Amify https://goamify.com/ Amify Grows Brands on Amazon Fri, 14 Feb 2025 12:47:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 https://ecuy5icyve9.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/favicon.png?strip=all&lossy=1&resize=32%2C26&ssl=1 Amify https://goamify.com/ 32 32 The Ultimate Amazon A+ Content Guide https://goamify.com/blog-articles/the-ultimate-amazon-a-content-guide/ Fri, 06 Dec 2024 15:16:03 +0000 https://goamify.com/the-ultimate-amazon-a-content-guide/ On Amazon, where customers can buy almost anything under the sun with a few clicks, brands need a way to stand out. Enter A+ Content: your secret weapon for selling more...

The post The Ultimate Amazon A+ Content Guide appeared first on Amify.

]]>

On Amazon, where customers can buy almost anything under the sun with a few clicks, brands need a way to stand out. Enter A+ Content: your secret weapon for selling more product online. If your brand has already begun selling via Amazon Seller Central, you’ve probably heard about A+ Content before. But perhaps you haven’t considered what it can actually do for your business. To sum it up in one sentence: Amazon A+ Content offers you a proven way to boost traffic and sales. No brainer, right? As an Amazon seller, you shouldn’t overlook A+ Content. Because even if you can’t write like Hemingway or paint like Picasso, you can create captivating Amazon content that drives purchases.

In this article, we’ll cover all you need to know about A+ Content:

What Is Amazon A+ Content?

Amazon A+ Content, formerly known as Enhanced Brand Content, lets brand owners create visually rich product descriptions for their Amazon listings. This feature is available to vendors and brand-registered sellers and is currently free to use.

By replacing plain text with high-quality images, comparison charts, videos, and FAQs, A+ Content enhances your product pages, helping customers make informed decisions. Think of it as an extension of your brand—aligning with your website and social media to highlight your unique value proposition.

In a world where consumers demand engaging and personalized experiences, A+ Content is your chance to stand out. Use it to showcase your products, delight customers, and create a memorable shopping experience.

Case Study: The Bug Bite Balm Example

Have a look at the following product page for a bug bite balm. The page features rich visuals combined with informative, concise copy, highlighting the product’s benefits and making it easy for customers to understand why it’s the best choice.

An example of A+ content from Nature's Willow

Now, compare the Nature’s Willow page with that of a competing product that doesn’t have A+ Content.

Product page example with no A+ content

With no Amazon A+ Content below-the-fold, the seller loses the chance to win over a customer at the decision stage. Even worse, the shopper may click on a competing product that has more positive reviews. As you can see, if executed correctly, Amazon it can enable brands to differentiate themselves from competitors, build customer trust, increase conversion rates, and establish long-term brand loyalty. It can even lead to higher rankings on Amazon search engine results pages (SERPs).

What is Premium Amazon A+ Content?

Premium Amazon A+ Content, also called A++, offers enhanced features compared to standard A+ Content, designed to elevate your product pages with interactive and visually compelling elements. It includes advanced modules such as:

  • Interactive video modules: Up to three 720p videos for dynamic storytelling.
  • Larger HD images: Improve product visuals with up to 16 enhanced modules.
  • Interactive carousel and hotspot features: Showcase multiple product angles seamlessly.
  • Clickable FAQs: Address customer concerns to reduce purchase hesitation.
  • Enhanced comparison charts: Highlight product strengths side-by-side.
  • Voice and mobile-friendly layouts: Optimize for a seamless shopping experience across devices.
  • Alexa integration: Provide voice-based product information anytime, anywhere.

Unlike standard A+ Content, Premium A+ Content offers these features free during Amazon’s current promotional period for eligible users. Eligibility requires:

  1. A published A+ Brand Story for all ASINs in your catalog.
  2. At least five approved A+ Content submissions within the past year.

While it’s currently free, Amazon may charge for Premium A+ Content in the future. For sellers focused on maximizing their brand’s impact, this feature can create a highly engaging shopping experience, boosting conversions and customer satisfaction.

Why You Need Amazon A+ Content

Amazon A+ Content is more than just an enhancement—it’s a critical tool for increasing sales and building your brand. According to Amazon, adding A+ Content can boost conversion rates by up to 10%, directly increasing sales. Here’s why it’s essential:

1. Enhanced Visual Appeal Drives Engagement

  • Humans are visual learners: 65% of people process information better visually, and text paired with imagery gets 94% more views than text alone.
  • A+ Content’s ability to incorporate high-quality visuals, infographics, and engaging layouts ensures your product grabs attention and holds it.

2. Improves Financial Metrics

  • Higher conversion rates lead to:
    • Reduced Advertising Cost of Sale (ACoS): Efficiently drives sales without inflating ad budgets.
    • Increased Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS): Maximizes ad investment efficiency.
  • Better conversion rates also boost organic rankings, further increasing visibility and sales.

3. Builds Trust and Reduces Returns

  • By providing detailed product information and visuals, A+ Content helps customers make informed buying decisions, reducing the likelihood of returns and negative reviews.

4. Strengthens Your Brand

  • A+ Content is an opportunity to share your brand story and values, fostering trust and loyalty with customers. It acts as an extension of your website and social media presence, giving customers a consistent brand experience.

In short, skipping A+ Content could mean missed opportunities to attract, engage, and convert customers. For eligible brand owners, A+ Content is a free and effective way to drive both immediate and long-term growth.

Images boost conversions on Amazon

How exactly does A+ content achieve all this?

Amazon A+ content allows you to use proven marketing techniques and deliver what shoppers want. You can:

  • Tell the product/brand story: Highlight your brand’s history and values, as well as what makes your products unique. This helps establish a deeper connection with your customer. As brand loyalty experts note, the brand story is how you attract folks who believe in your message and will support you over the long haul.
  • Overcome customer purchase barriers: Educate your customers, create comparison charts, and show how your product best addresses pain points. The “Jobs to Be Done” product theory states that consumers buy products to perform a job. By showing what the product does, you can convince the shopper that it’s the right item for them. Take a look at how CushCore, a seller of bike tire inserts, details one of their products below.
Amazon A+ content example - Cush Core
  • Increase discoverability: Since conversion rates affect Amazon search rankings, having A+ Content can help SEO, even if Amazon doesn’t index A+ Content yet. It’s worth noting that Google does index A+ Content, so having relevant keywords and live text can also drive traffic from outside of Amazon. Products on the first page of Amazon search results get 80% of the clicks. 60% of those clicks go to the first three listings.

Turn views into sales!

If you want to grab a shopper’s attention on Amazon, then showcase your product through A+ content. Relevant information and beautiful imagery will shine a spotlight on your product and boost sales. What’s also great is that the benefits of A+ Content don’t stop there. Amazon A+ Content can create a positive cycle that continually improves the standing of your product and business on Amazon. For example, since you’ll offer customers a better shopping experience, you have a better chance of getting more positive reviews. Studies show that conversion rates increase as the number of reviews and star rating of products rise. By using A+ Content to inform your customers about the product, you increase the likelihood that shoppers make the right purchase. In turn, this reduces your return rate (an ROI killer).

Who Can Use Amazon A+ Content?

A+ Content is available to any sellers or vendors whose brand appears on Amazon’s Brand Registry. Amazon has also made a few exceptions for emerging brand owners who participate in certain managed selling programs, such as Amazon Exclusives and Launchpad. If you haven’t been approved through Amazon Brand Registry, you’ll have to apply with Amazon (link here). Once approved, you can add A+ Content to any product in your brand’s catalog. (Brand registry benefits don’t stop with A+ Content. It also helps fight counterfeit products and unauthorized sellers – making it easier to find, report, and remove bad listings and unauthorized sales. Read our guide on Amazon Brand Registry here.)

Steps to Create Amazon A+ Content

For A+ Content, you have to make a choice between the “Self-Service” or the “Amazon Builds for You” approach. With Self-Service, you maintain control over the images, copy and other content. If you choose the other path – which is available only to select vendors – you upload content files to Amazon and they take it from there. While this path is certainly convenient, there are limitations when it comes to content customization and control. For these reasons, we strongly recommend the Self-Service path.

Example of the A+ Content manager

The Self-Service option is your greatest ally when it comes to maintaining creative control of your brand.

Now, let’s discuss how to create A+ Content yourself. On Amazon Seller Central, brand registered sellers can see the step-by-step process. To begin, head to your ASC homepage. From the Advertising menu, click A+ Content and then Start Creating A+ Content. From there, you can choose among the various Amazon A+ Content templates and start building your content. Note that Amazon has 15 available modules to build your template. This design flexibility enables you to best embody your brand’s voice and style. With each content module, you must adhere to image requirements. For instance, the brand logo should contain one 600 x 180-pixel image. The header image can be 970 x 600 pixels. For a comparison chart, you can have up to five images of 150 x 300 pixels. For full details on Amazon A+ content guidelines for images, see the chart below.

Amazon A+ Content guidelines for images

The tough task of creating Amazon A+ Content

Not only is the process labor intensive, but doing it right requires expert knowledge, creative skills, and continuous monitoring and optimization. You also have to navigate complex and ever-changing rules and regulations. To get the best results from your Amazon A+ Content, you need a well-rounded, expert team. For images, videos, and layout, you need a rockstar graphic designer or user interface designer. We’ve seen online sellers increase conversion rates by more than 25% – just by improving their imagery. So, make sure you have design talent for your A+ Content. You also need a copywriter who knows how to make the product a hero. E-commerce copywriting necessitates precise language and an understanding of customer needs. If you do the copy wrong, or don’t give it enough attention, you basically toss customers out the door. Don’t do that! To ensure you’re as successful as possible, you also need an Amazon strategy expert to oversee the creation and monitoring of A+ Content. Amazon strategy experts can assist with things like A/B testing to ensure you put the best possible content out there. If you don’t have an in-house team, consider working with an Amazon partner agency like Amify. At Amify, our creative team has a track record of success creating A+ Content that converts.

How to Fully Optimize Your Amazon A+ Content

Optimizing your Amazon A+ Content goes beyond adding keywords—it’s about creating an engaging and informative listing that drives conversions. Here’s a step-by-step guide to maximize the effectiveness of your A+ Content:

1. Provide Unique and Relevant Information

Share your product’s unique selling points (USPs) and detailed specifications. This helps differentiate your product while reducing returns and negative feedback by addressing potential buyer concerns upfront.

