The buy box, also known as the little white box to the right of a listing, is where customers can easily add products to their cart. The seller with the best seller metrics has the best chance to win it.
According to bigcommerce.com, 82% of Amazon sales go through the buy box, and the percentage is even higher for mobile purchases. That is huge for Amazon sellers. If they win over the buy box that means 82% of sales could be directly from the product listing without any kind of advertising or marketing!
Now you may be wondering, how do I become eligible? Firstly, you have to have a Professional Selling Account. Your products also have to be new. Used items are not available to win the buy box. Your products have to be in stock at all times.
The buy box also goes off of your seller metrics. Are you orders shipped out on time? Are you receiving a lot of returns? Do you have too many negative reviews? How is your customer response time? How is your product availability? If you get your orders out on time, receive very few returns, your reviews are mostly positive, you respond to customers quickly and your products are always available, then you have a better chance at winning.
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 eligible.
If you are not already 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.
Winning the buy box is crucial for Amazon sellers. By following the steps mentioned above, you have a better chance at winning it and not only does it help you save money, it increases your sales as well! To learn more about the buy box, check out our video below. Don’t forget to share this post on Facebook and Pinterest!
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