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Best podcasts about avask

Latest podcast episodes about avask

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#669 – Big Amazon/Walmart Change and New Amazon Expansion Course | Weekly Buzz 5/29/25

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2025 20:37


A big Walmart policy change might have made it easier for you to start selling on the platform. Amazon cut sellers' FBA capacity limits again, and Helium 10 launches a new TikTok influencer finder tool. These and more buzzing stories in this episode! ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's VP of Education and Strategy, Bradley Sutton. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level. Big Amazon Walmart Policy Shift https://marketplacelearn.walmart.com/guides/Policies%20&%20standards/Shipping%20&%20fulfillment/Shipping-and-fulfillment-policy Amazon Ads Summit: Prep for Prime Day https://h10.me/primeads Nike to return to Amazon, raise prices https://www.retaildive.com/news/nike-amazon-marketplace-raising-footwear-prices-tariffs/748986/ Helium 10 launched the Expansion Ticket course inside Freedom Ticket to all members to help sellers expand to global Amazon marketplaces with guidance from Avask experts. FBA Capacity Change https://sellercentral.amazon.com/inventoryplanning/manageinventoryhealth?ref_=xx_invplan_dnav_xx Helium 10 just launched the new TikTok Influencer Finder tool, which allows users to bulk search and message influencers for TikTok Shop collaborations! Sponsored ads and Stores launch in Ireland https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/sponsored-ads-and-stores-launch-in-ireland/ Helium 10 Size Tier Alerts Feature https://youtu.be/0zKf-czW2q8?si=ls9ZzCvXFz2NqKXE&t=2028 Helium 10's Alerts tool can flag products close to a lower Amazon size tier. Bradley saved $5,625 by shrinking packaging and reducing FBA fees by $3.75/unit. Amazon FBA $4 billion investment in rural delivery https://sellercentral.amazon.com/seller-news/articles/QVRWUERLSUtYMERFUiNHUTNXUDNMSkFBQVU1S01X Join us as we explore these dynamic shifts in the e-commerce landscape and equip you with strategies to stay ahead of the curve. In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Bradley covers: 00:45 - Big Amazon Walmart Policy Shift 03:23 - Prime Day Ads Prep 03:59 - Nike Back on Amazon 05:22 - Expansion Ticket 07:26 - FBA Capacity Change 09:06 - Influencer Finder 12:56 - Ireland Sponsored Ads 13:34 - Size Tier Alerts 17:32 - FBA Rural Delivery 19:16 - Estonia Event

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#652 - Strategies from 10 E-Commerce Pros!

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2025 36:26


Live from the Prosper Show! Get top strategies, tips, and discover a marketplace you never considered selling on. Tune in for expert insights and game-changing advice! ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Join us as we bring you a special podcast recording from the Prosper Show in Las Vegas, where we sit down with multiple guests starting with Michael Shaffa, an accomplished Amazon seller who has transformed his company's e-commerce strategy. Michael shares his journey from selling only a few units per month to achieving $1.2 million in annual sales. Learn how his team harnessed tools like Helium 10 and strategies such as keyword indexing and the Maldives Honeymoon launch strategy to find success. Michael's story underscores the significance of understanding your target market and adapting your strategies, shifting focus from a general audience to a specialized niche, and leveraging graphic design to create engaging authentic content. We also explore the role of AI in revolutionizing various aspects of Amazon selling with Kevin King. Discover how AI agents transform customer service, PPC, and product sourcing, potentially automating significant portions of an Amazon seller's business. As the industry evolves, these technologies promise significant advancements. Additionally, the episode touches on the psychology of marketing and its impact on sales strategies. At the Prosper Show, we spoke with Vivian Sun, head of business development at Shein Marketplace, about their expanding platform. While Shein is widely known as a D2C fashion brand, it has been developing a marketplace over the past two years, inviting local sellers to offer products beyond clothing. Shein Marketplace now supports a wide range of categories, including beauty, home goods, electronics, and even food and supplements. With a flat 10% fees and flexible fulfillment options, including self-shipping and Amazon MCF, sellers have multiple ways to operate. Interested sellers can sign up through the Shein Marketplace website or connect with Vivian (Wenjia Sun) and her team via LinkedIn. Finally, we explore effective bidding strategies and the importance of brand awareness in advertising campaigns. With insights from industry veterans, including Bojan Gajic, former CEO and CTO of Helium 10 and now CEO at Avask. You'll learn the benefits of low bids and branding campaigns. The episode also introduces an upcoming initiative called "Expansion Ticket," designed to guide sellers in expanding their businesses internationally. As we navigate these strategies and innovations, we emphasize the importance of leveraging expertise and existing knowledge to grow in the competitive e-commerce landscape. In episode 652 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and his guests discuss: 00:00 - Amazon Seller Strategies at Prosper Show 05:53 - Smart Showdown 06:27 - AI Agents and Shein Marketplace Expansion 17:28 - Amazon Success Strategies With Lem Turner 17:59 - Amazon Brand Strategies and Advertising Success 25:28 - Amazon Expansion Strategies for Growth 30:35 - Amazon Seller Success Story 35:35 - Keyword Research and UGC Impact

