17 min read

How to Increase Sales on Amazon in 2022 (27 Real-World Ideas)

How to Increase Sales on Amazon in 2022 (27 Real-World Ideas)

Increasing product sales on Amazon is often top of mind for many new and experienced sellers. And with profit margins being squeezed month-by-month due to ever-increasing competition and supply chain challenges, it's never been a better time to ensure you're maxing out your revenue potential.

We still see many FBA sellers in 2022 with mediocre listing copy and images from circa-2013 and interestingly enough, many of these are based in western countries.

Take this listing for example:

What's missing? It has just one photo, a small/basic title, and limited keywords...while presented by one of the world's top golf brands.

You'll find plenty of these within minutes and their blindspot is your opportunity.

There are many things you can start improving today and soon enough, you may be outperforming these established sellers, even if they have garnered thousands of reviews. Use this as a starting point today with 27 ideas on how you can increase your Amazon sales throughout 2022 and beyond.

27 Ways to Increase Your Amazon Sales

1. Overhaul Your Listing Copy

As we initially mentioned, product listings are often falling well short of their potential. Chances are that you have seen Chinese-based sellers having more extensive listings than their western counterparts, despite the spelling mistakes.

At the very least, focus on correcting your own spelling and grammar mistakes while using sentences that your customer will resonate with. Some demographics have different lingo and slang than others, with your copy needing to appeal quite differently to the 48-year-old badass biker compared to the 22-year-old student in med school.

Just like social media, you can use emojis where appropriate as well as capital letters to highlight your product benefits, plus some HTML for bold text and italics.

Of course, don't skip on doing keyword research. Things may have changed since you first launched your product. Ensure you're not just using your primary keywords but any alternative names that your product may go by.

2. Enhance Your Product Images

Sometimes Amazon can be like Tinder where products with the best photos win, even if the product itself isn't too exciting. If you want that swipe right, you need to REALLY stand out.

Many consume significantly more visual content (images, video, memes and gifs) than written content in 2022, so depending on your product and audience, this might be your best chance to stand out.

In this example, the seller has had their product photoshopped into a closet:

Getting these results might mean sending your product off to a professional studio, or at the very least, getting your photos enhanced on Fiverr. Ensure your photos are uniform throughout with the same lighting and tone.

And don't forget to add product benefits to your photos.

3. Engage With Affiliate Sites

Perhaps one of the most underused opportunities is utilizing affiliate sites to drive external traffic to your Amazon listings. But how does this work?

A quick back story: back in March 2020, Amazon Associates significantly reduced the commissions for their affiliates to roughly 3% which caused frustration and bitterness with many content site owners.

Site owners were bitter even before this change:

This Reddit thread blew up on the day of the announcement.

Yet in 2022, many have continued promoting products on Amazon as the conversion rate still remains high despite the lower earnings.

The best strategy is to reach out to website owners which cover your type of product in their round-up reviews. As an example, should you be selling golf range finders, simply search for 'Best Golf Gloves' on Google and look through the best results on pages 1 and 2. Don't worry - even those on page 2 will get some traffic on secondary keywords.

Now, look for your product in each website round-up. Here is an example:

If it's not featured, offer an additional 3% commission to have your product featured or make a one-time cash payment of $100. For the more cunning, offer 7% bringing their total commission to 10% (3% from Amazon, 7% from you) for each sale of your product...if they agree to list your product in the #1 spot!

This has a three-way benefit. Their website revenue increases (and so does their valuation) while your sales increase. Additionally, the regular organic traffic from external websites helps your product rank higher on Amazon.

You can also look for your competitors' product reviews on affiliate websites. If they're prepared to review their products for commissions, chances are that they'll review yours. You can even send them a free product which they'll more than likely appreciate.

4. Observe Your Competitors

We recommend that you routinely 'spy' on your competitors every 3 months to see their progress. After all, they are taking a portion of your potential product sales.

