8 Amazon Areas to Improve with Outsourced Optimization

A few improvements to an Amazon product listing can go a long way. Whether you’re trying to win the Buy Box or want to strengthen your branding, it can be challenging to determine where to focus your efforts. 

However, as competition on the platform has increased, a growing number of sellers are relying on Amazon optimization services from outside agencies. These partners can offer teams of experts across diverse specialties to drive conversions and maximize ROI. Of course, there are some areas where this type of experienced help is most needed.  

Product Title

The interaction between a prospective customer and your product listing often begins with your Amazon product title. A well-constructed and optimized product title can be the difference between profitable shopper conversions and a struggle to get your item in front of the appropriate audience. 

An optimized product title is more than just a description of your Amazon listing. It needs to be a concise balance of accuracy and detail that targets the most valuable keywords for your brand. One of the challenges of listing optimization is crafting a title that simultaneously satisfies the expectations of Amazon users and strategically influences the site’s algorithm.  

While it may take up less real estate than other parts of an Amazon listing, it certainly plays an outsized role in results. An optimization service partner with experience in copywriting and keyword research, as well as a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and Amazon’s algorithm, is the best way to ensure a product title supports sales growth rather than misses opportunities. 

Keywords

Identifying the primary keywords that are most important to a listing’s performance is typically within a brand’s in-house capabilities. However, prioritizing those terms and effectively integrating them into an Amazon product listing is much more complicated. Search engine optimization (SEO) on the platform gauges relevance and value to determine how to best leverage a keyword in a product title, feature bullet points, product description or elsewhere. 

Optimization is also not as simple as repeating keywords numerous times. When it comes to Amazon’s algorithm and keywords, quality is way more important than quantity. In many cases, once a search term appears in your Amazon listing, it has likely added all the value it can. Therefore, adding it repeatedly, especially to the detriment of the copywriting, is unlikely to improve your spot in the search results. 

An Amazon listing service can help identify and prioritize relevant keywords more effectively than most brands can accomplish alone. Reputable service providers can create an Amazon SEO optimization plan for both the broadest keywords and the long-tail keywords that help differentiate a brand from its competition and reach customers who are closer to the point of purchase. Most importantly, they have the experience to do so within engaging copy and while taking advantage of Amazon’s backend keyword tools that many brands overlook. 

Images

Among the most influential pieces of Amazon content are high-quality images. In fact, 78 percent of people say video has convinced them to buy a product, while 30 percent of shoppers won’t even consider a product that presents low-quality images. However, optimizing photos means more than just good resolution and high resolution. The media on your product page should tell a story. Your products should be showcased from multiple angles and in use. In addition, any product image included in a product listing should reinforce the featured benefits you are trying to convey. 

Well-designed and appealing infographics that add compelling text overlays and use precise measurements and comparisons to establish size and function are essential to this area of Amazon listing optimization. And remember, this deliberate approach to Amazon listing photos is about more than convincing buyers to add the product to their cart. It’s about ensuring that shoppers are informed and have the appropriate expectations when they receive the item so that the confusion or disappointment that might otherwise occur, and result in negative reviews, can be avoided. 

A qualified Amazon agency partner can offer one-stop shopping for both the artistic skills that product photography requires and the campaign mindset necessary to make them a seamless part of your brand’s story. 

Features & Description

While some brands might see much difference between their product’s key features and description, the ones that take optimization seriously know better. Amazon’s key feature section relies only on short bullets to communicate the most important aspects of a product to consumers. The text displayed in the key features can also weigh more heavily in the ranking done by the platform’s algorithm, making keyword placement critical. 

Alternatively, the product description is the place to provide detailed information about product features and product usage to guide a customer’s purchase decision. It’s the place to highlight specific product information that was not included in other areas of an Amazon listing but may still influence Amazon shoppers. In both the features and description areas, sellers must follow Amazon policies, such as the restrictions on mentioning competition or promoting temporary price cuts. 

