It can sound generic and boring, and the same advice gets spewed out all over the web on a weekly basis, so why write our own checklist?
There are multiple mechanics that go beyond the standard; write a title, write your bullet points as benefits, write your description, put your keywords in the back end. Of course you do those things, but there are some basic mechanics not to miss.
So as a foundation, the expectation is that Keyword Research has been conducted, and you’ve got an optimised title, bullet points, description and back end keywords. Those topics are for another post.
1. Translate and use colloquial terms of the marketplace
If the keyword research has been done right, you will have identified the marketplace specific terminology. If the listing is literally in a different language, the whole listing should be professionally translated.
We use Enida Translations for our listing translations.
2. Create listings in the marketplace required
If possible avoid the international listing builder when creating new listings for existing products in new marketplaces. This is largely unavoidable, but a massive source of pain.
In the original marketplace in which the listing was created the Product ID should be aligned with the Product ID chosen when you registered your brand through Amazon Brand Registry.
We registered our brand with the “UPC” as the Product ID.
In ADDITIONAL marketplaces beyond the original marketplace in which the listing was created, the Product ID should be the Product ASIN.
This links the listings effectively, so you get the benefit of the Product Reviews being imported from the main marketplace to the “Additional” Marketplaces.
In addition, all of these steps are compliant with getting your Amazon Registered Brand active in each of the marketplaces. Here’s a link to the post on Globalising your Amazon Brand Registry.
3. Make sure the listing content shows on the main listing page
Quite often, information entered in the back end of the listing, through Seller Central, doesn’t end up displaying on the front end listing. Therefore check that anything you put into the back end displays. This is essentially good practice whenever doing any web development or online publishing.
4. Make sure the product is categorised correctly
The browse tree guide is unique to each marketplace (AKA the Product Classifier Tool). The “Browse Node” which is a number that ultimately also manages product category, is also unique to each marketplace.
These two facts are a source of much confusion, and struggle when creating new listings. A lack of compatibility between marketplaces means it’s really important to make sure when a product category is updated, this doesn’t cause weird behaviour regarding product classification in other marketplaces.
In marketplaces with foreign languages, there is also the challenge that the Browse Tree Guide or Product Classifier Tool aren’t translated. This often means to make your way through the category selection you have to copy and paste the terms into Google Translate until you find the right path. A pain, but necessary.
5. Create Parent-Child Relationships for products with variations (Advanced Topic)
To create these relationships it’s necessary to utilise the “Add Products Via Upload” page located under the “Inventory” tab in Seller Central. Only through uploading a file with the relationship clearly structured will the relationship be created.
Once you do create this relationship however, there is a possibility that a conflict between Product Classification and the relationship will occur. Basically, this is a clash that will only be realised if and when you setup Enhanced Brand Content, but it’s something to be aware of from the outset.
6. Check that Enhanced Brand Content can be created for each SKU
This links with the above. If listings have been linked with Parent-Child relationships, there can be imposed limitations where EBC can only be added to the parent and not the child. This may not matter to you, but it does to us.
To check that the listing has been setup correctly and linked to your brand account, simply go to the “Enhanced Brand Content” page under the “Advertising” tab in Seller Central, then enter each SKU and click “Get Started”.
If you get a warning message that says “For this category, add the content to the variation parent.” you need to contact Seller Support. When contacting them, make sure to highlight the category “path” that the product should be listed under.
7. Create the Cross Promotions between listings
One quick and easy way to get Amazon to acknowledge the link between your products or listings is to simply create a discount “Promotion” when 2 different products are purchased at the same time. i.e. “Buy x and get 15% off Y” style promotions.
Some of the listing copy may also include these promotions – so make sure if you do make reference to a “Cross Promotion” in your listing that you actually make it active in the Marketplace (Otherwise you’re misleading the buyers).
Conclusion
These are some lesser talked about mechanics, but still all-important when it comes to listing products on Amazon.
There are a tonne of other things to think about, make sure you click and setup, but these are ever changing and specific to your product category. The above are pretty universal pieces of advice.