How to Win the Holidays on Amazon
October 21, 2021
Preparing for the Q4 Buying Frenzy
For many Amazon Sellers, the holiday season is the most lucrative time of the year. With back-to-back Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas buying frenzies, the uptick in traffic can position your account to enjoy increased sales and brand exposure.
On top of the typical wave of seasonal business, COVID-19 has accelerated the shift away from brick and mortar, encouraging more people to make their purchases online. In the United States, retail spending is expected to decrease by 10.5%, while e-commerce sales are expected to climb by 18%.
How can you, as a seller, prepare for the holidays on Amazon? What strategies will help you take advantage of the growing number of eyes on your listings? Here are four things you can do to win the holidays on Amazon.
4 Ways to Win the Holidays on Amazon
1. Plan Ahead
Procrastination is not your friend during the holiday season at Amazon. Crafting a plan well in advance that takes into account the many variables that influence Q4 sales is critical. Consider increased lead times, marketing and advertising strategies, and inventory forecasting.
The supply chain has felt the effects of COVID-19 for quite some time now. The holiday season will accentuate the strain. Take this factor into account as you decide when to place orders, the time needed for transporting and unloading freight, receiving and prepping inventory via ZQUARED, and shipping and receiving to Amazon FBA.
2. Optimize Product Listings
As millions of shoppers browse thousands of products on Amazon.com, help your products standout in the sea of options.
First, ensure the information on your listings is accurate, current, and reader-friendly. Next, check your keywords for relevancy. Are there any terms that should be added or modified? Are there specific phrases your competitors are targeting that you are not? Running A/B testing on changes made is a great way to validate positive content changes before the holiday season begins.
Review your infographics and A+ content. Is your presentation eye-catching, thoughtful and communicating benefits and differentiators with clear messaging? Some sellers tailor their imagery to match the holiday season. Consider whether this is a good strategy for your brand.
ZQUARED Brand Partners enjoy full listing management, review and optimization. We frequently analyze metrics and make calculated adjustments as necessary to ensure that each of your listings is presented in the most beneficial, customer-friendly way with clear, concise messaging that converts.
If your team doesn’t have the bandwidth or expertise to optimize Amazon product listings, the ZQUARED team is just a call away!
3. Manage Your Inventory
For most, inventory management is the most difficult piece to navigate with Amazon during Q4. As the demand for warehouse space increases at FBA facilities, storage fees rise. The influx of shipments means loading docks are clogged and receiving times lag.
Overall, sales at Amazon generally increase 30-50% during October, November and December. These averages vary between individual products and categories, but they provide a good starting point when beginning the forecasting process. Check your 2019 and 2020 sales history and work towards making an educated prediction on how much inventory you will need for 2021 Q4.
Estimating inventory is likely the most important task when preparing for the season, and is critical to reaping the benefits that the holidays can bring. Too much inventory, and you’ll suffer from jumping storage costs. Running out of inventory not only means missing out on sales, but could also mean a potential loss of sales rank. Take the time to create a thorough forecast – don’t rush the process.
4. Enhance Brand Awareness
A key component for preparing your products for an uptick of sales and traffic is reviewing your PPC and Sponsored Brand campaigns.
Drill down on high-converting keywords and take steps to remove poor performers. As more buyers use the platform, space becomes more competitive. Consider strategically increasing spend on keywords particularly relevant to your category or product to secure ad space.
Asses competitor listings, and choose target ASINs to direct your ads. Compare your reviews, content and offering and evaluate your ability to compete on their listings. Bidding on competitor ASINs is a great way to boost brand awareness as well as potentially steal some of their traffic.
A great way to further enhance your marketing efforts is by utilizing social media. Tailoring your posts to the holiday season and including links that direct buyers to your listings works well to drive outside traffic. During the season, potential buyers are on high alert for deals, savings, and the “perfect gift” for someone special. Social media is a great way to grab shoppers’ attention.
ZQUARED’s advertising team manages all aspects of advertising on Amazon year round for our partners, optimizing on a continuous basis for your specific product line. Our PPC experts craft custom plans and strategies that are tailored for your brand’s needs and budget.
ZQUARED Is Here to Help This Holiday Season
We know your time is limited, especially now during the holidays. It can be difficult to manage your growing task list and keep up with demands. The complexities of Amazon are only increasing and many brands simply don’t feel capable of managing it on their own. If this sounds like you, reach out! As a top 125 seller on Amazon.com, the ZQUARED team is made up of top industry experts that are ready to take your brand to new levels of success.
While Q4 can be full of challenges and stressors for the Amazon seller, it’s full of opportunity that is ripe for the taking. As you prepare for this season, don’t forget to spread holiday cheer and make time for what matters most. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!