Developing a key features section and product description that complement one another, taking advantage of keywords and captivating the audience with an eye toward conversions is not easy. Like so many parts of an Amazon listing, a single weak link can have a detrimental effect on the entire listing and result in long-term problems for an Amazon seller. That’s why relying on an Amazon expert to make sure these fundamental pieces are completed correctly is often the best way to ensure growth on the site. 

Price

Most companies already know that product price is integral to their future success. However, brands that are new to Amazon may underestimate the impact that the site can have when calculating the optimum price. The immense competition can push sellers to lower prices, while the expense of selling on Amazon can make margins difficult to manage. 

Pricing on Amazon should consider all these factors and be informed by the data available in the Brand Analytics dashboard. The pricing of any product also needs to be monitored continuously to identify threats from illegitimate sellers and avoid missing the opportunities that come with a fast-paced and fluctuating market. 

A strong Amazon partner can help brands navigate pricing optimization amid various fulfillment options. Their Amazon experts will understand how the storage, packing and shipping costs will

Storefront

Creating an Amazon Storefront is an incredible opportunity to raise brand awareness among shoppers and drive more sales. Customers who connect emotionally with a brand name have three times higher lifetime value. And according to Deloitte research, 80 percent of consumers would pay more for products if the company committed itself to being socially responsible, environmentally responsible, and/or paying higher wages.

The process of creating a Storefront begins with the completion of the Brand Registry process within the Amazon marketplace. Still, beyond attaining eligibility, the initiative also requires a strategic approach similar to developing a direct-to-consumer website. Product organization, creativity and ongoing refinement are essential to an Amazon store. A Storefront also unlocks access to new customer data that can be used to increase conversions and ROI. 

Rather than an isolated tactic, Storefronts should be implemented as part of a broader campaign to develop followers and strengthen your brand. The combination of creative design, data analysis and campaign synergy that is required for a successful Amazon Storefront makes it an ideal place to add help from an Amazon listing optimization service. 

Fulfillment

Even as Amazon grows its share of online sales, the company continues to pioneer ways to disrupt the e-commerce industry beyond its retail marketplace. Currently, Amazon sellers have the choice of several fulfillment strategies to get their products to customers. And determining the best option is not always obvious. 

Sellers, particularly those pursuing Amazon Prime status for their products, will often rely on Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Self-fulfillment remains an option for brands that wish to control the entire process from order to delivery. Meanwhile, recently-introduced Multi-Channel Fulfillment is growing in popularity, particularly among brands that already rely on Amazon FBA inventory for their sales and are looking to simplify their responsibilities. 

Companies that rely on Amazon for fulfillment support must pay close attention to inventory management policies and storage costs to avoid unnecessary expenses that can substantially reduce margins. Similarly, sellers still using self-fulfillment often consider the possibility of transitioning to another model too overwhelming. In either scenario, the knowledge and consistency that Amazon agencies with expertise in fulfillment can offer may be well worth the cost for many brands facing these circumstances. 

Customer Service

There’s no question that reviews, positive and negative, can impact product sales and conversion metrics. This is just one of the reasons why Amazon optimization should extend to the customer service experience that brands provide their customers. Poor customer service, and the subsequent poor product reviews that will appear on a site like Amazon, can impact your organic search rankings even before a shopper discovers your product detail page. 

Although the FBA model shifts much of the customer service process from the seller to Amazon, it’s not an excuse to ignore customer response to your products. Brands retain responsibility for setting customer expectations and creating content that leads to positive reviews. The evidence is clear that anything less can be disastrous for growth. Surveys have shown that nine out of 10 customers read reviews before clicking the buy button, while eight out of 10 give them as much weight as a personal recommendation.

From ensuring inventory remains in stock for loyal customers to scouring reviews to identify early signs of quality issues or customer confusion, an Amazon optimization agency can be an invaluable partner for companies that are committed to excellent customer service. 

Amify can help

If you’re looking for help with your Amazon product listing optimization, Amify is the partner you need. Our optimization experts can provide award-winning SEO services, content creation and inventory management support for your brand. Contact us today to find out how to get started.