Use some of Amazon’s most effective strategies for your own online store
If you’re looking for ideas to grow your e-commerce site, where better to look than the world’s largest online retailer? We’re talking, of course, about Amazon.
Even if you’re not a mega online shop owner, the reality is that Amazon is always going to be in your top competitors. The good news is, your top competitor also has many clever and effective strategies you can use on your own site to bump up your sales.
In this post, we’ll take a look at five promotion tools that enhance your shop to encourage engagement and revenue. Some are fairly easy to implement yourself, while others might require the help of a web developer.
1: Keyword Research
In case you’re not already doing this, we’ll clue you into one of Amazon’s most powerful sales tools that you can use for your own online shop promotions: the search suggest feature.
Amazon’s popular search function is not just helpful for users to find and refine their searches; it’s also one of the easiest and most robust tools you as a shop owner can use to do keyword research. By typing in a few words related to your own products, you can find loads of keyword ideas that will help you optimize your product pages and descriptions, making it easier for your customers to find what they’re looking for — not to mention make your web pages more attractive to search engines.
How to do it
Simply start typing in a product name into Amazon’s search bar. You’ll be presented with many variations and additional popular keyword searches you may not have thought of, all based on real user search data. Integrate these keyword strings into your product page titles, product descriptions, and other marketing collateral and you’ll be ahead of the game!
2: Cross-sell Products
Show of hands: How many of our readers have bought an additional product (or even just a different product) based on Amazon’s suggestions? We’re talking about the popular “You may also like” and “Customers also bought” cross-promotions and cross-sell features ubiquitous on Amazon.
Cross-promoting products on an e-commerce site is incredibly effective. In fact, Amazon long ago reported that 35% of their revenue was a direct result of their cross-promotion tactics.
How to do it
Amazon’s highly sophisticated algorithms, coupled with its massive shopper base and related data, make its suggested products feature incredibly robust. Fortunately, most e-commerce software platforms have apps that allow you to turn on a related-products spotlight, just like Amazon. Check with your platform to see what’s available.
Related: The 4 Hidden Culprits Behind E-Commerce Cart Abandonment
3: Customer Reviews
Among Amazon’s most-referenced features is its customer reviews. The statistics pointing to the power of online reviews are compelling:
- Nearly 95% of consumers read reviews before they purchase online.
- 72% say they will hold off on making a decision until they’ve read reviews.
- The purchase likelihood for a product with five reviews is 270% greater than the purchase likelihood of a product with no reviews.
If you’re afraid of negative reviews, try to embrace the risk. Research shows that having all five-star reviews is actually seen as a bit of a red flag; conversions peak at ratings between 4.0 - 4.7 stars. Bonus: Customer reviews boost your SEO by keeping content fresh, and positive reviews can serve as powerful testimonials to encourage sales.
How to do it
All e-commerce platforms allow for reviews. It’s simply a matter of enabling the feature on your product pages. You can also follow up with an automated email to ask your customers to leave a review after they purchase. Be sure to read all customer reviews that come in. If you notice a negative review, you have a prime opportunity to connect with your buyers and create an unforgettable customer service experience. You may even discover opportunities to make your products better.
Related: How to Optimize Your Amazon Listing and Manage Customer Reviews
4: Product Photos and Videos
While you may have a photo of each product on your website, do you have enough photos, and are they high quality? Taking it a step further, could your products benefit from video demos?
When customers can’t physically hold your product before purchasing, they rely on visuals (photo and video) to make their buying decision. Therefore, it’s logical that if you’re not providing the visual information they need, you may be missing big selling opportunities.
Additionally, with high-definition displays and pinch-and-zoom screens, the quality of photography is just as important as the quantity. Etsy's user survey showed that for 90% of respondents, the quality of images directly influenced their purchase.
If you’re not convinced that investing in photography is worth it for your site, consider this: 93% of consumers overall say that visuals are the top consideration when making a purchasing decision.
How to do it
If your budget is tight, work with what you have. Borrow a high-quality camera from a friend or use a new smartphone, which are now equipped with powerful cameras and built-in editing capabilities. Search for YouTube videos on basic photography techniques for product photos. Aim for the best lighting possible.
However, if your budget allows, there’s no substitution for a professional photoshoot. Photographers have the experience and technical equipment to capture photos that will last you for years. And when it comes to video, a professional is the best option, hands down. A low-quality, homemade video is going to be quite obvious to your customers and may actually leave a negative impression.
5: Allow for Social Sharing
We can’t understate the power of social media sharing. By enabling your site visitors to share a product page or photo to their social media, you effectively enable free advertising. Doesn’t that sound nice? This is an easy addition to your e-commerce site that can have big returns.
How to do it
As with other functions we’ve mentioned, your e-commerce platform will have this function natively available or readily available as a plug-in or app. We recommend enabling sharing to Pinterest and Instagram at the very least. These are the two most visually-oriented social sites associated with social media product sales. Also enable the email option so users can share with their friends directly. Facebook and Twitter rank next in line for social sharing. However, most shop owners will simply enable them all.
Other Ways to Grow Your E-Commerce Business
We at Integritive love working with e-commerce businesses! If you’re looking for more ways to expand, let's talk. We work with businesses of all sizes in nearly any industry. Our company is based in Asheville & Charlotte, and we work with online store owners throughout North Carolina. We’ll meet with your team to discuss strategies to skyrocket your online sales. Drop us a message today!
