts.
• Use only keywords that are unused in the product title and description. You can also incorporate more search terms related to your products.
• Do not use “cheapest,” “best,” or ranking keywords not associated with your products. Amazon does not allow these.
• Add long-tail search terms, which are more detailed keywords entered by a customer.
• Include synonyms, abbreviations, and alternate names as backend keywords.
• Use lowercase letters only and separate words with a space.
• Exclude ASINs, your brand name, and competitors’ brand names.
• Add misspelled relevant keywords.
• Add relevant keywords in different languages.
• Add competitor keywords you want your store and products to rank for.

The Impact of Amazon Reviews and Ratings

For Amazon’s A10 algorithm, your customer reviews are significant, too. Besides the content of your product listings, it also considers your ratings. So to maintain a good store reputation and high product rankings, you must get positive reviews from your buyers.

Customer reviews matter for a buyer's purchase decision. Good feedback and ratings from other buyers serve as social proof and can encourage them to buy. After selling quality products and giving superb customer service, here are some ways to get more feedback.

• Utilize Amazon Seller Central’s Seller-Customer messaging feature to reach customers for rating and feedback.
• Sign-up for the Amazon Early Reviewer Program. You can jumpstart your reviews through this program. You can also ask buyers to leave reviews up to 20 days after their purchase. 
• Collect email addresses and grow your social media followers. Blast messages asking your buyers to leave a comment on your Amazon account. 
• Launch a website and partner with influencers. Start engaging with your past, present, and potential customers. The more engaged they are, the more likely they’ll leave remarks on your Amazon account. 

The more good ratings and feedback you receive, the higher the chance your product listings rank higher on the search engine results. Just ensure that you do it the right way. Fake reviews are immediately flagged on Amazon, which can get accounts suspended or closed. 

Meanwhile, use negative reviews and feedback as an opportunity to communicate with your buyers and handle their concerns immediately. Also, check if their reviews are about the product, not you as the seller. If this is not the case, file a request for feedback removal on Amazon Seller Central.

Amazon Advertising Campaign Optimization

With Amazon’s A9 algorithm, PPC was everything. Back then, you had to be careful in choosing whether you’d have an automatic or manual campaign and if you’d use the exact, phrase, or broad matches for your ad keywords. 

These practices still have relevance in A10, albeit diminished, as the main focus of the new algorithm is getting traffic from external links. Still, PPC is essential, and each campaign you launch should count.

Since you will gain traction from these paid advertisements, you should know that Amazon marketing services cost about $0.81 per ad. This is just the average amount. Ultimately, it will still depend on your strategy and budget. The more strategies you employ, the higher your budget should be. It also depends on the type of advertisements you're going to get. 

You can choose from several Amazon advertising options, and each is better used for specific goals.

These are just some ways to advertise, as there are still more in and out of Amazon. But no matter which campaign you go for, practice Amazon SEO. Here are some strategies.

• Target keywords that newcomers use so whenever they appear on the Amazon search results, you will be the better option because of your authority.
• Target keywords used by a product listing that have lower ratings than you to present your product as a more credible option.
• Target keywords of more expensive products than yours to provide buyers with a cheaper yet quality option.
• Target product listings where your product serves as a complement. Buyers may not be planning to buy your product but may do so because it complements the product they are looking for.
• Buyers who are specific in their search have a higher intent to purchase. Target them using long-tail keywords. 

Most Common Amazon SEO Mistakes To Watch Out For

As we near the completion of this Amazon SEO guide, you are now equipped with the knowledge necessary to analyze the A10 search engine and optimize your product listings.

However, you should also know that businesses tend to overlook other parts of the Amazon process. These seem insignificant at first glance, but they eventually cause a negative ripple effect on an Amazon business's sales performance. 

Below are some of the most common mistakes that Amazon entrepreneurs make with their Amazon SEO strategy.

Product Inventory Mismanagement

Amazon SEO aims to increase your brand's exposure on the platform so people can buy your products, but it will be useless if you fail to streamline your product inventory process. Overstocking or understocking your inventory will result in poor customer experience, which you want to avoid.

Lack of Relevant Keywords Maintenance

Creating the best Amazon SEO strategy is one thing, but maintaining it is entirely different. Most Amazon sellers quickly get dethroned because they fail to implement strategies to keep the SEO process efficient. To start, you can track your performance regularly or consider launching an Amazon PPC campaign to boost your visibility in the Marketplace even further.

Outdated Algorithm Knowledge

While Amazon's A10 search engine is brilliant, its algorithm continues to mature. These adjustments frustrate Amazon entrepreneurs and fail to sustain their Amazon SEO strategies. This is why it’s important to stay updated with Amazon algorithm updates, so you can immediately apply the changes in your store, adjust strategies, and attain your goals.

