Get ready, because Amazon Prime Day 2023 is just around the corner! Scheduled for July 11-12th, this year’s Prime Day is expected to surpass last year’s remarkable $3.5 billion in sales for third-party sellers. Top-selling items are predicted to include post-pandemic essentials such as luggage, makeup, and apparel, along with in-demand products that faced shortages during the pandemic, such as fitness equipment, home-office essentials, laptops, and gaming consoles. Notably, the competition will be fierce, with major retailers like Walmart and Target hosting their own annual sales events. It’s clear that Prime Day 2023 is poised to be a massive retail extravaganza. The question is, are you fully prepared? To ensure your business enjoys a successful Prime Day, we’ve compiled five invaluable selling tips. Read on and get ready to seize the opportunity!

Tip #1 Optimize Your Product Listings
There are many ways to optimize your product listing to increase traffic and sales:

• Focus on short, catchy titles with clear descriptions and copy that is optimized for mobile.
• Use bullet points to organize information and get to know Amazon’s character limits so you can optimize accordingly.
• Utilize keywords that are significant to Prime Day as well as similar words people search for that are relevant to your product.
• Take advantage of A+ Content if you’re enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry program.
• Put emphasis on your product, not the offer.
• Ensure the product details refer to the product itself—it’s a violation of Amazon’s Terms of Service to mention anything about Prime Day or discounts in the product details.

Your product image also plays an important role in optimizing. Take a look at top-selling products and observe the quality of their images. Your first image should show the product set against a white background while the other images highlight the product’s features. Customers always look at images before text, so make them look appealing.

Tip #2 Don’t Raise Your List Price
Savvy shoppers already use a variety of browser extensions to hunt down deals and track pricing. Raising your list price to show a greater discount not only looks suspicious to customers but can raise a red flag with Amazon, resulting in your account possibly getting suspended. If you can’t provide a discount, it’s better to highlight your product’s superior qualities.

Tip #3 Run Amazon Sponsored Ads
It’s good to have your product fully optimized before creating an Amazon PPC campaign. A PPC ad will increase visibility of your product by showing up when people search for similar items. Automatic campaigns can help you find popular keywords that can be used for your manual campaign with higher bids. To increase the chances of your ad getting seen, avoid bidding on overly popular keywords like “Prime Day.” Make sure to download search term reports and check your maximum bids regularly to ensure your ads are performing.

Tip #4 Run Off-Amazon Promotions
There are many different platforms you can use to drive external traffic to your Amazon Prime Deals:

• Email blasts
• Amazon wish lists
• Blog posts
• Influencers
• Affiliates
• Google Ads
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• Organic social media
• Facebook groups

If you don’t have a Facebook group or audience, Facebook Ads can help you reach potential customers. Something to keep in mind with Facebook Ads is that if you send the user straight to your product listing it can be difficult to track ad progress as well as can potentially undermine your Amazon keyword ranking. Instead, send traffic to a custom landing page that has the ability to capture email addresses.

Tip #5 Take Advantage of the Halo Effect
The halo effect of Prime Day can significantly help your business long after the event ends. Draw attention to your non-Prime Day deals with targeted ads for popular keywords. This can boost your products in the queue. Notice if your item is included in a “frequently purchased together” category and capitalize on the traffic overflow. Consumers are already in shopping mode during this time, so take advantage of it.

In conclusion, Prime Day 2023 holds immense potential to become the standout shopping event of the year. With thorough research and careful planning, this event can yield substantial profits for your business. So, make sure you are fully prepared, stay focused on your goals, and implement the tips provided above to ensure that Prime Day 2023 becomes your most successful sales event to date! Get ready to seize the opportunities and thrive during this remarkable retail extravaganza.

Did you know? Stamps.com has a direct integration with Amazon!
Stamps.com allows Amazon.com third party sellers to easily print shipping labels at discounted rates for UPS® and USPS® shipping services. Get more info on Stamps.com’s Amazon Integration.

