Amazon Seller Insights

Amazon sellers have realized the impact that brand marketing can have on sales and are quickly adapting their business strategy to suit. So, what should you consider during the transition?

This week, we host Brent Zahradnik—a Google and Amazon Ad expert and the founder of AMZ Pathfinder—to talk about the changing landscape of Amazon advertising and its future.

We discuss why sponsored ads will remain the foundation of Amazon advertising and the importance of understanding the nuances of ad strategies before outsourcing advertising work.

Did you know that a massive 60-70% of Amazon shoppers search for brands off-Amazon before buying? The best sellers increase their brand footprint outside of Amazon to take advantage of this.

In this year’s first podcast, we sit down with Steve Chou—who runs a 7-figure e-commerce store, a hit marketing podcast, and an online platform for training young entrepreneurs—to talk about off-Amazon strategies for improving and expanding Amazon businesses.

Tune in as we discuss how essential it is to leverage Google Ads, Google Shopping, and Facebook Ads to bolster a brand started on Amazon. Steve also forecasts e-commerce trends for 2022 and shares his views on business scalability and product differentiation.

A brand that boasts a differentiated product line fetches better valuation by aggregators.

Hit the play button as our guest for this week, Adrian Johnston, talks about profit calculation, determination of multiples, and other key ways to assess the value of your business and brand.

Adrian is an ex-equity trader, corporate strategy consultant, and a co-founder of Una Brands—a VC-funded startup that buys and scales e-commerce businesses in the Asia Pacific region. Join us as he delves into the growth levers needed to scale a brand after acquisition.

Relying on one single fulfilment method is never a good idea—many experts use both FBA and FBM through a reliable 3PL to efficiently manage stock and make sure to never run out.

Tune in as Taylor Smits— a 7-figure Amazon seller and co-founder of an omni-channel e-commerce logistics company MyFbaPrep— talks about how to streamline your Amazon storage and fulfilment operations.

Taylor also wants sellers to consider alternate ports, non-partnered carriers, and Amazon freight to slash the total lead time of their shipments.

Poor inventory management can result in significant revenue losses. With just some small tweaks, and the right data, you can make a significant impact on your bottom line.

Tune in as we chat with Eytan Wiener—owner of several multimillion-dollar Amazon businesses and head of GETIDA, a cloud-based auditing and inventory reconciliation service—about using intuitive data analytics to conquer inventory management.

Follow along as Eytan walks us through how he built a 30-million Amazon business from the ground up, and why upcoming sellers should enter Amazon with a clear vision and well-thought-out business plan.

There are two ways to expand your Amazon business: add more products to your seller portfolio or enter new international markets. The latter option can be quite daunting with all the importation compliances sellers need to fulfill.

This week, we sit down with Rael Lowenthal— the director of business development at Zee— to discuss how e-commerce sellers can expand their business to international markets without hitting a major roadblock.

Join us as Rael talks about how their IOR firm addresses the pain points of scaling an e-commerce business to international markets. He meticulously explains how Zee acts as a one-stop shop for Amazon sellers to tackle international shipping, customs/ VAT compliances, and FBA constraints.

A successful brand is either super-premium or super-niched. There is nothing in between.

This is what Amazon sellers Dustin Kane and Kris Gramlich of Sellozo— our guests of this week’s podcast— believe.

Tune in as we discuss the art of brand development and PPC marketing in the context of their successful Amazon journey. Dustin and Kris share their thoughts on the importance of identifying as an e-commerce venturer rather than an Amazon seller and why you need to focus on promotions outside of Amazon to build a strong brand.

These ace sellers-turned-PPC managers suggest a few key things to focus on when starting your journey, including having a conservative initial budget, avoiding hyper-targeted keywords, and limiting  the number of campaigns active at one time.

Start stupid—This is Donald Henig’s key ingredient for aspiring Amazon sellers after growing multiple multi-million businesses over the years.

Listen to Donald’s inspiring stories and advice about how he has navigated his entrepreneurial career since the 70s, ending with co-founding AccrueMe out of the desire to help young entrepreneurs grow.

Tune in as we discuss why you don’t need to be a know-it-all to start a business, how overthinking and fixating on perfection are the barricades to success, and why setting small targets will help ensure you reach those bigger milestones.

There’s more to maximize returns on COG other than controlling manufacturing/sourcing costs.

Case in point: Better shipping management.

This week, we sit down with Bill Carlin— the Chief Marketing Officer of Shipmate Fulfillment— to discuss how you can maximize your COG returns by focusing on what and how you’re spending on your overall shipping.

With his years of operating on multiple e-commerce platforms, Bill sheds light on how sellers need to look at shipping in the grand scheme of their e-commerce strategy.