Little to No Competitor Analysis

Despite Amazon's fiercely competitive atmosphere, only a few savvy entrepreneurs take the time to research how their competitors are faring on the platform. This method is beneficial when you try to find loopholes in their product listings and fill those gaps on your web page. If you want to know how to improve Amazon SEO, competitive research is one way to reinforce your product listings.

False or Inaccurate Product Details

One of the worst mistakes you can make with your Amazon SEO strategy is writing false information on your product listings. This devious trick will only harm your business reputation since you are trying to scam customers on the Amazon platform to make a profit.

Search Engine Optimization by Seller Interactive

While there is no magic trick to formulate the perfect Amazon SEO strategy, learning the SEO process's foundational concepts is already a significant step towards your ecommerce success. This SEO masterclass won't make you an instant Amazon SEO expert overnight, but we hope it can arm you with the knowledge you need to get on the right track. 

If you're interested in hiring a professional Amazon SEO company to help you with your SEO needs, Seller Interactive can help you formulate a specialized Amazon SEO strategy for your business.

Book a call with us so that we can discuss the details further. Talk to you soon!

Is paying for tools and services always necessary to help you succeed on Amazon? This is a question sellers ask a lot. The answer is no. Or at least, not necessarily.

Amazon is well-known for its intelligent algorithms and nearly-unrivaled understanding of consumers' desires. This is why Amazon is the perfect resource for sellers seeking data to make better strategic marketing decisions. In recent years, Amazon has developed several features catering to its sellers' needs.

The following article examines how sellers can use tools and key features from Amazon Brand Analytics. 

What Is Amazon Brand Analytics Tool?

Amazon Brand Analytics is a feature that allows you to see valuable insights to make informed and strategic decisions about your products. In other words, the data provided will help you make smarter choices to gain more sales. The data includes information about search frequency rank, conversion share, customer shopping habits, popular search terms, customer search behavior, item comparison, and demographics.

The brand analytics feature is only available to sellers who have a brand, serve as an agent or representative, or have an active registered trademark. It will automatically appear in your Amazon Seller Central account once registered with the Amazon Brand Registry. 

With this feature, you can monitor and measure the success rates of ongoing marketing strategies. The Amazon Brand Analytics tool is valuable for businesses as it provides comprehensive insights, considering your brand and information from other Amazon data sets.

Some of the more popular Amazon brand analytics reports are the following:

• Search term reports 
• Market basket analysis reports 
• Item comparison and alternate purchase behavior reports 
• Repeat purchase behavior reports
• Demographics reports

With information like this, sellers can make better-informed decisions in the right direction for the brand's success.

Next, we'll review the report categories to understand these resources further:

Search Terms Report

Through the Amazon Search Terms Report, you can discover how keywords rank overall in terms of volume and see the proportion of sales and clicks of the top three search phrases for every keyword received. These reports are specified into the following categories:

1. Search Term
2. Search Frequency Rank (SFR)
3. Click Share & Conversion Share
4. Clicked ASIN
5. Product Title

An Amazon seller may search for a particular term to see which goods Amazon shoppers click on after looking for that term. They may also learn which related keywords cause Amazon buyers to click on a specific product.

Market Analysis

Market basket analysis allows businesses to gain insights into customer buying behaviors, understand cross-purchasing patterns, and uncover relationships between different products or categories. This information can be leveraged to optimize product recommendations, improve inventory management, enhance pricing strategies, and streamline procurement processes.

This report is essential for learning about customer purchase habits and tailoring marketing campaigns accordingly. The report includes information on:

• Purchased ASIN
• Purchased Product Title
• Combination %

This information can help you create Sponsored Product Ad Campaigns. If the items purchased are connected with your pay-per-click campaigns, a section showing the customers who bought the item will be visible.

Item Comparison and Alternate Purchase Behavior Report

This report presents the five products with the most views in the previous 24 hours. Sellers may use the data to leverage competitor strategies and develop better advertising and product selections. The report includes information on the following:

• Compared ASIN: The ASIN to which your product is compared to.
• Compared Percentage: The frequency with which the product was seen on the same day as your own.
• Alternative Purchase Behavior: Items customers purchased from rivals after viewing your offering.
• Purchased Percentage: The proportion or percentage of customers who make a purchase out of the total number of customers or potential customers.

Repeat Purchase Behavior Report

The Repeat Purchase Behavior Report is an Amazon Brand Analytics tool that provides detailed information on customer purchase behavior for a particular product or brand on Amazon. It allows brand owners and sellers to analyze their customers' purchasing habits and identify opportunities to increase repeat customers and develop customer loyalty.

