Big Internet Seller Services Inc provides e-commerce Services

Big_Internet_Ecommerce
Get your first Product Photoshoot for FREE! Learn More
Big_Internet_Ecommerce

November 2019

Big_Internet_Ecommerce_Amazon_Listing_Optimization

Identify Restricted Keywords in Amazon To Optimize Product Listing

Leave a Comment / Amazon Marketing, Amazon VA, seller central /

When your product listing gets taken down without any warning, it means you have used restricted keywords in the Amazon product listing. This happens when Amazon does a random sweep when indexing your listings. This is frustrating because you have probably been selling this product for months, and all of a sudden, Amazon has imposed a ban on your product listing. If you are trying to get help from Amazon, the bad news is that they won’t help you out with this. For an Amazon seller, it’s difficult to identify restricted keywords and there is no list of Amazon’s restricted keywords. What Are Forbidden Keywords on Amazon? There is no list available that a seller can refer to for the restricted keywords as Amazon hasn’t published any list as of yet. But sellers can educate themselves by looking into Amazon’s list of restricted products. There are some items that the list includes which are strictly prohibited by Amazon such as drugs and drug paraphernalia. There are items which are not that obvious, such as cosmetics, skin, and hair care. Here is a detail that we should look into. Cosmetics are sold on Amazon all the time but still, it is a restricted keyword, Why is that? Amazon restricts the sale of cosmetics, to those who are new, and not selling under their own brand or selling with the manufacturer’s packaging. Also, Amazon allows it if there is no illegal drug or paraphernalia associated with the seller. Here’s something you should know First, let me share with you four basic rules that you need to follow to maintain Amazon’s guidelines. The maximum number of characters including spaces is 200, which the titles must have. Promotional phrases such as “free shipping”, and “100% quality guaranteed” must be excluded from the titles. Titles must not contain special characters, such as ~ ! * $? _ ~ { } # < > | * ; ^ ¬ ¦ Product-identifying information such as “hiking boots” or “umbrella” must be excluded from titles. If you search Google for what makes a good title, you will get more than 346 million results within 0.62 seconds. The problem is that there are a few differing opinions on Amazon listing optimization. Even new technology companies protect their strategies for listing optimization. For example, let’s look into the two different Amazon product listings from the brand company HP (Hewlett Packard). In the first listing, the title takes a little more of a minimalist approach. The brand hasn’t given that much information in its product title. After they publish a new listing on the same page, the title now has more, based on what Amazon is looking for in terms of an extensive description, so that ranking is high. Update Title on Seller Central There is a common problem faced by many sellers. When they update their titles in Seller Central, it shows up in the back end but the new version of the title doesn’t appear on the actual product page. If you haven’t received any error message, you would not know there is a problem, and even if you did, you would not know how to fix it. In fact, there are moments when you need to contact seller central support and have the title changed. But as an Amazon seller, it is important to identify if the actual issue is the presence of forbidden keywords. And this is where the question comes in. How are you going to find the forbidden keywords in your title? Here are the simple steps you have to follow to identify the keywords forbidden by Amazon: Go to Seller Central and open that product listing. Click on Product Page Issue, and from there, select FIX PRODUCT PAGE ISSUE Enter your ASIN and hit the search button. In this window, you will see why Amazon won’t accept your title. This is a great opportunity for you to make the necessary changes and update your title. If you want to succeed in your Amazon selling business, you have to understand that this is a moving target. Amazon sellers are continuously improving themselves with the fluctuations of Amazon’s wishes as well as the changes in the marketplace.

Identify Restricted Keywords in Amazon To Optimize Product Listing Read More »

Big_Internet_Ecommerce_Amazon_Store_Management

Why Your Store Needs Amazon Virtual Assistance?

Leave a Comment / Amazon, Amazon Marketing, Amazon Tools, Amazon VA, Digital Marketing Social Media, seller central, vendor central /

