Amazon Seller Newsletter - Christmas 2011

Dear Amazon Seller,

Further to our recent newsletter on Christmas selling tips, we are pleased to present some follow-up articles designed to help you maximise your sales this busy Christmas season.

1) Boost your sales with “Fulfilment by Amazon”

2) Design your own promotions

3) Make your offers irresistible

4) Know what your customers are looking for

5) Get ready for the Christmas rush

1) Boost your sales with “Fulfilment by Amazon”

Simplify your festive season and sell more this Q4 with FBA

Customers want to be sure their orders will be delivered before Christmas Eve. That's why during peak season they prefer to order either direct from Amazon or from a merchant using Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA).

Other benefits of FBA include:

Amazon Prime and Free Super Saver Delivery on FBA orders: Customers prefer free shipping options. FBA items qualify for FREE Super Saver Delivery and Amazon Prime shipping offers.
Let Amazon do the heavy lifting: Amazon stores, picks, packs and delivers your orders for you, saving you time.
Amazon Customer Service: Amazon handles customer service for FBA orders including processing returns.
Gift-wrap service: FBA-fulfilled orders are eligible for gift wrap services, adding a special finishing touch to any presents ordered.
Amazon's delivery promise on FBA offers: Amazon lets customers know how late they can order FBA offers to ensure Christmas delivery. This means more of your products can ship closer to the Christmas deadline with Amazon's delivery promise.

Learn more about FBA here or if you have any specific questions, simply contact our seller support team via your seller account.

2) Design your own promotions

Add customised promotions to your listings using your Seller Central Account

Customers love special promotions, especially at Christmas. Create your own promotions for your items using your Seller Central account by going to "Inventory" à "Manage Promotions".

Please note: Software and Video Games products orders are excluded from free-shipping promotions. BMVD Products are excluded from all promotions.

On the right-hand side of the screen, click on "Create Promotion" and then specify the type of promotion you would like to run:

Now select the ASINs for your promotion:

Go through the next steps and you can specify basic information such as the voucher code, the promotion period and the wording. It’s as simple as that!

3) Make your offers irresistible

Give your customers as much information as possible

Please familiarise yourself with the category specific style guidelines for best practices when presenting your products. A good, complete and correctly presented product is in most cases significantly more successful on Amazon than a product which lacks information. You can learn more about specific tips for the categories you are selling in from the different detail page creation guidelines.

First impressions count; remember how important product photos are!

Create the best first impression: the product photos are the only physical means by which your customers can consider their online purchase – they are the equivalent of the touch-and-feel shopping experience in a retail outlet. This is particularly relevant for products where the buying decision is more emotional or impulsive. Try this as an experiment: take a look at your product photos, compare them with other items listed in the Amazon search results or on the product listing page and ask yourself which product you would choose if you were the customer. Our checklist for good product photographs is based on our longstanding experience and is designed to guarantee our customers a perfect shopping experience. Please also refer to the category-specific information about photographs in the respective guides.

Make sure your customers can find your offers!

Check that your products are assigned to the correct category and the optimal browse node - this can make all the difference and potentially turn a shelf warmer into a best-seller. However, it is vital that you do this very carefully. Start by choosing the inventory file ("flat file") that matches the product category for your new items. Then check that the numbers in the item's browse node ID have been typed in correctly because this is the ID used to determine the exact position for the product in our browse tree. Always select a browse node at the most detailed level and never a parent node. You can find the current flat files here; the valid browse node IDs are listed in the browse tree guides separately for each product category.

Upload your entire product selection and reach millions of shoppers on Amazon.co.uk each month!

The equation is simple: the more products you have on offer and the more information you can provide, the more customers you will attract and the more orders you will receive – make the most of the huge number of shoppers who visit Amazon every month.

