3 MORE Tips for Increasing Amazon Back to School Sales

The DealNews Seller's Guide

Back to School season is a marathon for Amazon Marketplace sellers, and it helps to be prepared. Learn about three more things you can do to bring in more Back to School sales on Amazon this year.

According to the National Retail Federation, households spent an average of 789 dollars on Back to School last year, with college students and their families spending even more, at an average of 1,059 dollars.

The coronavirus pandemic sent shoppers online last year, too. According to estimates from Digital Commerce 360, online sales were up by 44 percent in 2020. And consumers are clearly comfortable online shopping, because that sales boost has continued into 2021, even as lockdowns have eased. In fact, the U.S. Census Bureau has online sales up 39 percent year over year for the first quarter.

That makes this year's Back to School season potentially very lucrative for Amazon Marketplace sellers — as long as you're ready for it. Let's talk about three more things you can do to increase your Back to School sales on Amazon this year.

1. Be Sure Your Product Listings Look Their Best.

You'll want to be sure your product listings are in tip-top shape before you put anything on sale. Even small improvements can have a big impact on your conversion rates, so after you've selected items for sale, you should review your product pages.

Optimize product titles. The title is the first thing shoppers see when they search for an item, so be sure your product titles highlight the major features with the right keywords to get click-throughs. Say you're selling a Bluetooth keyboard. You might list what devices it's compatible with, whether it's rechargeable, and other key selling points like portability or ergonomics. Additionally, you'll want to do a similar review of product features and descriptions to make sure you're properly highlighting your biggest selling points.

Use the best images. Check to make sure your products have high-resolution images, as well. Large pictures from multiple angles will show off your product and help shoppers feel confident it's what they want. According to Amazon Seller Central, you can have up to nine product images, so there's plenty of space to thoroughly show off your wares.

Join the Amazon Brand Registry. Finally, check to see if you're eligible for the Amazon Brand Registry. This lets you add A-plus Content to your product listings, providing you with more control over your product pages.

2. Pay Close Attention to Stock Levels There's nothing that ruins a sale more than items selling out completely. Ensure you have plenty of your products available, using previous sale amounts to estimate how much inventory you'll need. Are you using Fulfillment by Amazon? Then be sure your products are properly prepped, as even a small mistake can prevent them from being stocked. And send them well in advance of your promotions so they're stocked and ready to go beforehand. What if you aren't using FBA? Then make sure you're staffed to handle promptly packing and shipping items, so they get to your customers as quickly as possible.

You can't stop paying attention to your inventory once your sales begin, though. Keep watching stock to be sure you have available product, and be ready to restock any especially hot items as needed. Back to School sales stretch out over several weeks — this is a marathon, not a sprint.

3. Invest in Back to School Advertising

You need to inform shoppers about your sales with a smart advertising campaign once you have your sales items picked and prepped, your stock levels set, and your product pages optimized. It's a good time to start if you're not advertising at all — and it's a good time to boost your ad spend if you are advertising. The more visible your products are, the more likely you'll be to get sales.

There are many places to advertise, but Amazon offers one particular option that's especially lucrative to its sellers: cost-per-click sponsored product placement. It'll result in your items being displayed prominently in searches, listed above the competition for high visibility. If you've put in the work to set up a great Back to School sale, these can result in a very good return on ad spend. If you already have sponsored products, it's a good time to review your budget to ensure your ads stay visible throughout Back to School season.

You shouldn't run general ads when you're advertising; your ads should specifically target Back to School shoppers instead. Make sure to include specific wording or images to show shoppers that your products are especially fit for Back to School season. And think about the audience for your products when you're crafting these ads. Are you selling to teachers or parents? College students or elementary students? Tailoring your ads specifically for your audience can help increase conversion rates and result in more sales.

There's a good chance you have products that are appropriate for Back to School sales, no matter what you're selling. So spend some time this summer reviewing your products, setting up appealing discounts, and advertising for Back to School to bring in summer profits.

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