WHAT IS THE AMAZON BUY BOX?
The Amazon Buy Box is, as its name suggests, the box at the top right-hand side of a product listing. It includes important information about shipping, whether an item is in stock and most importantly, displays an “Add to Cart” button (known as a call-to-action).
Why is the Amazon Buy Box So Important?
Firstly, we need to define the types of sellers that work with Amazon.
Apart from Amazon itself, which carries and sells thousands of products, there are retailers, who can be split into two categories:
- Private Label Sellers – they own and sell a proprietary item or brand
- Resellers – they sell an item also sold by one or more merchants
Multiple merchants are allowed to sell the same item on Amazon, but only one can be displayed in the Amazon Buy Box. Everyone else receives a different box that states “See All Buying Options”, which in turn takes you to a list of available sellers.
According to industry experts, as many as 82% of sales for a particular item will go to the merchant who owns the Buy Box.
Not only that, the Buy Box is important if you wish to take part in Amazon promotions, including PPC campaigns (pay-per-click), where an advertiser pays a web publisher when their ad is clicked. The Amazon Buy Box is even more important for mobile users because it displays directly below the product image. Everyone else is grouped in a list of sellers at the end of the product page.
In summary, if you want to make significant sales on Amazon, you need the Buy Box.
How Do I Get A Buy Box?
If you’re a Private Label seller, relax, Amazon will generally assign you a Buy Box automatically. Resellers, on the other hand, must compete.
Amazon keeps many secrets, including sales data and statistics, and the exact nature of the Amazon Buy Box Algorithm. But there are two important considerations when bidding for a Buy Box – the price of the item and seller performance.
The Buy Box is often awarded to the merchant who sells an item at the lowest price. Amazon is, after all, a merchant platform that markets its appeal to the consumer, and they encourage sales by encouraging competition. However, this isn’t always a given. A good buying experience is paramount at Amazon, and this is measured via seller performance metrics.
To even be considered for a Buy Box, the reseller must:
- Hold a Professional Seller account;
- Have been selling for 90 days or longer;
- Sell only new items;
- Have products that are in stock; and
- Sell the item for a price that does not significantly exceed the average price of that product, measured across Amazon for the previous two-month period.
Once these criteria are fulfilled, Amazon will then assess the merchant based on their reliability, product quality, and performance. This assessment will be made via sales history (number of sales, shipping time, order defect rate, response rate) and customer feedback.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About The Buy Box:
What If I’m Competing Directly With Amazon For The Buy Box?
This is difficult, but not impossible. For example, Amazon recently introduced a Buy Box for new booksellers, allowing book merchants to compete with Amazon for a Buy Box. If you offer lower-range item prices and have good sales metrics, you might be able to beat Amazon or share it with them.
Share? Can Two Resellers Have A Buy Box At The Same Time?
Amazon will often rotate a Buy Box between eligible merchants. However, some sellers will NOT get the Buy Box even if their price is lowest. While Amazon does not disclose information about their algorithms, it’s generally recognized that they try to be fair, and they’ll assess eligibility based on many different factors, not just sales price.
I’m A Private Label Seller But I Don’t Have A Buy Box!
You’ll need to check the following:
- You are registered for VAT and there are no other tax or legal issues;
- You have been selling on Amazon for less than 90 days;
- Your sales metrics are poor. Even if you are a Private Label seller, Amazon checks your metrics;
- Amazon believes that your price is too high; or
- Your price is too low. Item prices below $9.99 are considered by Amazon to be an add-on product, which means that more than one must be purchased in a transaction.
Winning, Monitoring And Holding The Amazon Buy Box – Digital Marketing For Amazon Sellers With AMZ SEO HUB
So you’ve launched your product on Amazon, and you’ve been selling for more than 90 days, but your sales are poor. What now?
If you’re competitive on price and have proven yourself to be a reliable seller, you have a good chance of winning the Buy Box, with all of the benefits that entails. And there are many things you can do to tip the balance in your favor.
AMZ SEO HUB is an Amazon optimization specialist with years of experience in marketing, sales optimization, product writing, and Amazon SEO services. We can help you win and retain a Buy Box by:
- Monitoring who has the Buy Box;
- Monitoring your competitors’ prices;
- Alerting you to “hijacker” companies who continuously undercut your prices; and
- Maintaining high-performance sales metrics by optimizing your sales strategy.
If you feel like you need help moving forward, our AMZ SEO HUB amazon consultancy might be exactly what you need.
