Amazon Latest News - Amazon Marketplace Updates

Amazon has launched a confidential beta program that enables sellers to create and manage Sponsored Product campaigns on other retailers’ websites directly through Amazon’s platform. This new feature has the potential to significantly expand reach and increase sales.

Why This Update Matters?

1. Expanded Audience Reach

Your ads will no longer be confined to Amazon shoppers; now, your products can be displayed on other platforms where your target audience is already shopping.

2. Streamlined Campaign Management

You can manage both Amazon and off-site campaigns from a single dashboard, simplifying the process of handling multiple advertising platforms.

3. First-Mover Advantage

Those who adopt the beta early can gain valuable insights and refine their strategies before the feature is rolled out to everyone.

Should You Join the Beta?

If you’re eligible and have received an invitation, consider these steps:

1. Start Small

Begin with a modest budget to test the feature and collect performance data.

2. Monitor ROI Closely

Keep an eye on key metrics like click-through rates (CTR) and return on ad spend (RoAS) to ensure your campaigns are yielding profits.

3. Stay Flexible

As a beta program, features may change. Sellers who quickly adapt to updates can gain a competitive advantage.

Need Help Navigating This New Feature?

Our team of Amazon experts is here to support you. Whether you need advice on creating high-performing Sponsored Products campaigns or insights into utilizing beta programs, we’re ready to help you achieve the best results.

Get ahead of the competition and explore new opportunities with Amazon’s latest advertising innovation!

Amazon has introduced the Next-Gen Selling Dashboard, a major enhancement to Seller Central aimed at simplifying and improving how sellers operate their businesses. Featuring user-friendly tools, advanced customization options, and interactive elements, this dashboard optimizes processes and provides sellers with valuable insights.

Key Features of the Next-Gen Selling Dashboard

1. Clickable KPIs

Gain in-depth insights on metrics such as sales and returns by simply clicking on the figures.

2. Drag-and-Drop Customization

Customize your homepage to showcase the charts and tables that matter most to you, like conversion rates or sales trends.

3. Quick Date Filters

Easily analyze performance trends with filters like “Last 7 days” or “Last 30 days.”

4. Cleaner, Intuitive Design

Experience a streamlined layout that enhances navigation speed and simplicity.

5. All-in-One Command Center

Oversee inventory, orders, ads, and reports from a single centralized hub for a more integrated workflow.

Why It Matters?

This update empowers sellers by providing:

• Time Savings: Easier navigation and quick access to essential data.
• Focus on Key Metrics: Customizable views to highlight what’s most important for your business.
• Better Decision-Making: Improved insights for data-driven strategies.

How to Make the Most of It?

1. Personalize Your Dashboard

Organize the layout to emphasize the metrics and tools that align with your objectives.

2. Leverage Clickable KPIs

Explore performance data more deeply to uncover opportunities or address challenges.

3. Monitor Trends Efficiently

Utilize quick date filters to identify patterns, refine strategies, and stay proactive about potential issues.

Note for Sellers

While the Next-Gen Selling Dashboard represents a significant upgrade, some minor bugs may still exist as Amazon works to enhance the system. For a smooth transition and optimal use of this feature, consider collaborating with Amazon experts who can assist you in customizing your setup and fully utilizing these powerful tools.

Amazon has enhanced its Voice of the Customer (VOC) dashboard by adding metrics for Return Rate and Star Ratings. These new features offer sellers valuable insights into customer satisfaction, enabling them to identify product issues and take proactive steps for improvement.

Key Updates

1. Return Rate

• View the percentage of returns initiated in the past year.
• Quickly identify products that are frequently returned and address potential issues such as:
• Quality concerns.
• Inaccurate product descriptions.
• Usability challenges.

2. Star Rating

Access a centralized overview of star ratings for your entire product catalog.

Utilize this information to spot trends and prioritize improvements for products that have low ratings.

Why This Matters?

By bringing essential metrics together in one location, Amazon simplifies the process for sellers to stay updated on customer feedback and take prompt action.

