Amazon is all about the customer. Customer service, customer satisfaction, customer experience. Their success is based on gaining and keeping as many customers as possible. So, if you want to succeed with your own Amazon store, you have to put the customer first in the same way.
That’s not to say it’s easy. When you start getting more customers, you also get more opportunities to receive feedback and reviews that can damage your reputation. Considering there are so many other stores on Amazon, you can’t afford to put your reputation on the line.
But how do you improve your reputation and keep it? Luckily, it’s not as hard as you might think. There are a few main things you need to do if you want to stay in good standing with customers. And there are courses that teach you how to start selling on Amazon. I have reviewed one of them here.
Let’s take a quick look at what you need to be doing with your Amazon store.
Seller Feedback
Seller feedback is often overlooked, but it’s important. Unlike product reviews, seller feedback speaks directly to your Amazon store as a whole. It’s harder to get this kind of feedback, let alone good feedback, but you don’t want to focus solely on product reviews.
One thing to consider is whether you’re reselling items or listing brand new, exclusive products. Seller feedback is crucial if you’re reselling items. Why? Well, think about it: other stores are selling the same items. If they have better seller feedback, nobody has a reason to buy from you instead.
One of the best ways to get better seller feedback is to communicate with buyers. Of course, you want to stay compliant with Amazon’s rules. It’s best to err on the side of caution and communicate with buyers only when necessary.
The best thing you can do is provide customer support in a timely manner. That’s a huge part of any ecommerce, and it can make or break any store or business. Timing is key, so you may even want to automate your responses, at least the initial responses so customers aren’t left waiting.
Also Read: How To Kick Start And Grow Your ECommerce Business?
Product Reviews
Product reviews, of course, tell shoppers how good your products are. These provide the ratings everyone sees most often on Amazon, so it’s easy to get caught up in ensuring these reviews are spotless. Product reviews are also displayed right on the product page, so they’re much easier for shoppers to find.
If you sell new products that nobody else has, product reviews are a bit more important than seller feedback. After all, who wants to buy something they’ve never heard of unless the reviews sing its praises?
Nobody. Sorry, but that’s the harsh truth. Unless you’re selling cheap baubles for pennies on the dollar, most people won’t spend their money on a product without positive reviews.
One of the best ways to get reviews is to send follow-up emails. Rather, customize your follow-up emails so buyers feel compelled to tell others about the great product they just got from you.
You can also reach out on your newsletter or social media (assuming you have either) asking people for reviews. You can’t go wrong asking customers who’ve subscribed or followed already, as they’re probably happy with their purchase.
Also Read: Integrating E-Signature Technology Into Business: A Quick Guide
Negative Feedback
Apologies if you were looking for a way to get rid of negative feedback. Unfortunately, you will always have those customers.
By following the tips in the previous sections, you can mitigate some of the negative feedback, but you can never get rid of it completely.
The only tips here are to not let your emotions get involved and to remember “the customer is always right.” Customer service is the foundation of any store. And yeah, your tongue may hurt from biting it so hard. But getting your word in isn’t worth the negative reputation you might build for yourself.
Just do your best to solve the problem the customer had. Sometimes, there’s nothing you can do. Other times, the customer doesn’t want anything from you. It’s OK, you’ll have plenty more happy customers pouring in if you keep running your store the way you’re supposed to.
While this is only an overview of running a successful Amazon store, it’s an important aspect you can’t get lazy about. Your customers determine your reputation, and your reputation determines your success.
Take the right steps and get into good habits to keep your reputation in good standing. Do that long enough and your store will ride the wave of success.