[This post is the third in a multi-part “Be Seen” series, all about advanced advertising strategies across the most competitive online channels. View the first two posts here and here.]
First, we broke down the advertising essentials for a well-run Amazon account. Then we took an in-depth look at how you can make the most of new bidding tools and features to improve campaigns.
There’s another prominent piece of the Amazon Advertising puzzle — one we’d be remiss not to address: Amazon Stores.
Vendors and Third-party sellers enrolled in the Brand Registry program have the ability to create a branded Amazon Store. This option is a great way to get your products in front of more people. It lets you tell compelling stories about your brand, and gives shoppers even more reason to choose you over competitors.
In fact, sellers that link ads to Amazon Stores tend to get a lot more traction than those who don’t. According to Amazon, Sponsored Brands campaigns that drive consumers to Stores have a 22% better return on ad spend than those that simply link to product listing pages.
Convinced? Let’s take a look at this powerful digital marketing opportunity and how you can best leverage it.
Why do you need an Amazon Store?
Amazon Stores let you connect with consumers in ways other advertising options can’t. These interactive pages act as your own branded site within Amazon itself, giving shoppers an opportunity to explore, discover and learn about what makes your products different.
You can tell your unique story, stand out from competitors, capture new audiences, build brand familiarity and help people discover your entire product portfolio — all through this one component of Amazon Advertising.
And because Amazon Stores are built for mobile, your visitors will have a great experience on every device they use.
How can you build an Amazon Store?
Building a Store is a simple and intuitive process. In your account, there is a “Stores” tab. Just click that tab and select “Create Store” to get started.
A brand Store starts with your homepage, but it doesn’t end there. You can also take advantage of options to expand your Store to incorporate multiple pages and subpages, depending on how you want to handle the setup and design. You can even create an Amazon Store that closely matches the layout of your consumer website.
To start, you’ll choose from three templates:
Next, you’ll use the “Store builder” to create, move and delete pages with the “Page manager.” This is also where you’ll add and edit tiles, preview your work-in-progress pages and check the current status of your store:
The navigation bar is automatically generated and updated as you build your Store, and your brand logo will serve as your home button:
Throughout this process, you’ll have complete control over each Store page’s title, description, appearance and navigation order:
How can you make the most of your Amazon Store?
There’s a lot you can do with your Amazon Store, and over time you’ll discover new and creative ways to fine-tune it. When you’re just starting out, however, it’s a good idea to keep these best practices in mind:
1. Select strong header imagery
First, it’s important to create highly appealing hero images at a minimum size of 3,000 x 600. These are the first assets your visitors will see, so be sure to make them eye-catching and memorable. Don’t be afraid to get crafty with your images. Just be sure they’re all aligned with your brand guidelines.
2. Use your data to fine-tune
Your Store can have numerous pages, and each one is comprised of a header and footer that surround a number of content tiles. That means there are plenty of opportunities to showcase products and promotions in compelling ways. We recommend using your search term report and other data to determine which categories and focus areas should be broken out.
For example, Kitchenaid has a page dedicated to its 100-year celebration. You might choose to highlight top sellers, seasonal items or other elements that matter most to your consumers. And once your Store is live, continue to optimize it using page-level Store Insights and advertising reports.
3. Connect your other digital marketing
Don’t limit your Store to shoppers who are already in the marketplace. You can also use it as the basis for other advertising efforts outside of Amazon. Leverage promotions across Google, Facebook, Instagram, email and other marketing channels to drive more traffic. Better yet, use tagged sources to track that activity for more insights — and ramp up your efforts during Prime Day, holidays and other peak seasons.
Yes, the competition on Amazon is fiercer than ever. But with a strong Store, you can easily get ahead of your competition.
—
Looking for more ways to get ahead on Amazon? Download our complimentary eBook, Your Ultimate Guide to Advanced Amazon Advertising.
And if you really want to ensure you’re making the most of your Amazon Advertising account, request a Complimentary Advertising Analysis to have ChannelAdvisor’s digital marketing experts provide customized advice on where you can optimize your campaigns.