2. Focus on Readability

Avoid long paragraphs or technical jargon. Use concise, easy-to-read text paired with visuals. Prioritize key information in your images so shoppers can quickly identify product benefits.

3. Address Common Questions

Analyze customer reviews, feedback, and competitor listings to identify frequently asked questions. Answer these within your content to preempt doubts and encourage confident purchases.

4. Leverage Alt-Image Keywords

Add relevant keywords to your A+ Content images. While these aren’t indexed by Amazon, they improve discoverability on Google and support accessibility tools for visually impaired users.

5. Analyze and Outshine Competitors

Review competitor listings for inspiration and identify gaps to fill. Include features such as logo modules, enhanced graphics, or additional product details that set your listing apart.

6. Create High-Quality Images and Infographics

Invest in professional images with embedded text that highlight product features and benefits. Engaging visuals can significantly improve conversion rates by helping customers visualize the product in use.

7. Provide Value, Not Fluff

Focus on meaningful information. Use infographics or enhanced text to address specific customer concerns, showcase product features, or share your brand story.

8. Maintain Consistent Branding

Follow your brand’s tone and visual guidelines. A cohesive design and consistent messaging help build trust and make your brand more memorable.

Testing the Effectiveness of Your A+ Content

Once your content is live, use data and experimentation to measure success:

  1. Monitor Conversion Rates
    Track the “Unit Session Percentage” in Seller Central to see how many visitors convert into buyers. Regularly review this metric over several weeks.
  2. A/B Test Layouts and Visuals
    Experiment with different text, images, and layouts to see what resonates most with your audience. Tools like Amazon’s “Manage Your Experiments” (beta) simplify this process if available.
  3. Drive Traffic with PPC
    Boost sessions by using pay-per-click campaigns, especially for newly optimized listings. More visibility leads to more opportunities for conversion.

With these strategies, your A+ Content can drive better engagement, improve conversion rates, and strengthen your brand’s presence on Amazon.

Amazon A+ Content Guidelines and Restrictions

While you have a lot of creative freedom with A+ content, it’s not a free-for-all in this e-commerce space. Amazon has rules regarding what types of content are allowed. For visual content, Amazon may reject blurry or low-quality images and images with watermarks. Any text embedded in the image must be readable. Lifestyle images must show the product in use, unless it’s a brand image telling the brand story. You also need fresh photos, as duplicate images may be rejected.

What’s Not Allowed

When it comes to Amazon A+ content guidelines for copy, keep in mind the following content may not be allowed:

  • Mentions of seller authorizations (for example, you can’t say “shop with us for authentic products”)
  • Warranties, satisfaction guarantees, and references to off-Amazon refunds and returns
  • Terminology around promotional pricing, such as “cheap”, “free”, or “affordable”, as well as language encouraging shoppers to purchase, such as “get yours now”
  • Shipping details like “free shipping”
  • Copyright, trademark, or registered symbols
  • Boastful language, such as “#1 product on the market”
  • Time-sensitive language that creates urgency, such as “on sale for a limited time”
  • More than two third-party quotes (all quotes must come from a known public figure or well-known publication
  • Discussing product awards without a reference or disclaimer
  • Links or language attempting to direct the shopper to other sites (you can’t add your customer service phone number!)
  • Certain text, such as strings of all-caps text or punctuation errors

Additionally, Amazon makes an effort to block unverified claims, such as claims about drug benefits (health category products must have an FDA disclaimer). For a full list of prohibited product claims, click here. Note that Amazon A+ Content guidelines can vary by category. Before creating A+ content, read over category requirements and selling policies. For example, the e-commerce platform has guidelines and policies for adult products.

Amazon A+ Content Best Practices

While A+ Content can benefit all of your products, start by focusing on the items most likely to result in bigger revenue gains – your top-sellers and products with larger margins. You should also prioritize any products you’re currently supporting with marketing dollars, as A+ Content can help deliver a better ROI.

A+ Content examples from Craft

By focusing on creating A+ content for top-selling items, Craft put themselves in position to achieve a higher conversion rate and get the best possible ROI.

The reason for this strategy is simple math. Consider these two examples:

  1. Your top-selling product has a 10% conversion rate and generates $100,000 in annual sales. After creating stellar A+ Content, the conversion rate rises to 15%. As a result, that product’s annual sales will increase to $150,000.  
  2. You focus on boosting sales of one of your slower-selling products. Let’s say it generates $10,000 per year with a 5% conversion rate. After creating stellar A+ Content, the conversion rate rises to 10%. As a result, that product’s annual sales will increase to $20,000.

In example one, you achieve revenue gains of $50,000. In example two, you achieve revenue gains of $10,000.Clearly, it makes sense to focus your marketing efforts and resources on the products that move the needle the most.

Tips for Creating Enhanced Brand Content

As you begin, here are the best practices for Amazon A+ Content to keep in mind:

  • Make sure content is easy to read and absorb.
  • Include a variety of product images.
  • Incorporate the most searched category keywords in your copy.
  • Emphasize your product’s unique selling point.
  • Pair your descriptive text with images.
  • Be consistent in design and copy. Your A+ content is an extension of your brand and should adhere to your style and copy guidelines like any other communication.
  • Read customer reviews. To check this quickly, reference the “Read reviews that mention” section above the reviews (the image below is of a face cleanser).
read reviews before making EBC content
  • Share consumer comments. If shoppers praise certain products or features, use your A+ Content to give those accolades some extra attention and punch.
  • Leverage banners to grab the shopper’s attention.
  • Utilize charts.
  • Study and learn from competitors
  • Proofread and review as Amazon’s approval process can take up to a week.
  • Manage your experiments and optimize content based on A/B testing data.

How Much Does Amazon A+ Content Cost?

Amazon A+ content is free. Yes, you read that right. You can gain an advantage over your competition without having to make a financial investment. Even better, Amazon makes it super easy to add this feature to your brand’s listings. Still, you may decide that creating A+ Content yourself isn’t best for your e-commerce business or isn’t the best use of your time. Having a talented internal team or expert Amazon partner agency do the work will cost money. But it should pay off more in the end.  At Amify, for example, we partner with brands and help them create A+ Content that converts. Even with a brand’s investment in us, our expertise can lead to better ROI than if the brand worked alone. That’s because we help navigate the complexities of Amazon Seller Central and go the extra mile to maximize conversions with A+ Content.

Good Amazon A+ Content Examples

So that you can better imagine how A+ content can help your brand, look at some of our Amazon A+ Content examples below. Think of how that sort of content could convince your customers to click “Add to Cart”. The following Amazon A+ content example comes from Topo Athletic, a shoe company. Shoppers would find this content “below-the-fold” of an Amazon product page, usually beneath the section titled, “From the Manufacturer.”

Amazon A+ Content examples - MTN Racer

A lifestyle image, accompanied by concise text and informative graphics, highlights the benefits on these trail running shoes in a visually appealing way.

Below, you’ll see an Amazon A+ Content example that shows how brands can use the feature to provide technical details and educate consumers on how to use the product.

A+ Content example - Aquamira

Aquamira, a maker of water purification products, utilizes A+ Content space to alleviate customer concerns about how their product works.

Do you now realize how clean, colorful design and informative content can capture the attention of shoppers and make them more likely to buy? This is the power of A+ Content.

Is A+ Content Worth the Investment?

Though you don’t have to pay anything to post A+ content, you do have to invest time and resources (and pay staff). When considering whether to create A+ content, ask yourself:

  • How much revenue does this product ASIN generate?  
  • For ASINs that generate lots of revenue, it’s certainly worth the investment. A 10% increase in revenue for a product that generates $300,000 per year is $30,000 more back into your business!
  • Do competitors have A+ content?
  • If better-performing competitors have A+ content, you should create your own to raise your product’s competitiveness. If other competitors don’t, A+ content can be a way to differentiate your product and become the market leader.
  • What is the product category?
  • Amazon often places product comparisons for categories. To avoid customers clicking to a competing product in the comparison chart, you can use A+ content space to create your own comparison chart. This enables you to showcase other products in your line, and guarantee the customer stays in your “store.”
  • How complex is the product?
  • If you’re selling something like heat guns, then A+ content gives you space to explain technical specs, highlight features and functions, and show how the product works.

If you want the best results, find an expert Amazon partner agency to create A+ content. Choose wisely by partnering with an agency that’s committed to your success. For instance, at Amify, we make sure investing in A+ content is worth it for you by aligning your success with ours. This helps ensure you produce the best possible content and boost conversion rates and revenue.

Settle for Nothing Less than an A+

If you’re interested in learning more about A+ Content, the video below is an excellent place to start. And as you dive in, don’t be intimidated by how much time and energy it might take to produce this new content for your brand store! Amify can help your brand to not only create and manage your A+ Content, but also enhance your Amazon presence in other ways.

Maximize Sales and Profitability on Amazon

The post The Ultimate Amazon A+ Content Guide appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Your Guide to Amazon Brand Registry https://goamify.com/blog-articles/your-guide-to-amazon-brand-registry/ Fri, 22 Nov 2024 12:18:27 +0000 https://goamify.com/your-guide-to-amazon-brand-registry/ With nearly 40% of e-commerce spending happening on Amazon and 70% of US households holding Prime memberships, winning on Amazon is essential for e-commerce success. A solid Amazon strategy requires...

The post Your Guide to Amazon Brand Registry appeared first on Amify.

]]>
With nearly 40% of e-commerce spending happening on Amazon and 70% of US households holding Prime memberships, winning on Amazon is essential for e-commerce success. A solid Amazon strategy requires more than strong product listings—it also demands protecting your brand from unauthorized sellers and counterfeiters.

Amazon Brand Registry is the solution. It gives you greater control over your brand and product listings.

In this article, we’ll cover:

  • What is Amazon Brand Registry?
  • Benefits of Amazon Brand Registry
  • Amazon Brand Registry requirements
  • How to enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
  • How much does Amazon Brand Registry cost?
  • How to build brand value and boost profitability with Brand Registry

What Is Amazon Brand Registry?