It’s natural to be confused about hiring virtual assistants for managing your store on Amazon, but different sellers have different business objectives, and the most common of them is staying up-to-date. Whether you are new to Amazon seller central or a top seller on the Amazon marketplace, you should hire an Amazon expert for complete store management. Things To Consider There are some requirements you should have as a top Amazon seller before hiring Amazon virtual assistance. Whether you deploy a team of professionals or a single service expert, you need assistance that perfectly fits your business. A team of Amazon experts will make sure your store is always up to date and that your content is revised as per Amazon’s changing guidelines. There are some basic requirements you should expect from an Amazon VA (virtual assistant) and such services include: ASIN Optimization To improve product visibility on Amazon, your VA should be conducting routine checks on the content like in the product description, search terms, and bullet points. This means that as an amazon human resource, your products should be optimized accordingly. Right from competitive research of keywords and ranking, to generating high-quality content, that is specifically (Amazon-rich) keyword based, your VA should enhance the product’s visibility so it ranks higher on Amazon’s marketplace. This ensures you get higher traffic with customers being directed to your product’s page. This process includes generating high-value content that contains keywords that are indexed regularly. Amazon A+/EBC Content Creation Every seller on Amazon receives the bonus of creating A+ templates for their listings to enhance brand awareness and product visibility. This process of generating A+ content, and understanding the guidelines of the different templates present on seller central, are unique assets of an amazon human resource who’s trained in Amazon content generation & marketing. The templates allow you to feature up to six unique facts about your product, including banners, high-quality images and brand history. The tricky part is getting your content approved on Amazon because there are many sellers who face a backlash when their A+ is rejected. For example, your EBC submission can face rejection if your logo contains “trademark” or “copyright” symbols, and there are certain words you cannot use in the content. FBA Program – Setting Up Your Account An expert Amazon VA will help you create your FBA account or can assist in converting the FBM into an FBA account. Apart from preparing your products for shipment, the amazon human resource will also ensure that proper labelling is done by downloading barcodes for each unit. Tracking and checking on the units during shipment once they arrive at the warehouse is another task your amazon human resources must ensure. In case of missing units, your amazon human resources will contact customer support and mandate your amount be reimbursed. Inventory management is another major task your amazon human resources should be aware of to ensure your products never run out of stock, especially during the holiday season like Black Friday and Christmas. Conceptualizing Amazon Infographics If you find Amazon virtual assistance in a single platform, you’re lucky because a team of professionals can ensure you receive more than a single benefit. Image services. If you’re an Amazon seller, your product’s presentation is of utmost importance especially if you intend on regularly optimizing the content. While basic e-commerce tasks should be handled at the backend, receiving premium services in the form of Amazon infographics is a huge boost. The process involves upgrading simplistic product images with enhanced brand images that describe all features using both graphics and text. Does Your VA Offer Competitor Analysis? Don’t get confused between an Amazon copywriter and an Amazon Human resource. Find both solutions in one. A thoroughbred copywriter will possess the skill set of writing optimized ad copies, and split testing and will also conduct ASIN optimization. Competitor analysis is another vertical of content management and it includes: Auditing Amazon product listings Checking reviews of competitive listings Finding target keywords used by your competition Study ad campaigns set by your competition Competitive listing’s price and monthly sales estimation Amazon Sponsored Ads Now, this part of your product marketing strategy might get tricky so here’s a quick tip. Hire an expert VA who understands PPC in general and has the ability to monitor, track, and report competitive PPC campaigns. Since Amazon offers sellers the chance to boost their sales during the holiday season, using sponsored ads with high-converting keywords, is a must. Your amazon human resource must know how to set up both manual and auto campaigns, ensure a low ACOS rate, and never forget to stop an automated campaign. Understanding demography is a huge bonus and if your amazon human resource knows where your sales hit the highest, and gives an in-depth knowledge of your best clientele, you’re in for a treat. What about vendor central? Here’s everything your amazon human resource should be following if you’re a vendor and are looking for apt services: Checking the status of inventory, sales, and return numbers Checking PO to see if they’re submitted, pending, and correct Check any issues that might occur with the invoices Check for vendor returns Check for chargebacks and how to resolve those issues Check the status of existing disputes and case logs Check for coupon recommendations Conduct routine operations like new order confirmation, incomplete/ pending shipments, product submissions, order confirmation slip submission, POD submission, and vendor operational performance. BIE will not only help you with day-to-day store management activities but also help create highly optimized product listings, process customer orders, update and manage inventory, analyze competitors, and provide complete customer support. It’s difficult to stay focused on research & development when your backend operations are filling the clock. So, if you do want to work on your business strategies in peace, hire Amazon virtual assistance from a multi-purpose platform.

