Being the largest eCommerce marketplace in the US, extending its reach to other countries globally, Amazon has done its job by keeping customers on the marketplace. This presents a challenge for eCommerce sellers who have their own website. Going around the rules and thinking that you can trick Amazon won’t work either, as Amazon has placed safeguards in place to make sure that the rules are unbroken.
However, if you think that it’s a dead end for your eCommerce website, it’s not. There are legit ways to build a relationship with your Amazon customers and direct them to your website. Keep in mind that your goal in building a relationship with your customers is not just to offer them more sales, but as a way of reaching out to them, too. This helps in brand recognition and increases customer trust and loyalty.
Curious? Read on to find out more…
Legit Ways to Direct Amazon Customers to your Website
- Bundle your Products – Before we go into this in detail, keep in mind that bundling is different from multipacks. Bundles are products that complement each other and are sold in one SKU. Multipacks are same items (different colors or sizes) that are sold together. For example, a bundle is when you sell a baking pan with silicone trivets and silicone molds. A multipack is when you sell 3 different varieties of silicone chocolate molds.
Bundling allows you to showcase your other products to customers. When bundling your products, make sure that there is something on your website that they would need to purchase related to that bundle. For example, if you bundle a baking pan, silicone spatula, and parchment paper make sure that your website sells parchment paper that they can purchase when they run out of it. Also, your parchment paper should be custom-made for your baking pan’s size so they won’t go elsewhere to buy it.
When a customer reaches out wanting to replenish your stocks, you can just hint at your website by saying that, “I’m sorry but we do not sell parchment paper refills on the Amazon marketplace. We will let you know as soon as they are sold on Amazon.” If they really need it, they will Google your product and be directed to your website.
Bundling also allows you to save on fees and bundle your products with high average order value (AOV) with slow-selling items. This helps you get rid of slow-selling inventory as well.
2. Use Package Inserts
Product inserts are a legit way to reach out to your customers. When customers open your item, they will expect to find instructions, FAQs, or warranty-related information. In a previous blog post, you can read about our tips on how to create product inserts.
Include product inserts to create value and guide your customers to a certain action. Some of the things that you can include on the product insert are:
- Reach out to the seller for customer service concerns.
- Follow your social media platforms and share social proofs.
- Register for a warranty.
- Leave a review on Amazon.
- Offer a discount.
- View other product content such as blogs, tutorials, or instructional videos.
Be careful that you don’t include incentives (discounts) and reviews in one insert card as you could be flagged by Amazon. They have strategic methods in place to penalize those who go against these rules.
Make sure you watch this short video on how to be compliant with Amazon’s policies on product inserts.
3. Have an Effective Email Marketing Strategy
Once you have set up a way to send an email to customers who purchased your products, make sure to thank them for their purchase and educate them about your products and services. If you are using an automated tool that messages Amazon customers, NEVER include a link to your website or other external Amazon link.
Another tip is to include a QR code on your product insert that leads them to the warranty registration page. Make sure that your QR code is connected to a pixel where you can capture leads. Your warranty registration process should also allow you to capture customer’s emails so you can send them marketing emails in the future. Email marketing strategy will be discussed in a future blog.
4. Respond to Amazon Customers’ Reviews and Feedback
Addressing customers’ concerns in a timely and professional manner lets them know that you care about them. This will also be a way for you to turn negative reviews into positive ones. Based on experience, customers who were upset but had their issues taken cared of by customer service were most likely those who will become loyal customers.
Negative reviews and feedback are inevitable. How you handle them makes a difference. You can read more about how beneficial customer reviews and feedback are in our previous blog.
5. Create Custom FB Audiences
Due to Amazon’s customer privacy policies, you will not see the customer’s personal email addresses. Rather, you will see a customized Amazon email address and they will receive the message through their Amazon app.
However, there is a way to target possible Amazon customers. You can download the Amazon Fulfilled Shipment Reports and use the data such as buyer’s name, city, state, and postal code to target matching profiles. Although these may not be accurate, it will allow you to target almost similar profiles to your existing Amazon customers.
To download the Fulfilled Shipment Reports:
- Log in to your Seller Central Account.
- Go to Reports > Fulfillment.
- Scroll down to Sales and click on Amazon Fulfilled Shipments.
- Click on the Event Date dropdown and choose your preferred dates.
- Click on the Request CSV download button.
- Remove the unnecessary columns and leave out buyer’s name, city, state, and postal code.
- Use the file to create a custom and lookalike audience for your Facebook ads.
Conclusion
Amazon has a lot of strict policies in place to keep their Amazon customer within the Amazon marketplace. However, this should not deter you from reaching out to your Amazon customers and establishing a relationship with them.
There are a number of methods to play within Amazon’s rules and communicate with your customers. Just make sure that you do not try to get around using black hat techniques; otherwise, your account may risk suspension.
If you need help in setting up your Amazon seller account and establish a strategic customer service approach, let us know and we’ll be glad to help you out.
“If there’s one reason we have done better than of our peers in the Internet space over the last six years, it is because we have focused like a laser on customer experience, and that really does matter, I think, in any business. It certainly matters online, where word-of-mouth is so very, very powerful.”
— Jeff Bezos
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