Amazon Brand Registry is a program that empowers brand owners to protect their trademarks and maintain control over how their products are presented on Amazon. Originally revamped in 2017, and updated to 2.0 in 2020., Brand Registry offers tools to combat counterfeiting, address unauthorized resellers, and enforce consistent brand representation.

Using Brand Registry, you can search for content violations by ASIN, keyword, or image and report suspicious activity directly to Amazon. The platform also enables Amazon to proactively safeguard your brand against inaccurate content and potential infringement.

Beyond protection, Brand Registry strengthens your brand’s reputation by giving you greater control over product listings. For shoppers, this builds trust, positioning your brand as credible and reliable—an advantage over competitors who lack similar protections.

Why Brand Registry Is a Good Thing

Counterfeit issues on Amazon have been documented by the likes of The New York Times. But brand protection is about more than just fake products; businesses also suffer due to unauthorized sellers and MAP violations (minimum advertised price).

The reality is that monitoring every seller is difficult. Fortunately, with the release of Amazon Brand Registry and new features like Transparency and Project Zero (more below), Amazon has taken tremendous strides in reducing intellectual property abuses on their site. This is important.

After all, if a customer receives a fake product, that reflects poorly on your brand. If a shopper finds a reseller with a lower price than you, that may not sit well with your customers (and it’s money out of your pocket).

Such situations can decrease your revenue, lead to bad reviews on your brand’s listings pages and ultimately hurt your brand’s reputation and success on Amazon. Brand Registry gives you the resources and tools to eliminate these risks.

Amazon Brand Registry Benefits

Amazon Brand Registry offers a suite of tools and protections designed to help brand owners maintain control, build trust, and grow their businesses on Amazon. With over 350,000 brands participating, the program has significantly reduced counterfeit issues and brand misrepresentation, with reported violations dropping by 99% for enrolled brands.

Here are the core benefits of Amazon Brand Registry:

1. Accurate Brand Representation

Brand owners gain control over how their products and content appear on Amazon, ensuring accurate representation. This includes managing listings and preventing unauthorized changes that could harm conversions, trust, or brand image.

Craft Using A+ Content for Their Brand Store | Amify

2. Powerful Search and Reporting Tools

Amazon Brand Registry simplifies the process of identifying and addressing intellectual property violations. Brands can search by ASIN, keywords, images, or logos to find unauthorized listings across Amazon’s global marketplaces. Once violations are identified, a guided reporting process helps resolve issues swiftly with Amazon’s 24/7 support team.

3. Advanced Brand Protection Features

The program includes tools like:

  • Transparency: A product authenticity tool that prevents counterfeit items from reaching customers.
  • Project Zero: Self-service counterfeit removal combined with automated protections to eliminate infringing listings.
  • IP Accelerator: Helps new brands gain access to Brand Registry while waiting for trademark approval, expediting intellectual property protection.

4. Enhanced Brand Development Tools

Registered brands unlock advanced tools for growth, including:

  • A+ Content: Visually enrich product listings with detailed storytelling, product comparisons, and videos to improve customer engagement.
  • Brand Stores: A dedicated storefront to showcase products and foster brand loyalty.
  • Sponsored Brand Ads: Create ads that highlight your brand and drive traffic to your storefront or listings.
  • Brand Analytics: Access insights like customer demographics, search performance, and purchasing behavior to refine your marketing strategy.

5. Improved Brand Value

By proactively addressing counterfeiting, unauthorized resellers, and inaccurate listings, Brand Registry safeguards your reputation and builds customer trust. Shoppers are more likely to engage with and remain loyal to brands that ensure product authenticity and quality.

In summary, Amazon Brand Registry is an essential tool for brand owners, providing the resources to protect and grow their presence in the competitive Amazon marketplace.

What are the Amazon Brand Registry Requirements?

To join Amazon Brand Registry, you must meet specific criteria. The most critical question often asked is: Do you need a trademark for Amazon Brand Registry? The answer is yes. Here’s a breakdown of the requirements:

1. You Must Have an Active Registered Trademark

  • This is the cornerstone requirement. Amazon mandates a live, registered trademark for your brand. Trademarks can be:
    • Text-based (word mark)
    • Image-based with words, letters, or numbers (design mark)

2. Trademarks Must Be Registered in Supported Jurisdictions

  • Your trademark must be registered with a government trademark office in one of the following regions:
    • United States, Canada, United Kingdom, European Union, and many more. A full list includes over 15 supported countries and organizations, such as the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

3. You Must Verify Yourself as the Rights Owner

  • Only the trademark owner can submit the initial application. If working with an agency or third party, you can add them as an authorized user later.

4. You Must Be a Manufacturer or Direct Seller

  • Resellers or distributors are not eligible unless authorized by the brand owner.

5. An Amazon Account is Required

  • You need a seller or vendor account to enroll, using the same credentials for Amazon Brand Registry.

Meeting these requirements ensures you’re eligible to access tools that protect your brand, boost visibility, and prevent unauthorized sellers or counterfeit products from damaging your reputation. For trademarks still in process, consider programs like Amazon’s IP Accelerator, which can help expedite approval while you wait.

How to Apply for Amazon Brand Registry

Once you meet the Amazon Brand Registry requirements, the enrollment process involves several steps. The most time-consuming part is securing an active trademark if you don’t already have one. Here’s how to apply:

Step 1: Prepare the Required Information

Before starting, gather the following:

  • Brand Name: Ensure it matches the name on your trademark.
  • Trademark Registration Number: Provided by your local Intellectual Property office.
  • Product Categories: A list of categories (e.g., Home & Kitchen, Office Products) relevant to your brand.
  • Countries of Operation: List where you manufacture and distribute products.

Step 2: Log In to the Amazon Brand Registry Portal

  • Use the same credentials as your Seller Central or Vendor Central account.
  • If you don’t have a seller account, create one before beginning.

Step 3: Submit Your Brand Details

  • Navigate to the Enroll a Brand section in your dashboard.
  • Enter your brand name, trademark registration number, and trademark office (e.g., USPTO, WIPO).
  • Provide additional details:
    • Upload a high-resolution image of your product showing your brand name and logo.
    • List the product categories and any active ASINs associated with your brand.
    • Specify manufacturing and distribution information.

Step 4: Verification Process

Amazon will confirm your ownership of the trademark by sending a verification code to the email address listed with your Intellectual Property office. To complete verification:

  • Retrieve the code from your email.
  • Log in to your Brand Registry account, navigate to the case log, and submit the code.

Step 5: Wait for Approval

The review process typically takes around two weeks. Once approved, you’ll gain access to Brand Registry features, such as Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) and tools to protect your brand against counterfeiters.

Tips to Monitor Your Application

  • Dashboard Updates: Check for status updates or messages in your Brand Registry dashboard.
  • Enhanced Brand Content (EBC): If your EBC applications are denied, your Brand Registry approval may still be pending.
  • Customer Support: Contact Amazon Support for updates or assistance with your application.

By following these steps and ensuring all submitted information matches your trademark records, you can successfully register your brand and start using Amazon’s advanced brand protection tools.

4oyou provide must match exactly what’s registered in the government trademark database. 7. Once finished, Amazon will verify that you own the trademark. If you meet the requirements, you can begin using Amazon Brand Registry’s features.

Does Amazon Brand Registry Cost Anything?

Enrolling in Amazon Brand Registry itself is free. Amazon does not charge any fees to join the program, as it aims to give brand owners more control over their listings and protect against counterfeits. However, there are costs associated with meeting the program’s requirements.

Costs to Consider:

  1. Trademark Registration Fees
    To qualify for Brand Registry, you must have an active registered trademark. Trademark registration fees vary by country. For example:
    • U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) fees start at $225–$400 per class of goods or services.
    • Additional costs may arise if you hire a lawyer or use a service for assistance. These can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
  2. Time and Resources
    While there are no direct costs for enrollment, completing the application and gathering necessary documentation takes time. This includes providing details like your brand name, trademark number, and product categories.

Summary

Although Amazon Brand Registry itself is free, preparing for it often requires an investment of time and money to meet its prerequisites.

How to Build Brand Value and Boost Profitability with Brand Registry

We’ve discussed the benefits of Amazon Brand Registry. Now, let’s discuss how to actually build brand value on Amazon and boost profitability through this program. First, you have to know what Brand Registry can do. Through Brand Registry, you can optimize the process of discovering potential infringement by performing the following:

  • Global Searches: On one screen, you can search quickly for content across different Amazon stores
  • Image Search: Quickly find listings using your product images or logos
  • Bulk ASIN Search: Search all your product ASINs or URLs at once so that you can find potential infringements fast

Second, understand that the more you use Brand Registry, the more you get out of it. Amazon offers a lot of other proactive brand protections. Provide them with as many brand details and as much information about your intellectual property as possible. This will make it easier for Amazon’s tools, such as Transparency, to recognize infringements such as:

  • When sellers from places where you don’t manufacture are selling your products
  • When your logo is being used on products not associated with your brand name
  • When listings use your brand’s trademarked terms

Third, build a relationship with Amazon. When launching the program, the e-commerce giant created a bunch of Amazon Brand Registry roles, and they now have a global team ready to resolve issues at any time. Fourth, consistently monitor Brand Registry. It should be a part of your work processes, and you should track your progress in solving intellectual property issues. Finally, utilize the enhanced content features Brand Registry gives you. Through A+ Content, the Brand Story featureSponsored Ads, the Brand Dashboard and more, sellers can enhance their brand content on Amazon. Better brand content creates better customer experiences. And that turns into higher conversion rates and greater profitability.

Realizing All the Amazon Brand Registry Benefits

Taking full advantage of Amazon Brand Registry benefits can be time-consuming, and certain aspects can be complex. That’s why we advise partnering with an expert Amazon agency to ensure you get the most out of this tool. At Amify, we offer a full-service solution for selling on Amazon. Leveraging Brand Registry, we help each of our partners gain control of their brand, increase profits and build a better reputation. From removing unauthorized sellers to winning the buy box to creating stunning A+ Content, we utilize all the tools Brand Registry has and more, protecting your company’s intellectual property and winning over more shoppers. Read how Amify helped a large beauty brand reduce MAP violations by 99% and unauthorized sellers by 81%. To get an idea of how enhanced features can help your brand, check out this article on Amazon A+ Content. With the right enhanced brand content, you can boost conversion rates by 10% or more.

