Amazon VA

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Impact of COVID-19 on Online Shopping – Useful Insights on the Changing Behavior of Online Consumers

Leave a Comment / Amazon Marketing, Amazon VA / John

“The E-commerce industry will be the likely winners of the COVID-19 pandemic”. “COVID-19 will rapidly change online consumer habits”. These are some of the headlines we come across today. As an e-commerce or Amazon seller, despite the many challenges you face during this crucial period, you can be on the profitable side if you think smart. Imagine a world without the internet during the pandemic. I know I can’t. Thanks to the digital revolution, people can comfortably work from their homes and students can attend online classes. Most importantly, thanks to the e-commerce industry, all basic essentials are delivered to customers’ locations with just a single click. E-commerce has brought a significant change in shopping behavior and COVID-19 has added fuel to the fire. The pandemic was a time when consumers most explored e-commerce sites. As social distancing became the norm, people avoided crowds and spent most of their waking hours shopping online instead of heading out to their local retailers. For an Amazon seller to ride this wave of opportunity, it became essential to understand customers changing demands and analyze their behavior in order to supply the right products to suit their needs. Analyze and understand buying behavior of consumers The prime necessity of the current situation is to collect the data, update your profile, and portfolio in the product categories that are in high demand. This includes office supplies, fitness equipment, cosmetics, kitchenware, home improvement, toys, and hobby-related products. A shift in consumers’ requirements and priorities showcases the need for e-commerce brands to promptly react to maximize organic traffic and revenue. Even after reverting from the pandemic, consumers may adopt their new habits in the future. You need to be sharp and smart enough to know the sales strategies and pay attention to the data. Prior analysis of the demand for products can help you choose and select the most purchased products and optimize them in your product listing. For example, working from home has become imperative and more organizations are planning to provide their employees with an option of working from home which could mean that the demand for tables, chairs, laptops, and other work essentials is likely to increase. So, make sure you stock up the future essential goods according to their needs. It’s time to update and optimize your Product Listing Apart from selecting essential selling products, optimizing your product listing, and Amazon SEO plays a significant role in your product being on the first page of Amazon Search results. The images and description of the product should be engaging to the customer. For instance, your product on Amazon is coffee powder. Apart from other information, specify the names of trending recipes with the coffee powder, like Dalgona coffee, which has become quite a popular and trending recipe on social media. Also, it comes in handy to mention that your product’s safety and packaging are done under strict surveillance. This is indeed a time for Amazon and other online platform sellers to keep a close track of data to quickly make changes, if necessary, and reap the benefits of online selling. BIE is well-trained to provide a range of services for Amazon Sellers. From creating A+ content for your products to optimizing your Product listing, don’t miss out on this opportunity to get professional help for your brand. BIE is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based agency providing human resources to manage all things Amazon. BOOK A FREE CONSULTING CALL

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Sourcing Products to Sell Wholesale on Amazon: 2020 Guide For Selling Wholesale on Amazon