We learn how going wrong with seemingly trivial things like dimensional weight and shipping in bulk can put a dent in your profits. Bill also underlines the importance of 3PL handling and how to go about it to avoid delays and improve profitability in the all-crucial Q4.

Are you looking to grow your business to 6-figures in 2022? Then you'll want to know exactly where to focus your efforts and the biggest mistake to avoid.

This week, we chat with Jeffrey Lieber of Turnkey Product Management. After launching and selling multiple FBA brands, Jeffrey shares his insight on what you need to get right to scale to a 6 figure brand, including finding the right niche, building an audience, and mastering your Amazon advertising (PPC). Find out why sellers' biggest mistake is ignoring Brand Registry, the most impactful thing you can do to drive sales, and his best insights to take on board for 2022.

Having an omnipresent marketing strategy is not just the best way to maximize your sales and conversion rates; it allows you to create more personalized messaging and reach customers more instantly, wherever they are. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be everywhere. And how can you get the best out of each channel?

This week, we chat to Blue Tuskr, a marketing agency that helps eCommerce sellers to create an omni-channel marketing approach that ensures your brand voice and style is cohesive across all marketing efforts. We learn how to choose the right marketplace for our business needs, the pros and cons of Walmart, and a step by step plan to layer more channels into your marketing and sales efforts.

Almost 50% of US consumers start their shopping journey on Amazon, a recent survey by ad and market research firm Survata highlights. To ensure shoppers are guided to your listing, you must optimize your resources on and off the platform.

This week, we chat with Mike Begg from AMZ Advisers about setting up your sales funnel to drive traffic to your listing and increase conversions. After helping Amazon brands grow to 6&7 figures, Mike shares how to leverage your Amazon storefront and branded website to become the ultimate promotional strategy.

Are you struggling to increase your ROI, and in turn, your profit, on Amazon?

This week, we chat with Jae Jun from Gorilla ROI about six powerful variables that directly impact your bottom line. Jae reveals how to respond to your session and conversion rates, the one amazingly simple strategy that most sellers overlook to improve profit margin, and how he built his multimillion-dollar Amazon bus

Typically, a massive 20-30% of annual retail sales occur in the eagerly anticipated fourth quarter (Q4) on Amazon. So, how can you reach your sales potential during this festive period?

This week, we chat with Liran Hirschkorn from Incrementum Digital about the forces that make your product a success in Q4. After managing over 100+ clients’ advertising accounts, Liran shares his best strategies for inventory management, pricing to maximize profits, and paid advertising.

In the past two years, a new generation of heavily-invested firms has formed with the goal of buying Amazon businesses. In some cases, these buyers have hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank. So how can you ensure you don’t sell your Amazon business for less than its worth at exit point?

In this episode, we venture into a mysterious, fascinating and fruitful corner of eCommerce. Our guest, Jake Barnett from Fortunet, a leading investment bank specialising in the sale of medium and large e-commerce businesses, shares his thoughts on the best time to sell, what exactly aggregators are looking for, and how to reach the price you want.

With 82% of sales going through the Amazon Buy Box, competition for a share of this valuable real estate is rife. So how can you win and master the Buy Box?

This week we chat with Ian Kaneshiro of Seller Snap about repricing strategies to help win the Amazon Buy Box. Find out why repricing is essential to the health of your business, what impacts the Buy Box algorithm, and the holy grail of repricing- velocity pricing.

The tremendous eCommerce growth in recent times has resulted in more consumers shopping with their eyes. Yet, many sellers are still figuring out what exactly shoppers are looking for.

This week, we meet with Kyle Nelson & Eli Libby of Results Imagery (and The Biz Bros podcast) to discuss showcasing your product through photography and video. Learn about the importance of aligning your branding through imagery, the possible creative approaches to your video channel, and balancing emotional and educational conversions.

Amazon has become a prime marketplace for aggregators looking to buy third party private label businesses. As a result, the average value of a third-party business on Amazon ballooned by around 80% between 2019 to 2020, leaping from $298,558 to $538,742.

This week we speak with Robert Bell of Elevate Brands about how to prepare your business for a sale from the very start. We discuss how to structure your business from the ground, the fundamentals you need to know, and how to get your GOAT on (growth, operations, accounting, and trenches).

The Amazon editorial section in organic search on Amazon is a prime place to have your product. The problem is getting access to the publishers that can put you there.

This week, we speak to James Falconer of Seller Rocket to unpack the best strategies for effectively getting into the Amazon editorial section. We discuss how to secure these placements, what resources are available to do this, and what are the current opportunities

Customer buying preferences vary internationally. Understanding your audience will help you prepare your business to increase sales, attract more customers, and improve conversion rates in new markets.

This week, we speak with Omar Margin, Co-Founder of Margin Business, about the importance of creating unique listing content for local Amazon marketplaces, like France, Italy and Germany. Omar walks us through one big brand in Germany and how they could do better to get moving.