Ready to Build Your Brand on Amazon?

Brand Registry goes way beyond simply proving you own the products you’re selling. It enables you to take full control of your brand and provide your customers with a consistently enjoyable experience. From proprietary image and text search to increased authority over your product’s listings, you can leverage this tool to greatly improve your performance on Amazon. All brands, old and new, should apply to Brand Registry to receive all of the amazing benefits outlined in this article. If you’re interested in Brand Registry and need some help navigating, Amify is here to help. Let’s talk.

Discover How to Win With Amazon Brand Registry

The post Your Guide to Amazon Brand Registry appeared first on Amify.

]]>
The Five Big Differences Between Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central https://goamify.com/blog-articles/the-five-big-differences-between-amazon-vendor-central-and-seller-central/ Thu, 14 Nov 2024 11:42:16 +0000 https://goamify.com/the-five-big-differences-between-amazon-vendor-central-and-seller-central/ Whether your brand is selling products on Amazon for the first time or reevaluating an existing sales strategy, it’s common to struggle with the decision to go the Vendor Central...

The post The Five Big Differences Between Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Whether your brand is selling products on Amazon for the first time or reevaluating an existing sales strategy, it’s common to struggle with the decision to go the Vendor Central (1P) or Seller Central (3P) route. Making an informed choice begins with understanding the key differences between the two.

What is Amazon Vendor Central?

Amazon Vendor Central is an invite-only platform that allows manufacturers and authorized distributors to sell their products directly to Amazon, making them first-party (1P) sellers. In this arrangement, Amazon purchases products in bulk from the vendor, assuming control over pricing, sales, and customer service. For customers, products sold through Vendor Central are labeled with “ships from and sold by Amazon,” which can increase trust and credibility.

Unlike other selling arrangements, Vendor Central eliminates intermediaries, enabling companies to form a direct partnership with Amazon. This model is popular with established brands that have a proven track record, such as manufacturers with unique, high-demand products. Amazon’s Vendor Central Recruitment team often scouts these brands, reaching out to marketplace sellers, trade show participants, and other companies that show promise in the market. For instance, an electronics manufacturer recognized for innovation may receive an invitation to join Vendor Central, allowing them to sell their products directly to Amazon.

Vendor Central offers an attractive opportunity for brands seeking streamlined distribution and enhanced visibility through Amazon’s platform. However, vendors relinquish some control, particularly over pricing, in exchange for Amazon’s logistics and sales support.

What is Amazon Seller Central?

Amazon Seller Central is the platform where individual merchants and businesses can list and sell products directly to Amazon’s customers, making them third-party (3P) sellers. This model gives sellers control over product listings, inventory management, pricing, and customer service. It’s especially appealing to startups and small to mid-sized businesses looking to expand their reach without selling wholesale to Amazon. Through Seller Central, merchants create and maintain their accounts, deciding how to manage and scale their business.

Seller Central offers two account types: individual and professional. While the individual account is generally suited for those with lower sales volume, the professional account requires a monthly fee and includes advanced tools, marketing support, and features that are essential for business growth. Many businesses choose the professional account to access Amazon’s analytics, advertising tools, and other resources.

Fulfillment Options for Amazon Seller Central Sellers: Sellers on Amazon have several choices for managing order fulfillment:

  1. Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) – The seller handles shipping, customer service, and returns independently or through a third-party logistics provider (3PL).
  2. Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime – Similar to FBM, this option allows sellers to manage fulfillment while retaining the Prime badge for faster delivery.
  3. Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) – Sellers can also use Amazon’s FBA service, where Amazon handles storage, shipping, customer service, and returns. This option allows the seller’s product listing to show “sold by [Brand Name] and Fulfilled by Amazon.”

For example, a business like “Crafty Creations,” which offers handmade and artisanal products, could use Seller Central to reach more customers. By listing products directly, Crafty Creations maintains control over branding and pricing, potentially increasing margins compared to a wholesale arrangement. They can opt for FBA to ensure smooth order fulfillment and benefit from the Prime shipping badge, making their products more appealing to Amazon’s loyal customers.

Amazon Vendor Central vs. Amazon Seller Central

The path you take will have a major impact on the legwork required by your company, the way your brand is presented to customers on Amazon and, critically, the level of control you have over their experience. Before you make the choice, here are five major factors to consider:

1. Messaging Control

A brand is only as strong as the character and consistency of its messaging.

Vendor Central: brands that go the Vendor Central route relinquish substantial messaging and branding control to Amazon with limited flexibility or customization.

Seller Central: comes with access to marketing features, such as Amazon’s A+ Content offerings and Brand Stores, to tell captivating stories.

No surprise, then, that some of the most celebrated –– and best managed-brands, such as Nike, have made the decision to stop selling on Vendor Central (1P).

2. Pricing Control

Pricing is one of the most consequential decisions your brand must make.

Vendor Central: If you’re a Vendor Central (1P) vendor, you effectively hand this decision to Amazon (more specifically, their pricing algorithm). They set prices at their discretion, even if this means selling below your MAP (Minimum Advertised Price).

Seller Central: Seller Central (3P) sellers set their own prices. This means that they can charge full retail, increasing their margins.

3. Logistics and Inventory Control

Vendor Central: Amazon maintains very high logistics standards for its Vendor Central (1P) vendors and will charge penalties for non-compliance. In addition, while Amazon may initially purchase your whole product line, they can and do drop products. Their purchase orders can be hard to plan for and vary greatly.

Seller Central: Seller Central (3P) sellers have more day-to-day management to handle when it comes to logistics and inventory, but also more flexibility. To participate in Prime, many companies choose to retain the services of FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) to warehouse, pick-pack orders and ship them to the end consumer. Because 65% of US households have a Prime membership and Amazon’s shipping rates tend to be better than UPS or FedEx, FBA is a very appealing option when selling on Seller Central (3P). However, it is still the seller’s responsibility to forecast and send items to Amazon’s FBA warehouses.

4. Data Control

Vendor Central: When you are on Vendor Central (1P), you have to pay for Amazon’s Brand Analytics subscription.

Seller Central: Amazon shares some powerful customer data with Seller Central (3P) sellers that it doesn’t with Vendor Central (1P) vendors. While you cannot market directly to these customers, the insights are still valuable. For instance, gaining access to names and addresses can help determine who is buying your products and how much overlap there is between a DTC site and Amazon. You can also use the data to create lookalike customer audiences to target with marketing.

Seller Central (3P) sellers also get access to Amazon Brand Analytics, which allows you to research keywords and track attribution from marketing channels outside of Amazon. With this sort of data, brands can better manage their inventory and marketing campaigns.

5. Stress Control

At first glance, going Vendor Central (1P) may look like the easier route to take. Amazon handles much of the supply chain and fulfillment details and you can wholesale your products in one go. But, as mentioned above, that “ease” comes with a number of pricing concerns and a lack of control over brand experience that can cause more stress ¾and problems¾down the line. So, what does this all mean for your company? Vendor Central and Seller Central both offer benefits, but if you’re interested in greater control over your brand experience and sales strategy, we believe that Seller Central (3P) is the best path forward. Managing a Seller Central presence may seem daunting, but we’re here to help.

Partnering with Amify, an Amazon as a Service partner, will lighten your workload, reduce stress and most importantly––improve your profits. If you’d like to learn more, let’s talk.

The post The Five Big Differences Between Amazon Vendor Central and Seller Central appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Understanding Amazon’s Supply Chain Strategy https://goamify.com/blog-articles/understanding-amazons-supply-chain-strategy/ Mon, 04 Nov 2024 13:41:28 +0000 https://goamify.com/understanding-amazons-supply-chain-strategy/ Amazon’s supply chain strategy has redefined e-commerce logistics, establishing a model of efficiency and speed that other retailers strive to replicate. Here’s an overview of Amazon’s approach, covering its supply...

The post Understanding Amazon’s Supply Chain Strategy appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Amazon’s supply chain strategy has redefined e-commerce logistics, establishing a model of efficiency and speed that other retailers strive to replicate. Here’s an overview of Amazon’s approach, covering its supply chain, warehousing, delivery, technology, manufacturing, and international expansion.

The fulfillment process

1) Inventory and Storage

Ensuring items are available is the first step towards getting products to customers. For some sellers, this means having a supply of the inventory in stock at a business, warehouse space, storage facility, or third-party warehouse. Marketplace sellers on Amazon have two fulfillment options:

  • Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM): Sellers handle all aspects of order fulfillment.
  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Amazon manages storage, sorting, packing, and shipping.

With these options, sellers can leverage Amazon’s extensive network while focusing on core business functions, such as product development and customer service.

2) Order placement

With the inventory ready for distribution, the next step in the process occurs when a customer orders the item. A brand’s marketing, optimization, and reputation all play an integral role in driving these conversions. 

Once a transaction is completed, the seller can begin processing the order and move on to the final phase of delivering the chosen item to its intended recipient.

3) Pick, pack and ship

The pick, pack, and ship stage includes steps required to ship a product to a customer. The process typically involves the following steps:

  • PickingThis is the selection of the specific items that are included in the customer’s order. In a warehouse setting, this might involve using a handheld device to scan the items and add them to the order.
  • Packing – Once the items have been picked, they need to be appropriately packaged for shipping. This usually requires placing the items in a box or other packaging, along with any necessary packing materials to protect the items during shipping.
  • Shipping – The final step is to ship the order to the customer. The shipper must print a shipping label, attach it to the package, and hand it off to the appropriate shipping carrier, such as USPS, UPS or FedEx.

Seller fulfillment options

Fulfillment by Merchant

Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) is when a brand uses its own warehouse or fulfillment provider to ship a product to the end customer. For example, a customer would order a product on Amazon. The order is transmitted to the brand’s warehouse and picked, packed, and shipped to the end customer.

This seems like a suitable fulfillment method – inventory stored in one location to fulfill orders on Amazon, a brand’s website, or other marketplaces like Walmart.com.

The merchant avoids having to comply with Amazon-specific packaging, labeling or shipping requirements and enjoys more flexibility when bundling products. 

Relying on FBM will be unlikely to gain Prime eligibility and have to manage the return process in-house. In most cases, shipping costs will be higher than the FBA alternative, and shipping times will be several days longer. 

