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In This Issue
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Latest Product Enhancements
Changes to the Product Ads Image Guidelines
This month we announced that we will no longer display product ads in targeted placements if the ads do not have images. Take the time to add high quality product images to your uploads; this will ensure that your product ad will appear in targeted placements. Not only do product images help customers clearly identify the product you are advertising: images can help increase traffic to your Web site. We have observed that product ads with images have 8.5 times the click-through rate of ads without images.
Starting this month we will begin accepting one more image format, PNG (in addition to the JPGs and GIFs we have been accepting thus far). We also now accept image URLs that begin with https://. Review our guidelines on preparing product images.
Changes in Product Ads Content Guidelines, and New Performance Reports Available
In the past few months we have made important changes to the Product Ads program. Specifically, we have updated our Product Ads Content Guidelines and have added Performance by SKU Reports.
Changes to Content Guidelines: Removal of Ads for Violating Content Guidelines
In May we announced that we will be removing individual ads that do not comply with our content guidelines. By ensuring that each ad accurately represents the product and the seller's Web site, these guidelines help maintain an optimal shopping experience for Amazon.com customers.
If your account or ads are suspended for violating the content guidelines you will receive a Content Violation e-mail. Please ensure that your contact information, found in the Notifications Preferences section of the Seller Central, is up-to-date.
Note that if the number of offers in violation exceeds 50, or 20 percent of your total offers, all of your ads may be removed and displayed as unavailable on Amazon.com. To avoid suspension of all your ads or termination of your account, take immediate action: correct (or remove) the ads in violation, then upload a new file. If your account is reinstated, we will notify you by e-mail. If after 24 hours your ads are still suspended, request an appeal for a suspended offer or account.
Performance by SKU Reports Available
Did you know that you can view detailed performance of each of your product ads? In March we added Performance by SKU reports, an enhanced performance reporting feature that calculates detailed activity of your ads, including clicks and impression counts. You can request a Performance by SKU report on a one-off basis or schedule it to run automatically, at daily, weekly, or monthly intervals.
Recently, we hosted a webinar about Performance by SKU reports. View this on-demand webinar to learn what data is included in the report and to obtain instructions on how to request, schedule, and download a report. The webinar also offers tips on how to optimize your ads to drive traffic to underperforming SKUs.
Optimize Your Ads
Selling Product in Quantities of More than One Item?
Specifying, in the product ad file, the exact quantity of distinct items included in the shipment of a product helps prevent potential customer dissatisfaction. Let customers know that you are selling a product consisting of more than one item by adding the number of distinct items in the product package in the Item Package Quantity (IPQ) value in your product ad file. For example, if you were advertising a six-pack of air fresheners, the IPQ value would be 6.
The benefits of adding IPQ are twofold: You help our customers clearly identify your products and you help our system match your product to related products in the catalog.
Download the Product Ads template to add IPQ to your feed today.
Improve Ad Performance with Images
Product images can significantly boost the performance of your ads, in some cases increasing page views by 60 percent and product orders by 25 percent. One seller saw an immediate 70 percent increase in clicks per day after adding image URLs to their product ads file.
To help you create good product images, we have compiled a list of required and prohibited image characteristics.
Required:
- Image size of at least 10 by 110 pixels (we recommend at least 500 by 500 pixels)
- Simple and clean background (ideally, pure white) that does not distract from the product
- Representation of the product in its entirety and occupying at least 80 percent of the image area
- Representation of the product exactly as it will be shipped; do not include anything that will not be shipped
- Color image: actual and unmodified
Prohibited:
- Logos, borders, watermarks, company information, decorations
- Colored background or lifestyle pictures, except when used as secondary images for Bed & Bath products
- Additional products not included in the sale
- Promotional text, such as "sale" or "free shipping"
Make sure that you are providing suitable, high-quality images for your Product Ads: please review our guidelines for product images.
This month we will host a free webinar about creating effective product images. Learn tips directly from the Product Ads team in this interactive session. Sign up.
News and Announcements
$25 Free Click Promotion Ends Soon
Do you have more than one Web site? Now is the time to start driving traffic to all of your Web sites with Product Ads. Launch your new Web site(s) before June 30, 2010, and when one of your ads receives its first click, we'll give you the next $25 worth of clicks for free! (restrictions apply)
Sign up now and take advantage of this special offer before time runs out.
Attend the 2010 Sellers’ Conference
The 2010 Sellers Conference for Online Entrepreneurs will take place from July 9th to July 12th at the Seattle Airport Marriott® Hotel. This seller-run conference includes Amazon-hosted workshops and interactive sessions focused on helping sellers build their business with Amazon selling programs. See the conference agenda here. For more information, visit the conference Web site or submit questions to sellersconference@comcast.net.
Measuring Performance: the Interview Series, Part 2 of 4
Range Online Media, Inc. Determines the Value of Quality vs. Quantity
In our second interview, we spoke with Nicholas Ward, Technology Product Manager at Range Online Media, Inc. Based in Ft. Worth, TX, this search and interactive marketing agency has partnered with more than 40 CPC channels in their CSE programs. The company uses SRS a robust, proprietary ad performance analysis tool to track and analyze client performance. Here are some excerpts from the interview:
“Our internal tool allows
us to bring in cost and performance
data from all of the engines we
work with, says Ward. SRS (Strategic
Results System) brings it all together
so we can report on client's success
across all channels and then optimize.”
Range has found that high volume of traffic from a channel does not always translate into sales for a client. Instead, Range's focus is the type of customer driven by each channel.
“Product Ads is one of the best channels for
us, says Ward. It's the kind of shoppers it drives.
We all know there are a lot of shoppers on Amazon, and
Product Ads has been a consistent driver of visits, conversion,
and revenue.”
When managing the performance of his clients' [advertising] campaigns, Ward looks at both the big picture and the details.
“Consider new customers, quality of new customers, the cost of new customers and, of course, return on ad spend,” Ward
said.
Q&A
Q. Why do my ads appear as “Currently unavailable” on Amazon.com?
A. We have compiled a list of common reasons ads appear as unavailable. Note that if your product ads appear as currently unavailable on Amazon.com, customers will be unable to click on your ads and purchase directly from your Web site.
Review the list and take an appropriate action to reactivate an unavailable ad. If none of the reasons apply, or if you are still unsure why your product ad is unavailable, contact Seller Support. (Log in required.)
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