4) Know what your customers are looking for

Make the most of the performance reports in Seller Central

Your Seller Central account gives you valuable insight and detailed information on the interests and purchasing trends of your Amazon.co.uk customers. By accessing the report shown below, you can see which of your items your customers have shown interest in and how many they actually purchased:

In your Seller Central account, go to Reports à Business Reports and open the report called "Detail Page Sales and Traffic” by SKU:

By selecting different settings on the right hand side of the screen you can customize your report:

Do you have a high number of sessions, but a low buy box percentage and a low conversion rate? à Check your prices and your shipping rates. Is there anything you can do to make them more competitive?
Do you have a low number of sessions, a high buy box percentage and a low number of units ordered? à Check the details behind your product. Are the search items, photographs, product description and bullet points all complete and correct? How about using FBA to help build demand for these products?
Do you have a high number of sessions, a high number of units ordered and a high conversion rate? à These products would be perfect for FBA - They are products which are already in high demand and which would see incremental sales from the customer benefits offered by FBA.

5) Get ready for the Christmas rush

Be realistic with your Christmas delivery deadlines

Customers always expect a speedy and reliable delivery service, and even more so at Christmas. It is therefore essential that you display your delivery times clearly and correctly on Amazon.co.uk and that you are constantly monitoring them.

Ensure that you are able to deliver your top selling products on time and that you are replenishing your stocks to keep up with demand.

Make sure you are keeping up with your sales by downloading your inventory files several times a day. You can access these reports under Inventory à Inventory Reports in the main menu of your Seller Central account.

Check your shipping charges

Customers expect shipping charges to be clear and transparent and prefer to order from merchants who offer free shipping. Check your shipping charges in your Seller Central account under Settings à Shipping Settings.

Would you like it gift-wrapped?

Your seller account offers you the facility to give your customers a gift wrap service for certain items ordered on Amazon.co.uk. Check Here for eligible product categories and, when you are setting up your delivery times, always bear in mind the extra time it takes to wrap an item.

To change your gift wrap service options, go to Settings à Gift Options in your Seller Central account:

You can now choose which options you would like to offer your customers:

Make it a happy and prosperous Christmas season

With the increase in demand comes the Christmas rush! Make sure you are ready to handle the volume of e-mails and calls from your customers; you will need to be available around the clock. Check that your contact details are correct and always maintain a professional and friendly approach – happy customers lead to positive feedback.

For more information, go to: Christmas business tips & tricks

Happy Christmas Selling on Amazon.co.uk

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Technical Support Team.Our colleagues will be delighted to help in any way they can.