Fulfillment by Amazon

One way that Amazon sellers try to reach their full potential and land the coveted Buy Box is by opting to use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) rather than managing the process alone.

The service outsources order fulfillment to the online retailer, placing your products in an Amazon FBA warehouse where an Amazon employee can pick, pack, and ship them.

Unlike a Vendor Central 1P relationship, the seller retains complete control over pricing and inventory management while relying on Amazon logistics for the rest. 

Success for an Amazon seller via FBA or FBM means requires careful inventory management. It’s imperative that the sellers are capable of meeting customer demand and planning for seasonal surges and events such as Cyber Monday or Prime Day. 

Understanding Amazon’s FBA shipping criteria allows sellers to keep their products in stock for customers and ensures a fast and efficient shipping process. Amazon’s FBA shipping rules include:

  • using boxes that match Amazon’s size requirements
  • avoiding loose packing materials such as packing peanuts or shredded paper
  • not placing shipping labels over box seams
  • a scannable barcode with no extraneous barcodes on case-packed units or shipping containers
  • packaging should be sufficient to protect the products while in transit to the Amazon distribution centers 

By partnering with Amazon on fulfillment, sellers enjoy an easier path to Amazon Prime status for their products, reduced customer interactions and more streamlined processes for returns. 

Multi-channel fulfillment

Amazon also offers similar fulfillment services for products that are ordered from other websites.

Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment (MCF) can simplify the logistics of order fulfillment by providing the same features and services of Amazon FBA to fulfill orders that originate from most online merchants, including a brand’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) website.

Much like any other third-party logistics (3PL) company, Amazon allows sellers to store their inventory in their vast fulfillment network. Once products are in one or more of the company’s warehouses, order fulfillment can be automated by integrating Amazon’s services with other e-commerce platforms.

Amazon will then handle the picking, packing and shipping of products even when they are ordered via a sales channel other than Amazon. These orders remain fully trackable, and Amazon Multi-Channel Fulfillment can also manage customer returns according to the seller’s preferences. 

While brands can use Amazon’s MCF and FBA programs simultaneously, it’s worth noting that the company will always prioritize Amazon orders over those from other sources.

Sellers who use Amazon as one of their sales channels are not the only ones who can use the Multi-Channel Fulfillment program. Even brands that use only their own DTC site or alternative e-commerce solutions can still choose to have Amazon handle their order fulfillment. 

Amazon’s fulfillment advantages

Warehousing

Amazon’s warehousing strategy is a cornerstone of its rapid delivery model. Warehouses are positioned near major metropolitan areas, with some smaller facilities in less populated regions. Products are organized using an efficient storage system that aids “pick-and-pack” robots and staff, enabling quick order fulfillment.

Amazon utilizes various types of warehouses and fulfillment centers dedicated to particular tasks. According to the company, these include:

  • Sortable fulfillment center – Around 800,000 square feet, sortable fulfillment centers can employ more than 1,500 full-time associates. In these buildings, Amazon employees pick, pack, and ship customer orders such as books, toys, and housewares. Thanks to the innovations of Amazon Robotics, associates often work alongside robots, allowing them to learn new skills and help create a more efficient process to meet customer demand.
  • Non-sortable fulfillment centers – Between 600,000 to 1 million square feet, non-sortable fulfillment centers employ more than 1,000 full-time associates. In these centers, associates pick, pack, and ship bulky or larger-sized customer items such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment, or rugs.
  • Sortation centers – At sortation centers, Amazon associates sort customer orders by final destination and consolidate them onto trucks for faster delivery. Amazon’s sort center network powers the ability to provide customers with everyday delivery, including Sunday delivery.
  • Receive centers – Amazon’s receive centers support customer fulfillment by taking in large orders of the types of inventory that are expected to sell quickly and then allocating those items to fulfillment centers within the network. 
  • Specialty – Amazon’s fulfillment network is also supported by additional types of buildings that handle specific categories of items or are pressed into service at peak times of the year, such as the holiday season. 

Delivery

Similar to its approach to warehousing, Amazon is revolutionizing the delivery options that customers can utilize when shopping on the platform. In recent years, Amazon has accelerated the time needed to get orders from storage to the purchaser and launched new methods that increase efficiency. 

Amazon offers a range of delivery options:

  • Prime: Two-day, free shipping.
  • Prime Now: Two-hour delivery for select products.
  • Drones and Robots: High-tech solutions such as Amazon Prime Air allow for faster delivery.

Amazon and its sellers still use third-party carriers like UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service for some deliveries, Amazon has also added its own proprietary shipping options. Drones that land in your backyard or on your roof can deliver products in a matter of hours. Amazon-branded trucks and delivery vans are now offered via a franchise-like structure to entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in expanding the company’s delivery footprint. 

The company also focuses on making the delivery process more convenient via its Hub & Locker and Hub Counter locations. At the same time, Amazon Key gives delivery drivers the ability to place packages inside a home or garage.

Global expansion

Amazon supports cross-border selling through its network of 11 international marketplaces. Sellers can reach customers across North America, Europe, and Asia, with support for localized logistics and fulfillment. For instance, Amazon’s European Fulfillment Network (EFN) allows for inventory consolidation, enabling sellers to reach multiple European markets from a single distribution hub.

By strategically aligning warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution on a global scale, Amazon provides sellers with streamlined entry points into international markets.

Customer service and returns

Amazon has built a reputation for having a strong customer service team and for making it easy for customers to return products. This is likely because Amazon has invested heavily in developing a comprehensive and user-friendly returns policy and process and training its customer service staff to be knowledgeable, helpful, and efficient.

Amazon also offers a wide range of options for returning products, including the ability to return items by mail, at a local drop-off location, or select retail stores, and provides clear instructions for how to do so. Additionally, Amazon provides convenient tracking and updates throughout the returns process and often offers refunds or replacements quickly and without hassle.

All of these factors contribute to making the customer service and returns experience with Amazon generally positive and stress-free.

When third-party sellers opt for an FBA agreement, Amazon handles the customer service and return processing for those brands. While this sometimes leads to concerns about the condition of returns and fraud, it does minimize the costs and time-consuming burden of handling those responsibilities in-house. 

Technology 

Amazon’s supply chain management relies heavily on technology and is often among the first to integrate new technologies. The company uses robots, automated conveyor belts, and other technology in its fulfillment centers to streamline the process of sorting, storing, and shipping orders.

Advanced software optimizes routes and schedules for its delivery trucks, planes, and other transportation assets, to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Sophisticated algorithms and data analytics help track and manage inventory levels and predict product demand. Barcodes and RFID tags track products throughout the supply chain, ensuring goods are shipped and delivered accurately and on time.

Overall, Amazon’s use of technology in its supply chain helps the company to operate more efficiently, reduce costs, and improve the speed and accuracy of its fulfillment and delivery operations. But the advantages also extend to the companies it works with.

For example, the Seller Central and Vendor Central dashboards provide sellers with a central hub to manage their relationship with Amazon, and each offers a wealth of data to help with forecasting and optimization. 

Manufacturing

As Amazon has grown, so has its focus on private-label brands. Inspired by the success of house brands in brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon hoped to capitalize on its ability to market low-priced products backed by the company itself. Since committing to the tactic, they have offered private label products, some bearing the Amazon name, in categories ranging from food to clothing to electronics. 

However, new reporting indicates a shift may be on the horizon. While sellers and brands utilizing Amazon have previously focused on competing with Amazon’s private label brands, the new priority may be on learning how to adjust to a marketplace with fewer Amazon-branded products available, but new challenges that would accompany such a transition.

Both Vox and the Wall Street Journal addressed the potential change in Amazon’s strategy in recent weeks. Their reports centered on the possibility that Amazon’s efforts to drive market share in-house may lead to more harm than profit.  

Among the motivations for a decision to minimize these offerings is the scrutiny Amazon has faced from government regulators due to their private label products. There are well-documented questions about how Amazon’s role as a marketplace and data-collection company may conflict with its aspirations to sell more of its in-house brands.

Regardless of what happens in the future, current sellers should be aware of the industry climate and have a plan to respond in ways that will grow their businesses. 

Amify can deliver for your brand 

Find the right Amazon warehousing strategy for your business with help from the experts at Amify. They understand the impact that a delivery option can have on your bottom line and how growing sellers can make Amazon’s supply chain strategy and operations an important advantage. Contact us today to learn more.

The post Understanding Amazon’s Supply Chain Strategy appeared first on Amify.

]]>
The Amazon Brand Story Feature: All You Need to Know https://goamify.com/blog-articles/the-brand-story-feature-on-amazon-all-you-need-to-know/ Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:38:12 +0000 https://goamify.com/the-brand-story-feature-on-amazon-all-you-need-to-know/ Amazon’s updated Brand Story feature now offers enhanced customization options and a sleek, continuous carousel format for a smoother shopping experience. Located below the fold but just above the A+...

The post The Amazon Brand Story Feature: All You Need to Know appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Amazon’s updated Brand Story feature now offers enhanced customization options and a sleek, continuous carousel format for a smoother shopping experience. Located below the fold but just above the A+ content section, the Brand Story allows sellers to add multiple modules that showcase their brand’s mission, heritage, and product catalog. This section is a powerful tool to help stand out among the 9.7 million sellers on Amazon by connecting with shoppers on a deeper level, promoting brand identity, and linking to your product pages and store. When used strategically, it helps highlight what makes your brand unique while providing a consistent, engaging experience for customers.

In this article, we’ll guide you through accessing and creating a Brand Story, and discuss whether it’s the right choice for your business. Let’s dive in!

Jump to instructions for setting up your Brand Story on Amazon

Should you Use the Amazon Brand Story?

Building a strong brand across multiple platforms is essential, with studies showing that 65% of buyers find a consistent brand experience more persuasive than advertising campaigns. But how does this apply to Amazon? Should you invest in the Amazon Brand Story feature? The answer depends on your overall brand content strategy.

The Brand Story feature allows you to highlight your brand’s mission, values, and catalog, helping you stand out from competitors. It can strengthen brand awareness and trust, while also providing more opportunities for cross-selling. However, it does push the A+ Content section further down the page, which could impact visibility for product-specific information.