The Ecommerce Lab By Ecomcy
EP #293] [ENG] - How taxes and ERP are changing the way of doing eCommerce in EU - Stefano Di Loreto

The Ecommerce Lab By Ecomcy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 4:17


Welcome to the eCommerce Lab Podcast! Join us in this fascinating episode where we will explore the crucial impact of tax and ERP systems on the world of eCommerce in the European Union. As a special guest, we have Stefano Di Loreto, Head of Business Operations at AVASK, who will guide us through the legislative and technological changes that are redefining the way businesses operate in this dynamic space.Discover key strategies, challenges and opportunities to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving regulatory environment.Don't miss this unmissable conversation if you are a digital entrepreneur or eCommerce professional interested in better understanding how to optimize your operation in the EU.#ecomcy #Amazon #amazonfba #amazonseller #amazonbusiness #amazonfbaseller #amazonppc #amazonadvertising #amazonsellercentral #amazonppctips #amazonprivatelabel #amazonselling #amazonseo

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#622 - Strategic PPC for Amazon Sellers

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024 31:30


In this episode, we'll discuss helpful Amazon advertising strategies, Amazon Marketing Cloud, Search Query Performance, and even some suggestions for the best Ethiopian restaurants. ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Join us as we welcome back George Meressa of ClearAds Agency, to the Serious Sellers Podcast, where we talk about Amazon advertising and e-commerce strategies. We discuss how tightened margins and increased competition from Chinese products are impacting sellers. The conversation covers the role of AI in leveling the playing field for non-native English speakers and the significance of external traffic sources like TikTok and Google Ads. We also examine the rising influence of larger brands on Amazon and the higher entry barriers that are discouraging new sellers. Our transition to using Pacvue for Amazon advertising and the emphasis on improving listings to enhance conversion rates are also key highlights. In our discussion on Amazon PPC campaign optimization, we focus on strategically reducing wasted ad spend and reallocating resources for better performance. George and Bradley share insights on identifying inefficient ad campaigns and leveraging tools like the Hemingway app and Pacvue to simplify language and automate bid adjustments. We explore the importance of enhancing listings through effective keyword use and optimizing Q&A and reviews, which are crucial for ranking. This conversation emphasizes how strategic budgeting and allocation can uncover easy wins and growth opportunities for Amazon sellers. Listen in as we explore modern advertising strategies and data utilization on Amazon. George discusses optimizing sales through effective keyword analysis and the benefits of using Amazon Marketing Cloud for insights into new-to-brand sales. We also touch on the value of Amazon's B2B reporting and the challenges of sponsored TV ads for ROI-focused clients. The conversation highlights the enduring effectiveness of sponsored product ads and the importance of maintaining advertising spend on high-ranking keywords. Finally, we share a lighter moment, connecting over a shared appreciation for unique ethnic cuisines, with a particular focus on Ethiopian food.   In episode 622 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and George discuss: 00:00 - Amazon Advertising and E-Commerce Strategies 04:42 - Optimizing Amazon PPC Campaigns 09:48 - Automated Bid Adjustment Strategies for Success 14:41 - Amazon Advertising Strategies and Data Utilization 15:09 - Understanding Amazon Search Query Performance Keywords 19:03 - Advertising Strategies and Best Practices 21:26 - Benefits of the Amazon Bestseller Badge 26:17 - Shifting Focus to Organic Sales 29:55 - Discussing International Cuisine Preferences 30:29 - Exploring Unique Ethiopian Cuisines Transcript: Bradley Sutton: Today we've got George back on the show for the first time in a couple years and we're going to talk about a wide variety of subjects, including general Amazon advertising strategy, AMC, Search Query Performance and even some suggestions for the best Ethiopian restaurants. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for Serious Sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. And we're here in Milan, Italy, at our Avask and Helium 10 workshop, and just fresh off the stage is George. Now I'm going to be asking him a little bit about what he talked about, because I was in here recording another podcast so I didn't get to hear him. But, George, it's been a little bit since you've been on the podcast. Welcome back.   George Meressa: Thank you so much for having me. It has been a while yeah.   Bradley Sutton: Yes, yeah. So now you flew in here, you're still based in London.   George Meressa: I am, yeah, I'm in London.   Bradley Sutton: Excellent, excellent. So I'm going to need some restaurant advice. I'll be going there two times in the next couple of weeks, so you'll have to give me some great local eats.   George Meressa: Absolutely, I'll give you my advice. I've been told I have horrible advice, but there's one or two winners, so then I'll get you with them.   Bradley Sutton: Excellent, excellent. Now we're not just here to talk about culinary things, were here to talk about you know what, what your specialty is, which is, you know, Amazon advertising, just Amazon in general. And so I remember the last time you were on the show. You know you talk a lot about DSP. Dsp obviously has come a long ways, but just in general, what are the biggest things that have changed in the last couple of years that advertisers are dealing with now? Or you know some new feature that they have access to? That wasn't around the last time you were on the show.   