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

You would be surprised to know that the number of third-party sellers on Amazon exceeds the 2 million mark. It is through these sellers, that a consumer can order a variety of different products on the Amazon platform, oceans away. Among the sellers on the Amazon platform, around 26% of them use the wholesale sales model. Wholesale basically refers to buying branded products in bulk from a different manufacturer, distributor, or supplier and then reselling them to the consumers. Selling products brought in bulk on Amazon may seem like a lucrative opportunity. However, there are a few concepts and processes involved in following such a sales model that need to be understood first. In this article, you will learn how to implement a wholesale sales model on Amazon. How is wholesale different from the other sales models supported by Amazon? When you hear the word wholesale, you might think it is similar to the other types of sales models on Amazon. This is so not so as there are huge differences in each type of sales model supported by Amazon. Arbitrage is a sales model wherein products are purchased at a discounted rate from certain retail or online sites and then resold on Amazon. The similarity of this sales model with wholesale is that both of them involve the purchase of branded products. There are two types of arbitrage, retail arbitrage and online arbitrage. In retail arbitrage, sellers look for retail or outlet stores and look to make a profit by reselling the liquidations, clearance stock, and reduced stock. However, in online arbitrage, the products for reselling on Amazon are obtained from online sources. In online arbitrage, you can generally buy the products in bulk. The private label sellers have their own individual brands that they market and sell on Amazon under their own brand names. However, wholesale sellers purchase existing products from different brands. Private label selling involves building a brand from scratch and that is not the case when it comes to wholesale. Also, private label sellers do not want or would not allow any wholesalers to buy their products and resell them on Amazon. Dropshippers are third-party sellers who sell products that they do not own on Amazon. Dropshipping is not limited to product acquisition but also involves product fulfilment. In dropshipping, the buyer gives you the order and the order is processed by you on behalf of the supplier. The product will then be packed and shipped to the buyer by the supplier. The main difference between dropshipping and wholesale lies in the way the product inventory is handled. Since products are bought in bulk when it comes to wholesale, product inventory plays a major role. However, this is not the case with drop shipping. Reasons to sell wholesale Here are a few reasons why Amazon wholesale is popular and opted for by several sellers online. The products from existing brands can be sold through this method. This takes away the burden of marketing and advertising the products that you are selling online. In the case of wholesale, you would not have to go through the laborious process of manufacturing a product and shipping it to the customer. It is much more profitable to sell products as a wholesaler on Amazon. This claim is supported by a report which suggests that wholesalers on Amazon took under three months to turn a profit and private label sellers took about six months for the same. It takes minimum time to get your business up and running when it comes to Amazon wholesale. With not having to bother about brand identity and marketing, you can dedicate your time to growing the business and building a team. However, in order to sell on Amazon as a wholesaler, you would need brand approval. Basics of Amazon wholesale There are several steps involved in wholesale selling on Amazon. There are certain business setup practices entailed by Amazon that need to be followed, if one wishes to sell wholesale on Amazon. If you wish to adopt wholesale selling on Amazon, you will need an LLC and sales certificate. This is required when you are purchasing products from distributors for wholesale on Amazon. This can be in the form of a tax-exempt form or a business form as well and this depends entirely on the existing rules and requirements for reselling on Amazon in your country. Before commencing your journey as a wholesale seller on Amazon, you need to check the license requirements for wholesale selling on Amazon in your country. Once you have these legalities in place, you can proceed to the next steps. The main steps that are involved in Amazon wholesale selling include the following: Seller account setup Selecting the product you wish to sell Product sourcing Bundle, optimized listing creation, PPC Launch and promote the selected product Management and development of your business Finding a suitable product to sell on Amazon When you select a product for wholesale selling on Amazon, the first thing to make sure of is that the product is not already selling under a private label seller or Amazon. Generally, the products under Amazon’s brand are already at a competitive price and as a wholesaler, you cannot compete with the same. Also, many of the private label sellers will not allow the wholesalers to place offers on product listings that are similar to theirs. While picking a suitable product, try looking for well-established brands. Such successful brands would speed up the success of your business as a wholesaler on Amazon. You also need to check the demand for the product prior to making the selection. Amazon has many products that fall under various categories. We recommend you pick products that fall under the following categories. Arts, crafts, and sewing Books Baby Electronics Home and Kitchen Home and Garden Home Improvement Kitchen and Dining Music Instruments Office Products Pet Supplies Patio, Lawn, and Garden Sports and Outdoors Toys and Games Video Games Ensure that the BSR

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European Fulfilment Network For Amazon Sellers

