By Whether you are new to the game or have already spent some quality time on this e-commerce platform practicing your business, chances are you have hit the pothole one too many times, seen your sales plummet to their mysterious deaths and are left to wonder why things are not going quite your way. After all, you cannot leave this matter unattended because in every business it all boils down to profit and loss.
First of all, there is no need to panic. Almost every third-party seller experiences these ups and downs in sales from time to time, so you are not the only one. Secondly, this means a problem that common is likely fixable given the right solutions, and lastly, you have already taken the first step towards finding the solution; asking the right questions.
I’m here to give some insight and assist you to get your game back up by helping you ask Why Your Amazon Sales May Have Dropped?
Have you lost your Buy Box share?
Buy box, I cannot emphasize enough, has quite the impact on your seller metrics and inevitably your sales. 82% of sales go through Buy Box and with mobile phones taking preference, even higher rate with them since it is directly below the product.
In this day and age, it is very challenging to stand out in an unnerving sea of competitive sellers, who are ready to beat you at your own game with better reputation and attractive prices. But what is worse is having them in your proverbial garden and stealing your honey when it should all be yours!
Have you recently checked if you still have your share of the Buy Box? Are you seeing other sellers near your product listing right under that ‘add to cart button’?
Your customers were interested in your product, ready to order but then your competitors who were lurking on the right corner quietly lured away your buyers with sweet temptation! This means you have lost your place in the buy box and you need to get it back. How would you do that you might ask? Buy Box is granted by Amazon to those, who prove their worth and ability as a seller. As a startup criterion, you must have availability of products, list new and not used items, have a professional seller account and be eligible enough according to the Amazon algorithms.
Checking out all boxes of eligibility is based on seller performance. Keeping a competitive price has a very high impact on the Buy Box. Keeping customers satisfied and overall improving your performance metrics will make Amazon grant you priority.
Could it be the Seasonal Trends halting your sales?
It may just be the reason you are experiencing this sales neglect. Maybe you have just been through a big, successful, promotional sale related to the current seasonal trend, and now the sudden tumbleweed in your desert has got you really disappointed. This is a pretty normal routine. You can not expect people to buy just a few days before like Black Friday or after the major holidays or even summer accessory/ clothing in winters.
The best you can do is keep track of these seasonal shifts by tracking your monthly, quarterly and annual sales report. Get ahead of the trends and take proactive measures. Keep your inventory according to what is hot and popular these days. Not to forget, keep them well-stocked because consumer surges can be like plagues that wipe you out, which would in the aftershock, leave your consumers high and you dry.
Did you receive negative customer feedback?
Have you recently been a target of scathing review by a really vexed customer? Have you not been paying attention to the wrath of dissatisfied people? It is time you do and take it very seriously as well. Why? It may not come as a shock, but 79% of consumers verify seller legitimacy before making any purchases. Any person would. You would not want potential buys scared off by one or two bad reviews.
You must act professional and try your best to resolve any issues or dissatisfaction on your part within 24 hours. Every hour it is up there warning away your buyers. Once you have indeed taken control of the situation, you can politely request them to remove the negative review, but never pressurize. But hey, just before you take all the blame check before the Amazon guidelines if you are even guilty of what you have been accused.
Sometimes it is consumer negligence when they do not read up carefully before ordering or sometimes it is the case when you are blamed for things that fall under FBA purview, and you had nothing to do with it in the first place. In that case, contact seller central so they may correct any issues.
Don not forget to be wary of those 3 stars. It is good you have now taken care of those blemishes of one and two stars, but 3 stars is basically calling you “meh”. People look for excellence, not average service. Ratings and reviews can have a great impact on the number of your sales as well as your seller metrics.
Have you lost Product Visibility?
It is the human nature of most to only look what is in front of them and not beyond. Nobody cares what is on page four or five. Preference is given to first pagers, top search results, visible and standing out and proud. Could it be that when people look for the product you are selling, they don’t even see yours for miles because you are not using optimized keywords, high resolution clear photograph and a clear description of the product?
Make your product visible to search bars by using the right keywords in your title and bullet points. The common and popular wording used by the people, research what they are typing in to buy the product like yours. Get inside your consumers head and think like them.
If you list your product as something overly technical and void of common words or inaccurate under an irrelevant index you might have been just de-indexed. The amazon algorithm needs to understand whom your product is for, what is its purpose and what category does it belong to. You do that by using precise and user-friendly keywords.
Sometimes its not even your fault. You might have been highjacked by a competitor. You used to be on top but now you have been bumped off the SERPS by someone who is doing a sales promotion.
You can get on top of it by monitoring your product page views on seller central via business reports. Take counteractive measures.
What’s going on with your PPC campaign?
Whether you are using Amazon PPC, Google AdWords or other social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, they are responsible and play a heavy part in boosting your product sales and directing traffic your way. PPC Campaigns will not only drive consumers to your doorstep but will also elevate organic rankings of highly competitive words. They will create your popularity but you also need to take care of them.
A sudden drop in sales could be because you ran out of credit that funds those advertisements. Pay per click, literally means you have to pay for every something clicks. Make sure you don’t run dry. Another reason could be that they expired and you did not even get a whiff of it until it was too late.
Most importantly, you have to keep a healthy conversion rate. Plus, you need to be a good candidate in order to win the auction-based Amazon PPC campaigns. Running a successful PPC campaign isn’t an easy play if you aren’t aware of the core techniques that are used for achieving a high conversion rate. If you’re looking to outsource your Paid campaigns, give us a knock! At Amz One Step, we have a team of Amazon PPC experts who know how to bring sales in a less budget!
Are you missing out on events?
Sometimes opportunities are slipped through cracks because you weren’t paying any attention, were disorganized, or not in sync with the rest of the world. Monitor your yearly performance and check out when sales are high and when low, what dates are holidays, get back to school days, Black Friday, how are your ads doing accordingly etc. Map out these details and set your goals for the next year to be on top of sales instead of letting them go down without a clue.
Hopefully, this blog answers why your Amazon Sales may have dropped and given a few pointers on how to handle them.
Hi there! I’m the content marketing and branding specialist for AMZ One Step. I work hard to create engaging and informative content that helps our readers learn more about Amazon selling and how to make the most of their businesses. I love spending time with my family and exploring literary works when I’m not writing or working on projects.
