This is a contributed article from Jacob Jatkiewicz at Bqool.
According to studies, Buy Box accounts for up to 90% of Amazon’s sales. Your priority as a seller must be to win the Buy Box. No matter what. For the most part, no Buy Box = no sales.
There is no universal recipe for winning the Buy Box, but there are things you can do to dominate it and get ahead of your competition.
What is the Buy Box?
Buy Box is the white box on the upper right side of the product page and it contains the Add to Cart button. If you are in the Buy Box when a buyer clicks on the Add to Cart you win the sale.
Right under the Buy Box are two other boxes: Other Sellers on Amazon, with up to three listings, and a link to the All Offers Page, which is a list of all offers of a particular product.
Other Sellers provides some visibility and conversions, but to get there you have to meet all Buy Box requirements. So, you might as well aim for the Buy Box. If you are only in the Offer Listing Page you will have a hard time selling your product.
Why The Buy Box Is So Important
It’s more than meets the eye. Buy Box is also about trust. Experienced buyers trust the Buy Box. They know Amazon expects sellers to maintain high standards.
When less experienced buyers click Add to Cart they rarely even know they are buying from third-party sellers. They assume they are getting products directly from Amazon.
5 Tips To Win The Buy Box
1. Check Buy Box Eligibility
You can’t dominate the Buy Box without being eligible first. Here are some basic requirements that every seller must meet to compete for the Buy Box:
- Have a Professional Seller account
- Items must be new – used items have their own Buy Used Box
- Have Buy Box Eligible status for the product
To check your listing eligibility:
- Go to the Inventory tab
- Click on Manage Inventory
- Click on Preferences (box on the right)
- Select Buy Box Eligible from the column display list
- Save changes.
Amazon takes several factors into account when deciding whether your items are Buy Box eligible. The most important factor is Order Defect Rate (ODR). Amazon also takes a look at your other performance metrics, delivery time, and Time and experience on the Amazon selling service.
2. Use FBA
If you want to dominate the Buy Box, you should use FBA. Item’s fulfillment is the most important factor in Amazon’s algorithm, and in Amazon’s eyes if you are using FBA you always have the perfect scores for Shipping Time, On-Time Delivery Rate, and Inventory Depth. That’s hard to beat.
That being said, you can still win the Buy Box without using FBA. Seller-Fulfilled Prime with perfect metrics, combined with a low price, can win the Buy Box. It’s hard, but not impossible.
3. Optimize Your Price
Price is the second most important variable considered by Amazon. If your price is low enough, you can overcome your imperfect seller metrics or fulfillment method and dominate the Buy Box.
Wait! Before you start your race to the bottom, think about price optimization. Yes, if your selling history is not perfect, or you are a new seller, you might have to lower your price or you will never land the Buy Box. But, if you do have perfect metrics and you are an established seller you might win the Buy Box with a price above that of your competition.
The Golden Rule here is to find the balance with a price that will keep your business profitable and also let you stay in the Buy Box for as long as possible. Tools like our Bqool Repricer can help you stay profitable and adjust your prices automatically.
4. Don’t Forget Your Metrics
You may use FBA, you may even have the lowest price, but if your Order Defect Rate (ODR) is higher than 1% you are seriously lowering your chances of winning the Buy Box.
Amazon ODR is a combination of 3 metrics:
- Negative Feedback Rate
- A-to-z Guarantee Claim Rate
- Service Chargeback Rate
Customers are not always right. Some of them will file A-to-z Claims on purpose to get products for free, but try to do everything you can to avoid poor ratings for Negative Feedback and A-to-z Claims. Bite the bullet – it’s better to lose some money now than lose a chance to win the Buy Box in the long run.
5. Offer The Best Customer Service
You should offer the best customer service to separate yourself from the competition. It sounds obvious, right? The problem is that Amazon’s understanding of customer service is a bit different from what you may think.
There is the relatively new metric called Customer Service Dissatisfaction Rate but so far Amazon is not counting it towards the Buy Box. What Amazon does care about is how promptly you reply to all messages.
To dominate the Buy Box you have to keep your response time under twelve hours. If your late response rate climbs over 10% you won’t win the Buy Box, even if you offer FBA and a low price. Don’t forget that you have to reply to every message. If there is no need to reply, hit that Mark as no response needed button. This will exclude the message from the metric calculation.
No Way But the Hard Way
Winning the Buy Box isn’t easy, and dominating it is even harder.
To do it, you have to outperform your competition in all the areas mentioned. Use FBA, improve your seller metrics, optimize the price and you should be rewarded with sales. A lot of sales.
The significance of the Buy Box on Amazon cannot be overstated, as it accounts for up to 90% of the platform’s sales. Winning the Buy Box is essential for any seller aiming for success, as it directly correlates with increased visibility, trust, and ultimately, sales. While there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for securing the Buy Box, a combination of key tactics can significantly enhance a seller’s chances.
The Buy Box eligibility requirements, encompassing a Professional Seller account, new items, and Buy Box eligibility status, form the foundational steps. Leveraging Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) emerges as a pivotal strategy, given its substantial impact on Amazon’s algorithm, emphasizing the importance of efficient shipping, on-time delivery, and inventory management.
Price optimization is another critical factor, with a delicate balance required to maintain profitability while staying competitive. Beyond pricing, meticulous attention to seller metrics, particularly the Order Defect Rate (ODR), becomes imperative. A seller’s commitment to offering exceptional customer service, as measured by response times and customer satisfaction metrics, further bolsters their standing in the race for the Buy Box.
In the competitive realm of e-commerce, dominating the Buy Box necessitates a comprehensive and relentless approach. Whether through FBA utilization, strategic pricing, or meticulous attention to customer service metrics, sellers must consistently outperform their competition to secure and maintain a prominent position in the coveted Buy Box. While the path may be challenging, the potential rewards in terms of increased sales and market prominence make the effort undoubtedly worthwhile.
BQool is a SaaS company offering great software solutions that help Amazon merchants resolve daily business challenges. The BQool suite comprises Repricing, Feedback, and Review Central. To learn more about BQool, please visit https://www.bqool.com/