Why Your Store Needs Amazon Virtual Assistance? Read More »

Big_Internet_Ecommerce_Amazon_Vendor_Central

How to Process Purchase Order (PO) in Vendor Central

Leave a Comment / Amazon, Amazon Tools, Amazon VA, Technology, vendor central /

A purchase order is an official document that a buyer offers a seller in which the buyer commits to pay a nominal fee for specific products that need to be delivered. On Amazon vendor central, a purchase order is identified using a unique number that pertains to the number of items, SKU, and other product details. On vendor central, PO or purchase orders are sent from Amazon to a vendor, usually when there is a peak in demand for a particular product. Orders: Here, vendors provide information regarding the shipment and have to click on the “receive purchases orders” tab on vendor central. Items: Here, vendors need the product information on the product and can upload images, edit pricing, and other such details. Merchandising: Here, vendors can access features like Amazon Vine and A+ Premium content. Vendors can also market their product listings. Payment: Here, vendors need to keep track of invoices and remittances. Processing the Purchase Order Form An Amazon vendor can either be a manufacturer or a supplier who delivers products to Amazon directly. Amazon vendors can also be third-party merchants wherein they can deliver products to Amazon’s warehouses on behalf of the supplier. Amazon vendors won’t receive purchase orders immediately after setting up a product especially since the ordering process is automated by Amazon. Before deciding whether to order a product or not, Amazon’s system will look at the sales history as well as the current market demand for that specific product. If the sales performance is low, PO will be minimum and once this increases or becomes a high-demand product, the purchase orders will grow larger subsequently. Sometimes there might be a situation where a vendor may not possess enough stock to fulfil a purchase order so in such a case there are two options: either you can cancel the PO or you can place it on backorder till your product supply is fulfilled. In order to make sure you don’t receive a heavy PO, while you have limited or no stock, always remember to mark those items temporarily or permanently unavailable. As a vendor, you cannot issue too many backorders since there’s a certain percentage set by Amazon, and in case you do this, you’ll be issued a chargeback for the non-delivery of items. Amazon vendor central relies heavily on EDI for its purchase order, advance shipping notice (ASN), and other shipping & packaging data for appropriate data filing. Is It Important? EDI (electronic data interchange) is a technical exchange of data between the vendor and Amazon that is electronically transfigured, and it relates to processing the purchase orders and invoices one receives on vendor central. EDI documents consist of the following documents: Purchase Order, PO Confirmation Receipt, Advance Ship Notice, Invoice and 128 Label. You can either hire Amazon Human resources to manage your purchase orders on vendor central, or you can integrate EDI using reliable network services. Whether you’re a first/ second or third-party seller, it is important to streamline certain processes for quick shipment & delivery to Amazon fulfilment centres. Your business should include the ability to transmit or receive necessary EDI-compliant documents from Amazon vendor central. Amazon Chargebacks for Vendor Central For Vendor central customers, Amazon places chargebacks on items that have not been processed properly, once the POD is generated. It is important you understand how chargeback works, to avoid loss of time and money, especially once the PO is received. Each Amazon chargeback is unique and there are two categories for this: Shipping and Packaging Issue of Purchase Order Purchase order issue is one of the most common Amazon chargebacks, which involves the failure to confirm PO forms in time, shipping extra/ lesser units, or violating Amazon guidelines by delaying the shipment. Issue of Receiving If the designated shipments that arrive at Amazon’s fulfilment centres violate certain guidelines, such as missing labels or barcode issues, it is an issue of receiving the shipment, and a chargeback is issued. Issue of Packaging If the items are not properly packaged, especially items that are delicate, or are made of glass or any other breakable material, then this calls for Amazon chargeback. Issue of Advanced Ship Notice (ASN) Vendors are supposed to send the ASN correctly from Vendor Central or through EDI while shipping items to Amazon’s fulfilment centre. If there is any error with the ASN, it can incur an Amazon chargeback. Issue of Transportation If there is any failure in setting up routing requests for the products, or any specified shipping and delivery fee policies occur, then it can also result in an Amazon chargeback, especially if the vendor hasn’t paid additional fees for the delivery. PO Processing On vendor central, the process of making the PO and generating an order confirmation slip from/ as a supplier is a necessary step once you receive the PO from Amazon on your account. In order to do this, you need to do the following: 1. On your Vendor Central account, find the “Order” tab and select 2. Next, click on the “Purchase Order” tab and wait for the PO to open 3. Click on “Confirm New PO” and extract this file onto a Microsoft excel sheet 4. To confirm new PO: Go to Orders > Purchase Orders, in the Action items section, select “Confirm New Po”. 5. Select the check box in the left column for each purchase order you want to confirm and open the selected PO. 6. Before you confirm your purchase orders, you can make changes to the availability in the fields table. 7. Once confirmed and downloaded, click “Submit”. Availability Acknowledgement Code on Amazon The availability acknowledgement code you select impacts Amazon’s buying decision. In some cases, if you are unable to process certain items due to stock unavailability, Amazon will add this to the next PO, and reorder again. Orders will be suspended for 30 days unless you don’t change the status or until you restock. Selecting the “Permanently Unavailable” status indicates that you will not

How to Process Purchase Order (PO) in Vendor Central Read More »

