Today, more than 50% of Amazon’s total unit sales come from third–party selection. However, while there are over one million private sellers on the retail giant platform, only a small number of them end up being truly successful.
If you want to be one of the successful ones, you need to know how to set yourself apart from the competition. Here are some top tips to help you to increase your online sales:
Optimize Your Product Description
Make sure that all of your product descriptions are optimized for search. There are more than 12 million products being sold on Amazon. Make sure your product description is optimized.
Before finalizing a purchase, buyers have to find the products and compare prices. Amazon makes this process simple for them by allowing them to narrow down their search with filters – this maybe size, color, style, and other specific information the buyer is looking for.
Your product information and description are used by Amazon to match a customers search. It is vital that you make sure your information is as accurate as possible and has as much detail as you can provide.
Many sellers choose to use third-party tools such as product information management (PIM) applications to help them organize and keep on top of all their data, especially if they sell across various marketplaces.
Competitive Price Your Products
Amazon is known for being extremely competitive in terms of pricing. Unless you are selling a unique item with little competition, make sure your product is priced at or below the competition. Amazon is focused on volume.
If the things that you are selling are not one of a kind, it is imperative that you do your research and find out what similar ones are selling for. Lower-priced items tend to rank higher in search results.
Use Professional Photos
Photos are key. You simply are not going to sell a product without a photo – customers want to see in detail what they are going to buy. They are giving up going to the store to physically see the item for convenience. The more you can show them through the use of photos, the better chance you have of making a sale.
The images need to be high quality and professional. No one is going to buy something based on a blurry and poorly lit cell phone picture. Amazon has some guidelines to help you with the image size and quality and there are plenty of guides available online to help you to take decent photos.
If necessary, hire a photographer for a few hours to take pictures. If possible, take several from different angles to show the best of your product. Amazon now lets you upload a video recording of your product, giving you another way to showcase your items.
Get the Amazon Buy Box
The Buy Box is on the product page and is where customers can initiate the purchasing process by adding items straight to their shopping cart. This is especially important if you’re selling a product sold by many other sellers.
It is difficult to obtain, however, as no one quite understands Amazon’s algorithm for awarding this opportunity! Winning one probably takes into account lower prices, availability, fulfillment options, seller ratings and positive reviews from customers.
Shop Around for Your Products
You want to make sure that you are selling the best quality items for the lowest possible price, while still making a profit. If it’s an item that you can buy from multiple places, you need to be continually shopping around to make sure you are getting the best price to pass on to your customers.
You could do this using tactical arbitrage, a tool that allows Amazon sellers to find the best-priced products to sell. It pays to do your research and the goal is to find a niche that is unique so you can take advantage of products that offer the largest arbitrage.
Consider Fulfillment by Amazon
When selling online, quick and accurate fulfillment is vital. If you can’t fulfill orders to customers in a timely manner, your business is not going to be around for long. This is where many wannabe business owners go wrong – they can sell the products, but when it comes to shipping them out to clients promptly – they fall short of the mark.
One way of getting around this is by using a service offered by Amazon called Fulfillment by Amazon. Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, is a way of providing your customers with the same level of fast and on the ball service that Amazon is notorious for. It can be costly for starters, but if the benefits outweigh that, it may be worth looking into.
Follow the Rules
Always follow Amazon’s rules because if you don’t, your account will be penalized or even suspended, potentially cutting off a valuable source of making money.
Cutting corners and trying to take advantage of any loopholes might seem like a good idea, but if it could cost you in the long-run. Make sure you keep up to date with policies and procedures so that you don’t unwittingly break any of them.
Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews
Product reviews can swing it for a customer. Great ones can attract a buyer, but bad ones can make them click away. Amazon doesn’t require them, and you have no control over what customers write in them. Unfortunately, lots of people only leave reviews when they are unhappy with something!
One of the best ways to increase the number of positive reviews you have – other than providing a superb and better than expected service – is to ask customers. Follow up orders with an email asking them to leave a review.
It’s a great way to initiate conversation – which often leads to repeat custom – and if there are any problems, it allows you to sort them out before they decide to leave a bad review.
Being successful on Amazon can take hard work and determination. You are competing with hundreds or even thousands of other sellers doing the same thing. By offering quality products at competitive prices and excellent service, you will be well on your way.