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

If you’ve heard about the European fulfilment network for Amazon sellers, then you’re probably aware of Amazon’s global program and FBA services. Becoming a global seller on Amazon is not an easy task and this undertaking comes with its own set of problems. Selling your product in an international market can be intimidating, however, with the help of Amazon FBA and Amazon Global services, this process has become a tad bit simpler. If you’re planning on selling your products offshore, there are three basic types you can consider. European Fulfillment Network (EFN) With European Fulfillment Network (EFN), you ship your products to Amazon’s fulfilment centre, which will then be held in one country. Once an order is placed by a customer, the items will be picked, packed, and shipped by Amazon. You pay only local fulfilment fees on domestic orders. With Amazon’s EFN Network, you can sell on Amazon’s other European marketplaces with cross-border fees. Pan-European FBA With Pan-European FBA, you ship your products to Amazon’s fulfilment centre in your home marketplace. The order fulfilment process is done by Amazon. Amazon distributes your products throughout Europe based on anticipated demand without any cross-border fees. You can also save up to 52% in fulfilment fees. Multi-Country Inventory (MCI) With Multi-Country Inventory (MCI), you can choose which countries you want to ship and store your products. You have to pay local fulfilment fees for sale in the marketplaces you store products. With Multi-Country Inventory (MCI), you can sell on other marketplaces too with cross-border fees. European Fulfillment Network Typically, sellers can choose between FBA & FBM while deciding on the kind of carrier they want to choose for boarding their products offshore. EFN is part of the Amazon FBA program that dictates Amazon cares for the transport and delivery of your packages using one of its local warehouses. If you have a European marketplace seller account that’s registered under FBA, you can store your inventory in Amazon’s warehouses (also known as fulfilment centres), across Europe, and manage orders coming in from your European marketplace using the same local inventory pool. The reason why EFN is beneficial is that it keeps your stock stored in a single space, also known as the local pool, in a single fulfilment centre so that you gain maximum control and flexibility for marketing your goods. Now if you’re planning on selling your goods in a certain country in Europe, EFN allows storage of inventory in multiple fulfilment centres in one country to complete your local and trans-border orders. There are precisely only seven countries that allow the storage of goods within their fulfilment centres. United Kingdom Germany Spain France Italy Poland Czech Republic Pay Cross Border EFN fees When you sell your products to customers of other marketplaces via the European Fulfillment Network (EFN), you have to pay a cross-border fee for each order shipped. Let’s say for example you want a 600g Standard Parcel (non-media item) product across all five European marketplaces and ship your inventory to UK fulfilment centres. The cross-border EFN fee would be €4.39 for orders placed on amazon.de, amazon.fr, and amazon. it, and amazon.es. Standard Parcel 600g Fulfilment Fees Sale on amazon.de Sale on amazon.fr Sale on amazon. it Sale on amazon.es Fulfilment fee for EFN (fulfilling amazon.de, amazon.fr, amazon. it, amazon.es orders from UK inventory pool) €4.39 €4.39 €4.39 €4.39 There is no need to separately register for Amazon EFN because you automatically get this service under the FBA program but it’s important to choose your marketplace. Whichever European marketplace you select enables you to use EFN for all marketplaces as your listings are uploaded with the same SKU. What’s the benefit you ask? Single VAT number that eliminates financial stress for a chunk of your inventory. EFN gives you the flexibility of enlisting your products on all European marketplaces under a single VAT number and you also become applicable for Prime status. The storage fees are higher and it’s apt for a small business, however, if you’re thinking large scale, there are better options under FBA for selling your goods in the international market. But just like the EFN has its benefits, it comes with a set of disadvantages. EU) 2019/1020 Regulation needs most non-EU businesses to have an authorized representative located in the EU. You can read more about this here, a full guide on having an Authorized Representative by Instrktiv. FBA European fulfilment network functions under Amazon, which means you don’t need to worry about setting up your inventory at the warehouse or supervising third-party logistics. However, the downfall is that you will need to pay cross-border fees applicable from the home country to other shipping countries, which can weigh down on your expenditure. Conclusion While EFN provides fast shipping in Europe, it might take three more days for the shipment to get delivered if your product is to be delivered outside the home country. You must also have a VAT registered number in your home marketplace to be applicable for EFN. Though this option offers Prime delivery, fast shipment works when you’re delivering your product within your home. However, EFN is an excellent option to consider since FBA fees are much lower as compared to using third-party logistics services. There is a lot of work and there isn’t a whole lot of time. At BIE, we have experienced and highly skilled Amazon Human Resources who can enhance your brand presence, improve Q1 sales in 2020, and give you analytical feedback of your conversions. Want to know more about our services? Just contact us for immediate assistance! Request a free consult this instant to avail of our consultation or subscribe to our mailing list to get instant updates for Amazon seller/ vendor central-based tasks. If you need professional help with your Amazon store management, contact us. BIE is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based agency providing human resources to manage all things Amazon. BOOK A FREE CONSULTING CALL

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Source and Sell Private Label Products on Amazon

Leave a Comment / Amazon, Amazon Marketing, Amazon Tools, Amazon VA, Digital Marketing Social Media, LifeStyle, seller central, Technology / John

