Marketers have long known what influencers and sellers are just now discovering: Content is king. Consumers can’t get enough stories, research, pictures, videos, audio and reviews. It entertains them, informs them and (most importantly for brands and retailers) helps them make decisions. 

Amazon knows consumers prefer a broad menu of engaging content too. That’s why they created Amazon A+ Content, a way for vendors and sellers to enhance their content and swiftly capture the Buy Box. 

Does your Amazon content make the grade? Perhaps it’s time to increase your search ranking, conversion rates and customer trust with Amazon A+ Content. 

What Is Amazon A+ Content?

Amazon A+ Content is a promotional feature that helps vendors and sellers optimize their product listings with rich text, video and images. Introduced in 2016 as Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC), A+ Content gives shoppers a clearer sense of who the seller is while giving brands a way to distinguish their listings from competitors with eye-catching images, comparison charts, HD videos and more. 

A+ Content appears below the fold on a selected product detail page. For vendors, it appears on the listing page under the title “From the Manufacturer,” whereas for sellers, it appears under “Product Description.”

Amazon offers two types of A+ Content:

Basic A+ Content

Basic A+ Content is free to all vendors and sellers. However, to be eligible for A+ Content, you must be registered as a professional seller and be the brand owner of the Amazon standard identification number (ASIN) you want to promote A+ Content on. 

Premium A+ Content (or A++ Content)

Premium A+ Content, also known as A++ Content, is an invite-only feature that gives brands access to 16 additional content modules, such as interactive images, slider galleries and video loops for an additional fee. This may include:

• High-quality videos (720p) up to three minutes in length
• HD product images and visuals available in seven different modules
• Enriched FAQs 
• Interactive experiences, including hotspot and carousel, which improve customer navigation with hoverable explanations and scrollability 
• Mobile- and voice-friendly product pages that integrate with Amazon Alexa

While A++ Content can be a great option for large brands and feature-heavy products, A+ Content works well for the majority of ASINs.

Why Use Amazon A+ Content?

On Amazon, better content means better results. A+ Content helps:

• Improve ad effectiveness. As a conversion tool, A+ Content enhances the impact of discovery tools like deals, ads and coupons, resulting in a two-pronged approach that boosts sales. 
• Increase conversion. Enhanced content leads to greater credibility and trust from consumers, resulting in higher conversion rates and better customer experiences. 
• Reduce returns and poor reviews. When customers know more about the product up front, they have the information to make more accurate buying decisions. This leads to more satisfactory experiences, improving reviews and reducing the need to return later on. 
• Encourage repeat purchases. Developing recognition among customers over time requires consistent brand experiences. Incorporating rich brand elements helps tie all your online channels together to build customer loyalty, leading to repeat purchases and higher customer lifetime value. 
• Go head-to-head with competition. Search pages and ads don’t always afford the opportunity to refute competitor claims or demonstrate top-tier benefits. A+ Content allows you to showcase comparisons in a table to directly address key product features and characteristics that multiple competitors may not have. 

What Are Best Practices for Amazon A+ Content?

A few key actions can help ensure your A+ Content captures consumers’ attention:

Make content skimmable.

Use compelling subheads to address important product features and short paragraphs that make it easy for shoppers to understand at a glance what they’ll gain from buying.

Combine text and images.

When describing a key feature or selling point, provide proof with an accompanying relevant image. It’s much easier for consumers to make buying decisions when they can see the value and quality of your products for themselves.

Highlight top-rated features.

Do your customers regularly rave about a particular feature? Is there something specific that leads them to repeat purchases? Regularly review your ratings and customer feedback to glean the most-appreciated product features and promote them to new prospective buyers. Just remember, quoting third parties is not allowed.

Keep content product-focused.

Amazon A+ Content is not the place to make subjective claims that your product is “the best” or “most popular.” Hone in on the top characteristics of your products and what attributes differentiate them from your competitors’ products. 

Tell your brand story with visuals.

Turn newcomers into brand advocates with visuals that showcase your company’s history, commitment, values and quality. It’s easy to include this information as text in regular product descriptions, but research shows shoppers are more compelled by visual examples. In fact, 88% of people now say high-quality product imagery is important. 

Provide seasonal tips and suggestions for extended use.

Use your Amazon A+ Content as a mini-inspiration board, showcasing new ways to use the product(s) outside its traditional purpose. This gives shoppers more reasons to buy, increasing conversions and trust in your brand to provide credible tips and ideas. 

How Can You Get Started With Amazon A+ Content?

