5 Common Mistakes Brands Make on Amazon (and How You Can Avoid Them)

Amazon is the most powerful marketplace platform for growing any consumer brand. However, navigating Amazon’s complex marketplace can be challenging, and even small mistakes can have big consequences. 

In this article, we’ll highlight five common mistakes that brands make on Amazon and provide actionable tips for avoiding them.

 

Mistake #1: Poor Product Listings

One of the most common mistakes that brands make on Amazon is creating poor product listings. A poorly written or incomplete listing can make it difficult for potential customers to find your product and understand its features and benefits. This can hurt your visibility and sales on the platform.

To avoid this mistake, ensure your product listings are optimized for Amazon’s search algorithm and provide clear, detailed information about your product. 

Use high-quality images and compelling copy to showcase your product’s unique selling points. Consider using Amazon A+ content to differentiate your listings further and engage customers.

For example, let’s say you sell a portable blender on Amazon. You could optimize your product listing by adding adjacent keywords like “travel blender” in your product title, bullet points, and description. You could also include high-quality images that show the blender in action, such as blending smoothies or making protein shakes. 

You could also add A+ content to showcase the features and benefits of your blender in greater detail, such as its compact size, powerful motor, and easy-to-clean design.

 

Mistake #2: Ignoring Amazon SEO

Ignoring Amazon SEO is a common mistake many brands make on the platform. Amazon SEO, or search engine optimization, is optimizing your product listings and other elements of your brand’s presence on Amazon for search to improve your visibility and drive more sales. However, many brands fail to take advantage of this opportunity, which can significantly impact their sales potential on the platform.

To avoid this mistake, there are several tactics that you can use to improve your Amazon SEO:

1. Research and use relevant keywords: Ensure that your product listings include keywords and phrases that customers might search for. Use tools like Helium10 or Jungle Scout to identify popular keywords and phrases related to your product or brand. Incorporate these keywords into your product titles, bullet points, and descriptions in a natural and informative way.
2. Use Amazon’s search term report: Amazon’s search term report is a valuable tool that can help you identify which keywords drive traffic to your listings. Use this data to adjust your strategy accordingly and focus on the keywords driving the most traffic and sales for your brand.
3. Optimize your product listings for mobile: With more and more customers shopping on Amazon using their mobile devices, optimizing your product listings for mobile search is essential. This includes using concise, easy-to-read product titles, bullet points, and optimized descriptions for smaller screens.
4. Add keywords to your images: Adding search term keywords to the back end your images helps improve your search ranking and discoverability.

 

Mistake #3: Neglecting Reviews and Ratings

Customer reviews and ratings are critical to building trust and credibility on Amazon. However, many brands neglect this aspect of their presence on the platform. 

Failing to encourage reviews or respond to negative reviews can hurt your brand’s reputation and reduce your sales potential.

Consider using Amazon’s Vine Program to incentivize early reviews while staying within Amazon’s Terms of Service. Respond promptly and professionally to all negative reviews to demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and build trust with potential customers.

 

Mistake #4: Overlooking Amazon Advertising

Another common mistake many brands make on Amazon is overlooking the potential of Amazon advertising. 

Amazon offers a range of advertising options, including Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display ads, which can be incredibly powerful tools for driving sales and improving visibility on the platform. 

Sponsored Products are keyword-targeted ads that appear in search results and product detail pages. They allow brands to promote their products and reach more potential customers actively searching for similar products. 

Sponsored Brands allow brands to showcase their products and messaging more prominently, featuring a custom headline, logo, and multiple products. These ads can appear at the top of search results and can help build brand awareness and drive more sales.

Sponsored Display ads are targeted display ads that can appear on and off Amazon, allowing brands to retarget customers who have viewed or added their products to their cart but haven’t made a purchase. These ads can feature custom messaging, images, and even video, making them a powerful tool for engaging potential customers and driving more sales.

 

Mistake #5: Failing to Monitor Competitors

It’s essential to keep an eye on your competitors on Amazon. Failing to monitor your competitors can result in missed opportunities to differentiate your brand, adjust your pricing or promotions, or optimize your product listings and other elements of your presence on the platform.

One of the best ways to stay informed about your competitors is to regularly monitor their pricing, promotions, and other strategies on Amazon. 

Tools like Jungle Scout and Helium 10 can help you gather valuable data and insights about your competitor’s activities on the platform. These tools can inform you about their pricing, inventory levels, sales volume, and more.

Using these tools, you can make data-driven decisions about pricing, promotions, and other strategies. 

For example, consider adjusting your pricing to stay competitive if you notice a competitor offering a discount on a similar product. Alternatively, if a competitor runs a successful promotion, you may consider running a similar promotion for your products.

In addition to monitoring your competitors’ pricing and promotions, keeping an eye on their product listings and other elements of their presence on Amazon is essential. This can help you identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and optimize your product listings. 

Another way to stay ahead of the competition is to A/B test different strategies and tactics on Amazon. This can help you identify what works and doesn’t and adjust your approach accordingly.

 

Conclusion

To summarize, avoiding these common mistakes is crucial for ensuring your brand’s long-term success on Amazon. Even small missteps can have a significant impact on your visibility, credibility, and sales potential.

It’s important to keep in mind that Amazon is constantly evolving, so staying informed and adapting your strategy is essential for maintaining a competitive edge and driving continued growth for your brand.

By creating compelling product listings, optimizing for Amazon SEO, encouraging customer reviews and ratings, investing in Amazon advertising, and monitoring your competitors, you can position your brand for long-term success on this powerful platform.

 

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At TripleShot, we provide expert assistance in launching, growing, and scaling brands on Amazon. Both established and emerging brands benefit from our services.