If your A+ Content already performs well, you might want to prioritize it. But, with recent updates making the Brand Story more visually appealing and easier to navigate, adding it could enhance your brand’s presence. Consider your goals: do you want to emphasize product features, or build deeper connections with customers through storytelling? A well-executed Brand Story can help you:

1. Humanize your brand

You want to relate to your customers as people. The Brand Story section is great for telling your company’s story, showing your mission and values, talking about the people behind the products, and being transparent about what you offer. It’s particularly helpful for smaller brands who may not have well-known, recognizable branding, but who want to connect on a more person-to-person level.

Stats to know:

  • Customers who form an emotional connection with a brand have 3 times higher lifetime value, which highlights the importance of building a meaningful relationship with consumers. Deloitte 2023
  • 46% of consumers purchased at least one sustainable good, and consumers are increasingly willing to pay a premium (on average 27% more) for brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability​. Deloitte 2023
  • Additionally, 83% of consumers say trust is a key emotional factor that influences their connection with a brand. Trust, along with consistency, plays a crucial role in driving brand loyalty and increasing customer retention​. Deloitte 2023

2. Show your product catalog & upsell

Through the Brand Story section, you can display more of your product line. The carousel-style format makes scrolling seamless for the user. Being able to scroll so easily can help increase the time a shopper spends looking at your brand and your products. This has four benefits. One, if a customer is looking for something specific and it’s not the product listing they’re currently viewing, they may find it in your Brand Story module. Two, a customer may spot another product in your catalog that interests them. Three, you can keep the customer inside your Amazon store, as they may click to another one of your listings or storefront. Four, customers can make quick comparisons and choose the product that best fits their needs.

A stat to know: This is like an upsell opportunity. Upselling current customers increases revenue by 10-30% overall and is 68% more affordable than acquiring new customers.

3. Highlight what sets you apart

In the Brand Story section, you can show your competitive advantages and highlight your unique value proposition. Smaller businesses especially can show off that “homegrown” feel and how they’re solving customer pain points.

A stat to know76% of customers expect businesses to understand their needs. Prove why you meet their needs better than the others.

4. Increase brand awareness

Shoppers on Amazon may not take the time to research the company behind the product. With Amazon Brand Story content, you put your company on display for the customer. This increases the likelihood of them remembering your brand. A stat to know: For consumers to remember your brand, it takes 5 to 7 impressions. Don’t miss the opportunity here. There are, of course, a few cons. The Brand Story feature currently offers next to no customization in formatting. With the updates, you now have three different module choices, which is much, much better than before (when there was only one). However, you must work within the constraints of these modules. There are also strict character limits to keep this section brief, so you’ll have to be concise. For brands who are used to having complete creative control, this may prove a challenge; for emerging brands, these restrictions can be helpful in deciding what message to tell.

An Amazon Brand Story allows for better content organization

You’ve probably heard that you only have seven seconds to make a first impression. On Amazon, you have to keep this in mind when creating A+ Content. While you don’t want to leave out crucial company information, you also don’t want to stuff the space with everything imaginable about your business. The addition of the Brand Story feature allows you to keep the A+ Content focused on the product, and keep the information about your company’s humble beginnings in the Brand Story Section. Since you can now show related products through the ASIN & Brand Store module, this section can help with displaying more of your Amazon store too.

Requirements for Making an Amazon Brand Story

Brand Story on Amazon is available only to sellers who have Amazon Brand Registry. To qualify for Amazon Brand Registry, you must have an active registered trademark. Our guide here can explain that process for you in detail. Note: Even if you don’t plan on fully utilizing the Brand Story feature, it makes sense to do Brand Registry. Not only does it offer brand protection, but you get access to a whole suite of tools, including A/B testing and Amazon A+ Content. Understand, Amazon is constantly introducing new tools and features, and it’s not always clear to sellers how they can best take advantage of what’s available. To get the most out of Amazon Brand Story, as well as other newly released features, we advise partnering with an Amazon agency who’s skilled at navigating the ever-changing Amazon marketplace.

At Amify, we offer partner brands a full-service solution for selling on Amazon. We can help you boost brand value through services like A+ Content and Brand Story creation, as well as help you get ahead of the game when new features are released.

Best Practices for Creating Brand Story Content: 10 Tips

Regardless of which Amazon Brand Story module you choose, be precise with your words and make sure your visuals amaze shoppers. Here are 10 tips for creating Brand Story content:

  1. Be authentic and tell your story
  • Highlight related products to help customers find what they want
  • Display your top-selling ASINs where relevant
  • Only use the highest quality images
  • Use the Brand Carousel background image to guide the shopper

2. Avoid flowery language and don’t be wordy

  • Explain your mission and how your products help people
  • Show what’s unique about your company and products
  • Focus on educating the shopper about your brand and products
  • Track the impact of your Brand Story module on conversion rates and sales

How to Create a Brand Story on Amazon

Brand Stories appear below the listing bullet points and above the product description and A+ Content on the product detail page. To create an Amazon Brand Story, follow this process:

  1. Log into Amazon Seller Central. Go to ‘A+ Content Manager’ under the Advertising tab.
Amazon A+ Content manager

2. Select ‘Start creating A+ content’ on the right side.

start creating A+ content manager

3. If you have the option to create a Brand Story, you will be presented with two choices here. Click ‘Create a Brand Story’.

A+ content manager

4. Next, you’ll reach the Brand Story screen. Amazon updated the Brand Story feature in late 2021 to allow for more options and customization. You no longer have to follow a strict template with questions about how you got your start, what makes your products unique, and why you love what you do (though you can still answer those questions if desired). Instead, you’ll see the following screen:

Brand Story Screen

On this page, you’ll create a content name. You may also add a brand carousel background module.

Creating an Amazon brand carousel background

This can include a background image, headline text and body text. The headline text has a max of 30 characters and the body text has a maximum of 135 characters. The brand story background image has the following image requirements:

Brand Story Background Image

We recommend you add a carousel background image because of the way the content appears on mobile. Shoppers have to scroll to see the first module, which they may not know to do. So you need a background for not only aesthetics and branding, but also to guide the shopper to your Amazon Brand Story content. Here’s what we did for MobyFox:

MobyFox Background

See how that first content module to the right is kind of out of view on mobile. That’s why you need a carousel background image with some text. We wrote “Explore MobyFox” with an arrow to direct the shopper to the Brand Story content carousel.

5. After creating your brand story content name and your brand carousel background, scroll down to find the ‘Add Module’ button. Click it.

‘Add Module’ Button

After clicking ‘Add Module’, you’ll get a list of brand story content module options.

Amazon offers four brand story modules:

  • Brand ASIN & Store Showcase: Highlights up to 4 ASINs with direct links and a link to your Amazon Store, ideal for cross-selling.
  • Brand Focus Image: A large image module with optional headline and text, no links, great for visual storytelling.
  • Brand Logo & Description: Features a small image (ideal for a logo) paired with a large block of text, which can describe your brand. It’s perfect for telling your brand’s mission or values.
  • Brand Q&A: Displays up to 3 customizable FAQs with answers (max 600 characters total), offering additional brand insights.

Through these Amazon brand story content modules, you can get to the heart of your brand’s history and purpose, just like before, but now you have more options to visually showcase your products. With such updates, Amazon has improved the Brand Story feature, giving you more ways to personalize the content and let your products and brand shine. This should make the feature a more powerful tool for driving sales.

Note: As far as we know, there is no limit on the number of modules you can create. Since it’s a carousel, shoppers can continue scrolling and viewing your brand and products. However, don’t go overboard with this. We advise you to create 3-5 modules per Brand Story section.

6. Choose an Amazon Brand Story module. Then, fill in the content. We’ve listed the requirements for each module below. Note that, for each image, you can provide keywords with the image, which could help improve search visibility and aid in accessibility. 

Brand Logo & Description

You can add up to 450 characters for the body text. The image must be at least 315 x 145 pixels. The Primary Benefit: This module is best for branding. If you want to elevate awareness of your brand, use this Brand Story module to include your logo and an about us section (or something similar). You can communicate your company’s vision and values, along with the benefits of your products. You can also use the space like a FAQ to address any doubts and purchase barriers.

The Primary Benefit

Your Brand Logo & Description module could look something like this:

Brand Logo & Description module

Brand ASIN & Store Showcase

Headline text can be a max of 30 characters. We recommend you use it like a call-to-action, writing something like “See more of our collection.” You can link to your brand store in this module too. You can add images for four ASINs, and those images will link to the respective listing pages. The Primary Benefit: This is a great module for highlighting related products. It can almost function like a comparison chart. It ensures that, if a customer perhaps wants something slightly different than the product above, they find that product from your store – not the competition’s. They may also find other products they like and make an additional purchase!

The Primary Benefit

Your Brand ASIN & Store Showcase module could look something like this:

Brand ASIN & Store Showcase module

Do you see above how you can scroll to another module? Since you can have multiple modules, you can showcase even more products. Here’s that next module on the same listing’s Brand Story.

Brand Story

Brand Focus Image

Headline text can be a max of 30 characters and body text can be up to 135 characters (both are optional). Images have a 362 x 453 pixel minimum. The Primary Benefit: This module is a good choice for displaying your product line in a visually stunning way. Or, you could use the space to improve brand awareness. The text space can be used for highlighting product benefits or brand messaging.

The Primary Benefit
The Primary Benefit

Brand Q&A

In the Brand Q&A module, you can list up to 3 questions and their answers. Amazon provides a few preset questions, but you can fully customize them to fit your brand’s needs. The combined character limit for all answers is 600 characters.

7. After adding your module or modules, click to add ASINs. On the next screen, you can add your Amazon Brand Story to multiple listings at once via a bulk upload. Simply copy and paste all the ASINs into the box. After that, click ‘Next: Review and Submit.’ It should show live within 15-30 minutes, but can take up to 24 hours or even longer.

Next: Review and Submit.

