Every product on Amazon has its own product detail page and an assigned ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number). Retail readiness also plays a decisive role in whether and how well a product sells on the Marketplace. Amazon Advertising is directly linked to this, as only Amazon products that are also “retail ready” should be strategically advertised.
How do I make my product “Retail Ready” on Amazon?
Retail readiness on Amazon can be divided into hard facts and soft facts. Basically, every ASIN that is advertised through PPC campaigns, for example (hard facts), must be in stock. The BuyBox also belongs to the hard facts – because if you have a product in stock but have not won the BuyBox (e.g. because the selling price is too high), you are not retail ready.
The soft facts of retail readiness on Amazon include everything to do with content and reviews: Product title, bullet points and product description, images, average overall rating and number of reviews. For brands registered with Amazon, Retail Readiness also includes optimized Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) for sellers and A+ content for vendors. All of these areas can be influenced directly (content) or indirectly (reviews) and have an impact on how well Amazon sells an item. Ultimately, the hard facts are decisive, as the basis is always the availability of a product.
Amazon Retail Readiness – Reviews
The total number of customer reviews and the average rating of an Amazon product have a major influence on the likelihood of a sale. Basically, the more positive reviews an item has, the better its retail readiness. Amazon itself recommends at least 15 reviews with an average of 3.5 stars or more.
In addition to this official recommendation from Amazon, you should also consider the positioning of competitor products. If products on the first SERP (Search Engine Result Page) in a niche already have several hundred reviews, 15+ reviews may not be enough. However, there are also product categories in which items sell very successfully even without a review. In most cases, however, the following applies: Many positive reviews make products retail ready.
Amazon Retail Readiness – Content
The content of a product is not only important for the A9 relevance rating, but also for potential customers. A meaningful and styleguide-compliant product title with brand name, model, main features and relevant keywords is an important factor for retail readiness.
The bullet points should also be optimized in terms of keyword relevance and potential purchase decision. Important characteristics of the product (e.g. size, color, volume, etc.) as well as additional search terms and phrases should be listed here. This product information must be carefully maintained. Sellers can do this directly via SellerCentral or via flat file. Vendors edit their product content via VendorCentral or via their Amazon contacts (e.g. vendor managers).
Amazon Retail Readiness – Product images
In e-commerce, good, high-resolution photos replace the haptic experience from stationary retail – and this also applies to Amazon. Retail ready means: articles with professional images that show the product from as many perspectives as possible and reproduce it correctly in terms of color. Even slight color deviations between the product image and the physical product often lead to returns.
For product images on Amazon, it is also important that sellers and vendors adhere to the general image guidelines. The first photo is the most important – it is usually displayed in the search results and is therefore the main eye-catcher. Only the product being sold may be shown – no application examples, alternative articles, logos or other marketing elements.
Amazon Retail Readiness – Stock availability
As already mentioned, the availability of a product in the warehouse is the most important factor for retail readiness. Sellers who use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) should deliver sufficient goods on time. Those who use their own warehouse (FBM) must also ensure that products do not go out of stock. Vendors, on the other hand, do not manage the Amazon warehouse themselves, but must be able to deliver at all times.
The basic rule for sellers and vendors is that demand from potential buyers should be well planned or anticipated. Low stock levels can be problematic – for example with seasonal products. If advertising campaigns (e.g. sponsored brands) are placed on products that are suddenly no longer available, the campaign is paused and relevant sales are lost. Sufficient stock availability is therefore a critical factor for retail readiness.
Amazon Retail Readiness – BuyBox
The gain or loss of the BuyBox is particularly relevant in connection with ongoing PPC campaigns. If, for example, a Sponsored Brand Ad is placed on a product for which the vendor (or Amazon itself) does not own the BuyBox, the vendor still pays for each click – but the sales are not directly attributed. Sponsored Product Ads are paused if the BuyBox is lost, but generate neither impressions nor traffic for the brand or product during this time.
While a vendor cannot actively influence the profit or loss of the BuyBox, sellers have this option via the selling price (incl. shipping costs). The BuyBox often goes to the most favorable offer compared to other sellers with the same product. The sales price can be automatically adjusted by repricers. The Prime status of a product also has an influence on the BuyBox – and therefore on retail readiness.
Conclusion – Retail Ready on Amazon
Whether and how successful advertising campaigns run on Amazon almost always depends on retail readiness. Amazon defines products with professional images, relevant and high-converting content and many good reviews as retail-ready. Experience has shown that these products can also be advertised much more effectively via PPC. Factors such as the visibility of ads and the profitability of campaigns depend heavily on retail readiness. Ultimately, it is important for sellers and vendors to ensure proper ASIN optimization and an ambitious campaign strategy.