Amazon is a place of fierce competition. And standing out isn’t always easy. Still, it is the go-to place for 44% of online shoppers, and its popularity is growing every year.
So naturally, companies should look for ways to enter the market.
Although the platform offers the possibility of paid advertising, most sellers will want to focus on organic traffic. This way, they’ll be able to make maximum profits without having to spend their hard-earned money on advertising fees.
Nevertheless, making it on Amazon isn’t the same as making it in other marketplaces. If you really want to step up your game, here are a few tricks to help you get the most out of your efforts.
Learn about SEO
You’ve probably heard about search engine optimization and how it affects Google rankings, and consequently, a website’s ability to stand out. However, the one thing most people don’t realize is that Amazon is a search engine as well.
That’s why, to make your listings stand out, you need to fully optimize them. This will depend on several factors, but, luckily, they’re not too difficult to grasp, even if you have no previous experience:
- Track and research your keywords with tools such as Ahrefs.
- Optimize your listing title with ONE main keyword and your brand name.
- Use other high-ranking relevant keywords in the bullet points description.
- Write product descriptions that are easy to read and point out the benefits of what you’re selling.
- Include high-quality images that show off the product in the best possible light.
- Make use of enhanced brand content to make your products stand out.
- Manage the Q&A section to your advantage. Both in terms of information, as well as off-page SEO.
Win the buy box
Once you’ve optimized your product listings so that they rank high on SERPs, you will want to make sure that customers buy from you and not other sellers. This is one of the more difficult parts of standing out on Amazon. However, it’s not impossible to do.
To assert yourself as the go-to for a certain type of product, you will need to win the Buy Box. There are several ways to do this, but your best course of action would be to combine strategies and maximize your efforts on more than a single front.
- Always make sure that your products are well-stocked. Low stock may cause your items to appear further down on SERPs, which is what you don’t
- Choose the right price. Generally, the lower the price, the higher your chances of winning the buy box. But be aware that this comes with some risk, so it’s best to educate yourself about repricing before you start a price war with your competition.
- Know that some fulfillment methods tend to do better. Hint: go with FBA if you can.
- Always keep your eye on your account’s health. Your eligibility will depend on your response time, order defect rate, and return dissatisfaction rate.
Prioritize customer experience
One of the reasons Amazon does so well among shoppers is the fact that it takes a customer-first approach. So, naturally, if you want to make the most of the marketplace, you’ll have to do the same thing.
Invest in customer experience and do everything you can to gain positive feedback.
- Speed up shipping times if you’re using the FBM method.
- Only use relevant keywords and images.
- Address any issues as soon as they arise in a manner that’s fast and efficient.
- Use the Q&A section to offer added value to potential and existing buyers.
- Follow up with customers and ask them to leave feedback on your items.
There are things you can do off of Amazon as well. The biggest of these would be to build a customer base. It’s known that customer retention can bring in great profits, so try to do what you can in this regard.
Seeing that you can’t use links in your listings, you won’t be able to add a newsletter sign-up or discount code. However, what you can do is direct your off-Amazon efforts to dedicated landing pages where you’ll be able to capture customer information, offer exclusive perks, and ensure that your on-page conversion rates remain high. All of these will help increase your profits. And it’s relatively easy to do from your website or social media accounts with a smart URL shortener.
Don’t forget to follow your performance
Finally, remember that on Amazon, as on any other platform, you need to be ready to make adjustments as you go. This means keeping an eye on metrics, organic traffic, SERP rankings, click-through rates, conversions, and, most of all, customer satisfaction. You’ll find that any of these can be improved. And, as long as you make changes promptly, you’ll see the benefits reflected in your sales and your profits.
Sarah Kaminski is a freelance writer and social media marketer. She works with a number of small businesses to build their brands through more engaging marketing and content.
Amazon stock photo by Casimiro PT/Shutterstock
