At Traverse Group, we live and breathe the Amazon retail platform. Daily, we are bombarded by emails and articles from SaaS providers and agencies touting their latest and greatest innovations.
These artificial intelligence powered optimization tools, cutting-edge analytics programs, and next-generation automation systems are exciting, but for 98% of brands on Amazon, success is going to be found in mastering the basics.
Focusing on executing well in mundane areas like production and shipping, selection, account health, and the content will lay the foundation for spectacular growth on Amazon.
1. Production and Shipping
All the advanced tools in the world will not help a brand grow on Amazon if customers cannot purchase its products. Running out of stock must be prevented at all costs, which can be avoided with production planning. Brands need to work with their Amazon advisors to develop an accurate demand plan for the year and adjust it over time as more sales data becomes available.
Once production is dialed in, getting the product onto Amazon’s digital shelves is the next hurdle. Whether utilizing the popular Fulfillment by Amazon program in Seller Central or fulfilling purchase orders from Vendor Central, Amazon’s many packing, labeling, and transportation requirements must be followed.
Failure to follow Amazon’s protocols can lead to delayed receiving times and financial penalties.
2. Selection
Not every product in a brand’s catalog is destined for Amazon greatness. Before selling an SKU on Amazon, two questions must be answered:
- Is there a way to profitably sell this product on Amazon?
- What is the best platform and fulfillment method to maximize profit?
A low-cost lip balm manufacturer may be able to only realize a profit by selling single tubes of lip balm directly to Amazon on Vendor Central. Conversely, a manufacturer of monster truck tires may look at the fees associated with oversized items in the Fulfillment by Amazon program and quickly decide that this product would be best fulfilled out of their warehouse.
3. Account Health
Keeping an account in good standing with Amazon means following their Terms of Service to the letter, addressing performance notifications, promptly responding to customer messages and meeting standards for shipping and inventory.
The quickest way to drive Amazon sales to zero is to receive an account suspension.
4. Content
A brand should maximize its opportunities to enhance its content by using every field on a product detail page. This should be done before they utilize software to pack their product detail pages (PDPs) with optimized keywords.
These fields include:
- Descriptive and concise product titles
- 7 product images and 1 video
- Consistent variations for sizes and colors
- 5 bullet points highlighting product features
- Product descriptions for long-form content
- A+/enhanced brand content for brand storytelling
The above are the 4 basics for mastering Amazon, but that does not mean executing well in these areas is easy. Over the years, our team has learned how to avoid the many pitfalls while putting in place the building blocks for long-term success! So if you need assistance, feel free to contact us by clicking here.
