Mistakes are a double-edged sword. If you take it too seriously, you could end up feeling down and disappointed. If you take them lightly, you won’t learn anything and eventually be doing the same slip-ups again. Strike a balance. Feeling disappointed as this will ignite the passion to learn more and do things correctly, but at the same time enjoy the process.
The same applies when you meet Amazon listing optimization blunders. Remember that there is no perfect strategy on how to handle your listing. Creating a game plan is always a case to case basis. Nonetheless, there are common mistakes you can watch out for and some fixes you can do in case you encounter difficulties on Amazon product listing. Here are some of them.
Mistake 1: Not putting your keywords to efficient use.
Keywords research is a constant for Amazon listing optimization. For an Amazon product launch, keywords are a foundation to ensure the visibility of your product, so make sure to put this on your to-do list. For Amazon old-timers, it is important to check how effective the keywords they are using from time to time.
It is a huge error if you do not incorporate keywords or in your product title, product description, bullet points, and backend keywords. Simply using the keywords and forgetting about it afterward can also spell failure.
Quick Fix: Strategize on what keywords to choose and how to incorporate them in your content.
- Include the keywords in the first five words of your product title as these will be the same words that will be included in your product URL.
- Use 80-150 product titles as it is proven to boost your product listing ranking better. Amazon allows 200-character for the product title, but keep your title to the suggested character count.
- Do not be too obsessed with keywords that you forgot to write for human customers.
- Write catchy, informative, and convincing content that will make your customers buy.
- Utilize business reports from Seller Central to give you a scientific view of which keywords are effective and which should be changed.
Mistake 2: Downplaying the importance of images.
Aside from your vivid product description, photos of your products are the only way you can give your customers an idea on how your product really looks.
Images are what capture their attention and make them click through your product page and read the description. It would be a huge mistake to downplay the importance of product images.
Quick Fix: Know that images are important, and start strategizing how to maximize them to boost your presence and sales.
- Take clear photos of your product that show your product logo for branding, and check Amazon’s image guidelines for adherence.
- Hire agencies offering graphic designs, Amazon product photography, and branding for professional help.
- Post 5-8 photos of your product showing different angles. Think of what the customers would like to see.
- Optimize image name and backend by using keywords you want to rank for.
Mistake 3: Not exerting effort to get product ratings and reviews.
In an ideal world, after a sale, if a product is excellent, you can hope for a perfect rating and positive review from a customer. This may happen from time to time, but it is a mistake to rely only on organic product feedback especially when having less or more ratings on your page can affect your product listing ranking.
Quick Fix: Go beyond organic ratings and feedback.
- Use Amazon Vine and Early Review Program to get more reviews and ratings.
- Get professional help from agencies who can help you grow your Amazon business by establishing solid social proof that your product is awesome!
Mistake 4: Not using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
There are different delivery options when selling on Amazon. You can choose to fulfill deliveries on your own, via a third-party freight company, or shipping through FBA. Not using FBA when you have the resources can be a blunder.
Quick Fix: Sign-up for FBA now.
- If you have the means to use FBA, go for it because experts’ studies suggest that it has a positive effect on your product listing ranking.
Mistake 5: Not investing in Amazon marketing, ads, and promotion.
One of the culprits for not being able to reach the first page of Amazon’s search engine results page (SERP) is non-investment in Amazon marketing, ads, and promotion. Organic ranking from a wise choice of keywords and listing optimization most of the time isn’t enough.
Quick Fix: Hire an Amazon Marketing Agency for expert help.
- Investing in a partnership with experts on Amazon marketing, ads, and promotion is the way to go.
- Know that you need professional help and realize that the investment in marketing agencies is needed and worth it.
Mistake 6: Failing to do competitor analysis.
Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer may be applicable in this scenario. It is a mistake not to look at what your competitors are doing. Despite the ranking, high or low, having a blind spot about your competitors is not okay in any kind of business.
Quick Fix: Do competitor analysis in different areas of your business.
- Have a competitor analysis on keywords. One strategy you can do after doing all other strategies to get ranking keywords is searching what your competitors are using and trying them.
- Conduct a price, value, and specs comparison. Ask yourself these questions: Is my product price at par, cheaper, or more expensive than my competitors? Is the value I offer to my customers at par, more or less than my competitors? What is my edge over all other competitors?
- Know what makes your product stand out, and let the buyers know that despite product similarities in the market, you have something new to offer.
Mistake 8: Running out of stocks!
This may look like a hiccup, but this is huge, and it can affect your business negatively. Selling on Amazon without enough stocks means buyers waiting longer than they should get the product they bought. This could lead to an impression of poor management and lack of customer service.
Quick Fix: Plan your inventory.
- Make sure you never run out of stocks as this could hamper your rise in the product listing ranking.
- Plan your inventory, and make sure you are all stuffed on peak days like sale days and holidays.
- Know when it is time to replenish. Do not wait for the water to run dry before re-stocking.
Mistake 9: Lack of awareness on Amazon guidelines and not acting on Amazon account suspensions quickly.
Amazon is ruled by a bunch of guidelines to regulate millions of sellers and buyers in its platform—not knowing what these rules make you more prone to violate them. The next thing you know is that your account was suspended because of some violations.
Quick fix: Read. Read. Read. Apply what you’ve read. If you find it daunting, ask for the services of experts.
- Nothing beats reading, and for Amazon rules and guidelines, you’ll have plenty of them. Create self-awareness on what will put your account on prohibition and proactively work on how you won’t violate them.
- Ask help from experts on the field through Amazon account management. Having people constantly check on your account and multiple product listing can keep you from getting suspended.
- If you get in a situation you got suspended, deal with it as soon and as fast as possible through an Amazon suspension appeal. Every day you delay is equal to the number of sales you could have made that day, so process the reactivation of your account quickly.
Key Takeaway
Having an Amazon business with all its intricacies and details to manage, you’ll make mistakes at one point, and—that is okay. Just take note of the errors, and learn from them. In case you cross the same river twice, you’ll know what to do and do things differently the next time around.
If you liked this article, or you have more mistakes and quick fixes in mind, feel free to share it in the comment section below. We’ll gladly consider your advice and ideas.
Author’s Bio
Jayce is the managing director of Seller Interactive, an Amazon marketing agency dedicated towards helping brands grow on Amazon. His content marketing expertise has led him to work with brands such as Toyota and GoDaddy, producing content that reached over 20M views in a month. He is on a journey to help D2C brands scale their business on Amazon.