Our recent study with Retail Economics found that 88% of customers plan to make their holiday purchases online globally. With a percentage this high, your business should sell products through at least one online marketplace. The holiday season is quickly approaching, so the sooner you can set up an online marketplace, the better. If you aren’t sure where to begin or are unsure about what an online marketplace is, we’ll get you selling online in no time. 

How do online marketplaces work?

Simply put, an online marketplace is a website where merchants can sell their products to customers. Online marketplaces serve as an organized location for shoppers to search for and compare products. Customers can leave reviews and even create carts or wish lists for future purchases. Online marketplaces are becoming increasingly popular because customers can purchase products within a matter of clicks  Additionally, some marketplaces offer refurbishment and/or authenticity guarantees, so customers don’t have to worry about buying imitation or faulty products. 

What are the biggest online marketplaces?

Marketplaces like eBay and Amazon have become two of the most well-known and most-used online marketplaces. In fact, 42% of Gen Z shoppers and 40% of Millennials say that they use marketplaces for convenience globally. Between easy browsing and an increasing customer base, your business can only benefit from selling online. 

The benefits of online selling 

We’ve discussed the basics of online marketplaces, but what are some of the biggest benefits? You should consider using online marketplaces because: 

1. North America is projected to have $183 billion in online sales: With sales projected to be this large, your business has a good chance of seeing a boost in sales. Stamps.com integrates with major marketplaces (more on this later), so you can create a centralized workflow and stay organized as your order volume increases. 

2. It puts your products in front of a larger audience: 88% of customers plan to make their holiday purchases online globally. There are a lot of eyes on the ecommerce space, so you have the chance to make your products shine during the holiday season. Also, if you create a great customer experience, it increases the likelihood of repeat business after the holiday season ends. 

3. There’s the opportunity to recommend products for customers: Regulations and guidelines around product suggestions will vary by the marketplace, so we recommend reaching out to your marketplace of choice. However, if your marketplaces allows it, you can recommend products to customers based on their previous purchases from your business. You can also make recommendations on your business’s website for products based on their purchase and browsing history as well as items in their cart. 

4. Marketplaces like Amazon allow customers to choose expedited shipping options as Prime subscribers: Our study found that 61% of global customers are willing to pay up to $9 extra for same-day, next-day, or scheduled shipping. If customers are already Prime users, Amazon will give them expedited shipping options up front that include as a feature with their subscription. 

Sending shipment notification emails to customers 

15% of the customers we surveyed stated that the visibility of delivery was the most important factor when shopping online, and the merchants we surveyed believe that only 9% of customers care. Providing customers with tracking information can help your business stand out from the competition and better align with customer expectations. 

Stamps.com merchants can customize branded ship notification emails for customers. These emails can include sales or promotional materials, your business’s logo and social media links, and other personalized details. Customers can not only track their shipments, but you can promote your business and special deals at the same time. 

Connecting online marketplaces with Stamps.com 

Once you’ve decided which online marketplace(s) are right for your business, you can connect them to your Stamps.com. Stamps.com offers integrations for major marketplaces like: 

• Amazon
• BigCommerce 
• eBay 
• Etsy
• Shopify 
• WooCommerce 

Stamps.com directly integrates with these marketplaces, meaning orders in an eligible status will be pulled onto the orders page. You can also check for orders by clicking the refresh button on your dashboard. To connect a new marketplace to your Stamps.com account, follow the instructions below: 

1. Open the Orders tab on your dashboard. 
2. Select the Settings icon. 
3. Click the Stores tab. 
4. Find and select the Add button. 
5. Choose your marketplace from the integration list. 
6. Follow the instructions for connecting your specific marketplace. 

Tips for selling through online marketplaces 

Online marketplaces don’t have to be complicated or daunting. With direct integrations to Stamps.com and shipping notifications for eligible stores, you can streamline your online selling process. Other tips to keep in mind when selling online are: 

• Pay close attention to marketplace-specific guidelines and regulations. 
• Include clear and specific returns information whenever and wherever possible. 
• Take note of which products sell better than others to help project your holiday inventory. 
• Use online retail holidays like Prime Days, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday to get rid of products that aren’t selling well or are out of season. 

