No one ever said selling on Amazon would be easy. If it was, even the shoddiest product line would be a best seller.
By Amazon’s own account, third party sellers represent over 60 percent of their sales. That should warrant a round of applause. Except, that number is far from hospitable for new brands trying to make a dent.
It’s been estimated that only 20 percent of the top 10,000 sellers on Amazon have maintained that position for seven years or more. That’s not necessarily due to price point advantages (although that can’t hurt.) That’s due to increased visibility.
Visibility isn’t always a case of maximizing keywords in your Amazon listing. It’s an end result of the right visuals, the right text and above all, the right strategy.
And split testing your Amazon listing can help you get there.
What is Split Testing?
At its most basic, split testing simply refers to the process of testing two variables (in this case, an Amazon listing) to discover which performs best by driving more traffic.
It’s not rocket science. But driving more traffic to your listing doesn’t necessarily result in more sales. Or does it?
Consider the following:
In 2012, Microsoft Bing decided to run a simple variable test using ad headline displays. Within hours, one simple alteration resulted in an increase of revenue by 12 percent for that ad campaign
A marketing decision in 2007 resulting from split testing raised an additional $75 million in fundraising for the Obama campaign
Simply strengthening a call-to-action (CTA) button on a landing page has been known to bring in an 80 percent increase in conversion rates for certain business segments
It’s been estimated that a more refined UX design resulting from split testing can increase conversions by as much as 400 percent
Like we said, it isn’t rocket science. But what are some of the specific benefits of split testing your Amazon listing?
The Benefits of Split Testing Your Amazon Listing
As Amazon never fails to remind just about anyone who will listen, their goal is to be “Earth’s most customer-centric company. And split testing helps by reflecting exactly what it is that customers may be looking for from your product.
This brings us to an Amazon performance metric that doesn’t get too much attention from sellers: the bounce rate.
The higher your bounce rate is, the less your conversion rate will be. Simple enough equation, right? Yet by comparing bounce rates in your split tests, you’re able to identify which listing keeps your customers engaged—and ultimately lead to a much higher conversion rate than merely second guessing.
But let’s not forget the click through rate (CTR). Historically, this is one of the more riskier metrics to measure since it can ultimately make or break your Amazon ad budget.
What holds true for traditional search engines, also holds true for search results on Amazon: if you’re not consistently within the top ten listings, there’s a problem with your listing. Split testing helps by allowing you to see which variable is gaining the most traction. Constantly monitoring your CTR allows you to gain insight into how your customers are finding your products, what they’re looking for from your product and why they’re even searching for your product in the first place.
Finally, your ROI. That’s what you’re really concerned with.
Split testing allows you to decide which strategy is more appropriate for your product. It could be pricing. It could be a promotion-heavy campaign. Or could it just be a question of optimizing the right image in combination with the right words.
But you need data to make strategic decisions. That’s why split testing was invented. To streamline real data by measuring KPIs against a wider amount of available content.
It’s a question of offering your customers a feeling of choice.
That’s why they’re Amazon customs to begin with.
What Can Be Tested to Optimize My Listings?
There’s no one-size-fits all approach to split testing. Much like Amazon itself, it’s infinitely diverse and subject to the nature of your particular products. But there are key elements you may want to take into consideration when developing a split test.
Images
We’ve discussed the value of utilizing A+ content before. But we’ll say it again. It’s one of the most direct ways of educating your customers by optimizing a media rich environment, allowing them to understand the benefits of your product.
But let’s not overlook another key stepping stone to success on Amazon: your main images. Are they clear? Sharp? Professionally shot? Relevant to your product?
Split testing both A+ content and your main images (as well as product lifestyle images) will help you discover what’s attracting customers—and in the process, teach you more than you might think about your target audience.
Pricing
There’s no way around it. You need to be competitive in your pricing strategy if you want to drive traffic. Particularly since Amazon is now the lowest priced retailer in the US, hedging out the likes of both Target and Walmart.
Customers rarely pass up a bargain. That’s one of the reasons why “Subscribe & Save” options are particularly ingenious. But it doesn’t end there.
Evaluating pricing strategies, including free shipping, promotional code discounts, product bundling can go a long way in appealing to budget-conscious customers. Split testing various price point advantages can help you ascertain your average customer’s spending habits, all while helping you stay within your own Amazon budget.
Product titles, bullet points and descriptions
Want to know a secret about keyword optimization? More isn’t always better.
That’s largely because many of the top performing keywords are long tail keywords which aren’t always grammatically correct. This may lead to a short term increase in traffic. But in the long term?
It’s incoherent gibberish which actually detracts from your brand narrative.
That doesn’t discount the value of keywords. It merely suggests that they need to be utilized more shrewdly. That’s where split testing comes in. By crafting keyword focused titles, bullet points and descriptions, you can see for yourself just what terms are drawing likely to drive traffic without sacrificing coherence—or your brand.
Because nothing is more unappealing to a consumer than repetitive phrases which tell them nothing about product strength.
Measuring Your Split Tests
To manually monitor any changes in your customer engagement, you’ll need to access your business reports:
From your Seller Central page, go to Reports > Business Reports
Click under Detail Page Sales and Traffic By Child Item underneath By ASIN in the left hand tab
Your tabulated report will detail sales for each item you’re selling, as well as Buy Box eligibility and percentage, unit orders and unit session percentage (your conversion rate.)
Choose the date range based on your own preferences. It’s recommended that the length of each split test should be no shorter than two weeks.
Keep a separate spreadsheet and populate each tab with any and all relevant metrics for each test. At the conclusion of your campaign, you’ll have a much clearer insight into which elements worked best.
Common Mistakes to Avoid During Your Amazon Split Tests
Clearly define your goals: Before diving in, take a moment to define your objectives and KPIs. What exactly do you want to achieve? How will you measure success? A clear understanding of the outcome of your campaign is critical
Test one variable at a time: Whether it’s a headline, image, or pricing strategy, changing multiple factors at once makes it hard to pinpoint what’s driving results
Keep sampling random for unbiased results: By avoiding patterns or preferences in how audiences are split, your findings will have greater accuracy
Segment your audiences: This can uncover unique insights, showing how different users respond. If you have the time, you may want to consider developing idealized user personas for your target audience
Keep testing: Much like marketing, split testing isn’t a one-and-done deal. After identifying a winner, keep refining and streamlining your campaign
Accurate Measurement = Accurate Results
One of the reasons why split testing is emphasized so heavily in eCommerce is simple: it shows you demonstrable click-through rates which can be accurately measured.
Amazon may seem like an environment in which uniformity is the rule, not the exception. And few seasoned sellers would disagree with that statement.
But uniformity demands accuracy. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for creativity with your product listing. Or experimentation. Both can have a drastic effect on both traffic and conversions. Split testing is simply one opportunity which allows you to measure results accurately.
And in the end, measurable results are the chief tool your business needs to survive.
Don’t know where to start with reigniting your Amazon campaign? With over two decades of collective experience and success, we can help. Visit Color More Lines for more information
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