Every Amazon seller knows that it is worth competing for the Buy Box. Currently, it is responsible for as much as 82% of all sales. This percentage is even higher for offers on mobile devices because the website layout is completely different and other sellers’ offers are basically invisible at first glance! There are numerous legends about how to get the Buy Box position. Unfortunately, many of them have little to do with reality. Read this article to find out what the Buy Box is and what sellers can do to get it.
The Buy Box is a characteristic element of the Amazon platform. The offer that appears in the Buy Box is considered by Amazon to be the best among all available offers for a given product, hence its distinction and placement in the “buy now” window. Other sellers’ offers appear below. Winning the Buy Box is therefore crucial and has a significant impact on maximising profits on this platform.
While there is no official Amazon’s position on this or a foolproof recipe on how to get the Buy Box position, there are a few things that go a long way in helping sellers become successful in this regard.
1. Logistics and delivery model.
This is probably the most important factor in winning the Amazon Buy Box. To compete with other Amazon sellers successfully, it is worth using the FBA system or joining the Seller Fulfilled Prime programme where the best sellers offer products on a similar basis as FBA but using their own logistics.
2. Maintaining competitive prices.
Of course, a low price is not an indispensable factor in making an offer stand out, but it does help a great deal. However, it is worth remembering that it cannot be too low either. It’s a good idea to keep prices (including shipping costs) at a similar level to those offered by the competition. For this purpose, it is worth using technology that allows you to manage prices automatically, for example Nethansa Platform, which you can try free for 14 days.
3. Availability of goods.
Make sure your Amazon bestsellers are always available. Temporarily unavailable listings and “out of stock” messages will effectively prevent you from getting the Buy Box. Also, make sure that customers have accurate information about the availability of goods. Avoid marking products as available when you don’t have them in stock.
4. Providing a variety of shipping options.
Various shipping options make the offer more attractive for the customer. The shipping time is also important. It should not exceed two days.
5. Customer feedback.
Positive customer feedback is vital in helping secure the Buy Box position, so make sure your customers are satisfied! Amazon takes into account all the opinions and reviews on the seller’s account and their listings. Feedback should be positive and include many reviews. The current ones are the most relevant.
6. Order Defect Rate.
This is Amazon’s indicator that sums up the following sub-categories: Negative Feedback Rate + A-to-Z Claim Rate + Chargeback Rate. This is the criterion, which determines the number of alarming events related to the activity conducted by the seller. Its value cannot exceed 1%. To increase the chance of getting the Buy Box, it should be kept as close to 0% as possible.
7. New products.
It is worth knowing that thanks to Amazon’s algorithm allocating the Buy Box we can be sure that no seller who offers used products will win it. Amazon does not promote such sellers, even if they offer a lower price than the others.
8. Customer service.
The seller is obliged to answer each customer’s message within 24 hours, regardless of the day of the week or holidays. However, when we compete for the Buy Box, responses should be given within 12 hours of receiving the inquiry.
As you can see, Amazon’s algorithm remains a sweet secret, but if you meet the most important criteria, you can maximise your chances of getting the Buy Box. There are quite a few elements that should be taken care of.
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