The report includes several key metrics related to repeat purchase behavior, including the Repeat Purchase Percentage, which shows the percentage of customers who have purchased a product from a brand more than once within a given period.

The report also includes metrics related to customer lifetime value, such as the Average Order Value and Average Time Between Orders, which can help brands identify their most valuable customers.

Demographics Report

The Amazon Demographics report analyzes data from Amazon to provide a detailed look at your target audience. You may use the report's data to optimize your off-Amazon marketing or enhance product pages to match your target demographic.

This report addresses crucial metrics such as:

• Amazon's primary demographic features, like household income, marital status, gender, age, education, and more.
• Sales of ordered units.
• The number of unique customers for a specific product.
• One-of-a-kind customers or consumers who are one-of-a-kind as a proportion of all buyers.
• Sales of ordered units as a proportion of total sales.

These demographic reports empower businesses to make data-driven decisions, refine their marketing efforts, develop targeted products and services, and better understand their customers. By leveraging demographic insights, businesses can enhance their competitiveness, customer engagement, and long-term growth prospects.

With Amazon Brand Analytics, it's become much easier to increase product sales on the platform. The analytics tool provides valuable insights for Amazon sellers and marketers to measure the performance of brand owners' listed products on Amazon.

Take advantage of the free Amazon brand analytics to boost your business.

How To Use the Amazon Brand Analytics Tool

If you want to access Amazon brand analytics, here are the necessary steps you need to take.

1. Register under the Amazon Brand Registry program: Amazon Brand Analytics is available only for brand-registered sellers and vendors on Amazon. If you haven't already, you need to register your brand on Amazon by providing your brand name, logo, and other relevant details.
2. Access Amazon Brand Analytics: When your registered products are approved, you can access the Amazon Brand Analytics dashboard by logging in to your Amazon Seller Central account.
3. Go to the Search Catalog Performance dashboard: Amazon Brand Analytics provides different types of data. These reports ABA can generate are search term reports, item comparison reports, alternate purchase reports, market basket analysis reports, repeat purchases behavior reports, and demographics reports.
4. Analyze the data: After selecting a specific report, you can analyze it to gain insights about your customers and product performance. You can use the data to optimize your product listings and marketing and advertising strategies, and manage inventory.
5. Take action: Based on the valuable data from Amazon Brand Analytics, you can take action to improve your product sales and customer engagement on the Amazon platform. For example, you can optimize your product title and descriptions, run targeted advertising campaigns, and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly.

Establishing Your Brand Matters

Establishing the foundation of your brand is one of the most valuable things you can do to propel the success of your ecommerce business on Amazon. Ecommerce selling can be a tricky game, and Amazon is no exception. 

With the proper metrics and reporting tools, your opportunity for sales can improve, as will your expenditures (considering the rise of competition). Comparing the efficacy of multiple marketing channels may be difficult, especially when the data is siloed in different reporting platforms with no way to display it. Amazon Brand Analytics is a tool that allows you to examine your brand thoroughly to understand customer purchasing habits.

At Seller Interactive, we help brands understand how to make strategic decisions based on brand analytic reporting. Our experts translate data into actionable strategies that will help you make critical marketing decisions. 
Book a call with us and set your brand up for business success.

There’s never been a better place to start your online store with Amazon’s over 310 million active customers. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to differentiate yourself, especially with the saturation of the online marketplace and the popularity of certain product categories.

At some point, you’re probably thinking of recreating your competitor’s brand positioning strategy. But even if you mimic how they optimize their product listing or manage their pricing, it won’t help you develop a unique value proposition. Without this element, your business will eventually die from the tough competition. 

So, how can you establish your Amazon positioning strategy without copying others? Let’s find out all the answers in this blog post.

The Problem With Being a Copycat on Amazon

There’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from others. But if you’re copying what someone else is doing, it leaves little room for originality and innovation. It’s like playing catch-up, following the footsteps of others rather than blazing your path.

Copying products limits your potential to create something truly fruitful for your business. Here are some issues you may encounter when imitating products:

Difficulty in Brand Establishment

Establishing a well-recognized brand is hard when you don’t have a unique product. People won’t probably consider you special since your product is only second-rate. For this reason, you’ll likely have to compete on price alone, which can be difficult and lead to lower profits.

Risk of Run-Ins With Amazon’s Policies

Amazon has cracked down on sellers found to be engaging in suspicious activities. If you attempt to sell products that are direct copies or imitations of existing brands or patented designs, you risk facing the consequences.

Although you can always appeal the decision, there’s no guarantee that your account will be reinstated. So not only will you make less money from selling copycat products, but you can also lose your selling privileges or get kicked off Amazon entirely. 