Maximize the Benefits

• Analyze Product Trends: Regularly check the dashboard to spot patterns in returns and ratings.
• Prioritize Improvements: Concentrate on resolving issues with products that have high return rates or low ratings to boost customer satisfaction and minimize negative feedback.

For expert advice on making the most of the VOC dashboard and implementing effective strategies, consider collaborating with Amazon consultants to enhance your product performance and customer experience.

Stay proactive with these tools to foster customer loyalty and achieve long-term success!

Amazon has rolled out an exciting new feature for Sponsored Brands campaigns, allowing sellers to modify bids for placements beyond just the Top of Search. This enhancement provides sellers with more control over their advertising spend and performance by customizing bids for specific placements such as product pages or rest-of-search, tailored to their advertising goals.

Key Benefits for Sellers

• 1. Greater Flexibility in Bidding

Sellers can now manage their ad budgets more efficiently by optimizing bids for high-performing placements outside the Top of Search.

Example: If your default bid is $1.00, you might:

Lower bids by 10%, bringing it down to $0.90, for placements that aren’t performing well.

Increase bids for placements that are generating strong conversions.

Actionable Steps

1. Review Placement Reports

Utilize Amazon’s reporting tools to assess how your ads are performing across various placements (e.g., Top of Search, product pages).

2. Adjust Bids Accordingly

Refine your bids for placements that are not in the Top of Search:

Cut bids for placements that are underperforming to conserve budget.

Boost bids for placements that are delivering better returns.

3. Regularly Monitor Performance

Keep an eye on how bid adjustments affect your return on ad spend (ROAS) and tweak your strategy as necessary.

Smarter Ad Management, Enhanced Control

This feature enables sellers to optimize their campaigns and achieve improved results. If you’re uncertain about how to make these adjustments, consider reaching out to Amazon PPC experts for guidance on creating a data-driven strategy for optimal ad performance.

Leverage this new tool to enhance your advertising strategy and foster growth!

Amazon is updating its product title policy to improve clarity and enhance the shopping experience. Starting January 21, 2025, new rules will be implemented, including a restriction on word repetition: no word can appear more than twice in a title (with the exception of prepositions, articles, and conjunctions).

What This Means for Sellers?

1. Review Your Titles for Compliance

Check your product titles to make sure no word is repeated more than twice. Examples:

Non-Compliant: “Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – Speaker with Speakerphone”

Compliant: “Wireless Bluetooth Speaker with Speakerphone”

2. Update Non-Compliant Titles

• Remove redundancy while keeping essential information.
• Ensure titles adhere to Amazon’s other guidelines:
• Maximum of 200 characters.
• Avoid using prohibited special characters (e.g., !, _).

3. Utilize Amazon’s Tools

After January 21, use tools like Manage All Inventory or Review Listing Updates (for brand owners) to identify flagged titles.

Address any flagged titles within 14 days to maintain control.

4. Act Proactively

Amazon may automatically modify non-compliant titles after the 14-day period. Taking early action helps ensure your titles stay optimized and in line with your branding strategy.

Need Assistance?

Updating titles to meet these new standards can be a lengthy process. Working with Amazon SEO experts can help you save time, stay compliant, and create titles that are both engaging and effective for customers.

Stay proactive to keep your listings optimized and your sales on track!

The busy holiday season is approaching, and it’s time to start sending in your inventory. To ensure you have enough products in stock for peak season, we recommend sending your FBA inventory to fulfillment centers in August and September.

Key dates and recommendations

Inventory arrival deadline: Ensure your inventory arrives at fulfillment centers by October 19, 2024, to guarantee its Prime badge-ready by Black Friday.

Fulfillment center focus: Amazon’s FBA team will focus on receiving inventory in September and October to place your products in the right centers ahead of peak. In November and December, they will prioritize processing customer orders.

Limited slots in Nov-Dec: Fulfillment centers will have limited slots to accept shipments during November and December to ensure faster delivery speeds and maximize sales potential.

Capacity limits: You may see lower estimated capacity limits for October and November. The Capacity Monitor tool helps you stay up-to-date on these limits. Estimated capacity limits for October are now viewable, and November limits will be available starting August 20.