If you are planning to start your own e-commerce business, then to make some serious money, marketing private label products on Amazon is the best option for you. You can also take advantage of the fulfilment programs provided by Amazon such as Fulfilled-by-Amazon (FBA) Program and Merchant Fulfillment Network (MFN) to improve sales conversion. Here’s all you need to know about sourcing and selling private-label products on Amazon. Product Research For Private Label Products The first step would be to brainstorm product ideas and you can get product ideas from just about anywhere. For example, you can visit physical stores and see what’s hot & trending or you can ask regular customers which products make the most sale. You can also get product ideas from Amazon so always pay attention to the “New Releases” section and Amazon Best Sellers page. Keep looking for new products under different sub-categories. Social media is a great place where you can get new product ideas but you will have to do your own research to check what is trending by analyzing viral posts. Find the Target Market For Private Label Products You can sell anything on Amazon, even if there is little to no demand for that product. You can’t sell something that has too many competitors. You can easily come up with a great product idea but you also have to study the market and find out the best product for your audience. If you are a new Amazon seller then it might be your first product or you want to add a new product to your business. Our Amazon Product researchers have observed that many Amazon sellers waste their money on finding out what the best product to sell is. While searching for your winning product, you need to take care of pricing, shipping, availability for sourcing, product demand, seasonality, and competition. Find the Right Product Suppliers Now that you have an awesome product idea that you want to sell, you have to research product suppliers and manufacturers. For the perfect Private Label products, you have to research marketplaces like Alibaba, and IndiaMart which give you great product ideas. You can sort your results by minimum order requirements, materials, and price. You also get an idea about costs and other charges through this process. If you still can’t get the best supplier and manufacturer for your desired products, then Google is always there for you. Use the product name first as your search term and then mention the private label supplier at the end. Finalizing Logo Design and Packaging Once you get a few good suppliers, don’t order the products immediately. Request for a quote and samples first. You have to compare price quotes of multiple suppliers and also make sure that the products are up to your standards. There will be charges you incur such as shipping costs, import duties, and any other fees. Once you source the product, branding, design, and packaging come next. You can put your logo on the packaging and the product itself. Since it is a private label product, you have to make sure you design the product differently and not like the products already in the marketplace. When it comes to design, there are a lot of things to cover. For example, it might be a sample design with just a label or logo. Depending on the products, you might also have to do a full-scale package design that includes instruction booklets, an ingredients list, and other elements. Make sure the branding is done professionally as it plays a major role in your marketing and sales. At BIE, we have many services that enhance the brand and we have professional graphic designers on our team who guide you through the design process. Figure Out Your Fulfillment Strategy For an Amazon seller, product ratings matter a lot, and your shipping and fulfilment process has a direct impact, on your ratings and reviews. There are so many options available by which you can fulfil an order. But before making any decision, make sure you consider the costs of everything. There will be many costs such as shipping, picking, packing, warehousing, and logistics. You can fulfil your order in-house, that is on your own, or you can ship your private label products to Amazon’s warehouse, and the order will be fulfilled by Amazon. Nowadays, many Amazon sellers choose the Fulfilled-by-Amazon (FBA) program to fulfil their orders. It’s easy to get more sales using FBA and customer service is provided by Amazon. You can use third-party fulfilment centres or ask your private label product supplier if they offer fulfilment services. Basically, drop shipping. Whatever strategy you choose, keep in mind, ratings, and also make sure your supply chain works systematically. Amazon Product Listings Your next step is to ensure your product gets listed on your seller account on Amazon. Make sure you use high-quality and professional product images only. At BIE, we have an e-commerce product photography service where we offer you professional product images. The title is the most important element of your Amazon product listing. Make sure you use the brand name first in your title as it is a private-label product. After the brand name, make sure you use the keywords and search terms that the users could search. Your product title will define what you’re selling so make it as effective as possible. Once the title is done, including all the benefits and features of the product in the bullet points, is crucial. Here you can put some keywords that you want to target. Lastly, make sure you put all the information about the product in the description. The product description is the place where you can instruct the buyer and help them to make a purchase decision. The product description is your sales copy that will decide whether the product will sell or not. Sell Your Products and Start Advertising Once the listing is done, you can add more products and start selling. You

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Optimize Your Product Listing For Christmas Sales