More than half of all online shoppers now start their product searches on Amazon. That means optimizing product detail pages should be a key focus for every vendor. A+ Content is an easy and free way to provide a better buyer experience, increase customer engagement and ultimately increase your sales.

Not sure where to start?

Rithum’s Managed Services for Marketplaces team provides personalized guidance as you create and curate A+ Content for your listings. Our dedicated in-house experts act as an extension of your team, strategizing, optimizing, analyzing and resolving errors to make your listings pop. Plus, our expertise comes from 20+ years of experience and partnership with Amazon and other marketplaces. 

Download our full guide to Getting Started With Amazon A+ Content for more tips and visuals for enhancing your listings. Or, check out our Comprehensive Guide to Amazon for a step-by-step intro to the marketplace giant.

The post Amazon A+ Content Best Practices appeared first on Rithum.

2022 was certainly one for the books. We helped you navigate e-commerce roadblocks like inflation and excess inventory while showcasing big wins from brands and retailers in the industry. We also announced the ChannelAdvisor acquisition and what it means for our employees, customers and partners.  

Every year, we provide a list of our most-consumed blogs, webinars and resources. This year’s top 10 topics reveal readers had their sights set on winning in marketplaces, monitoring consumers’ changing behavior and improving their Amazon content. 

Join us as we take a look back at some of our most popular e-commerce resources from 2022.

10. [eBook] Getting Started With Amazon A+ Content 

This quick-start guide features ideas and inspiration for creating Amazon A+ Content, a premium feature of the marketplace that allows sellers to optimize their product descriptions with rich text, videos and images. New to A+ Content? Start with this guide.

9. [Webinar] Full-Funnel Commerce: How to Build an Online Strategy for the Entire Consumer Journey

Shoppers who are new to your brand are looking for different interactions than your long-time customers. In this webinar, Rithum Senior Product Marketing Manager Greg Ives and Product Marketing Manager Bradley Hearn explain which touchpoints and stages are key along consumers’ path to purchase. 

8. [Blog] The 3 Phases of a Winning Marketplace Strategy for Brands

Winning on leading marketplaces requires three things: successful launch, strategy and defense. In this recap of our eBook of the same name, we explain how to accomplish each critical phase.

7. [Blog] 3 Digital Marketing Success Stories You Have to See

How does an 85% increase in quarterly revenue sound? Or a 20% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS)? Get the full story of how Rithum customers AJ Tack, The Golf Club and The Candleberry Company use the platform to achieve phenomenal results (and you can too).

6. [Report] [Digital Commerce 360] 2023 Leading Vendors to the Top 1000 Retailers

In 2022, Digital Commerce 360 named Rithum the #1 channel management provider to the Top 1000 Retailers for the 11th consecutive year in a row. The annual report is packed with trends in e-commerce investments and the top leaders across 24 e-commerce categories, including fulfillment services, affiliate marketing and personalization.

5. [Blog] How Online Retailers Can Eliminate Excess Inventory

Global trends made excess inventory a hot issue among sellers this past year, and unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. In this blog, Product Marketing Manager Bradley Hearn provides 20 tips for addressing and preventing overstock. 

4. [Blog] Selling on Amazon — The 1P vs 3P Dilemma

Amazon offers both first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) seller relationships — but which one is better? It turns out there are a number of pros and cons to each arrangement. Learn them all in this deep-dive blog. 

3. [Blog] Rithum Enters into Definitive Agreement to be Acquired by Rithum

In September, ChannelAdvisor announced via press release that it had signed a definitive agreement to be acquired by CommerceHub, a leading commerce network connecting supply, demand and delivery for the world’s leading retailers and brands. The recap blog highlights how customers and partners will benefit from this exciting new chapter.

2. [Report] 2022 Online Consumer Behavior Global Report

How did consumers shop in 2022? Our highly anticipated annual consumer survey report revealed key findings around marketplace popularity, the continued importance of retail media and current consumer trends in discovering, browsing and purchasing products. 

1. [Webinar] 2022 E-Commerce Wrap-Up: Key Trends to Look for in 2023

Our top resource of 2022 provides a recap of the year and a look ahead at the key strategies sellers will need to tackle the trends and opportunities coming in 2023. Presented by VP of Digital Marketing Strategy Link Walls, the webinar features must-know charts, predictions and tips for thriving in the midst of economic uncertainty.

Never miss another Rithum blog or resource again, and subscribe to our blog for regular expert-led and guest contributor insights to stay current on everything e-commerce.

The post Year in Review: Our Most Popular Resources of 2022 appeared first on Rithum.