One path to success on Amazon lies with data-driven content

E-commerce is fast becoming the preferred channel not only to purchase products but also for consumers to feel inspired and to discover/learn about products and brands.

The ‘traditional marketing funnel’ has changed. It’s no longer a linear journey going from top to bottom. Consumers can be at any stage of their buying journey when they decide to make a purchase. Historically, lots of us would plan media around consumers using a search engine or a social media platform for inspiration, and driving them to a website for information and hopefully making a purchase. And they still might do this. But we know that search is a behavior, and consumers have different motivations on where, why and how they search.

In a world where ‘compressed commerce’ (and social commerce) is growing in popularity — 80% of global shoppers say they want to move from inspiration to purchase as quickly as possible third-party marketplaces, such as Amazon, eBay and Alibaba have gained traction. They have done this by providing the full trifecta of consumer needs – information, inspiration and purchase ability, but only if the brands take full advantage of the opportunity.

Why creating a great brand experience on Amazon is so important

Picture this, you’ve purchased the perfect Christmas present for a child. There is anticipation as they unwrap the gift, and there is surprise and elation as they realize what it is. They are excited to open it up and get started. But wait… there is a surprise for you too. You realize the gift needs batteries / an hour’s set up / a unicorn. The moment is ruined and your love for brand dips. Another scenario is - and this actually happened to a friend of mine - the product is delivered in a transparent new eco-friendly packaging and the surprise is ruined days before the event.

If you had purchased the gift in a brick and mortar store, it’s likely you may have been forewarned about the need for batteries or advised on the best way to set it up by the friendly shop assistant, but if you had purchased the product online, you‘re reliant on the information provided to you on the product page. To ensure a positive brand experience for the consumer, retailers should provide a mix of persuasive, brand-related copy and visuals that give the browser the full information required to enjoy the product.

Every brand looking to be successful on Amazon needs to treat their branded content and listings the way they would on their own website (and if you’re not investing in e-commerce content for your own website, you could be missing out on critical opportunities to turn browsers into buyers).

Building exceptional brand experiences through content

Let’s talk about the popular pet category on Amazon. We love our faithful companions, and we spent almost $250 billion on pet products globally. Using audience insights, our Amazon experts at Jellyfish discovered that searches around pet products tend to feature issues and problems that pet owners are having. Utilizing Amazon’s A/B testing feature for the title and main images for one of the world’s favourite petcare brands, we successfully increased the conversion rate (CR) of their products by 7%, simply by adding keywords relating to the issues we saw in the search results, such as pee, scratching, hissing, to the title. This 7% increase in conversion rate resulted in a €44k revenue increase and an increase in 2,000 orders over a one year period.

Taking advantage of the digital shelf

Right now, brands are not taking full advantage of the ‘digital shelf’ that third-party marketplaces such as Amazon provide. Brands that are digitally native are quick to understand and fully embrace the opportunities and the challenges. They know that success starts by listening to their consumers and understanding how they use search to find the products they want. They do this with investment in audience insights to create persuasive, well-thought-out copy and data-driven creative for product pages and listings. This ensures an exceptional brand experience for the consumer.