We speak to Gary Huang, creator of the 7 Figure Seller Summit, to learn about a unique 5-day online event focused on how to build and scale your Amazon business. Listen to Gary break down his 7 tips for taking your business to seven figures, including the one trait he believes separates winners from  losers, what numbers to focus on, and what big trend sellers are hopping on right now to improve product rankings.

What is the best advice we can give you for running a sustainable Amazon FBA business?

We speak to Steven Pope, founder of My Amazon Guy and Amazon thought leader, to discuss ZonGuru users' top five most asked questions. Pope shares what you need to be successful, what red flags to look out for before starting, and why PPC, SEO, Merchandising, and Design are the four pillars for a sustainable Amazon account.

Want to increase your conversion rate using Amazon PPC Campaigns and only pay the amount you need to?

We speak to Amazon PPC expert Vitalli of Profit Whales, an Amazon PPC agency for seven to nine figure sellers about how to get the most out of your campaigns without over-burning your budget. Learn about the importance of negative keywords to increase conversion rates, why focusing on longer tail keywords could help you at the start, and what exactly to look at to break even.

Want to know how to stay in stock? Will Amazon penalize you if you run out of stock? And how do you remove inventory from FBA? 

Chelsea Cohen, Co-founder of SoStocked, an inventory management company, shares her best tips for managing stock on Amazon. We learn about stock refill notifications, why Amazon might push down a ranking based on inventory location, and why to include your inventory strategy in your marketing plan.

What You’ll Learn

04:00 Reserve stock, managing lead time and ranking by a country’s region.
10:40 Amazon’s Inventory Performance Index and storage limits.
15:10 Inventory-minded marketing.

Seller Central enables FBA sellers to list and sell products on Amazon. It is the gateway to controlling everything from pricing and reports to advertising and inventory. But what happens when something goes wrong?

We speak to John Cavendish of Seller Candy, a full-service Amazon agency, about getting issues with Seller Central solved quickly. John shares the four steps to take to speed up the process, why it is important to understand how to utilize a flat-file. Plus, a bonus insight on how to navigate Amazon Shipping during Brexit.

What You’ll Learn

6:05: How to approach and solve an issue in Seller Central in the shortest amount of time possible.

12:25: Why a flat-file is the answer when you know what the problem is.

14:50: Insider tips on how to navigate Amazon Shipping during Brexit.

More people are taking advantage of emerging Amazon markets and launching products with rational optimism. But what exactly does it take to become a leading eCommerce brand?

Cara Sayer, founder of global, multi-award winning brand SnoozeShade shares how she started, envisioned and grew her brand on Amazon. We talk about concept development, turning mistakes into lessons, the importance of investing in a brand over a product, and much more.

What You’ll Learn

06:50: Dealing with insecurities about product selection, mistakes and procrastination.

12:30: Choosing Amazon, copycats, and building a brand that customers trust.

24:19: Kill ‘em with kindness: long-term sustainability and creating a customer vision.

Do you fear getting suspended by Amazon? Some Amazon FBA sellers think they’re doing everything perfectly right and get their accounts suspended anyway. So how can you avoid it?

This week, we speak to Yael Cabilly, the Founder and leading attorney of Intellectual Property & eCommerce Law, about how to avoid an Amazon suspension. We learn all about Trademarks, Copyrights, and Patents; How do you trademark & what’s the cost? What should you do before spending money on a patent? What can you do to ensure Amazon supports you if someone steals your intellectual property?

What You’ll Learn

04:45: Copyright: How to protect your brand’s texts, photos and graphic design.

11:05: How to Trademark and the significance of Nike vs Nikke.

17:27: How to save money on patents and the different kinds of patents.

Mobile and email marketing are soaring in popularity with companies globally. Data is showing that 80% of consumers give up their phone numbers to subscribe to text marketing. So how can you use it to drive traffic and sales to your Amazon listing?

This week we chat with Arri Bagah, CEO of Conversmart, about the potential for text messaging to grow your Amazon business. Find out the best way to collect phone numbers, nurture leads, and, more importantly, avoid users unsubscribing in droves.

What You'll Learn

02:50: How to reach a customer directly on their smartphone.

07:30 The best way to get a potential customer's phone number.

10:22 How to incentivize, communicate and get customers to your Amazon listing.

14:59 What’s the right number of texts to send before users start unsubscribing?

Stay at home orders have created massive shifts in e-commerce globally and caused a wave of U.S. Amazon sellers to chase success in Amazon E.U. But with a new climate comes new tax regulations. What should every seller consider before expanding?

In this episode, we speak to Christian Noguera, CEO of Hello Tax, about what it’s like for U.S. sellers expanding to Amazon E.U. We learn what steps to take to ensure you are E.U. compliant, why you don’t need to file for every marketplace you sell in, and, importantly, how you can gain a tax advantage.

