So you’ve set up your Amazon Seller account, you’re selling products and want to start running some ads on Amazon. But are you Buy Box eligible?
How does the Buy Box Work?
If you aren’t already familiar with the ‘Buy Box’ on Amazon, here’s what Amazon has to say about how the Buy Box works:
“When you list products on Amazon, all customers browsing the site can find and purchase them (as long as the items can be shipped to the customer’s shipping address).
Customers can add products to their shopping carts using one of three methods:
By using the Add to Cart button (in the Ready to Buy box, or the Buy Box)
By browsing seller offerings in the More Buying Choices box and then clicking the Add to Cart button next to the seller from which the customer wants to purchase the product.
By clicking the used & new link, browsing all offers for an item, and then clicking the Add to Cart button next to the seller from which the customer wants to purchase the product.
Note: If there are no used listings, the link will only mention new.
Winning the Buy Box
The Buy Box winner is selected from the pool of eligible sellers based on, among other things, price, availability, and the customer’s shipping address. The winning “New” condition offer is presented as the first choice for buyers using the Add to Cart button on the product detail page. Buyers can also view the winning “Used” condition offer, if any, by selecting the Buy used radio button.
In addition to the Buy Box winning offer, up to three additional Buy Box eligible offers will display in the More Buying Choices box on the product detail page. Any remaining seller offers (including offers that are not Buy Box eligible) are available to customers who click the new & used link (or new link) at the bottom of the More Buying Choices box. This takes buyers to the offer listing page.
The Buy Box is the display on a product detail page with the Add to Cart button that customers can use to add items to their shopping carts. When one of your listed items appears as the default on the product page, you “win” the Buy Box, increasing your chances of selling that item.”
Check out this post about how to win the Buy Box on Amazon from our friends at Jungle Scout!
How to Check your Buy Box Eligibility
If you want to check on the Buy Box Eligibility for your products follow these steps:
In Seller Central, click on the Inventory Tab and select Manage Inventory.
Click on the Preferences tab.
Find the Column Display section and select the field for Buy Box Eligible.
Select Show When Available from the drop-down menu.
Look at the Buy Box Eligible column for a SKU. If it says ‘Yes’ then it is Buy Box Eligible.
Accelerated Buy Box Eligibility
Sellers can accelerate their ability to become Buy Box Eligible by selling items that are fulfilled by Amazon, also called FBA (fulfillment by Amazon). Doing this with even a small number of popular items sold at a competitive price through Amazon can allow sellers to receive Buy Box Eligibility for items that are not FBA.
Only new items can be shown in the Buy Box. Used or refurbished items have what’s called the ‘Buy Used Box’ and operates in a similar way to the Buy Box. The criteria that must be met for the Buy Used Box is also like the Buy Box.
Items that are out of stock cannot be shown in the Buy Box, so it’s important to stay on top of your inventory. The only exception to this rule is when items are marked as on ‘back order.’ This means that sellers are still accepting orders for the item, but it will ship at a later date once the seller has the item back in stock. The back ordered item will show as not available for shipping until the restock date which the seller has indicated. These back ordered items can be shown in the Buy Box but only if the item will be back in stock within 2 days.
Steps to Take to Become Buy Box Eligible
If you are not already Buy Box Eligible, Amazon suggests that you work toward becoming eligible by improving your Order Defect Rate. The Order Defect Rate is based on customer feedback, A-to-Z guarantee claims and chargebacks. Amazon also suggests focusing on the following things to gain Buy Box Eligibility status as quickly as possible:
Carefully title, describe and categorize your items and what condition they are in (new, used, refurbished, etc.) to avoid any customer confusion.
Establish reliable fulfillment and shipping practices to avoid customers receiving the wrong items.
Ship orders quickly so they meet or beat the estimated delivery date, especially during the holiday season. Confirming shipment can help avoid unnecessary order cancellations. If your items won’t be delivered on time as promised, it’s important that you notify the customer right away, even if the issue is out of your control like extreme weather or carrier issues.
Respond quickly to customer questions and notify customers when there will be an order delay. Open communication will help build trust with your customers.
Ensure you provide excellent customer support, even after the transaction is complete (including refunds, returns, exchanges, etc.) to make sure your customers are satisfied.
Gaining and retaining Buy Box Eligibility on Amazon is a crucial aspect Amazon Sellers should focus on in order to increase and sustain success. Once you become Buy Box Eligible and can start running Amazon Sponsored Product ads, automating your ad campaigns can help you save time and increase sales. Our knowledgeable Product Specialists can help answer your questions when you’re ready to get started. You can schedule an appointment by clicking here.
Try Sellozo!
Sellozo offers a simple, powerful platform that makes it easy to manage and optimize your Amazon Sponsored Product Ads and – thanks to machine-learning – programmatically alters bids to help your ads beat out the competition.
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