How to Win the Amazon Buy Box in 2022
If there’s one thing e-commerce sellers need to focus on, it’s the Amazon Buy Box. Nearly 82% of sales happen on Amazon’s Buy Box option, and if you want to make more sales this year, you need to know how to win it. While you can generate sales without winning the buy box, you’re leaving hundreds if not thousands of dollars of revenue if you choose to ignore it.
That’s why sellers on Amazon compete to win the buy box because it puts their business in an advantageous position. When your products appear on Amazon’s buy box, they gain more visibility and allow customers to add your products directly to their cart. It’s easy to see why winning the buy box is crucial to your business because it puts you one step ahead of your competitors.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can win the Amazon buy box so that you can generate more sales this 2022.
What is the Amazon Buy Box?
First things first, let’s talk about the Amazon Buy Box itself. The Amazon Buy Box is a widget on the right side of a product detail page where customers add a product to their cart or make an express purchase. When a customer sees the buy box, they can choose the quantity of the product, its condition, and their preferred shipping option.
The Amazon Buy Box exists to provide shoppers with the best value purchase they can find. They can determine whether the product suits their needs/preferences and make that purchase as quickly as possible. Amazon has its own set of algorithms in choosing which seller wins the buy box, and it’s due to a combination of factors like product price, availability, customer service, and more.
Once a shopper clicks on the “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” button, they’re only buying from one merchant, and that merchant is the one who won the Amazon Buy Box. It’s like prime real estate for your products, where you’re the only merchant that’s visible to your consumers.
Who is eligible for the Amazon Buy Box?
Now, let’s talk about the eligibility for the Amazon Buy Box. If you’re a Fulfillment by Amazon Seller (FBA), your listings are automatically qualified to win the buy box. If you’re a Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) seller, you need to have outstanding performance metrics to become eligible.
Other than that, here are the three main criteria to keep in mind to determine your eligibility for the Amazon Buy Box:
- You must have a Professional Seller Account. Individual Seller Accounts do not qualify for the Amazon Buy Box. The good news is that you can upgrade your account anytime you wish.
- You must have a healthy account with low cancellation rates, defect rates, and late shipment rates. Amazon favors sellers with excellent account performance, and you can check this by visiting their Account Health page.
- You must have enough order volume for Amazon to award you the Buy Box.
You can check if your products are eligible for the buy box by going to Seller Central. Click the Inventory > Manage Inventory. From there, you should see the Buy Box Price and Buy Box Eligibility.
There’s no application process or waiting time to become eligible for the buy box. As long as you meet the three main criteria mentioned above, your listings are qualified to win the Amazon Buy Box.
Tips on winning the Amazon Buy Box
Now that you’ve confirmed you’re eligible for the buy box let’s discuss a few tips on actually winning it.
1. Choose the correct fulfillment method
It’s no secret that choosing FBA as your fulfillment method will guarantee you a better shot at winning the buy box than you do with FBM. Why? Because FBA takes advantage of Amazon’s efficient logistics network to deliver a better customer experience. As we’ve said before, the buy box exists to create a value-based shopping experience, and shoppers will appreciate the speedy shipment of Amazon Prime along with hassle-free returns.
There are instances where FBM is a more logical choice, especially when selling heavy, bulky products. But then again, you need to meet Amazon’s strict performance standards, which is hard to do if you’re fulfilling your orders.
For the most part, FBA gives you a leg up above the competition by automatically qualifying for the buy box.
2. Improve your shipping time (FBM sellers)
There’s still hope for FBM sellers to win the Amazon Buy Box, and that is to improve shipping times. Shipping speeds play a crucial role in winning the buy box as it undoubtedly affects the customer experience. Amazon measures your shipping performance based on the projected and actual shipping times.
Keep in mind that Amazon customers expect blazing-fast shipping speeds thanks to Prime, and to win the buy box, you need to improve your shipping time as an FBM seller.
3. Make sure your stock is up to date
Having adequate stock is necessary to win the Amazon Buy Box. If you’re running low on stock and another seller has 100 more stock over you, they’re more likely to get the edge. Amazon factors product availability because they want customers to buy the products they want. The more you keep your stock updated, the higher your chances of winning the buy box.
Managing stock can be tricky for FBM sellers who don’t benefit from the logistics of Amazon. The key here is to use inventory management software and order fulfillment tools to ensure product availability.
FBA sellers should always have their best-selling products in stock. Like we’ve mentioned before, order volume is crucial to winning the buy box, and if your best products are unavailable, Amazon will award the widget to another seller. You want to track your delivery times and fulfillment processing so that you have sufficient stock in Amazon’s warehouse.
4. Improve your Seller Feedback rating
Amazon awards the Buy Box to reliable sellers, and your seller feedback rating reflects how well you’re performing on the platform. Think of it as a report card that shows the quality of the customer experience you offer. When customers are satisfied with your service, they’ll leave a seller feedback rating to reflect their experience with you as a seller.
There are instances where customers can mistake seller feedback for product ratings. When this happens, you can reach out to Amazon, and they’ll rectify the issue for you. Improving your seller feedback rating is about offering the best customer experience possible. Things like shipping speeds, packaging, response times, professionalism, and customer service all play a role in determining your performance as a seller.
For FBA sellers that rely on Amazon’s logistics, don’t worry. You can raise a concern when a customer leaves negative feedback due to shipping or packaging since Amazon is fully responsible for it.
5. Be mindful of your product’s landed price
Landed price affects your chances of winning the Amazon Buy Box, so you must have this nailed down from the get-go. Landed price refers to the product’s total cost on Amazon, including handling and shipping fees. You’re competing with other sellers for a product’s landed price, so the lower you can get it down, the higher your chances of winning the buy box.
Sellers are constantly updating their prices on Amazon, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the competition. That way, you can make price adjustments that are competitive and profitable. Of course, don’t lower your prices just for the sake of the buy box. Otherwise, you’ll end up losing money in the long run.
An excellent way to set a landed price is to factor in things like your margins, budget, shipping costs, and Amazon seller fees. From there, you can measure your pricing and determine whether it’s worth lowering your fees to compete in the Amazon buy box.
In summary
The buy box makes up the bulk of the sales purchased in Amazon. Thus, it makes perfect sense for sellers to strive their best to win this highly coveted widget. Earning the buy box can drastically impact your sales and set your business up for success. That’s why the top sellers on Amazon utilize the buy box to maintain an edge over their competitors.
Keep in however, that winning the buy box is not a permanent thing. You have to maintain excellent account health, offer outstanding customer service, and improve seller feedback to ensure your listings have the buy box option. Once you follow these tips, you can secure your spot in the Amazon buy box and guarantee sales for your products.
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