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

If you plan on optimising your Amazon product listing for Christmas to get massive sales, we’ve got tips that will come in handy. It is tough to compete with top sellers during the Q4 season but that doesn’t mean you should lose out on business. In fact, the more you update and research, the easier it will be for your store to get noticed. A lot of Amazon sellers look for quick hacks when it comes to boosting visibility, but you can’t rely on black hat tricks. In fact, to ensure your account doesn’t undergo suspension, stick to Amazon’s guidelines, especially during the holiday season or during high sales periods. Here’s how you can quickly optimize your product listing for Christmas sales if you want to be a profitable merchant this holiday season: Understand the Christmas Cheer! Know your clientele, more so during Christmas, because that is when they’re going to hit the shop button most. Irrespective of what category your product comes under, check out what your competition is selling, in terms of discount coupons, freebies, and add-ons. Do a study of their past customers, and maybe you’ll find something new to add to your listing. When you know your clients are on the lookout for Christmas presents, that is the time to act. Throw in a discount, give them free shipping, add promotional content on your web stores, and advertise using Amazon PPC. Does this sound familiar? Of course, it does. The trick though, is in the presentation, the text content, and how you use your keywords. Go to your seller central account, open each listing, and make sure you add keywords in the search terms that should have the word “Christmas”, as a part of the long tail keywords. This is known as targeting clientele who are specifically looking for Christmas gifts. Stock Your Inventory You’ve heard this before and we’re winging it again – stock up on inventory and keep extra stock of your highest-selling products. Christmas sales have a lot to do with understanding where you’ve hit your sales the most and which products have yet to sell out fast. If your inventory list has an “x” number of products that always have a high order volume, stack up, nice and good. If your inventory list has a “y” number of products that have yet to sell out, make sure you have enough. And most importantly, highlight those products in your ad campaigns. Cold Pipeline Needs Heating Up! We’re talking about products that rarely make it to your customers. Imagine someone looking for Christmas toys for their kids. If your store comes under this category – the toy category – then it’s important you recreate the content for such listings from scratch. Don’t upset the algorithm for those listings that already have good visibility. We’re talking about a cold pipeline here, and it’s your job to identify these products and redo the listing from scratch with a new set of keywords. Get a Festive Makeover If you’re familiar with A+ content, you know what we’re talking about. You don’t need a black hat trick to tip the scales in your favour for any of your listings. It’s all about delivering fresh content, doing quick research for the latest keywords, checking on what gets indexed and what doesn’t, and creating great informative copy. It’s perfectly alright if you don’t have EBC. Your Christmas makeover can also be in the form of redoing your brand profile on Amazon’s marketplace, with new banners perhaps. This can include adding fresh lifestyle images to your listing with a Christmas theme to them. Deliver something innovative that keeps with the holiday spirit and showcases its great functionality. Mobile Friendly Content 80% of e-commerce sales take place online via mobile phones. Don’t expect your customers to order using laptops if they are browsing on phones. Keep an eye on who checks your website, social media channels, and store pages. Your sale begins with a customer browsing around for a product and it converts into a sale once they find the perfect product. That is something which happens with great reviews, FAQs, and images, to visually give an idea about the product to the customer. You can download mobile-friendly templates for your landing page, and create ad copies that are simple to read and have enough CTA buttons. Don’t Forget Those Testimonials This is the time you need to highlight customer reviews and testimonials. Whether it’s in the form of an Amazon PPC ad copy or a Facebook campaign that includes your product listing’s link, it’s all about generating leads. There are many people who buy products after they’re done browsing social media channels. It is your job to grab a customer’s trust by creating ad copies that come from different angles. It could be a testimonials copy or it could be content that offers a discount coupon. It could be informative and lead the customer onto your page’s blog or it could be a lightning deal on Amazon. Find Your Magical Keywords Just like children find their magic and inspiration from adorable Santa Claus stories, you need to find your magical keywords. Only when your products start showing up is when you’ll start seeing higher sales. To get a customer, think like one. Here’s how you start. 1. If you’re a customer who wants to buy a product, you obviously know nothing about keywords. You will type in just about anything that describes what you want. And if it’s for Christmas, that word is going to be a part of the search. Let’s say you’re looking for Christmas lights, but you want a certain kind and type. You don’t know what it’s called and you go for common words like “Christmas light”, “Christmas lighting”, or “lighting accessories for Christmas”. 2. Once your customer finds something that he/ she wants, they click on that product. Don’t assume it’s a buy. Everyone surfs more and decides later. If your customer has a brand in

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5 Strategies for Snagging the Amazon Buy Box

