When you step into a retail store, you see a shelf decorated with beautiful products. When the products are strategically placed on a shelf, the shopper customer is automatically lured in and tempted to make the purchase. However, what about when consumers are shopping online? Where is the shelf that attracts the customers?
This is where the digital shelf concept comes into play. The digital shelf refers to anywhere your target audience can view your products online. It can be a combination of search results, product pages on your website or retailer sites, social media, mobile apps, or third-party marketplaces.
Now, the digital shelf comprises different brands and listings of the same product across millions of products. The brands compete with each other to get a higher rank on the shelf and direct visitors’ attention. The ranking depends on myriad parameters, including product content, images, price, and reviews. Product information and content are key to getting your consumer’s eyes on your digital shelf. These two are the foundations of maximizing your presence on the digital shelf to ensures your consumers don’t get lost in the shining maze of different products. Let’s discuss the concept of Amazon’s Digital Shelf in detail and understand how to master the art of controlling the digital shelf and alluring shoppers to your product.
Key Components of the Amazon Digital Shelf
Alt text: An instance of Amazon’s digital shelf
Consider Amazon a bustling marketplace where users can find everything from the rarest books to the latest gadgets. Now, ensuring that your brand thrives and gets the desired attention is only possible when you understand the concept of the digital shelf: the art of making your product stand out from the rest.
In a retail store, customers tend to buy products at their eye level instead of those placed on the bottom or top shelves. In the case of the digital shelf, the product listings at the top of search results get the maximum views, clicks, and conversions.
The digital shelf is somewhat similar to physical shelves, and businesses need to understand the tricks to get their product higher on the digital shelf. Let’s start by understanding the components of Amazon’s Digital Shelf:
1. Product Title and Descriptions
An accurate, comprehensive product title with all the key product information like brand name, product name, and quantity/size is essential to rank higher on the digital shelf and attract the right shoppers. Additionally, Consumers read the product details thoroughly to ensure they are buying the right thing. When writing the product description, ensure you have a list of highly searched-for keywords related to the product. Besides, mention all the critical information in the product’s title, like brand name, product name, size, keywords, and product attributes.
2. Primary and Secondary Images
Images are essential for attracting customers and influencing their decision to buy the product. Since customers cannot actually view the product and feel its quality, primary and secondary images play a significant role. Images can help customers visualize the product, and images from different angles help make the imagery more real.
3. Pricing
Pricing is another important factor that can make or break the deal, whether purchasing offline or online. While Amazon ensures that users can easily find the price, it is your responsibility to make the deal look attractive.
First, ensure your price is competitive because if it is much higher than the competitor’s, your product will not rank higher on the digital shelf. Besides, you can add that the product is on sale and when the sale ends. The timer will create urgency in the visitor’s mind because they will think that when they visit again, they might not find the product at the same rate.
4. Stock Indicators
Your products cannot rank on the digital shelf if they go out of stock. It hence becomes important for brands to always ensure their products are in stock and restock when they see their stock levels declining. Although declining stock levels can create a sense of urgency so the viewers move to making a purchase, it is important that brands and retailers have a method to restock before they run out.
5. Ratings and Reviews
One of the important parts of the digital shelf is ratings and reviews. Ratings and reviews help users double-check their decision whether to purchase the product or not. Additionally, Amazon too ranks products with higher ratings above those with lower ratings. As per Global Newswire, 95% of customers read reviews and check the ratings before purchasing, and one of the Trustpilot reports says that checking reviews is a part of 89% of customers’ buying journey.
How to Take Control of Digital Shelf Amazon?
To guarantee a top spot on the search results for your products and increase their visibility, you should follow the below strategies and best practices:
1. Enhance Product Descriptions
Product descriptions should attract potential consumer. They should include a comprehensive list of product attributes and features. Give details of the ingredients used, product size and dimensions, and any warranties or certifications. If you want your description to be easy to scan, use bullets or numbers when you are writing in detail.
2. Optimize Image and Video Content
Images are critical when it comes to influencing buying decisions. Here are some tips to consider to improve the images:
- Ensure that the pictures of your items are sharp and well-lit and present the product from different angles. Consumers should be able to analyze and evaluate the product’s quality when they click to enlarge it.
- Use videos showing how your product works. These should emphasize its benefits over competitors’, describe its attributes, and demonstrate its capabilities. This will enable purchasers to visualize the product better. For instance, the depth and width of a handbag are impossible to assess in images, even if the dimensions are given. In such cases, a video is helpful.
- Increase search visibility by using descriptive file names with relevant keywords.
3. Use High-Searched Keywords
Utilizing highly searched-for keywords and strategically placing them in the descriptions/titles is key to elevating your product’s visibility on Amazon. Do in-depth keyword research to find relevant phrases that potential buyers are most likely to use in their searches for items similar to yours. Intelligence Node’s Generative-AI powered Content Optimization platform scans the top performing products on the internet along with consumer reviews to identify the best keywords to add to the product copy for it to rank.
4. Get More Positive Customer Reviews
Positive reviews from consumers play a great role in raising credibility and trust. They are critical to Amazon’s search algorithm. Let’s look at how to increase the number of positive reviews and ratings to enhance your digital shelf’s credibility.
- Provide great after-sale customer service, simple refund policies, and fast response to any questions raised by customers.
- After a purchase, send automated emails asking for reviews and feedback. Thank them and extend your assistance if required.
- Consider placing a small note requesting customers to write a review inside your product packaging.
5. Implement Dynamic Pricing Strategies
Determining the right pricing strategy for your product can highly influence your digital shelf sales performance on Amazon.
- Monitor competitor’s prices for similar products in your category frequently. Set a competitive price for your product in order to attract customers.
- Utilize automated pricing tools to automatically change your prices in real-time according to the market and competitor price movements.
- Offer price deductions, package sales, or time-bound promos to loyal consumers. Such offers will motivate them to favor your product over your competitors.
Make the Most of Your Amazon Product Listings by Optimizing for the Digital Shelf!
The rise of eCommerce has grown dramatically over the years, with more brands and manufacturers looking for online marketplaces like Amazon to display their goods and services. Since consumers are more likely to purchase digitally, brands need to optimize for the digital shelf and let their eCommerce efforts stand out.
Optimizing the products for Amazon’s digital shelf is a multi-pronged strategy. You can improve your chances of attracting potential customers and winning them over with better product descriptions, optimal visual content, the best possible use of SEO keywords, improved price points, and by promoting good consumer reviews.
You can enhance your digital shelf ranking when you know the gap in your strategy. Intelligence Node’s AI-driven Digital Shelf Analytics Software can help businesses review, compare, and maximize the presence of their product listings across many retail websites and improve digital shelf ranking. See the software in action and how it can help you overcome the problems and boost your shelf rankings on Amazon and other marketplaces.
