JAY SHA F F ER, V P MA RKETIN GECMTA

ATLA N TA , CA JUN E 3 -4 , 2009

Navigating the Amazon

Navigating the Amazon

OverviewFacts and StatisticsMarketplace DifferentiatorsProduct Details PagesBest Practices: DataBest Practices: Cross Sells & PromotionsBest Practices: Customer ServiceQ&A

Infopia – About us

-eCommerce Platform Provider Wesbite/storefront Shopping cart/payment systems Order entry/fullfilment

+300 Clients, between $1-15M online revenue

$300M in online transactions in 200810k transactions a day1.8 millions unique customers in 2008

Infopia – Key Clients

Facts and Statistics

Amazon.com was launched in 1995America’s largest online retailer $19.2BASC (Amazon Seller Central) has been

growing 20% faster than ecommerce over the last two years

Infopia clients on Amazon Central experience 45% year over year

Infopia clients sold $30M+ on ASC in 2008

Amazon Differentiators

No Listing/insertion Fees (vs eBay $0.35)Open and Closed Categories, restricted areas

and product offeringsCategory Specific Fees, % revenue share

varies by categoriesFulfillment Opportunities – open to Amazon

fulfillmentAll Payment through Amazon

Amazon Product Pages –key to successful selling

Amazon Services Catalog Style – payment and shipping info

on separate page, traditional catalog structure

Product FeaturesProduct DescriptionLimited seller information

Best Practices: Data

Make sure to include al pertinent and relevant product information – these data points are critical to how Amazon maps and presents products

Catalog it! UPC -EAN ISBN -ASIN Manufacturer Part Numbers

Best Practices: Product Names

• Brand and description - Laura Ashley Pillow Cases

• Product line - Sophia Collection • Material or key ingredient - 300-Thread-

Count • Color - Blue • Size - Queen • Quantity - Set of 2

Example: Laura Ashley Sophia Collection 300-Thread-Count Pillow Cases (Blue, Queen, Set of 2)

Best Practices: Descriptions

Plain Text DescriptionCatalog style data/contentNo Seller InformationNo Shipping InformationNo Image WatermarksKeep it simple, avoid heavy diagrams, tables

and such or content can be rejected

Best Practices: Product Features

Make sure to identify all key product features that are key to decision making process

Selling Points- handmade, imported,DifferentiatorsAction Words

Manufacturer Warranty – extended, limited, etc Set of 2 Size 7

Best Practices: Additional Attributes

• The second most common method for customers to find what they are looking for on Amazon is by browsing for it. Customers will also use browse functionality to reduce the number of results they have from a search.

• When listing an item you have the option to provide more information using additional attributes.

• These attributes are essential to a customer who wants to narrow search results by specific requirements such as your target audience (adult, men, women, and children) a product is intended for.

• Additional attributes for the category in which you are listing can be found in the Item Classification Guide (ICG) in Seller Central

• Use as many attributes as possible that correctly describe your product.

Best Practices: Search Terms

Do not re-use words in the search term fieldsDon't use quotation marks in search termsUse only relevant search termsUse legitimate alternate spellings and

synonymsWhen entering several words as a search

term, put them in the most logical orderMinimize use of abbreviations

Best Practices: Cross Sells

Accessory Relationships One Way Two Way Multi-Way

Matched products are Category dependent and specific

Take tike to make the most relevant product recommendations, key to increasing Amazon sales

Best Practices: Promotions

Amazon offers several different configurations for you to choose from, such as:- Fixed amount off- Percentage off price- Free shipping- Free product with purchase

Promotions draw customers and build customer confidence in online shopping.

You have the option to provide custom messaging for a promotion You have the option to require a claim code to benefit from the

promotion

When creating a promotion make sure any language you provide is clear and accurate. A customer won’t use a promotion if they are unsure what the promotion offers them. If your promotional messaging is deceptive or misleads customers, you could have your listing suspended by Amazon.

Don’t set-up a promotion that lasts forever. Customers will notice this and will not see it as a real discount – they will become frustrated and feel that they were taken advantage of.

Best Practices: Customer Service

How to handle an order that can’t be fulfilledLet the customer know:

If their money was refunded If they haven't been charged for the order yet The reason the order couldn't be filled

Do not: Ask the customer if a substitution will work Send any type of substitution for the order Ask the customer if they are willing to wait for a

back ordered item

Best Practices: Customer Service

How to handle returnsLet the customer know:

When the return arrives The amount of the refund - explaining any

deductions as outlined in the "Your Info and Policies" section in Seller Central

When they should expect to see the refund on their bank statement

Amazon will inform the customer: When an order has been placed When the order has been shipped

Best Practices: Customer Service

How to respond to negative feedbackIf a customer has left negative feedback you

can contact them to try and rectify the situation: A customer cannot change the feedback they

have left, but they can remove it Do not offer any incentives to customers to

remove negative feedback or to leave positive feedback

If you leave a response to the feedback it is not likely the customer who left the feedback will see it, but your future customers will

Best Practices: Customer Service

How to reduce A to Z ClaimsResponding quickly and clearly to e-mail

communication sent to you by the customer Helping customers with any returns they need to make Describe your products accurately and make sure the

images are clear and correct Shipping your orders with care Cancel and refund any orders that can't be filled

immediately and communicate with the customer in regards to the cancellation right away

Always keep the customer informed by providing tracking information and correct availability times for your products

Buy Box Best Practices

Great Overall ValueGreat Customer ServiceLow rate of A to Z ClaimsGreat Feedback

Q & A

Helpful Info Seller Central Help Pages http://simply-amazon.com Getting Started Document