In 2023, customers prioritize convenience above all. That said, the Amazon Buy Box is one feature that drives traffic to the platform exponentially, where customers could simply click on ‘Buy Now’ and proceed to check out.
According to Amazon’s data, $500 billion in sales last year in 2022; of those conversions, over $416 billion came through Amazon’s Buy Box. Professional account holders have an average 65% win rate, while those with an Individual account have a 35% win rate. Losing out on the 70–80% of clients who buy after clicking “Add to Cart” in the Buy Box can significantly reduce revenue.
If you’re an Amazon seller determined to stay competitive in the market and boost sales, read this guide to discover how to obtain the Amazon Buy Box on your products, followed by the benefits of having a Buy Box.
What Is Amazon Buy Box?
You’ve probably used the Buy Box on Amazon to buy something. When viewing a product listing on Amazon, look to the right side of the page for a cluster of yellow and orange buttons that say “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now.” This is known as the Amazon Buy Box.
Each of these two “buy” buttons takes you to a different Amazon seller’s product page, where you can put the item in your shopping basket. The visibility and sales of your goods on Amazon will skyrocket as a result.
As a result of its usefulness in attracting new customers, Amazon’s Buy Box is highly coveted by sellers, who must compete for it.
The seasoned Amazon shoppers among you may recall a feature called “Featured Merchant.” The Buy Box was modified as part of Amazon’s Featured Merchant program in 2018. In 2023, Amazon will formally rebrand the Buy Box as the “Featured Offer.”
Is it safe to purchase items from sellers with no Buy Box option?
Consumers do not necessarily have to purchase from the featured vendor with a Buy Box option. The options for accomplishing this are many.
If a consumer is interested in a particular product, they can click the link to see all retailers who offer it and then choose the one they prefer to buy the product from. However, the records show that people often select the Buy Box option.
As we initially mentioned, the Buy Box on Amazon is the most convenient way for consumers to purchase a product directly from the product page, hence its widespread popularity.
Why is Winning the Buy Box Amazon Critical for sales?
Having the Amazon buy box, or not, can significantly impact your business.
A user can only purchase the winner of the Buy Box when they click the “Add to Cart” button. Now that there’s a “Buy Now” button and an “add to cart” button, competing for and securing the Buy Box is more important than ever.
Winning the Buy Box on Amazon means more exposure and potential sales; shoppers will link your brand with Amazon’s standards. If your product is featured in the Amazon Buy Box, consumers will assume you offer superior service and merchandise.
The fact that all Sponsored Product Ads stop running when a product loses the Buy Box is all the more important if you run Amazon ads from within Amazon Seller Central. Since Sponsored brand ads (SBAs) are not dependent on the Buy Box, you face the risk of paying for visitors to a page where another vendor makes the transaction.
You must also dominate the Buy Box Amazon to convert mobile shoppers. To view “Other sellers on Amazon” information, mobile Amazon consumers must scroll well past the Buy Box and hit an arrow button. Because of this extra step, converting mobile users, who make up the vast bulk of Amazon’s monthly visits, may be more challenging.
How Do You Know If You’re Eligible For Amazon Buy Box?
Online stores can compete for the Buy Box on Amazon if they satisfy specific criteria.
- A Professional Amazon Seller Account costs $39.99 monthly and includes features that the free plan does not. Buy into the Box
- Brand New/ Fresh Products: Products must be in stock and undamaged.
- Ideal Account Performance Indicators: The order defect rate (ODR), the late shipment rate (LSR), and the cancellation rate (CCR) must all be under 5% for the seller to be considered reliable.
- 2-6 months in the field: You should have some experience trading.
What Brings You Close To Amazon ‘Buy Box’?
After setting up your Seller Central Amazon account, you must provide outstanding service to get the Buy Box on Amazon. Keep your business goals customer-centric to resonate with Amazon’s policies. Now, let’s dive into how vendors can guarantee themselves a spot in the Buy Box.
Keep Tabs on Stock
First; your odds of snagging the Amazon Buy Box will only increase if you meet customer demand. Check inventory reports frequently to ensure that stock levels are being monitored accurately. Use sophisticated software to analyze your customer’s behavior and predict the approximate inventory required in any particular season. This way, you won’t ever have to worry about running out of stock.
Join the Amazon FBA Program
Amazon FBA sellers, when vying for the Buy Box, have the upper hand. How?
Packaging, transport, and support for FBA vendors are all handled by Amazon. Amazon Prime expedites the delivery of products sold by FBA sellers. It’s still possible for FBM to get the Buy Box, though.
FBA makes it more feasible, streamlined, and easy to gain customer trust in your product.
If you want to achieve the Buy Box on Amazon and stay competitive, being on FBA will likely increase your chances.
Through SFP (seller-fulfilled Prime), non-FBA vendors can also join the Prime shipping program. Not all suppliers can participate in the SFP program. To be eligible for SFP, sellers must have a stellar track record of sales and a high seller rating.
Quick Delivery
Amazon Prime has revolutionized what online shoppers anticipate regarding shipping speed. Amazon follows the current trend by giving more exposure to vendors who provide expedited shipping. As a result, sellers participating in FBA or SFP have a significant leg up on the competition for the Buy Box.
Amazon Seller Rating
Amazon buyers will naturally favor the seller with the most positive reviews. Amazon has established a 0-100 rating system to distinguish between best-performing and poor-performing sellers. This rating is based on customer response time, order cancellations, A-to-Z claims, customer feedback, etc.
Sellers with an AOD (Amazon order defect) rate above 1% indicate that the products sold by the store mostly turn out defective, so keeping AOD below 1% should be the goal of every Amazon seller.
Manage Product Reviews
Both favorable and unfavorable ratings and the total number of reviews are factored into Amazon’s Buy Box algorithm.
Your profile’s prominence may be improved with them. Follow up with consumers and ask for feedback, then automate the process using a feedback tool.
The algorithm prioritizes recent feedback but considers data from the past 30, 90, and 365 days. You may access these numbers via your Seller Account.
You should aggregate evaluations from various channels to understand how customers genuinely feel about your product.
Status of Your Offers
The Valid Tracking Rate is a brand-new measure any retailer may use. This number indicates how many of your shipments can be tracked in full. ShipWorks and ShipStation are two examples of shipping software that can assist with this.
Found All You Need?
Securing the top spot in the Amazon Buy Box is crucial to increasing sales and earnings. Amazon’s focus has always been on the client, and that won’t change, so catering to their needs will help you win more purchase boxes.
Maintain your inventory, improve customer service, ensure your products are safely packed before shipping, and manage customer feedback to move closer to winning the Amazon Buy Box. However, if it still takes too long for the Buy Box to appear, re-check and ensure you’re eligible for it, and repricing your products through automation or manual repricing strategies.