Overage fee elimination: To simplify operations and manage inventory more efficiently during peak, the overage fee for storage was eliminated effective July 1, 2024. If your on-hand inventory exceeds your capacity limit, you will not incur an overage fee.

For detailed information on these updates and to ensure your readiness for the holiday season, log in to Seller Central and check the Capacity Monitor tool. For expert assistance in managing your FBA inventory, contact Growithamazon Amazon consultants today.

Recently, Amazon launched the Cart Abandoners and Declining Audiences feature, now available through Brand Tailored Audiences.

With this latest update, brands can now target two critical audience segments:

• Cart abandoners: Customers who have added products to their cart within the last 90 days but haven’t completed the purchase.
• Declining audiences: This includes two sub-categories:
  • Declining top tier: Your most loyal customers are predicted to spend less in the coming year.
  • Declining promising: Customers showing promising potential but predicted to spend less without becoming loyal.

Why is this important?
Previously, while brands could engage with New Potential and other loyalty segments, addressing declining audiences effectively was challenging. Now, with predictive Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) insights and the ability to create tailored promotions directly from the Customer Loyalty Dashboard, brands can strategically engage with Cart Abandoners and declining segments to maximize retention and sales.

When accessing the Brand View of the Customer Loyalty Dashboard, you’ll now find Cart Abandoners seamlessly integrated alongside new and potential customers. This integration allows you to not only understand but also target and engage with these critical segments efficiently.

Take action today!
Explore the new capabilities within your Customer Loyalty Dashboard and consider creating tailored promotions for your Cart Abandoners. This proactive approach will help you reconnect with potential customers and optimize your marketing efforts effectively.

If you need assistance understanding or implementing this update, don’t hesitate to contact our Amazon consultants.

Amazon has announced that Prime Day 2024 will be held on July 16 and 17, marking the 10th anniversary of this blockbuster event!

Prime Day is a golden opportunity to boost your sales and reach millions of customers worldwide. Partner with us at eStore Factory to ensure your products stand out and make Prime Day 2024 truly memorable. Let’s maximize your visibility, optimize your listings, and drive sales to new heights together!

Check with us to see what your account needs to prepare for Prime Day.

Amazon has introduced Brand Store quality ratings, aimed at enhancing the shopping experience and boosting sales for brands like yours. What are Brand Store quality ratings? Brand Store quality ratings assess the overall quality and user experience of your Brand Store on Amazon. Stores with higher ratings tend to see up to 50% higher sales compared to those with lower ratings. This metric is crucial as it reflects how engaging and effective your Brand Store is in attracting and retaining customers. Why should you care?

• Sales boost potential: Stores with high-quality ratings typically experience increased sales due to improved customer engagement and trust.
• Competitive edge: Comparing your store’s rating with peers can provide insights into areas where improvements are needed to stay competitive.
• Personalized recommendations: Amazon provides personalized recommendations to enhance your store’s dwell time and overall quality, helping you optimize performance.

Action steps

• Check your store’s rating: Visit your Brand Store dashboard to see your current quality rating.
• Review recommendations: Amazon provides tailored suggestions to improve your store’s dwell time and overall quality score.
• Implement enhancements: Consider implementing suggested changes to enhance user experience and drive sales.

Want to achieve a high-quality rating for your Amazon Brand Store? Contact our Amazon consultants today and discover how our expertise can elevate your store to drive higher sales and customer engagement on Amazon.

Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program will soon include seller-fulfilled orders, starting June 27, 2024. This expansion allows you to offer customers discounts on regularly purchased items with the added convenience of automatic delivery.

Key details

• Automatic enrollment: Eligible, replenishable products will be automatically enrolled based on your default discount settings in Subscribe & Save.
• Default discounts: If you had set a default discount for Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Subscribe & Save, this will carry over to your seller-fulfilled products.
• Additional discount: Customers with five or more subscriptions scheduled for the same delivery day will receive an extra 5% discount.
• Impact on orders: You may notice an increase in pending orders as deliveries align with subscribers’ chosen delivery days.