Look closely at the keywords they use, their listing copy and product photos. You can also use a rank tracking tool to monitor their keywords over time and inventory volume.

You can even take it a step further by ordering 5 to 10 of your competitors' products for evaluation. Create a spreadsheet with multiple columns where you can check their product quality, inserts, sizing, colors, and any bonuses they might offer customers.

Their blind spots may exist beyond their listing copy and into their products. Look at their product reviews and spot any feature requests from customers that you may be able to include in your product in your next batch.

We recommend using Seller Watch from SellerApp (non-affiliate link) to monitor your competitors. They are currently offering a 7-Day FREE trial.

5. Double-Down on PPC

PPC is often the most potent fuel when launching a product on Amazon, but is sometimes neglected 6 to 12 months down the road once organic sales begin to accumulate and profit margins improve. But this can be a lost opportunity.

Dan Vas has an excellent video on Amazon PPC:

With many brands experiencing supply chain issues and hefty shipping charges, some have scaled back considerably on PPC ad-spend after Q4. Thus, the ad rates on Amazon through Q1 are expected to be more reasonable for budget-conscious sellers.

Additionally, PPC agencies will be more flexible in their pricing earlier in the year should you wish to outsource this process.

6. Increase Your Review Capture

Historically, only 1-2% of Amazon buyers leave reviews on Amazon post-purchase, yet some sellers have been able to yield 10-12% review responses. But how?

While the product itself can be fantastic, they have also used Call-To-Action cards to leave reviews (though not explicitly asking for 5-star reviews) and an email follow-up sequence.

You could take this a step further by offering additional product discounts or giveaways in exchange for creating YouTube or Facebook unboxing or review videos. Let your customer know they don't have to show their face on camera and your response rate is likely to be higher.

7. Engage With Relevant Influencers

No doubt you've heard of using influencers to promote eCommerce products to an engaged audience. The problem? They're becoming more expensive day by day.

This is where using micro-influencers with less than 10k followers is ideal. These are too small to be picked up by well-known brands while being very reasonable with pricing. You may DM them on Instagram, email them directly or use influencer network tools such as Shoutcart.

Adam Heist has an excellent tutorial on influencers:

Additionally, Amazon has its own influencer program while many Youtubers use Amazon Associates. You might offer them a fixed fee for a set period of simply bumping up their commission rates as we mentioned early on.

8. Create A Memorable User Experience

Beer might not be the best-tasting drink in the world, but why do so many consume it regularly? It's the user experience of laughter and comradery.

The same can be had with consumer goods. By creating an experience far beyond expectations, your customer might just become your best salesperson.

A memorable user experience might include a beautiful gift box, an unexpected bonus, a discount on future purchases or a lifetime warranty on your product.

Need some inspiration? A good starting point is to search for 'product packaging' on Pinterest with many examples in both the explore and shopping tabs.

9. Stay Updated on Social Media Platforms

Many Amazon sellers remain marketplace agnostic. That is - they only ever sell on Amazon until they're bought out by the likes of Thrasio, who'll take them to Shopify and beyond.

But despite remaining on Amazon, you shouldn't ignore your social media accounts. If you haven't posted in 11 months then a customer early in the funnel research and find your mostly-abandoned Instagram page.

In mere seconds, they may not feel as confident in your brand and product(s) and are unlikely to return. If you're stuck for content ideas, simply source motivational quotes around your audience's main interests to fill the void.

Further, staying updated on social media is likely to increase conversions when you begin to use these platforms to run a PPC campaign to Amazon.

10. Use Product Videos in Listing

Brands which have been verified via Amazon Brand Registry are able to use videos in their listings, and yet some brands still haven't utilized this opportunity.

This video tripod brand actually has 4 videos in their gallery:

As mentioned before, we're consuming more visual content than ever before. Just think about how much time you've spent this year watching YouTube or Netflix.

Your video doesn't have to be a professional production costing $20,000. Even a basic video with audio overlay can be done for under $100 via Fiverr.

