My Product Is Not Selling on Amazon – What To Do?
If you‘re struggling with stagnant or declining sales on Amazon, don‘t panic. The good news is that with the right strategies, you can turn things around. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore the most common reasons products don‘t sell on Amazon and provide actionable solutions to drive real results.
As an experienced Amazon seller, I want to provide you with proven recommendations to help get your products moving off the virtual shelves. By focusing on improving reviews, optimizing pricing, increasing visibility, creating high-converting listings, and managing inventory, you can unlock the full sales potential of your Amazon products.
Introduction – Why Products Don‘t Sell and How To Fix It
There are a few core reasons most products don‘t sell well on Amazon:
- Insufficient or poor reviews fail to build trust and credibility
- Pricing is not competitive against alternatives in the marketplace
- Low visibility on search rankings and lack of advertising prevents discovery
- Product detail pages lack visual appeal and fail to convey value
- Inventory mismanagement causes stockouts and lost sales
The solution is to methodically optimize each of these elements:
- Proactively request positive reviews to establish social proof
- Research competitor pricing and employ strategies aligned to profit goals
- Improve search visibility through SEO optimization and advertising
- Enhance product listings to increase conversions
- Leverage Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) to prevent stockouts
By analyzing your product‘s performance and implementing targeted solutions, you can get sales momentum. Let‘s explore these key strategies in more detail.
1. Generate Credible Reviews to Increase Conversions
Positive customer reviews are essential for ecommerce success on Amazon. According to a BrightLocal survey, 91% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase.
Reviews heavily influence which products customers buy:
- 72% won‘t take action without reviews
- 68% trust reviews over brand recommendations
- 51% read 6 or more reviews before trusting a business
Despite this, many sellers don‘t proactively request reviews from customers. The lack of social proof makes potential buyers hesitate.
You need a consistent process for generating credible reviews. Here are proven techniques:
Respond Professionally to Negative Reviews
Negative reviews happen to every business. Don‘t ignore them – address issues transparently.
- Publicly reply stating how you will resolve their problem. This reassures future customers.
- If the complaint is invalid, politely explain how it misrepresents your product or policies.
- Only report truly abusive reviews to Amazon as a last resort. Focus on fixing problems.
Handling negative reviews constructively prevents further damage. Dissatisfied customers may even adjust their rating after seeing your response.
Email Customers Asking for Reviews
Don‘t be afraid to ask for reviews. Most customers are willing to provide feedback if asked.
- Segment your customer list by purchase recency and review status.
- Craft a personal, polite request for an honest product review.
- Send 2 follow-up emails on a schedule to non-responders.
According to BazaarVoice, customers are 4x more likely to leave a review when asked. Promptly requesting feedback after delivery captures their experience.
Include Review Inserts in Packages
Include a small flyer or card in each shipment politely asking for a review.
- Keep messaging brief – something like "Was our product 5 stars? Let others know!"
- Use a compelling call to action – "Leave a review and be entered to win a $100 gift card!"
- Make it visible – insert on top of packing or attach to invoice.
Flyers catch the customer‘s eye as they unpack the product. It capitalizes on when the experience is freshest.
Enroll in Amazon‘s Early Reviewer Program
Amazon‘s Early Reviewer Program provides pre-release products to established reviewers. Their early reviews help launch with momentum.
To participate:
- Submit your product 3-5 weeks prior to listing it
- Amazon selects reviewers interested in your category
- You provide sample products for free to the reviewers
This independent, unbiased feedback builds authenticity during the critical launch. It‘s especially useful for new brands and products.
By consistently providing an outstanding customer experience – then actively asking for reviews across multiple channels – you can amass the social proof needed to drive conversions.
2. Benchmark Your Pricing Strategy Against Competitors
Amazon makes price comparison frictionless for buyers. Pricing higher than competitors is a quick path to losing the buy box and sacrificing sales.
You need to continuously research competitor pricing as the market shifts. Here are tips for keeping your pricing competitive:
Employ Competitive Price Analysis
Regularly audit competitor pricing for comparable items. Note their:
- Landing price – the default offer a customer sees
- Lowest "new" condition price – Amazon identifies the lowest new price
- Used prices – this can impact perceived value
Analyze pricing trends over time. Is there a price leader dictating the market? How have prices fluctuated at seasonal peaks?
Use tools like Jungle Scout‘s Product Tracker to automate competitor price monitoring. Quickly spot undercutting that threatens your buy box.
Set Prices Based on Desired Profit Margins
Don‘t just match the lowest price. Consider your margins. Calculate your landed price based on:
- Cost of goods sold – Your product purchase or manufacturing costs
- Fulfillment costs – Shipping, storage, and selling costs
- Target profit margin – The income you want to generate
As an example, with a $10 product cost and $5 fulfillment costs, a 30% margin would be $15 landing price.
If competitors are below your target margin, assess whether you can reduce costs elsewhere to lower pricing while retaining profitability.
Employ Pricing Strategies Like Cost Plus Pricing
Sophisticated pricing strategies help you compete while maximizing income. Cost plus pricing is one proven model:
- Calculate your product cost per unit
- Add desired profit margin – ex. 30%
- Add estimated fulfillment costs
- Make resulting price your landed price
Continuously monitor and adjust variables like cost and margin to retain your position.
Competitive pricing is mandatory on Amazon. Monitor the landscape, set prices deliberately based on margins, and react quickly to undercutting.
3. Improve Search Visibility Through SEO and Advertising
Amazon is the world‘s largest search engine. If customers can‘t find your products through search, you‘ll struggle to get sales.
You need visibility across both organic search and advertising. Consistently appear when customers search for relevant keywords.
