You’ve heard it before – Amazon is the Google of product search.
Product research often begins by opening up your Amazon mobile app, typing in a genaric search term related to a product category, and scanning the first page of results. Far fewer people start their product research looking for a specific brand.
For example, a broad search like “spatula” is more common than “Oxo rubber spatula”. Amazon shoppers want to see what is available, read the reviews, and make comparisons. Knowing this is how Amazon is currently being operated by shoppers, it’s important to track and understand the keywords your products are registering for as well as monitor how they are being displayed when you get that crucial click.
Much of your visibility within the search results pages will be dictated by your advertising strategy, but once that's dialed in, you must also make sure that your brand is being properly represented to align with your off-platform messaging and brand image, standing out against all that low-priced competition, and driving conversions.
This consumer product research path applies to more than just your generic household items like a spatula. Even for more technical and detailed products consumers are starting product research on Amazon. The shopper could be at home but more often, he or she is in a physical retail store researching and comparing. If your product detail pages on Amazon have been neglected, but a competitor with a similar product is optimized on Amazon and is also next to yours on the shelf in-store, then you've likely lost that shopper.
Your organization has likely spent hours fine tuning your company website. Do you think your website gets more page views each month than your Amazon product detail page? Are you happy with your sales performance? Do you know your conversion rate? Are there obvious changes you need to make to reduce consumer friction and improve education?
Similar to your website, it’s important to recognize that Amazon is also another important consumer touchpoint for your brand, not only for those looking to make that purchase on the platform but also for those trying to make a decision for later purchase in a physical retail store or a direct to consumer website.
Has your Amazon storefront been enabled and is it optimized for easy navigation and conversion? If not, this is a great opportunity to keep consumers within your brand in the Amazon ecosystem. For example, if you sell camping equipment, a storefront is a great way to increase not only your AOV but awareness and market share for other products. (View our storefront case study here)
Because Amazon is another way consumers will interact with your products and brand, we strongly recommend ensuring your product detail page, storefront, and advertising strategy are dialed in order to capitalize on Amazon shoppers. Keep in mind those Amazon best practices for SEO and discoverability, but make sure that your brand is portrayed the same way it is on your direct-to-consumer site to ensure a cohesive omnichannel experience for all potential customers.