4 mistakes to avoid with your first eCommerce product on Amazon

Selling on Amazon is a must for any eCommerce store looking to scale your business and increase sales. It’s estimated that the online retailer accounts for nearly half of all online eCommerce sales. In fact, Amazon has 300+ million active customer accounts in 180+ countries — a massive audience for any seller. With that type of power, it only makes sense to take advantage of the company’s reach.

Amazon offers a number of resources for new sellers, including step-by-step guides on how to register your business. Enrolling in Brand Registry provides a seller with even more tools, including brand analytics. But even though the company makes it easy to get started, don’t forget that selling on one of the world’s largest platforms means huge competition. Start selling your products on Amazon the right way by avoiding these mistakes.

1. Not targeting your market

Amazon may sell everything, but you don’t sell to everyone. When coming up with a strategy for entering the competitive Amazon market, it’s critical to understand your target audience. Who is the primary audience for your product? How old are they? Do they look for a good deal or do they equate price with quality? By learning more about who your target customer is, you can more easily create the right Amazon keywords and product price points to help your product stand out in the crowd.

2. Skipping competitor research

On Amazon, you’re competing against millions of sellers for the chance to have your product skyrocket in sales. This means that competitor research is absolutely critical to a successful Amazon product launch. First, find the top sellers on Amazon selling similar products. Who appears first when you type your product into the search bar? As you view the competition, take special note of the following:

• What is their price point?
• What is their product title and how is it described?
• How many reviews are there? What do the reviews say?
• What do their product photos look like?

You can learn a lot from the competition, especially when it comes to developing your keyword strategy. But remember to use your research as inspiration — copying a competitor’s product description or photo might get you docked in Amazon’s algorithm.

3. Not pricing your product correctly

Finding the right price point is critical to selling on Amazon successfully. Pricing should take into consideration both the cost of your product as well as its value. When developing your pricing strategy, it’s important to find the sweet spot — products that are priced too high may not appeal to a broad enough audience, but products that are priced too low may send the signal that your product is low-quality. Take a look at what your direct competitors are charging for their products. This will give you a better understanding of what people are willing to pay while the seller maintains a profit.

4. Not providing excellent customer service

One of the many benefits of selling on Amazon is a built-in audience and seamless checkout experience. But just because Amazon handles some of the details doesn’t mean that your job is finished. Providing excellent customer service is key to a successful Amazon shop. This means you should:

• Honestly and promptly answer every question about your product
• Ship your product in a timely manner
• Make sure that each product looks and functions as advertised
• Encourage positive customer reviews

Remember that customer reviews play a powerful role in whether or not a customer chooses your brand over a competitor’s. And unhappy customers are more likely to leave a review than those who are satisfied. To ensure your reviews and rankings stay high, set expectations and deliver on them.

Entering the world of Amazon selling is an important step for many eCommerce businesses. By avoiding these four common mistakes, you can set your business up for success with product listings. As your sales increase and your business scales, it’s important to find the right global payment partner to help improve your customer service and expand your business into new marketplaces.

Start growing your business today with LianLian Global.