Making the Most of the Amazon Brand Story Feature

For brands with the option, the Amazon Brand Story feature may have a place in your toolset. It can help you build your brand’s reputation, form long-lasting relationships with customers, and ultimately stand out from the competition. Plus, with the recent updates, the Amazon Brand Story feature now gives you a greater ability to showcase your company’s product line and keep customers within your Amazon store. Since Amazon Brand Story is a new feature and rules and best practices will evolve, it helps to have experts on your side. This way, you can maximize the potential of Amazon Brand Story and boost sales and profitability. At Amify, we’re ready to be that partner for you and help you win on Amazon. If you’d like help building your brand on Amazon, feel free to contact us.

Improve Brand Value on Amazon

The post The Amazon Brand Story Feature: All You Need to Know appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Amazon Coupons—A Guide For Sellers https://goamify.com/blog-articles/amazon-coupons-tips-and-tricks/ Fri, 30 Aug 2024 19:47:27 +0000 https://goamify.com/amazon-coupons-tips-and-tricks/ Customers love to save money. From Black Friday to Amazon Prime Day, people will regularly go out of their way to find great deals to save a few bucks, which...

The post Amazon Coupons—A Guide For Sellers appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Customers love to save money. From Black Friday to Amazon Prime Day, people will regularly go out of their way to find great deals to save a few bucks, which is why promotional material and special offers mean so much to shoppers, especially on Amazon. Coupons have been traced back to the late 1800s when Coca-Cola offered a free sample of their year-old drink, priced then at five cents, through hand-written tickets. Over the years, as consumer behavior shifted towards ecommerce, coupons have evolved from physical paper slips to digital codes and online discounts. Amazon made sure to adopt the practice for sellers to attract new and existing customers to boost sales.  

What Are Amazon Coupons?

Amazon coupons are a versatile promotional feature designed to help sellers attract more customers and boost their sales. They offer a simple and effective way to provide discounts directly on product listings, allowing shoppers to easily “clip” the digital coupon and apply the savings during checkout. Amazon coupons are highly visible, which makes them an attractive option for sellers. 

They’re visible across multiple sections of the site, increasing the likelihood of catching the attention of your target audience. Not only does the use of coupons enhance your product visibility, but it also helps drive higher conversion rates that make it an essential and effective strategy for those looking to stand out amongst their competition. Coupons from top-selling Amazon sellers appear on Amazon’s coupons page, where people can save the discounts most relevant to them.

Amazon coupon page where shoppers can access and sort through products discounted with coupons

How Much Do Coupons Cost to Use?

Keeping cost in mind when building a coupon strategy is crucial for maintaining profitability and returning a positive ROI. The costs associated with the discounts and redemption fees can quickly add up and chip away at your profit margins. By carefully planning and budgeting for these costs, your coupon strategy can still support your financial goals.  

When looking at the cost of using Amazon coupons, it involves two components: the discount offered to customers and the redemption fee charged by Amazon. In the US, the standard redemption fee is $0.60 per coupon redeemed. This means your total cost includes $0.60 on top of the actual discount amount given to the customer.  

For example, if you offer a $5 discount that 200 customers redeem, you will pay $120 in redemption fees in addition to the $1,000 in discounts given to the customers.  

Why Should I Use Amazon Coupons?

Amazon coupons provide a powerful way to enhance your products visibility. When you use coupons, you’re essentially paying for ad space for your products because it increases the chances of consumers buying your product. By offering a discount through coupons, you can incentivize potential customers to choose your product over others as they weigh their options. With coupons predominantly displayed on product pages and in Amazon’s dedicated coupon section, you’re giving your products extra exposure that can lead to more clicks. More redeemed coupons equal more sales, and with more sales, it can help provide the necessary boost to climb organic rankings.  

So, whether you’re looking to boost sales for a new product or increase brand awareness, Amazon coupons can be a strategic add to your existing marketing strategy. 

How Can I Enable Coupons?

Enabling Amazon Coupons for your products is a straightforward process that can be done directly from your Amazon Seller Central account. To get started, follow these steps: 

  1. Log in to Seller Central: Navigate to your Seller Central account and select the Advertising tab in the main menu. 
  2. Create a New Coupon: Under the Advertising tab, click on Coupons. This will take you to the coupon creation page, where you can begin to build out your coupon campaign. 
  3. Select Products: Choose the products you want to offer a coupon for by searching for them in the product selection tool. 
  4. Set Discount Details: Decide on the type of discount you want to offer. This can either be a percentage off or a fixed dollar amount. Set the discount value and specify the budget and quantity limits, if any. 
  5. Define Targeting & Duration: Choose the customer segments you want to target with the coupon. This can be all customers or specific groups like Prime members. Select a start and end date to align with your campaign goals. 
  6. Review & Submit: Review all the details of your coupon, including the cost and estimated impact, to make sure everything is set up correctly. Once done, submit the coupon for approval. 
You can find the "Coupons" section on your Seller Central account underneath the "Advertising" tab.

After submission, the coupon will be reviewed by Amazon and once approved, it will go live on your specific date. You can monitor the performance within Seller Central, making any adjustments as needed to optimize performance and realign with your goals. 

Here’s an example of an active Amazon coupon on a product detail page.

How Can I Maximize My ROI with Coupons?

To maximize your ROI, it’s important to remember not to set your coupons live and never revisit them while they’re active. It’s essential to experiment with the different types of discounts, percentage off vs. dollar amount off, to see which resonates best with your customer base. Dollar amount off coupons are more straightforward and appealing, giving the shopper the exact amount off without requiring any calculation. Percentage off coupons can be enticing, particularly on higher priced items where the percentage can equal a significant savings.  
 
A/b tests and continual refinement of your coupon strategy will help you identify which format drives the most engagement. By fine tuning your approach and staying aligned to your financial targets, you can optimize your coupon strategy over time and achieve the best possible ROI. For more tips on enhancing your Amazon sales strategy, subscribe to our blog or reach out to the team with questions.  

The post Amazon Coupons—A Guide For Sellers appeared first on Amify.

]]>
What You Need To Know About Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Program https://goamify.com/blog-articles/what-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-subscribe-save-program/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 16:36:28 +0000 https://goamify.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-amazons-subscribe-save-program/ What is the Amazon Subscribe & Save program? Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program allows customers to schedule recurring deliveries of essential products at a discounted rate. Launched in 2007, this...

The post What You Need To Know About Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Program appeared first on Amify.

]]>
What is the Amazon Subscribe & Save program?

Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program allows customers to schedule recurring deliveries of essential products at a discounted rate. Launched in 2007, this program helps shoppers save money while giving FBA sellers an opportunity to enhance customer retention and boost recurring revenue.

Subscribers can choose regular delivery intervals—such as monthly—and receive a discount on every order. Customers who subscribe to five or more items in a single month qualify for an even greater discount. The program offers flexibility, as customers can cancel subscriptions anytime without penalties.

An example of a product listing page with a Subscribe & Save option

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in the Subscribe & Save program, sellers must meet the following criteria:

Seller eligibility

  • Must have an active Amazon selling account in good standing
  • Must be the brand owner with products enrolled in the Brand Registry

Product eligibility

  • Must maintain an in-stock rate of at least 90% over the past 28 days
  • Must not belong to a restricted category
  • Must have an average selling price below $200
  • Must be buyable and meet Amazon’s fulfillment requirements

Offer eligibility (must be maintained for 3 consecutive months)

  • Free domestic shipping
  • Valid tracking rate of 95% or higher
  • Order defect rate below 1%
  • Pre-fulfillment cancel rate below 2.5%
  • Delivery estimate accuracy above 93.5%
  • Late shipment rate below 4%
  • Average domestic delivery time of fewer than 5 days

Amazon automatically enrolls eligible products in Subscribe & Save at the default discount rate (set at 0% unless adjusted in Seller Central).

What Products Can Be Enrolled in Amazon’s Subscribe & Save?

Subscribe & Save is available for select product categories, including:

  • Beauty
  • Grocery
  • Health & Baby Care
  • Automotive Parts & Tools
  • Electronics
  • Tools & Home Improvement
  • Industrial Supplies
  • Kitchen
  • Lawn & Garden
  • Musical Instruments
  • Office Supplies
  • Outdoors
  • Pet Supplies
  • Sports
  • Toys

‍How Subscribe & Save discounts work

Sellers can choose to offer either a 5% or 10% discount on their Subscribe & Save products. Amazon reports that offering a 10% discount can increase conversion rates by 1.8x compared to not offering a discount.

Who funds the discounts?

Previously, sellers bore the cost of the higher discount tiers, which often benefited Amazon more than individual brands. Amazon has since adjusted the funding structure:

  • 0% Seller Discount: Customers receive no discount for four subscribed products in a single order. If they subscribe to five or more products, Amazon funds a 5% discount.
  • 5% Seller Discount: Customers receive a 5% discount for four subscribed products (funded by the seller). If they subscribe to five or more, Amazon funds an additional 5%, bringing the total discount to 10%.
  • 10% Seller Discount: Customers receive a 10% discount for four subscribed products (funded by the seller). If they subscribe to five or more, Amazon adds an additional 5%, bringing the total discount to 15%.

FAQs about Amazon Subscribe & Save

How are Subscribe & Save orders fulfilled?

Products must be sold through Amazon FBA to qualify. While exceptions may be granted for self-fulfilled products, sellers must contact Amazon support to request approval.

Are there fees for participating in Subscribe & Save?

There are no direct fees, but sellers must account for discount costs and any impact on profit margins. Standard FBA fees and Amazon selling fees still apply.

What are the benefits of offering Subscribe & Save?

Key benefits include increased sales volume, improved customer retention, predictable revenue, enhanced product visibility, and stronger brand loyalty.

How does Subscribe & Save impact inventory management?

With predictable recurring orders, sellers can better anticipate demand and manage inventory more effectively to prevent stockouts and excess storage fees.

Can sellers control the discounts offered?

Yes, sellers can select from three discount options: 0%, 5%, or 10%. When customers subscribe to five or more products, Amazon funds an additional 5% discount.

How does pricing work for Subscribe & Save?

Pricing must be competitive and attractive enough to justify the subscription model. Sellers should carefully calculate their discounts to maintain healthy profit margins.

How frequently can customers receive Subscribe & Save deliveries?

Customers can select from multiple delivery intervals, including every 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months, with the latter being one of the most popular choices.

If you have more questions about Amazon Subscribe & Save or need help optimizing your Amazon strategy, contact us today.

If you have any more questions on the Subscribe & Save program or selling on Amazon, we’re here to help. Contact us today.

