To launch a new product successfully on amazon.com, make certain all seven of these simple steps are checked off. This will maximize your visibility and selling potential. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself among the many who believe that Amazon is a brutally hard space to gain sales traction for new products.
I should note that all of these tools must be used. Drop any one and it will take you far too long to achieve any momentum with your product launch. This is especially true if you are a smaller brand, like we are at General Tools.
- Generate Buzz with Pre-Order Sales – Creating hype over a new product launch will not only help generate customer awareness in advance of the product launch date, but will help boost initial product sales. To do this on Amazon, the item is setup, ASIN is obtained, NIS Pre-Order Submission Template is completed (providing Amazon with a product release date), product page is then live on Amazon. Amazon may not have placed orders for the product yet, but with pre-order sales rolling in, it will prompt Amazon to make certain they have inventory on hand for quick fulfillment of the product.
- Participate in Vine Reviews – Vine Voices are Amazon’s most trusted reviewers. Positive feedback from trusted reviewers help customers make informed decisions, which in turn generates more sales and creates additional positive reviews. Note: $2,500 per ASIN to access the Vine program. The number of units per promotion are limited to 15.
- Born to Run – Amazon program for new products. When new products are set up in Amazon, vendors are allowed to participate in a Born to Run program. Amazon agrees to buy the product as long as the vendor spends on AMS equal to 10% of purchase value.
- Amazon Advertising – Paid Amazon service allows vendors to be more visible and stand out against their competition while increasing sales potential and providing sales lift.
There are three Campaign types to advertise products on Amazon Advertising:
- Sponsored Products* – Promote products to shoppers actively searching with related keywords
- Sponsored Brands – Showcase a collection of products
- Product Display Ads – Deliver relevant ads targeting shoppers’ interests or related products/categories* Note – Sponsored Products have always been our best performing campaign type but this is not a set it and forget it ad platform.
- Add Optimized Title and Bullets/Images/Videos – General follows Amazon best practices when it comes to a highly optimized product page. New products are setup with optimized titles and bullets (5 bullets allowed) that describe the top features of the product along with highly searchable keyword terms. Images we include: a hero product shot, side L/R angle shots and several application shots. If available, we also include a video. Amazon is now asking vendors to add 360 degree photography, a new capability on the platform.
- Twist/Product Variation – Twisting products on Amazon allows customers to compare, choose and click thru to similar products within General’s product line. The variations all appear on one page giving customers the ability to peruse the grouped ‘family’ product line without having to hunt for these products thru Amazon. Twisted products give customers a better shopping experience, gives lift to the entire product line, boosts sales and increase reviews. Less popular items can ‘piggy back’ off the success of the more popular/best-selling items.
- A+ content – Provide customers with richer, more detailed information with A+ Content. A+ Detail Pages have helped to increase customer conversion, retain customer interest, educate shoppers about model variations/features, and promote brand awareness. A+ content is a free Amazon service and offers a very visual display of our products with additional application images, product comparison charts etc. to promote products.
Using all of these tactics together maximizes sales opportunities for new products on Amazon. Believe me when I say it works – we’ve launched many of our now best selling products this way!
Good Selling!
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