Remember, what works for them might not be what works for you. Instead of resorting to copying products and relying on the similar results they achieve, prioritize creating successful brand positioning strategies that point directly to you and not to anyone else.

Why Do You Need a Unique Positioning Strategy?

Have you ever questioned why you chose to sell on Amazon over other marketplaces? It’s because their name has become synonymous with online shopping, making it the preferred choice for millions of shoppers worldwide. Their name carries a reputation that signifies trust, convenience, and reliability.

This reputation is the direct outcome of Amazon’s mission to be the most customer-centric company in the world. They are driven by a commitment to delivering a seamless and exceptional customer experience. Everything they do is rooted in the desire to provide what’s best for their customers.

You, too, can emulate Amazon’s customer-centric goals. It starts by cutting through the clutter of “sameness” and standing out with a unique brand positioning statement. Here are some of the ways that a well-defined positioning strategy can help your brand to thrive:

1. It Provides Direction for All Aspects of Your Brand

Why is brand positioning important in your marketing strategy? It’s simple: it provides clear direction. Whether devising marketing and communication initiatives, delivering the best customer service, or refining product development, positioning is a guiding light for all facets of your brand.

Brand positioning ensures that every touchpoint accurately represents your brand and drives home your key messages. It creates a cohesive and consistent brand experience across various channels, resonating with your target audience and reinforcing your brand’s differentiating qualities.

2. It Clarifies Your Purpose

Your positioning statement clarifies your brand’s purpose. Its focused message communicates the essence of your brand and why it exists. It helps you connect with your target customers and understand the brand value it brings to their lives.

By drawing inspiration from Amazon’s positioning strategy, you can align with the expectations and preferences of modern consumers who appreciate ease and efficiency. This, in turn, can help you influence their purchasing behavior and foster customer loyalty.

3. It Commands Premium Pricing

Customers are often willing to pay a premium when they recognize that you offer unique value or a distinct advantage over alternatives. They understand that these qualities are not easily replicated by competitors, which makes your service more desirable and justifies the premium price. 

They are willing to invest in a service that caters to their needs and delivers higher customer satisfaction. This ability to command a higher price enhances profitability and overall financial performance.

4. It Drives Business Growth

Growing your Amazon store takes focus and dedication. Several moving pieces must be carefully managed and optimized, making it tough to determine where to direct your attention to boosting growth. 

This is where brand positioning strategy comes into play. Rather than dispersing your marketing strategies across various channels, brand positioning helps you prioritize and allocate resources where they will yield the greatest return on investment.

5. It Prevents You From Being Overshadowed

Amazon is a noisy marketplace. With numerous sellers and a wide range of products, it’s no wonder many brands struggle to stand out and often get overshadowed by their competitors.

The intense competition on Amazon means that selling is not enough. You must understand the dynamics of the platform and create a brand positioning strategy that can build brand loyalty and emotional connection with your customers. Establishing a strong and unique presence on Amazon is attainable when done right.

How to Find Your Own Unique Selling Proposition

People prefer something unique and different. You can leverage this preference by finding your unique selling point (USP). It’s the aspect of your business that leaves a long-lasting impression in the consumer’s mind.

Successful communication and delivery of your unique selling point nurture a positive brand experience, making customers become devoted, lifelong consumers. And when you have a devoted following, you can weather any crisis. That’s something you need to keep in mind if you want to become a successful Amazon seller.

 If you’re not sure how to find your proposition, here are a few tips to get you started:

• Take a close look at your products or services: Assess all aspects of your offering, from the product to the packaging, pricing, shipping, and customer service. 

It doesn’t matter how small you think these selling points are. Highlight them as much as you can! Don’t be afraid to be different. Instead, embrace what makes you unique and use it to your advantage.

• Consider who you want to reach: Whom do you hope your marketing will reach? Once you know your target market, you can brainstorm ways to appeal specifically to them. 

• Be aware of trends: Keeping up with industry trends can help you keep ahead of the competition and generate fresh marketing ideas.

• Identify customer pain points: Discover the unmet needs your target customers face. Determine how your business can address these pain points more effectively or uniquely than competitors.

• Focus on your niche market:  Narrow down your target group. Concentrate on a specific market segment to provide specialized solutions and cater to that niche's unique needs and preferences.

Achieve Success with Amazon Brand Positioning

Differentiate or deflate—that's the name of the game on Amazon. Dare to rise above the crowd and showcase your unique edge. Start by crafting a stellar Amazon positioning strategy where your brand takes center stage. That's the key to prosperity in the long run. 

We hope this article has given you some food for thought about your Amazon business and how you can apply these lessons to increase your market share, fuel your creativity, and break free from imitation.
Are you committed to making your Amazon venture successful? Seller Interactive can help you get there. Book a call today or email us at [email protected].