George Meressa: Yeah, it's a good question. So I think the biggest thing we've seen is just how margins are being tightened for sellers. So there's been costs that have increased in so many different areas, like warehouse costs. The cost per click just has increased in general, and not only that, but we've also seen a whole range of competition come within Amazon, so a lot of cheaper products coming directly from China and I think AI has had a massive impact on that where now Chinese sellers are able to have content that matches up with those who speak the native languages, like English in the US and other marketplaces and Temu has been one as well. It's just been a competition where you can find products at such a lower rate.   So there have been a few big components. Outside traffic as well has played a big part too. So getting viral stuff coming through TikTok, people really homing in on Google Ads they've had an impact and also the bigger brand as well. I think a lot more bigger brands are putting their products on Amazon and because they have the awareness, the conversion rates are just naturally better and they're coming in and just sweeping in and taking a considerable amount of market share. So there's a whole sea of things happening. I think one of the biggest things we've noticed, though, is there's less newer sellers, because just the barrier of entry is a little bit higher than it was when we first uh, when we last had the conversation. Bradley Sutton: Now you guys, uh, I know, um, in the last couple years you know, switched over to Pacvue, uh, for software, another one of our companies. So you know Pacvue is not just Amazon, you know, it's a really a lot of multi-channel. So are you guys leveraging advertising now on other platforms at all? Are you strictly still pretty much Amazon advertising?   George Meressa: So we're mainly Amazon advertising now. I think the biggest change that's happened since we last spoke is, uh, we're now working within the listings too, so leveraging some of the skill set we brought in from outside um, those who've run amazon brands and done really well and they've been able to help us to grow the conversion rate, because ultimately it comes down to the conversion rate and the sales. So and sometimes it's quite straightforward fixes it could be standing out with images, it could be keywords in the back end that most people forget to put in descriptions, titles, and just really working with that, and other times just that product is kind of hitting the end of its life cycle and that's   one thing we've noticed is the life cycle of products are kind of diminishing more and more since last being here.   Bradley Sutton: Yeah, I imagine that's kind of a benefit for you guys, because if you're only an advertising agency, you know you can only control the advertising. But if they've got a crap listing or they don't even have the right keywords, it's a little bit hard to change things. But if you're able to go in there and help people from a to z, then it just makes the advertising, I imagine, much more effective too.   George Meressa: Exactly that. So it's a kind of massive flywheel effect. When you get the listings right and you have a kind of superior product or product that stands out, it just makes everything else flow better. So you could, you know, um? On extreme examples, we've seen exceptional products of high barrier or high barrier to entry products, where they have very basic PPC campaigns, but they just rank, they just do well, and on the opposite side you have other products that are similar to what's out there and it's very difficult to get that edge. I think when I first started doing Amazon pay-per-click, you know you had the auto campaigns. Manual campaigns were just introduced. There wasn't much data. I mean there wasn't much competition, so it was easy to run it. But now I mean the data that we have access to with Amazon is unbelievable. It's unbelievable what information you can get right now and I think that is still probably the biggest edge a lot of people can have against their competitors is actually taking advantage of the data and knowing what to do with it.   Bradley Sutton: Now what is one of the most common I don't know if I can say mistakes or things that you're changing like now you take on a new client and now you do have the ability to go in and modify some things, both on the advertising side of what they were doing, but both on also on the listing, you know, side or keyword side. What are some things that are like oh my goodness, like we've had so many customers who have done this wrong and this is like the first thing that we check for to change. Does anything stick out in your mind?   George Meressa: Yeah, it's very simple. So we look at what can we bring down, what can we bring out? I mean, what can we bring down? What can we bring up? They're the two simplest ways of putting it. So what can we bring down? Where in the campaigns that we're looking at is there wasted budget? Where that, where the resources haven't been allocated well right? So this could be campaigns that are getting a very high amount of clicks but not any sales. So that's a. That's just a more straightforward basic um, um kind of uh example. But on the other hand, you can also have keywords that have a decent a cost, a horrible conversion rate, and that's where most of the budget's been distributed. So the more budget and ad spend a company has when they come to us, the stronger the chances that we will find something to improve. So that's the first thing we do is okay, what can we cut back? If someone's got, you know, you know, 10 000 a month ad spend or 100 hundred thousand a month, and we can reduce it by 10%, 15%. Then we got opportunity with that additional budget to put it in places where it is working, or untapped opportunities. That is going to be an easy win. So where is the easy wins, is the quickest thing, and reducing that spend and