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

Getting your share of the Amazon Buy Box is not an exact science, but these strategies can help. By focusing your attention on keeping your products Buy Box-eligible and expertly managing your inventory, you’ll have a better shot at getting your product in the Buy Box rotation. With the holiday season in full swing, you’ll want to do everything you can to maintain an edge over the competition. Q4 is a great opportunity to increase sales and build your brand. Don’t miss out by being unprepared! In this blog post, we’ll highlight five effective strategies for snagging the coveted Buy Box. What is the Buy Box? Sometimes referred to as the “Featured Offer,” the Buy Box is technically the “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons that allow buyers to skip the traditional shopping cart checkout process and go straight to one-click ordering. This is offered on each product detail page on Amazon. It can be incredibly beneficial to your sales, especially during the busy holiday season, when customers are trying to score a deal as quickly as possible! From a seller’s perspective, having your product in the Buy Box is a great way to beat the competition. Once you have it, though, you’re not guaranteed to keep it. The Amazon Buy Box rotates between sellers. Based on a variety of criteria, Amazon picks which accounts will have the Buy Box, so you want to do everything in your power to earn it. Let’s talk about some of the best strategies. Offer Fast Shipping Gone are the days when consumers were willing to wait weeks for a purchase to arrive. Today’s customers want their items as fast as possible. Amazon shoppers are expecting to receive shipments within 24 hours or less. There’s a lot of competition in the marketplace and you don’t want to be that one seller who can’t meet that expectation. One strategy is to offer your products through Amazon’s FBA program. You’re not required to do this, but being an FBA seller allows you to fulfil orders quickly, which can help you earn your piece of the Buy Box pie. Whatever route you choose, make fast shipping a priority. Stay in Stock You can’t sell anything if you run out of stock. Not only will this result in a loss of revenue, but it could hurt your reputation as well. Even repeat customers will be forced to look elsewhere if you’re not carrying the product that they need and when they need it. As mentioned, modern shoppers aren’t willing to wait for shipments and you shouldn’t expect them to. If winning the Amazon Buy Box is a goal (as it should be), you need a clear inventory management strategy. Build relationships and keep a close eye on your supply chain. This is important for many reasons, but it can also save you in a pinch. For example, if your order volume spikes, you might be able to fast-track your orders if you’re on friendly terms with your suppliers. Keep Your Pricing Competitive Even if your products are priced fairly, prospective buyers will always be looking for a better deal. That’s the thing about Amazon — people can compare prices in seconds. It’s essential that you’re aware of what’s happening in the marketplace so that you can remain competitive. With that being said, don’t undervalue your goods. Offering the lowest price isn’t a guarantee that you’ll win the Buy Box anyway. Instead, focus on developing a smart Amazon pricing strategy so that your prices are similar to other sellers. It’s a major undertaking and you might find it helpful and time-saving to use an Amazon repricer to stay in the game. Get Reviews If your products and prices are similar to those of your competitors, how can you stand out from the pack? By having a great reputation. How do you accomplish that? By getting product reviews. When two Amazon listings are virtually identical, buyers will be more likely to purchase from the one that has positive feedback from customers. Figuring out how to solicit feedback can be overwhelming, which is why many sellers rely on tools to help them create effective campaigns. In the end, building and maintaining a healthy Amazon seller reputation is worth it for three main reasons. It shows Amazon that you’re committed to providing excellent customer service, it gives buyers confidence in your products, and it can give your ASINs a boost. All of those things can help you win and keep the Amazon Buy Box. Maintain a Healthy Seller Account Are you paying close attention to your seller account health? It doesn’t matter if you’ve been too busy to keep track of how you’re doing, because Amazon is always watching. The company is obsessed with making customers happy and they closely monitor sellers to make sure they’re getting the job done. To ensure that you’re meeting buyer expectations, Amazon looks at metrics such as Order Defect Rate, Cancellation Rate, and Late Shipment Rate. Your performance will impact your ability to win the Buy Box and why shouldn’t it? The sellers who go the extra mile are the ones who deserve it. Give yourself the best chance at getting a share of the Buy Box by keeping your account healthy. Get Ahead of the Competition By keeping your seller account healthy and committing to impeccable inventory management, fast shipping, and competitive pricing, you put yourself in the best position to reap rewards during Q4 and year-round. Running an Amazon business takes a lot of effort. Come up with a plan of action for snagging the Amazon buy box and follow through. BIE’s Amazon Human Resource services can provide you with the help you need for running your store on the Amazon marketplace. You can find all the services required to grow and enhance your digital brand worldwide on a single platform. Our Amazon Human Resources are multi-skilled and can efficiently handle different aspects of your store, right from providing analytical reports of