11. Harness Amazon Promotions

Amazon customers are always on the lookout for excellent deals, and an Amazon promotion is often a win-win for both you and the customer.

You can run various promotions on Amazon, with the most popular being Amazon Lightning Deals. Not only will this appear on your product listing, but will also show on Amazon's showcase pages alongside established brands.

With more visibility, you may yield more views and more conversions from others who might not have otherwise been searching for your product. On the downside, however, these can be an expensive experience simply to increase sales volume.

12. Split-Test Your Copy

You've probably heard the quote along the lines of "small improvements lead to big results" at some point during your journey.

While it's fantastic to overhaul your listing copy, it's difficult to know what's truly working without some hard data. That's where AB split-testing is essential when scaling up.

eCommerce veterans split test as much as they possibly can. That includes product titles, keywords, pricing, product benefits, images and videos. This way they can separate what works from what simply isn't converting.

Split-testing is best done by changing just one variable at a time. When you see an improvement in a metric (such as listing views or product sales), it may be reasonably be assumed that the change impacted results.

13. Provide Social Proof

Social proof is commonly associated with Shopify or WooCommerce stores, but shouldn't be ignored even if you're just trying to increase sales on Amazon. Your product reviews on the platform are a great starting point, but you can go further.

Use every chance you can to display social proof. Has a famous influencer used your product? You may be able to use their recommendation in your listing copy.

Has your product made a remarkable change to someone's life? A testimonial with the product in video format is a powerful marketing weapon.

Once you've built enough social proof, you can also use these photos in your listing and social media pages.

14. Price More Aggressively

We know many sellers who have left their products remain at a stagnant price for months. This is sometimes a bad move and represents being out of touch with consumer trends.

Supply chain nightmares are driving up the cost of goods already. But should you simply price with the market? That depends on your competitors' stock levels.

If they're running strong, aim to price slightly under-market. Likewise, in Q4, aim to price slightly higher and check your competitors' pricing weekly, if not daily.

15. Manage Your Inventory Forecasting

While hi-jacked listings were the nightmare of 2017 to 2020, today it's running out of stock. This has a direct impact on rankings and sales, but also consumer trust in cases where a product is purchased repeatedly.

Aim to order additional inventory as early as possible, especially as Chinese factories are still catching up to schedule. A 6-week lead-time is becoming common while 12-weeks isn't unheard of.

Likewise, reducing your shipping and inventory costs will leave more margin to spend on paid advertising and influencer campaigns. Where possible, choose sea-freight, especially with the astronomical prices we see today for airfreight.

16. Seek National/International Press

Does your product really stand out amongst your competition? Then you might be showcased in national or international media. For instance, the NY Times Holiday Gift Guide features numerous small brands that have built something remarkable.

It can be a difficult road to gain press coverage directly, whether that's print media or national television. Instead, focus your attention on influencer campaigns and allow the press to come naturally. That's exactly what Jazmin from BLK Sunflower did with her candle business.

17. Network With Partner Brands

Can your product be interwoven with another brand? Do you have strong synergies with each audience? If so - this can be a fantastic means to cross-promote.

If we use the example above with golf range gloves, you may find another brand exclusively selling golf bags. They may have low repeat sales compared to and may be open to the idea of an affiliate partnership.

Before you approach, just ensure there is no conflict of interest. Approach other brands loosely with the idea first and without attachment. You might opt for a set fee per email promotion or revenue-share agreement.

18. Run A Google Ads Campaign

As we've touched on, some Amazon sellers remain glued to the platform and start gaining some blindspots. Many customers searching on Google still have medium to high buyer intent.

We wouldn't recommend running a campaign where you direct potential buyers straight to your Amazon listing. Instead, run this campaign to a product landing page.

This gives you the opportunity to collect email addresses prior to directing the customer to Amazon. Essentially, you'll actually own the customer and their details post-sale.