The post What You Need To Know About Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Program appeared first on Amify.

]]>
Amazon Prime Day: The Complete Guide for Sellers https://goamify.com/blog-articles/amazon-prime-day-the-complete-guide-for-sellers/ Wed, 08 May 2024 15:48:58 +0000 https://goamify.com/prime-day-2022-the-complete-guide-for-sellers/ It’s official: Amazon Prime Day is coming July 16 and 17.  Prime Day is one of the biggest events in e-commerce each year. Amazon says Prime members purchased more than...

The post Amazon Prime Day: The Complete Guide for Sellers appeared first on Amify.

]]>
It’s official: Amazon Prime Day is coming July 16 and 17. 

Prime Day is one of the biggest events in e-commerce each year. Amazon says Prime members purchased more than 300 million items over the two days in 2022, and sales across our partner brands grew substantially. For years, we’ve helped them successfully navigate – and take advantage of – this annual mid-Summer influx of shoppers on Amazon. To make the most of the event, you too must have a fully optimized presence on Amazon. 

Even if you’re not currently working with us to build your brand on Amazon, we’ve put together some insights, based on our extensive experience, to help you understand where to focus your time and budget, highlight some of the important deadlines to keep in mind, and explain just how to stand out from the crowd on Prime Day.  

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a highly anticipated annual sales event exclusively for Amazon Prime members. Launched in 2015 to celebrate Amazon’s 20th anniversary, it typically takes place over two days and features deep discounts on various products, from electronics to fashion to home goods.

For shoppers, the allure of Prime Day lies in its exceptional deals and offers. It’s often considered a mid-year counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The exclusivity of being a Prime member adds an element of excitement, as these deals are available only to this specific group. It’s also an excellent opportunity for customers to find significant savings on big-ticket items they’ve been eyeing or to stock up on everyday essentials.

For sellers, Prime Day is a golden opportunity to increase sales, attract new customers, and clear out inventory. The surge in site traffic during this period can lead to increased visibility for their products and their brand. Sellers often experience a halo effect, with sales remaining high even after the event, as many new customers tend to return. A recent Amazon survey showed that 53% of shoppers were likely or highly likely to repurchase after Prime Day.

Moreover, Prime Day can provide a significant boost for small- and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon. Amazon often promotes these businesses during the event, providing them with increased exposure.

Amazon Prime Day is a win-win situation for both buyers and sellers. Shoppers love it because they feel they’re getting deep discounts on products they would buy anyway, particularly on Amazon brands. For brands, it means a lot more eyes on products and a lot more competition to win those views.

What kind of deals are offered on Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a bonanza of discounts and deals, offering a wide variety of reduced prices across all categories. Lightning Deals are one of the key deals you’ll encounter during this event. These sales offer a specific percentage off an item, but they’re time-bound and only available until all the promotional discounts are claimed.

In addition, Amazon also offers Prime Exclusive Discounts, which are special deals specifically available to Amazon Prime members. These can range from electronics to fashion to home goods and typically offer significant discounts.

Another standard Prime Day promotion is the Deal of the Day. As the name suggests, these deals only last for one day and cover a specific list of items. Similarly, Spotlight Deals feature discounts on popular brands and top-selling items and are available until the end of Prime Day or until the product is sold out.

In the days leading up to Prime Day, Amazon often rolls out Early Access Deals. These provide Prime members with the opportunity to snag great deals before the official start of the event. In addition, Amazon features Prime Day Launches, which are new and special-edition items exclusively released for Prime Day, giving Prime members a chance to be among the first to purchase these products.

Amazon also typically leads with deep discounts on its own tech products, such as Echo speakers, Fire tablets, and Kindle e-readers, during Prime Day. You’ll also find savings on Amazon’s services like Audible, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Kindle Unlimited. 

And, of course, you may offer your own discounts or coupons on Prime Day, just don’t refer to them as Prime Day Deals.

How do I sign up for Prime Day?

As an Amazon seller, participating in Prime Day can require advanced planning and the ability to meet Amazon’s stringent requirements. For Lightning Deals, the deadline for submissions has already passed. If you want to join next year, submissions usually open three months in advance. For other deals, you need to meet these criteria:

  • The item must be in new condition, nationally available, Prime shipping eligible FBA product.
  • The Prime Exclusive Discount must meet all regular eligibility criteria.
  • The product must have at least a 3.5-star rating or be a launch product with no rating.
  • The discount must be at least 20% and no more than 80% off the non-prime member, non-promotional price. The discounted price must be the lowest in the last 30 days, including all deals, promotional and sales pricing.
  • Your Seller Feedback Rating for the last year must be at least 4, where available. If you don’t have enough recent feedback, this will be aggregated from all your sales.

Is Prime Day right for me?

With the incredible increase in organic traffic on Prime Day, there’s almost certainly a way to use the event to help grow your business. But it’s possible that signing up to participate in one of the “official” deals is not in your best interest. 

For example, you may be able to ride the wave of increased organic traffic while providing a minimal discount. By increasing investment in your Sponsored Ads and expanding competitor keyword targeting in the two weeks leading up to Prime Day, you may have just as much success. Additionally, instead of participating in a Lightning Deal, you might try launching coupons and redirecting the fees you would have spent on the Lightning Deal to advertising those instead. 

With any promotion, Prime Day or otherwise, it’s essential to go in with realistic expectations of what you might get out of it. Not everybody has margins large enough to endure a 20% discount. Small- and medium-sized sellers should carefully weigh all options before deciding on a course of action. Consulting with an Amazon partner like Amify can also help you navigate these strategy and advertising decisions to ensure you’ve thought through every angle.

How can I make the most of Prime Day?

Capitalizing on Amazon Prime Day means looking ahead to the promotional event to understand the opportunities and fortify your business in advance of the surge of shoppers. In some cases, such as FBA inventory, the deadline has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean all is lost. There is still time to maximize some of the benefits of Prime Day for your business, as well as an opportunity to get an early start on this year’s Prime Day. Below is a summary of the timeline and steps we advise clients to follow. 

4-6 weeks prior to Prime Day: Have an inventory plan ready

Remember, you can only sell what you have in stock, so getting your inventory right is hugely important. Unfortunately, the Prime Day inventory inbound shipping cut-off was June 15, so anything you hope to sell on Prime Day would need to have been checked in to Amazon by then. 

As always, there’s a careful balance to strike between having a surplus of product you then need to get rid of over the summer and not enough product to meet Prime Day demand, thereby losing sales. Now is the time to assess your current inventory levels, calculate a forecast and build your ship plans.

2 weeks before Prime Day: Concentrate on building awareness and driving brand consideration 

The more eyes on your product, the more likely your Prime Day will be a success. Increase investment in Sponsored Brand Ads, expand competitor conquesting, drive listing views for remarketing and consider activating DSP campaigns to take advantage of the increased traffic. 

At the same time, consider whether your listings and advertising creative could better support this brand awareness drive. Posts allow your brand to broadcast short, social media style snippets to followers and currently, they’re still free to use. 

Consider creating a batch and scheduling them to go live at least a couple of weeks before Prime Day. Remember that any explicit mention of a promotion, Prime Day or a numerical discount will violate Amazon’s moderation policy. As a bonus, if you have ten live posts, the content will show on Posts placement on your Product Detail Pages. 

1 week before Prime Day: Submit a special Prime Day version of your Brand Storefront

Or at least build a promotions page. As with posts, don’t explicitly call this a Prime Day page 

or feature numerical discounts. Don’t leave this until the last minute, or your new creative almost certainly won’t make it through the approvals process in time. Schedule it to publish a day before Prime Day with an end date that reverts your store to normal within 24 hours of Prime Day finishing.

On Prime Day: Focus on maximizing conversions and supporting high-volume products

You might consider investing in high-converting category terms against high-volume and/or promoted products. Launch your pre-planned coupons as needed to offer discounts.

Be prepared to provide excellent customer service. This includes responding promptly to customer inquiries, swiftly addressing issues, and ensuring a smooth purchasing process. A positive shopping experience can lead to good reviews and repeat customers.

Finally, monitoring performance in real-time and making necessary adjustments can help sellers maximize their success on Prime Day. This might involve tweaking ad campaigns, adjusting prices, or responding to customer feedback.

Bottom Line: What does it take to win on Prime Day?

When it comes to winning on Amazon Prime Day, we believe the path is influenced by a handful of Do’s and Don’ts that every Amazon Seller should know and follow.

  • Do Plan Ahead: Start preparing for Prime Day well in advance by analyzing past sales data, forecasting demand, and stocking up on inventory.
  • Don’t Ignore Inventory Management: Running out of stock during Prime Day can lead to missed sales opportunities and negatively impact your seller ranking. So, don’t underestimate the importance of proper inventory management.
  • Do Optimize Your Listings: Make sure your product listings are optimized with high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and relevant keywords to improve visibility and attract customers.
  • Don’t Neglect Marketing: Don’t rely solely on the increased traffic during Prime Day. Promote your deals on social media, email newsletters, and other marketing channels to reach a wider audience.
  • Do Offer Competitive Deals: Price your products competitively and offer attractive deals to stand out among the competition and attract more customers.
  • Do Use Amazon Advertising Tools: Leverage Amazon’s advertising tools like Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands to increase the visibility of your products and drive more traffic to your listings.
  • Don’t Overlook Post-Prime Day Analysis: Don’t forget to analyze your performance after Prime Day to identify what worked and what didn’t. This will provide valuable insights for future sales events.
  • Do Provide Excellent Customer Service: Respond promptly to customer inquiries, resolve issues swiftly, and ensure a smooth purchasing process to enhance the customer experience. 

Win every day with Amify

On Prime Day or any other day on Amazon, you need to make sure that every function of your Amazon sales process is working together holistically. To succeed means your inventory and logistics, strategy, and media and advertising functions are all working hand-in-hand, that your product detail pages are up-to-date and looking their creative best, and your account is in good standing. 

At Amify, we work as an extension of your business, partnering with you at every step of your Amazon sales journey, including on Prime Day and in the weeks leading up to it. Sound like the support your business needs? Let’s talk!

The post Amazon Prime Day: The Complete Guide for Sellers appeared first on Amify.

]]>