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Avoid Scams While Hiring Amazon Human Resources Online

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

Whether you are new to Amazon seller central or a top seller, you might have hired an Amazon expert for complete store management. In this article, we’ve mentioned a few things that you need to consider and also things that a VA need to ensure to prevent scams. We’re sure that amazon human resources from around the world can easily be scammed into finishing a project and not getting their due amounts paid (discussed in a later blog). Just like how companies contract employees and take their identity proof into consideration, we would suggest signing such a contract with your VA, before you take any new hires. Let’s get into detail as to how as a virtual employee, you can avoid fraudulent acts while hiring amazon human resources online. Things To Consider Check Online Profile Thoroughly: Always be aware of the fact that many scam artists make fake accounts or profiles on writing boards, social media platforms, and other such venues. Make sure you check whether the profile has a genuine profile image and this includes studying the account history in terms of the number of posts, photograph list, address, name, website, and timeline feed. Also, remember that if the profile is newly created and there are no real friends then chances are that it is a scammers profile. Keep in mind that scammers post repeated or copied content on their news feeds and on different groups. Our recommendation is to stay away from such profiles in general. Authentication is Necessary: You need to ask for ID proof just like any other company would while hiring. Ensure you take into account your VA’s personal identity details. Before you sign a contract, ask for their government ID proof such as a passport, national ID, or driving license. Make sure the details on the government ID proof match the Facebook profile. Client Testimonials: Before you hire a VA, ensure you take into account client testimonials. Check their portfolio. Also, ask for their LinkedIn profile, as many professional amazon human resources nowadays have a profile on this media site. Make sure you take recommendations from previous clients or referrals before hiring anyone. Keep a Record of Work Hours: While hiring amazon human resources online, keep in mind the number of hours due as some freelance agents work faster than others. Whether you’re paying on an hourly basis or per project, we oblige you to use a content monitoring tool like Hubstaff to time-track work or you can take screenshots off Skype while keeping your VA on the payroll. Maintain Electronic Footprint: While hiring a VA from Facebook, ensure you maintain an electronic footprint through emails and messages. Ask for their email ID and start the conversation via mail or Skype. All your terms & conditions should be sent via email, as also the requirements for the project. If you are hiring the VA on an hourly basis, then PayPal invoicing must be included. Take Sample Test (PAID): The most important part of this hiring process is that you must test the skills of the VA you are hiring online. The VA should have all the basic and advanced skills that he/ she will need to complete your work efficiently and fulfil all the requirements. We suggest you give them a paid test assignment to know their skills. Most scammers are unskilled and unprofessional, so testing is necessary. Be Clear & Concise with Project: Before you hire a VA, you should have a clear idea about your requirements. Ensure you mention everything in the job description. You should not reach a stage where you have to hand-hold the VA. Having clear goals will save more time for you and the VA. Ensure your project details are recorded via electronic contract or some form of agreement. What About Amazon Human Resources Getting Scammed? We have also noticed that many amazon human resources get scammed after completing a specific project. To avoid scams, make sure you research the employer before applying. Beware of fake profiles as we have mentioned before. Sometimes you will find job posts for amazon human resources crafted extremely unclear and without any brand or company information. Always remember that you have the right to ask for information about the company of your employer. If a job post doesn’t have any employer details such as the name of the employer or company details, you should not go any further. In some cases, the employer may create a fictional persona, or pretend to be a third person between you and the employer. Like a lawyer, consultant, or agency. In such cases, make sure you check the employer profile carefully and ask for government ID proof. As you and the employer both are in different places, it’s always better to do a video call and record it. In addition, once you’ve submitted your application and you get hired instantly, you should proceed with caution. Most scammers accept anyone after a short interview and without any assignment. Conclusion The entire process of hiring an amazon human resources takes time. An employer will look for the right person and always for the long term so that they don’t have to hire someone anytime soon. A genuine and determined employer will look for someone who is productive, highly skilled, and most importantly, someone who will be there with the company for a while. These are the signs of a legitimate job post that you should look for if you are an amazon human resource. If you are a contractor looking to hire offsite freelancing agents, your first job is to filter out spam profiles. If you need professional help with your Amazon store management, do contact us. BIE is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based agency providing human resources to manage all things Amazon. BOOK A FREE CONSULTING CALL

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Identify Restricted Keywords in Amazon To Optimize Product Listing

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

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.

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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 / John

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.

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