With kind regards

Amazon Services Team



Amazon Seller Newsletter - Christmas 2011
Dear Amazon Seller, Further to our recent newsletter on Christmas selling tips, we are pleased to present some follow-up articles designed to help you maximise your sales this busy Christmas season. 1) Boost your sales with “Fulfilment by Amazon” 2) Design your own promotions 3) Make your offers irresistible 4) Know what your customers are looking for 5) Get ready for the Christmas rush 1) Boost your sales with “Fulfilment by Amazon” Simplify your festive season and sell more this Q4 with FBA Customers want to be sure their orders will be delivered before Christmas Eve. That's why during peak season they prefer to order either direct from Amazon or from a merchant using Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA). Other benefits of FBA include: Amazon Prime and Free Super Saver Delivery on FBA orders: Customers prefer free shipping options. FBA items qualify for FREE Super Saver Delivery and Amazon Prime shipping offers. Let Amazon do the heavy lifting: Amazon stores, picks, packs and delivers your orders for you, saving you time. Amazon Customer Service: Amazon handles customer service for FBA orders including processing returns. Gift-wrap service: FBA-fulfilled orders are eligible for gift wrap services, adding a special finishing touch to any presents ordered. Amazon's delivery promise on FBA offers: Amazon lets customers know how late they can order FBA offers to ensure Christmas delivery. This means more of your products can ship closer to the Christmas deadline with Amazon's delivery promise. Learn more about FBA here or if you have any specific questions, simply contact our seller support team via your seller account. 2) Design your own promotions Add customised promotions to your listings using your Seller Central Account Customers love special promotions, especially at Christmas. Create your own promotions for your items using your Seller Central account by going to "Inventory" à "Manage Promotions". Please note: Software and Video Games products orders are excluded from free-shipping promotions. BMVD Products are excluded from all promotions. On the right-hand side of the screen, click on "Create Promotion" and then specify the type of promotion you would like to run: Now select the ASINs for your promotion: Go through the next steps and you can specify basic information such as the voucher code, the promotion period and the wording. It’s as simple as that! 3) Make your offers irresistible Give your customers as much information as possible Please familiarise yourself with the category specific style guidelines for best practices when presenting your products. A good, complete and correctly presented product is in most cases significantly more successful on Amazon than a product which lacks information. You can learn more about specific tips for the categories you are selling in from the different detail page creation guidelines. First impressions count; remember how important product photos are! Create the best first impression: the product photos are the only physical means by which your customers can consider their online purchase – they are the equivalent of the touch-and-feel shopping experience in a retail outlet. This is particularly relevant for products where the buying decision is more emotional or impulsive. Try this as an experiment: take a look at your product photos, compare them with other items listed in the Amazon search results or on the product listing page and ask yourself which product you would choose if you were the customer. Our checklist for good product photographs is based on our longstanding experience and is designed to guarantee our customers a perfect shopping experience. Please also refer to the category-specific information about photographs in the respective guides. Make sure your customers can find your offers! Check that your products are assigned to the correct category and the optimal browse node - this can make all the difference and potentially turn a shelf warmer into a best-seller. However, it is vital that you do this very carefully. Start by choosing the inventory file ("flat file") that matches the product category for your new items. Then check that the numbers in the item's browse node ID have been typed in correctly because this is the ID used to determine the exact position for the product in our browse tree. Always select a browse node at the most detailed level and never a parent node. You can find the current flat files here; the valid browse node IDs are listed in the browse tree guides separately for each product category. Upload your entire product selection and reach millions of shoppers on Amazon.co.uk each month! The equation is simple: the more products you have on offer and the more information you can provide, the more customers you will attract and the more orders you will receive – make the most of the huge number of shoppers who visit Amazon every month. 4) Know what your customers are looking for Make the most of the performance reports in Seller Central Your Seller Central account gives you valuable insight and detailed information on the interests and purchasing trends of your Amazon.co.uk customers. By accessing the report shown below, you can see which of your items your customers have shown interest in and how many they actually purchased: In your Seller Central account, go to Reports à Business Reports and open the report called "Detail Page Sales and Traffic” by SKU: By selecting different settings on the right hand side of the screen you can customize your report: Do you have a high number of sessions, but a low buy box percentage and a low conversion rate? à Check your prices and your shipping rates. Is there anything you can do to make them more competitive? Do you have a low number of sessions, a high buy box percentage and a low number of units ordered? à Check the details behind your product. Are the search items, photographs, product description and bullet points all complete and correct? How about using FBA to help build demand for these products? Do you have a high number of sessions, a high number of units ordered and a high conversion rate? à These products would be perfect for FBA - They are products which are already in high demand and which would see incremental sales from the customer benefits offered by FBA. 5) Get ready for the Christmas rush Be realistic with your Christmas delivery deadlines Customers always expect a speedy and reliable delivery service, and even more so at Christmas. It is therefore essential that you display your delivery times clearly and correctly on Amazon.co.uk and that you are constantly monitoring them. Ensure that you are able to deliver your top selling products on time and that you are replenishing your stocks to keep up with demand. Make sure you are keeping up with your sales by downloading your inventory files several times a day. You can access these reports under Inventory à Inventory Reports in the main menu of your Seller Central account. Check your shipping charges Customers expect shipping charges to be clear and transparent and prefer to order from merchants who offer free shipping. Check your shipping charges in your Seller Central account under Settings à Shipping Settings. Would you like it gift-wrapped? Your seller account offers you the facility to give your customers a gift wrap service for certain items ordered on Amazon.co.uk. Check Here for eligible product categories and, when you are setting up your delivery times, always bear in mind the extra time it takes to wrap an item. To change your gift wrap service options, go to Settings à Gift Options in your Seller Central account: You can now choose which options you would like to offer your customers: Make it a happy and prosperous Christmas season With the increase in demand comes the Christmas rush! Make sure you are ready to handle the volume of e-mails and calls from your customers; you will need to be available around the clock. Check that your contact details are correct and always maintain a professional and friendly approach – happy customers lead to positive feedback. For more information, go to: Christmas business tips & tricks Happy Christmas Selling on Amazon.co.uk If you have any questions, feel free to contact our Technical Support Team.Our colleagues will be delighted to help in any way they can. With kind regards Amazon Services Team If you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, go to Unsubscribe to remove your e-mail from our distribution list.