Furthermore, you can build a look-alike audience and run social media retargeting ads to the same page. This is something that's near-impossible to do directly to an Amazon listing.

Hootsuite has created a helpful guide for beginners: https://blog.hootsuite.com/google-ads/

19. Renew Your Packaging and Inserts

Perhaps it's been a couple of years since you originally launched your product. It's done well but isn't converting as strong. Has your branding gone out of taste?

By using a resource like PickFu, you can get feedback from real consumers regarding your design choices. This is a crowdsourcing platform that allows you to get feedback and responses from hundreds of customers regarding your color choices, packaging, and inserts, plus your brand messaging and copy.

Don't forget to feature your packaging prominently in your photos. It shows that you've taken the time to create a noteworthy brand.

To add, ensure your inserts aren't too promotional or over-the-top. Dropping in 8-9 inserts and a product catalog is likely going to overwhelm your customer rather than lead to additional sales or a product review.

20. Begin Building Your Blog Content

Spoiler alert: This is actually one of the slowest ways to boost your sales on Amazon, but yet, one of the most powerful too. It simply takes patience and execution.

Given 9-12 months of runway and posting a few articles per month, you could potentially bring thousands of visitors to your website each week.

Begin today by creating content around your audience's interests on your branded website. Help them by solving problems and pain points while providing unbiased advice.

Those who need to purchase golf equipment would need advice on where to play, which putters to use, and how to improve their swing. You could be that go-to resource providing value to your audience with email opt-in opportunities and links to your product(s) within your blog posts.

Pro-tip: Amazon permits you to use affiliate links to your own product. Not only will you make an additional 3% if a customer purchases within 24 hours, but you'll also earn 3% on your competitors too. 😉

Additionally, Amazon sellers who generate their own organic traffic are looked upon favorably when it comes time to exit on the business. That constant organic traffic reduces the risk to the buyer who is then willing to pay more to acquire a business that is predictable.

21. Gain Genuine Customer Feedback

While a previous idea mentioned was to garner more customer reviews, very few sellers actually ask for customer feedback. Some may elaborate more about your product and its shortcomings in reviews, but we prompt them to go further.

Ask your customers (or potential customers) these 3 questions:

A) How could this product be improved to make your life easier?

B) What made you hesitate initially about this product?

C) What makes you consider an alternative product over this?

Allowing your customer to have some input on your brand development will not only help your brand improve its product range, but customers may feel a sense of ownership as you take your ideas on board.

22. Start a Shopify Store

Now you might be questioning "Why start a Shopify store to increase my sales on Amazon?" and there are several genuine reasons.

Amazon has become the go-to marketplace for products, but some customers do price-shop. They're seeking the lowest possible price, and contrary to popular belief, Amazon isn't always the cheapest store in town.

You might go ahead and list your product on your Shopify store for the same retail price. A customer may then choose to support you and your small business over Jeff Bezos' empire.

And even if they choose to purchase on Amazon, your Shopify store shows genuine social proof where customers feel a higher sense of trust. You have more 'real estate' to show testimonials, unlimited photos, and videos, plus the chance to build your email list. That is - a customer might opt-in on your website and later check out on Amazon for faster shipping.

23. Reach Out To Wholesalers

Once you've built a reliable sales history and can demonstrate strong inventory management, it's time to tap into wholesalers. The process of getting into big box stores requires an entire blog post (or 3!) by itself, but in a general sense, wholesalers are always seeking new products that solve real-world problems.

This might entail cold outreach, heading to trade shows such as the Prosper Show or ASD Market Week in Las Vegas, or through using a broker. But...be prepared to be ignored or rejected many times before you score a meeting.

Likewise, don't be afraid to let drop shippers represent your product. Undoubtedly they'll be selling your product for a higher price (to create their own small margin) thereby making your product look cheaper on your website.

Plus - with 30 to 40 websites selling your product - it's additional social proof that your product might be popular, even if it's new to the market.