Perform Keyword Research to Optimize Listings
Choose keywords aligned to your product‘s use cases and customer search behavior. Tools like Amazon‘s Keyword Tool provide data on:
- Monthly search volume – High volume indicates demand
- Competition – Lower is better for ranking potential
- Relevancy – Ensure a tight product fit
Optimize your backend keywords and listing content accordingly:
- Titles & bullets – Directly include relevant keywords
- Description – Use keywords contextually, not just repeating them
- Backend keywords – Provide 5-10 highly relevant keywords
Tuning your listing for search intent improves organic visibility and conversions.
Advertise to Reach New Audiences
Advertising complements SEO by exposing your products to new audiences.
Amazon offers multiple ad types:
- Sponsored Products – Product ads tied to keyword searches
- Sponsored Brands – Brand ads including logo and copy
- Sponsored Display – Banner ads placed based on signals like browsing history
Advertising lift the results:
- +27% average increase in product views
- +11% average lift in units sold
- +45% growth in new-to-brand buyers
Allocate 10-15% of revenue to advertising. Continuously optimize campaigns based on performance data.
With both strong SEO foundations and advertising reach, you‘ll drive visibility across the entire customer journey.
4. Create High Converting Amazon Listings
Your product listing is essentially your storefront on Amazon. An unappealing or confusing listing will deter purchases.
Ensure your listings are retail-ready using these optimization tips:
Use Compliant, High-Quality Product Images
Visuals make a powerful first impression. Images should:
- Fill 85%+ of the frame with the product
- Use a pure white background for contrast
- Capture multiple angles and usage contexts
- Convey key features, quality, uses
Poor photography fails to showcase your products. Follow Amazon‘s strict image guidelines.
Craft Appealing Titles That Communicate Benefits
Your title headline makes browsers decide whether to explore further.
- Lead with your brand name for recognition
- Call out product attributes like size, color, unique features
- Emphasize benefits not just generic descriptors
For example, "ACME Battery-Powered Security Camera with Night Vision" sells the product‘s uniqueness.
Format Content for Scannability
Use bullet points, numbered steps, headings and white space for easy skimming.
Highlight product features and specifications in an easy-to-digest format. Break up dense paragraphs.
Scannable listings allow customers to quickly find the answers they need to make a purchase decision.
Specifically Call Out Product Benefits
Explain how your product innovates or improves the customer‘s life.
- Does it save them time? Reduce costs? Improve performance?
- What problems or frustrations does it solve?
- How does quality make it a better value?
Sell the customer on the concrete benefits of ownership. Don‘t just describe the product – describe the transformation it creates for the user.
Include Sufficient Content Length to Address Questions
Don‘t cut descriptions short – cover all the details and pre-empt objections.
Elaborate on:
- Key specifications like materials, sizing, capacities etc.
- Relevant care instructions and warnings
- Dimensions, power requirements, and other technical considerations
The more questions you answer, the fewer barriers to purchase. Make it effortless for customers to buy confidently.
Use Calls-to-Action to Motivate Purchases
Close with a compelling CTA inviting customers to add the product to their cart.
Try phrases like:
- "Add to cart today and save 15% with Prime!"
- "Get incredible performance starting at just $XX.XX"
- "Join thousands using this #1 rated product!"
CTAs turn interest into action. Ensure each listing asks for the sale.
With visually appealing and persuasive listings, you‘ll see higher conversions from browsers to buyers.
5. Leverage FBA Inventory Management to Prevent Stockouts
One of the fastest ways to tank Amazon sales is running out of stock. Customers will skip over products that can‘t ship promptly.
By leveraging Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA), you can closely monitor inventory levels and prevent costly stockouts.
Benefits of FBA Inventory Management
With FBA, Amazon handles storage, picking/packing, shipping, returns, and customer service on your orders.
Key inventory management benefits include:
- Real-time visibility into stock levels and sales
- Streamlined restocking by shipping bulk inventory to Amazon
- Automated processing minimizes human errors
- Prime eligibility keeps products available for 2-day shipping
This hands-off approach reduces the manual workload. You gain insights into demand to optimize supply.
Key Inventory Metrics to Track
Leverage FBA data to calculate key inventory health metrics:
- Days of supply – On-hand units divided by average daily sales
- Stockout percentage – % of time a product is out of stock
- Excess inventory percentage – % of overstock products reducing capital efficiency
Closely monitoring these KPIs allows you to spot problems and make data-backed decisions.
Implement Inventory Planning Best Practices
Use learnings to improve inventory planning:
- Set minimum stock levels – Trigger restocking once on-hand units reach that threshold
- Build in safety stock – Buffer inventory for variability in demand
- Forecast demand – Use past sales patterns and seasonality to predict needs
- Optimize replenishment times – Balance ordering frequency, shipping costs, and stockouts
Proper inventory management ensures customers get reliable, Prime-eligible fulfillment while reducing your costs.
Turn Your Amazon Products Into Best Sellers
I hope this guide provided you with actionable solutions to get your products selling on Amazon. The key is methodically analyzing and optimizing each factor hindering performance.
Focus on:
- Accumulating credible reviews to build trust
- Benchmarking pricing against the competitive landscape
- Improving organic and paid search visibility
- Creating high-converting listings that motivate buying
- Leveraging FBA tools to gain inventory insights and prevent stockouts
Selling on Amazon is an ongoing process of refinement. Continuously test new tactics and double down on what works. With a customer-centric mindset and data-driven decisions, you can establish winning products.
I want you to succeed – so please don‘t hesitate to reach out if you need any help getting your business unstuck. I‘m always happy to offer 1-on-1 coaching to fellow ecommerce sellers. Wishing you profitable sales ahead!