Start your 30-day risk-free trial to Stamps.com today.

Customers have plenty of shopping options at their fingertips, so you need to make your business stand out from the competition. There are many ways to get your business in front of a larger audience, but a few simple tweaks will make your brand shine. In our study, Protect Your Growth Strategy: 2023 Consumer & Merchant Benchmark Report, we surveyed customers and merchants alike to help your business align with customer expectations. Opening your store to social media sites, providing free returns, and communicating shipping information can be game changers. While they may sound small, these three changes show customers that you value their input and preferences. 

Sell on social media channels  

Social media platforms are becoming increasingly popular with shoppers; Facebook is leading the pack with Instagram not far behind. In our study, we found over 50% of customers stated they purchased products through Facebook and almost 40% purchased through Instagram. While TikTok proved to be the third most popular social media sales channel, Gen Z (those born between 1997-2013) seems to be the main age demographic purchasing from the platform; other age groups are more likely to purchase from Facebook. 

Consumers are buying on social media platforms. Your business has the chance to showcase products to an entirely new audience. Additionally, the benefits of social media platforms are two-fold. Not only can you sell products through Facebook and Instagram, but you can also promote your store by posting reels, stories, and photos. 

Winning strategies for engaging on social media

Social media posts are more impactful than you may think. Remember the last time you scrolled through your Facebook or Instagram account. How many ads and/or posts featured product links? More importantly, how many of those links immediately led you to the product listing or started a cart for you? 

Customers browse social media in the same way. Highlight products in a way that would catch your attention. Create posts with links to your store or the social media platform’s selling channel to make shopping convenient. Encourage shoppers to enable notifications for product releases. When it comes to selling on social media, help your business stand out by keeping your posts eye-catching and the shopping experience as easy as possible.  

The benefits of multichannel selling 

Don’t let the connotation of multichannel selling scare you away from meeting your customers where they’re shopping. Whether it be on social media platforms or marketplaces like Amazon, follow consumer trends. Marketing products on social media is only one piece of the puzzle; it showcases your products to those already following. However, expanding your selling channels to the likes of Amazon and eBay opens your business up to more opportunities. For example, Amazon shoppers are given recommendations based on their buying habits, so your products can be shown to a much larger audience. 

Additionally, both Amazon and eBay can be integrated into your Stamps.com account. Once integrated, orders with payment received will automatically sync into your account where labels can be created. After your label is printed, Stamps.com will post the tracking information back to each marketplace for shipment notification emails, and the orders will be marked in each marketplace as shipped. You can keep track of all of your orders in one place instead of multiple windows, making multichannel selling all the easier. 

This is how the Amazon store will appear in your Stamps.com account. 

Offer easy and free returns 

Return policies are becoming an increasingly important deciding factor for customers. In fact, our study showed that 44% of customers stated they’re less likely to shop from a store with a difficult returns process. If you haven’t revisited your return policy recently, walk through the process from a customer’s perspective. Update any information you find confusing or unclear. Chances are, if something doesn’t make sense to you, it won’t make sense to your customers. 

Customers also prefer carrier drop-off options for returns. One way to include this option is to offer prepaid returns through a QR Code or printable label. This way, your customers can simply package their return and drop it off at their local carrier. 

This is an example of a return QR Code from Stamps.com

Along with a clear returns policy, customers also expect free returns. With 81% of customers in our study stating businesses should offer free returns, it’s worth considering. Stamps.com merchants have access to affordable rates that can help offset the cost of free returns. 

Also, USPS offers free shipping supplies you can order directly from your Stamps.com account. These supplies can then be sent to your customers for returns or used for your shipments. Either way, Stamps.com provides you with options to help offer free returns to customers. With our study showing 66% of merchants not offering free returns, you can rise above the competition by meeting customer expectations. 