What You’ll Learn

04:45 - What steps to take and how to ensure you are VAT compliant in different marketplaces.

09:50 - What you will need to report and how you can gain a tax advantage.

12:45 - When exactly you need to register and file in a new country.

With the lockdown fueled global e-commerce boom, more Amazon FBA sellers are riding the wave into new markets. What are the golden rules to follow when entering a new market? Which areas should we look to?

Carina McLeod, Founder of eCommerce Nurse, shares her insights on why more Amazon sellers are expanding to Europe and the challenges they face. You’ll learn why Spain and Italy are the next up-and-coming markets, how to customize your brand, and what will have the biggest impact on sales.

What You’ll Learn:

• 03:00 Why Amazon is pushing for sellers to expand to Amazon Europe
• 08:00 How the demand, competition, and culture can affect your success
• 18:09 Listing optimization and how to get the most sales

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Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3fzl0r5 

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3gRyt0B

Is it time to sell your business? If you want the biggest return possible, Ken Kubec’s your man. As the VP of Thrasio, Ken oversees the acquisition of successful Amazon brands. He knows all the angles and is here to tell you how to transform your business into a brand that investors will pay top dollar for. Join them now to start your journey towards a big payday!

Time code:

• 01:00 - An intro to Ken.03:55 - Overall picture of what Thrasio does.
• 12:00 - The top 5 things Thrasio looks for in a product.
• 16:00 - Jon’s advice for turning your business into a brand.
• 21:10 - How Thrasio determines a business’ value.
• 27:20 - The acquisition process.
• 33:10 - What it takes to sell on Amazon.
• 37:00 - Thrasio success stories.
• 40:45 - Investing in your brand.

Scaling up your FBA business for a huge payday means one thing: generating leads. If you want a beefy contact list investors with deep pockets will pay top-dollar for, you need outside traffic. Ian Smith from Evolve Media, a firm specializing in helping FBA businesses generate warm traffic outside of Amazon, is here to help. 

Their conversation covers effective Facebook marketing strategies, turning cold traffic into warm traffic, and how to build up massive, profitable customer email lists. Click play now, and like/subscribe to Amazon Seller Insights to never miss a new episode! → https://spoti.fi/3fzI0r5 

What you’ll learn:

02:00 - Ian’s strategy for driving outside traffic to new Amazon listings. 

07:00 - How to target warmer traffic to your FBA storefront.

11:15 - Using actual data and/or look-alike data in Facebook ad campaigns.

13:00 - How Amazon interprets data from outside Smart URLs.

14:55 - Tips for warming up cold traffic.

19:00 - Ideas for building up a customer email list.

20:25 - Ian’s ideal flow for capturing customer info. 

22:40 - Why generating an email list is critical to your FBA business.

Knowing how to structure, manage, and optimize PPC campaigns is your key to Amazon success. Luckily, Michael Eriksson Facchin’s here to help launch your listing to page 1! As the founder of AdBadger, Facchin’s helped FBA businesses of all sizes get the most bang out of their advertising buck with expertly crafted campaigns filled with conversion-grabbing keywords.

Join him and Jon as they discuss the basic structure of a winning PPC campaign, the best way to spend your ad budget, and more! Once you’re done, like and subscribe so you never miss out on expert advice to scale your FBA business! → https://spoti.fi/3fzI0r5

What You’ll Learn:

00:00 - Why mastering your PPC campaign is so important.

06:30 - Michael’s background, and how AdBadger came to be.

10:10 - Basic fundamentals of structuring a winning PPC campaign.

16:20 - How to use manual campaigns to find powerful keywords.

20:30 - What to do with keywords that aren’t getting results.

25:30 - Effectively budgeting your PPC campaign.

32:00 - Should already successful businesses bother running ad campaigns?

35:30 - Michael’s tips for continually optimizing your campaigns.

41:00 - Some last key pieces of advice.

If anyone knows how to launch a product, it’s Regina Peterburgsky. She’s one of the first sellers to dominate the Australian marketplace with innovative strategies that fully leverage Amazon’s A10 algorithm. Want to know her secret to success? Click play now to listen along as she and ZonGuru CEO Jon Tilley discuss her proven methods for getting a new product to page 1 and keeping it there!

Also, like and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! → https://spoti.fi/3fzI0r5 

Timecode:

00:00 - Who is Regina Peterburgsky?

03:10 - Regina’s product launch strategy

07:50 - The “x-factor” that will help you rank you up

09:35 - Ensuring your keywords get traffic

13:20 - Organic ranking factors you shouldn’t ignore

14:35 - Should you use super URLs or direct links?

17:00 - Are messenger bots an effective way of gathering emails? 

19:30 - Tried and true methods to bring outside traffic