To manage your participation:

• Set your default discount: Visit Growth > Explore programs > Increase conversion > Subscribe & Save > Learn more.
• Opt-out or update discounts: You have the option to opt-out of automatic enrollment or adjust discount settings post-launch.
• Review performance: Monitor your Performance dashboard for insights into your Subscribe & Save metrics.

Our team of Amazon consultants is here to assist you in leveraging the Subscribe & Save program effectively. For personalized assistance and to explore how to best capitalize on this opportunity, feel free to reach out to us.

Amazon just introduced a new beta feature in Campaign Builder called Product Listing Quality. What does this mean for you? Well, have you ever wondered how Amazon’s algorithm views your product listings? Now, you can find out. This new feature assesses your listings and gives you insights on their click potential. Basically, it helps you understand if your product is ready to launch.

It can take longer to get impressions and clicks on products that Amazon’s algorithm doesn’t think are relevant to searches. So, if your product doesn’t meet the minimum standard for clicks, the system will suggest holding off on launching a campaign until improvements are made. But don’t worry, you can still launch campaigns if you want, just know that getting impressions and clicks might be a bit harder. By understanding how the algorithm views your products upfront, you can identify which listings might need some tweaks.

And that means higher visibility and better performance right from the start. Plus, knowing what needs improvement before you launch can save you both time and money. No more trial and error! Before, we used to add a product to a campaign and then check the recommended keywords to gauge how well Amazon “understood” our product. But now, Amazon is telling us upfront with the Product Listing Quality feature. Need further assistance optimizing your Amazon campaigns? Our team of Amazon experts is here to help you maximize your success!

Amazon has launched a new feature that lets you easily turn your high-performing Amazon Posts into Sponsored Brand Ads. This means you can take your most engaging content and reach a wider audience with just one click!
Here’s how it works:

• Identify your top posts: Look for image and video Posts that are already getting good traction with your audience.
• Boost with a click: In the Posts manager, simply click the “Boost” button next to your chosen Post.
• Seamless setup: Amazon will automatically populate the Sponsored Brand campaign builder with your Post’s creative content.
• Go live! Review your campaign settings and launch your Sponsored Brand Ad to reach more potential customers.

Benefits for you:

• Boost brand awareness: Get your brand name and products in front of a larger audience on Amazon.
• Test your creatives: See how your existing content performs as an ad, helping you refine your future marketing strategies.
• Gain valuable insights: Track the performance of your Sponsored Brand Ads to understand what resonates with your customers.
• Easy on the wallet: Remember, Amazon Posts are still free to use! This feature simply leverages your organic success for paid advertising.

Who can use it?
All Amazon advertisers in the US, including sellers, vendors, and agencies, can take advantage of this new feature. Contact our PPC experts to learn more about how we can help you leverage Sponsored Brands from your Posts and achieve your advertising goals!

Amazon has recently rolled out a schedule of significant dates that sellers should mark in their calendars to plan ahead.

Prime Exclusive Top Deals
April 12: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Top Deals in Canada and the United States
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Top Deals in Japan
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Top Deals in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium

Prime Exclusive Lightning Deals
May 3: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Lightning Deals in Canada and the United States
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Lightning Deals in Japan
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Lightning Deals in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium

Prime Exclusive Best Deal
May 3: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Best Deal in Canada and the United States
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Best Deal in Japan
May 17: Deadline to submit Prime Exclusive Best Deal in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium

FBA Inventory Cutoff
June 20: FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers in Canada and the United States
July 3: Retail/FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers and vendors to IXD/AJX in Japan
July 7: Retail/FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers and vendors to FC in Japan
June 27: FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium

Inbound Shipping Cutoff
June 20: Inbound inventory cut-off date for vendors in Canada and the United States
July 3: Retail/FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers and vendors to IXD/AJX in Japan
July 7: Retail/FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers and vendors to FC in Japan
June 27: FBA inventory cut-off date for sellers in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and Belgium

These dates are critical for ensuring your products are stocked and ready for Amazon’s Prime Exclusive offers and to avoid stockouts during peak shopping times. Mark these deadlines in your planner, set reminders, and schedule a meeting with our Amazon consultants and make the most of these opportunities!