“The consumer started expecting free outbound shipping, albeit at a threshold, about a decade ago. Now, free returns are an expectation, and the consumer need for free returns is growing. In some ways, this makes sense – consumers have to do quite a bit more work when returning a shipment, whether it is initiating the return itself with the retailer, printing the shipping label, finding packaging, scheduling the pickup or dropping off the package.” – Krish Iyer, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships & Industry Relations at Auctane

Tips for crafting a better return policy

• Be clear and concise with all of the information included in your return policy
• Consider how long packages take to arrive when determining the return window 
• Test available support options for functionality to see how easily your customers can ask questions
• Update your return window and policy during the holiday season to accommodate customers

Increase the number of shipping notifications 

When asked in our study, 42% of customers would like to receive daily communication about their shipment moving through transit — regardless of whether or not there are any new updates. If you’re unable to send daily tracking notifications, consider using tracking pages for real-time tracking updates or utilizing shipment notifications for major updates. 37% of customers in our study also reported they’d like to receive updates for major events, including: 

• When their package is shipped 
• When their package is in transit 
• When their package is out for delivery 
• When their package has been delivered 

However, you aren’t limited to traditional shipping notifications. With Stamps.com you have access to customizable branded tracking and branded ship notification emails! Sending customized emails to customers is another way to promote your brand during the shipping process. 

Branded ship notification emails are personalized emails sent to update customers as their order moves through transit. You can choose a color scheme and include your business’s social media platforms, among other options, to create an email that represents your business. A customer’s impression of your business isn’t over when they complete their purchase, so branded ship notifications emails are a great way to continue a positive shopping experience. 

This is an example of a branded ship notification email. 

Branded ship notification emails also include the shipment’s tracking number. Instead of sending customers to a carrier tracking page, you can customize a tracking page with the help of branded tracking. Like branded ship notification emails, the branded tracking page is customizable and provides customers with their tracking information. You can even include new products, so customers can start planning their next purchase. On average, this sees at least three visits per shipment, so it can be a great source of traffic for your store and increase your engagement. 

This is the desktop preview of a branded tracking page. 

Don’t be afraid to let customers influence your communications and policies. For example, customers are more likely to complete their purchase if you offer free returns. Providing updates during the shopping and shipping experiences for your customers will improve the chances of standing out against other stores and marketplaces. An increase in social media marketplaces gives you the opportunity to show products to a larger audience. Sending shipping updates as a package moves through transit establishes trust with your customer base. Our research is giving you the information needed to boost your sales by aligning with customer expectations. All that’s left is to utilize your Stamps.com account to help implement these strategies. 

Start your 30-day free trial to Stamps.com today. 

Acknowledgments

Retail Economics, which includes economic modeling and data-driven insights developed from a nationally representative consumer panel survey comprising over 8,000 households across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

Auctane-driven research, including insight from 1,000 consumers in the U.S. 

Auctane-driven research, including insight from over 300 merchants in the U.S

Clicking the checkout button on a fun purchase is a great feeling. When customers visit your store, they want a user-friendly experience that leads to an even smoother checkout. The faster a customer can complete their purchase, the sooner their order will be on the way. How can you create the best customer experience and also decrease cart abandonment? 

We’re going to take you step-by-step through a successful checkout flow, so your customers can easily purchase products. Say goodbye to cart abandonment and hello to boosted sales. 

What is a checkout flow?

All a checkout flow boils down to is the process to purchase a product. From the time customers visit your website to the time an order is placed, they’re involved in a checkout flow. The full checkout process is typically broken down into seven steps: 

Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)

The goal of your checkout flow is to encourage customers to complete their purchases and gain opportunities for repeat customers through gathering information like email addresses. Giving customers the ability to enter their email addresses allows them to sign up for future marketing emails and gives them easy access to their tracking information. And, as our research shows, 42% of customers are looking for daily shipping updates, even if there aren’t any major tracking updates. 

Cart abandonment vs checkout abandonment 

Cart abandonment and checkout abandonment are sometimes used interchangeably. However, the difference between the two lies in where a customer leaves your site without completing a purchase. Cart abandonment occurs when a customer leaves a site after adding products to their cart. On the other hand, checkout abandonment occurs when a customer enters their billing information and/or previews the orders and then leaves a website. 