24. Make Your Story Stand Out

As Donald Miller from Building a StoryBrand says: "People want to be involved in a story that is larger than themselves."

Now ask yourself: What is your brand story? What did you start this business on Amazon? Are you simply seeking to sell more products, or genuinely change your customer's life for the better?

Your brand story needs to be represented on your website, your packaging, your listing, and your inserts. It should feature the who (you and your family) and the why (such as solving a problem you genuinely had) and most importantly, why you'll be sticking around for years to come.

This way your customer is reminded that you're human, not simply just another 3rd party seller on Amazon. When problems do arise, this makes it far easier to deal with complaints and resolutions.

25. Expand into Europe and Australia

Amazon launched in Australia approximately 4 years ago and was their most successful launch in history. The country has been fast to adapt and move away from eBay's 20-year dominance, given Amazon's very fast and reliable shipping times.

But what's missing? Stiff competition. While Amazon sellers in the United States face ever-increasing competition from other sellers, Amazon Australia is mostly a free-for-all. Reaching the first page for your primary keywords is often an easy endeavor and without the need for expensive PPC campaigns.

At the same time, Amazon Europe continues to shine and would be another excellent marketplace worth expanding to. It sits nicely between the juggernaut of Amazon US and the ease of Amazon Australia but allows you to get products into numerous countries.

26. Reduce Customer Choices

There is a famous quote along the lines of "starve the ponies to feed the stallions..." while others simply use the 80/20 principle.

If you have too many choices, it often leads to confusion, overwhelm, and a lost sale. We're not stating you should take Henry Ford's approach of a single color choice, but simply look through your sales history and spot the slowest moving inventory. Could those slow-movers be holding your customers back?

Where appropriate, having just a few choices for sizes, colors or materials will help your customer more than hinder their buying choices.

27. Create A Change-Log

Having a change-log ties in with A/B split-testing that we mentioned previously, but it goes further. A change-log is commonly associated with engineers creating or updating software products but lends itself well to eCommerce sellers.

A change-log is best built within an SOP library such as ZonOps where you'll start documenting each and every change. With these documented, you can more easily reverse bad decisions that have impacted sales targets.

When the time comes to sell your business, you'll have a documented timeline of changes you've made in your business. One that will not just impress potential buyers, but lead towards closing the deal.

FAQs

What is the quickest way to increase sales on Amazon?

Lowering your price to slightly below your competitors, running a PPC campaign, and updating your listing copy is the quickest way to increase your Amazon sales today. However, that doesn't mean it's wise since your profitability may run thin.

What makes the most sales on Amazon?

The most-sold products on Amazon are home products from well-known brands that are found nationally or globally in retail stores and eTailers. Examples include vacuum cleaners, pressure cookers, and bedsheets. This doesn't infer that these products are the most profitable but simply have the highest sales volume.

How much money does the average Amazon seller make?

As per JungleScout's survey, the average annual profit for new Amazon sellers is $42,000, before taxes. Broken down, these sellers are making $3,500/month in profit, though their numbers don't account for initial capital outlay or profits withheld for growth.

What is a good profit margin on Amazon?

A good profit margin is 35-40%. In years gone by, Amazon sellers could routinely expect to make 40-50% profit margins, even with plain packaging and average listings. Referencing JungleScout again, only 36% of their surveyed sellers had profit margins above 20%.  

In Closing

Now that's one exhaustive list...

And yet...

Despite the hyped-up promises of courses and the humble-brags within Facebook groups, selling a ton of products on Amazon isn't easy. But don't get discouraged.

By committing to small changes over several weeks or months, you can dramatically increase your sales volume and monthly revenue.

It's that simple. Start building your momentum now before your competition begins to pay attention.

And speaking of paying attention...Bindwise can monitor your Amazon listings in the background in real-time to protect against hijackers and piggybackers.

Create a free Bindwise account and get started today.