7 Simple Ways To Optimise Your Amazon Product Listings
If you’re selling something online, it’s almost impossible to argue against doing so on Amazon. No matter what kind of product you’re selling, Amazon is likely to be your biggest potential marketplace, linking you to customers on a national level. According to the latest published stats from analytics provider GlobalData, sales on the website accounted for 4.2% of total retail spend in the UK during 2017, making it the fifth-biggest retailer behind only the “Big 4” supermarket chains.
But with almost 400 million product listings on the platform, how can your brand be expected to stand out? There are plenty of things you can do to ensure that your products are seen by as many customers as possible, both for free and as part of paid services. To get you started on your e-commerce journey, here are a handful of simple ways to optimise your Amazon product listings.
1. Shorten & Optimise Product Titles
Studies and commentaries in recent years have suggested that most people have an attention span of under ten seconds. Plus, some reports have claimed that up to 70% of online shopping purchases are abandoned instead of completed. This means you have barely any time in which to grab a potential customer’s attention. Don’t waste time stuffing your titles with every single possible word related to your product; conduct some basic keyword research, pick a couple of primary words and phrases, then use them organically in a product title just one or two lines long (on a desktop or laptop computer).
2. Upload Plenty Of High-Quality Images
It should go without saying that high-quality imagery is crucial to the success of any e-commerce marketplace. However, some sellers still think it’s acceptable in 2019 to upload fuzzy, amateur-looking photos of their Amazon product listings. If nothing else, you need a high-resolution photo of your product on a white background. This is easy to do using a smartphone, a white sheet on a flat surface, a light source and some basic editing skills. Once you have that sorted, add some images showing your product in action. If you have the money, use a professional studio and camera.
3. Add A Video To Showcase The Product
Once you have an engaging set of images, it’s time to turn your attention to video. According to HubSpot, 90% of people find product videos helpful in making their decision, and 64% of customers are more likely to complete a purchase after having watched a video. Clearly, adding a video to your product listings is likely to help boost your sales. The type of video you use will really depend on what kind of products you’re selling; they may be demonstrational, instructional, or simply entertaining. Top tips: keep it short (under a minute), add a helpful thumbnail, and update it regularly.
4. Write Engaging Product Descriptions
Once you’ve cleared the initial hurdle of grabbing someone’s attention, it’s time to convert them into a paying customer. If the title, images and video are enough to convince someone that your product may be for them, the description should give them the rest of the information they need to add it to their basket. As with any kind of product marketing, content is king on Amazon, and those listings with the most engaging, informative, relevant product descriptions are likely to sell the most readily. Plus, the five featured bullet points at the top of the page are crucial for bridging that gap.
5. Use The Enhanced Brand Content Tool
Enhanced Brand Content (EBC), also known as A+ content, is an extension to regular product descriptions available to a large proportion of Amazon sellers. It was introduced to third-party sellers a few years ago, based on an internal tool used by Amazon staff to add enhanced content to partnered brands’ product pages. To qualify for the feature, you must be approved as a brand owner through the Amazon Brand Registry. With the EBC tool, you can add brand logos, banners, images, headings and text sections to your descriptions, with several layout templates available to use.
6. Always Check Your Pricing & Stock
Optimising your content can only go so far. In order for your Amazon product listings to truly succeed, you need them to be seen by as many people as possible. The Amazon marketplace is subject to all kinds of algorithms, but the most important of these are easy to understand: your products will be surfaced more often to customers if they are competitively priced, and are regularly in stock. If they’re Prime-enabled, even better. It’s no use adding your best content and imagery to a listing that will not be seen. Keep it available and competitive to maximise your chances of exposure.
7. Refresh Content & Answer Questions
Finally, you should regularly refresh and update the content on your product listings throughout their lifecycles. Optimisation is an ongoing process, not a one-off task. Add new features and benefits as they come up, take new pictures of the product, and add new instructional videos based on feedback. Plus, take advantage of your products’ Q&A sections – answer any questions posed by customers about using the product, then include frequently asked questions in your updated content. Give your customers everything they could possibly need to make an informed purchasing decision!
These tips should be enough to give you the edge over other new sellers on Amazon, but there is plenty more you can learn about maximising your potential on the platform. Check out the Amazon Seller Central help pages for even more advice on increasing your sales, learn from your competitors’ successes (and mistakes!), and view Amazon webinars for free interactive training.
Guest post written by André Pusey, e-commerce and digital marketing expert with 6 years’ experience, and former Online Content Manager at Amazon.co.uk.