Big_Internet_Ecommerce_Amazon_Listing_Optimization

Amazon Q4 Tactics for 2019 – Amazon Optimization Tips 101

Leave a Comment / Amazon, Amazon Marketing, Amazon Tools, Amazon VA, seller central /

For Amazon sellers, the fourth quarter, which is from October to December, is a pretty lucrative time of the year. Though, there is a lot of work that has to be done. The reason behind considering Q4 as the most important time for Amazon sellers is that this is the time websites and other online platforms get huge traffic. Amazon sellers make most of their annual sales during this time from traffic on the holiday season like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. If you want to make a huge number of sales, you have to prepare in advance for Amazon Q4. Things for Amazon Q4 Sales in 2019 Make a strategy and follow through During Q4, there will be many changes, so make sure you schedule everything. This is the time when Amazon sellers make most of their annual sales. Whether you’re engaging with your customers or simply customizing your EBC content with a holiday-themed layout, work with a consistent plan that focuses on tactics you can apply to improve the visibility of your product listing. For example, in the festive season, you have to make sure that you have done everything for higher sales and use FBA or SFP instead of FBM, up till January. There is no problem with FBM, but it could result in lower sales during Q4. Optimize your product listing Q4 is a time when you and your team have to focus only on sales so make sure your Amazon product listings are fully optimized. During Q4, you will not get time for A/B testing so invest the rest of the year in your learning. There are different priorities that you and your team will have to take care of. Make sure your team is focusing on customer orders, product reviews, seller feedback, and the two most important areas such as sponsored ads and maintaining the Buy Box which can bring more sales. Stock up Make sure you have enough stock for Q4. Many Amazon sellers run out of stock during Q4 and because of that, they end up with lower sales. So, to avoid this, you have to ensure that your inventory is available for shipment to Amazon by October. On the other hand, there are many sellers who end up with too much in stock because of the late arrival of inventory, and that also results in lower sales. It’s important for Amazon sellers to forecast their inventory in advance to ensure proper availability of stock. This is tough, especially if this is your first Q4, or if you have recently launched a new product. The previous demand for category-based products, sales uplift, and your marketing initiatives, are factors you can consider for older products. Make a pricing strategy Amazon product pricing can decide your success or failure in Q4 so make sure you have a clear pricing strategy to increase sales, and not the stock for January. As an Amazon Seller, if you don’t have a pricing strategy, you will have to sit with overstocks in January when sales dramatically go down. Decide your timeline when you want to drop the price. For example, you can drop your price if a certain percentage of inventory is not cleared. Now, you might think, “why should I drop my price?” But is far better and more profitable than having too much inventory for January. Also, you have to incur those long-term storage fees, or have your products removed, because of overstock. Promotions & Sponsored Ads During Q4, as an Amazon seller, you can take advantage of ads, as this is the time when you’re going to get more visibility compared to all year. So you need to have a strategy for ad campaigns. Make sure that you don’t overspend on ads, because organically, you will get visibility. Ad campaigns have the potential to reach more people though. You also have to plan for product promotion in advance so that you can raise the prices when there is high demand but less supply. Make a Social Media Marketing strategy for product promotion and also make sure you start early to increase product sales rank to be competitive. Backup plan What if you run out of stock on a big day in Q4? Don’t worry, we have a backup plan for you. If you are an Amazon seller and selling through the FBA program, for any missed shipment, you can shift over to Merchant Fulfilled Network (MFN), where you can send in another shipment. This way you can take full advantage of Q4 sales. There is another program by Amazon, Seller Fulfilled Prime, which you can apply to if you are eligible. Once you get the approval, you can sell your lowest-selling products through this program so that you and your team can become familiar with the requirements. Yes, it is a lot of work, but to avoid panic, you have to do this. Even after all this work, if any item goes completely out of stock, you can move on with a similar or equivalent product. To make the most profit, you do need to work hard and plan smartly. Final thoughts As an Amazon Seller, the final four months will be crucial for you, and for survival, you need to have a great strategy. But along with a good marketing plan, solid ad campaigns, optimized product listings, and a detailed forecast, you will have to be prepared for the unexpected. You can spend months planning for Q4, but once it pools in, there isn’t enough time to test and review strategies. This is a time when you have to take action. Imagine driving a super-fast car during Q4 and getting ready to shift gears anytime. If you can’t, your competitors will. There is a lot of work and there isn’t a whole lot of time, so how do you manage this? BIE have experienced and highly skilled amazon human resources who enhance brand presence and improve sales during the holiday season while providing analytical

Amazon Q4 Tactics for 2019 – Amazon Optimization Tips 101 Read More »

Scroll to Top