Image source: Jimmy Rodriguez, COO of Shift4Shop (September 14, 2021)

7 tricks to create a better checkout experience 

Knowing the difference between cart and checkout abandonment is crucial because it helps identify where and why customers aren’t completing their purchases. These 7 tips are designed to help with both types of abandonment and create the best customer experience. Boosted sales and heightened customer satisfaction await! 

#1 Don’t hide the cost 

Be transparent about shipping costs, taxes, and other fees as soon as possible. In fact, 48% of customers are more likely to abandon an order because of last-minute fees. Make a banner for the top of your website to showcase free shipping or a free shipping threshold. Additionally, show the total cost whenever customers create their cart to avoid miscommunication. 

Image source: Baymard Institute

#2 Check your website’s performance 

Imagine seeing an ad for a really cool product, only to find the website doesn’t load or doesn’t have a stable connection. You’d be less likely to click on an ad for the same business in the future, right? Regularly check your website’s performance to avoid losing customers. Free resources like Google Pagespeed Insights can save you major headaches down the road. Identifying the problem(s) now will decrease the likelihood of crashes during the holiday season. 

#3 Provide guest checkout options 

Don’t make your customers create an account before checkout; this option only leads to additional clicks, meaning an uptick in cart or checkout abandonment. Let customers choose whether or not to sign up or check out as a guest. If a customer is in a hurry, they’ll appreciate the faster option. 

#4 Decrease clicks and increase payment options 

We live in a fast-paced society. And, oftentimes, customers don’t want to enter full card information to complete a transaction. Consider adding payment options like Apple Pay and PayPal, so customers can pay through touch IDs or logging into a digital wallet. If your business is able, it’s also worth looking into a mobile app and updating the mobile version of your website. This way, customers can easily access your store and save their preferences for future purchases, creating an easier checkout experience. 

Additionally, offering options like Klarna and Afterpay give customers the ability to break purchases down into payments. These options will make it more likely for customers to complete purchases on more expensive items because they don’t have to pay the full cost upfront. 

#5 Add trust badges to your website 

Unfortunately, ecommerce scams and fraud are still common. Customers purchase from stores and either never receive their orders or receive items that are completely different from how they were shown. Let customers know they can trust your business, and include trust badges on your website. Some recommended trust badges include: 

• Money-back and returns guarantee: Adding badges to the checkout pages that remind customers you offer free returns and/or a money-back guarantee is a great way to reassure them while making their purchase.
• Free shipping: A free shipping badge displayed on your website and at each stage of the checkout flow reassures customers that shipping will be free and they won’t encounter any surprises at checkout.
• Accepted payments: This badge shows your customers the payment method your site accepts, such as Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or American Express.
• Third-party endorsements: Third-party endorsement badges show that your business is credible. The Better Business Bureau Accredited Business and Google Customer Review badges are both trustworthy badges to add to your ecommerce website.

#6 Send cart and checkout abandonment emails

Customers want increased communication throughout the shipping process. With an increase in wanted communication, sending emails to customers who have abandoned their orders can help them revisit potential purchases. Also, be creative! Include promotions if customers complete their purchase within a certain time frame and include eye-catching subject lines. 

#7 Include auto-save features with your shopping cart

Say you need more time to contemplate a purchase. You finally decide to go for it, only to find your cart has timed out and emptied itself. If you were already on the fence, this could be taken as a sign that you didn’t really need those items. Keep the decision and checkout processes easy for customers and add an auto-save feature. Customers can easily revisit their carts, so they’ll be more likely to complete their purchases moving forward. 

Tips for your checkout process

• Don’t make customers create accounts 
• Check your website performance regularly 
• Add trust badges to build trust with customers 
• Include payment plan offerings like Klarna and Afterpay
• Be open about shipping costs and additional fees upfront
• Streamline the checkout process with offerings like Apple Pay and PayPal