cutting the cost is the first place we go. So that's the first thing. And then the second thing is what can we bring up? Where is there potential for growth? And this is where we kind of dig into Search Query Information. Where are certain listings organically positioned well or getting a good proportion of sales that you're just not pushing through PPC right? And when we got that information, we can then create campaigns to then test okay, what would happen if we put some campaigns behind this? Would their positions improve? And most of the time the conversion rates are strong, as strong as they and they are shown on Search Query Data. Then they move and it works well. So, from a PPC side of things, that's where we see the quick wins. Um, on a listing side of things, it's very basic things that get missing. I mean the amount of companies we look at where they just haven't got back-end keywords and they don't have, uh, their descriptions fleshed out and their, their, um, their bullet points haven't been reviewed since they first launched the products because they've got so many products. Amazon is looking at the listings to look at what is this product relevant to what is. What is the search terms that are most likely to entice a sale. So we go a little bit further as well and kind of work on um Q and A as well. How can we maximize the, the amount of questions that are answered around the products and making sure that the type of answer that's given is what amazon's looking for. So, especially with Rufus so there's a science paper that uh was recently published where amazon actually say they, they give more um, they put more weight in terms of ranking to the questions and answers and the reviews as opposed to the product description. So really making sure that all of the content it works well. I think one of the things I've just shared downstairs as well is um using simple language, right. So a lot of people things I've just shared downstairs as well is using simple language, right. So a lot of people forget that, just using the US as an example, the average reading age is of a seventh grader, right? So if the average reading age is of a seventh grader, why not use this much more simple language within your listings to really convey the message? Because then, ultimately, you're reaching 100% of your audience as opposed to reaching, you know, 40 or 30%. That in itself could have just tremendous impact and it has, we've seen in our clients in terms of the conversion rates. So I just spoke downstairs a really cool app to use is Hemingway, the Hemingway app. So with that app, you can just put your listing title in there and it will teach you to just use more simple language. Right, there's no, there's no, there's never any issue in doing that, and actually you could reach a much, much larger audience, especially if you're selling a complex product. That is the art. If you sell a complicated product to complicated ingredients, you know, really conveying the um, the benefits. And just moving back to what you mentioned, Pacvue that's been a game changer. One of the big things that it's allowed us to do is allowed us to put in rules so that we can automatically make bid adjustments that humans just can't do as well, right? So just to give you a few examples, we can put in rules which say, okay, if, uh, the position in organically is X, make X change within the bids, right. So if this and if the conversion rate threshold is above this, increase the bids, right. Doing this is just one layer, right, and that's helped a considerable amount in terms of ensuring that it's done in real time. That's the first one. The second thing is doing um, increasing bids, budgets during certain times of the day and week, right. So we found out, all of the tools we've used, patfuse being the most superior in terms of getting that right and homing in. You know, you can ask someone, a VA, you can ask a special, a specialist account manager who's been doing it for donkey's years, to manually sit there and do that, but it's not going to meet the human, it's not going to meet, uh, the tool's ability to do it at such a rapid rate. There's so many things that we do within those tools now where we're now focusing more on a strategy and we're allowing the tool to do the mundane clicking and ensuring that the campaigns are given the best possible, uh, chance of succeeding. So, um, that's kind of how we use the tool and I think, is getting to a place now. If you're not using these tools, you're going to fall behind, like you cannot. It's not like those old days where you could just click and make the budget adjustment. Amazon is checking all of the position and ranking every time a search is made for your products, right? So you want to take advantage of that, especially if you're doing good volumes. You're getting good traffic, getting good impressions. You really want to be on top of it.   Bradley Sutton: Want to keep up to date with trending topics in the e-commerce world, make sure to subscribe to our blog. We regularly release articles that talk about things such as shipping and logistics, e-commerce in other countries, the latest changes to Amazon Seller Central countries, the latest changes to Amazon Seller Central, how to get set up on new platforms like Newegg, how to write and publish a book on Amazon KDP and much, much more. Check these articles out at h10.me forward slash blog. Now, one thing you mentioned a couple minutes ago was about the Q&A. So let's say, you know, just organically, nobody has left that many questions and so obviously that means there's not that many answers to. So does this mean that you're just getting like some Amazon customers to write some questions so that the seller or the account manager can answer them, or how do you get the right questions and answers on there?   George Meressa: Very good question. So I'm going to step a bit back, Bradley. So you can use a tool like AHREF, right, and you can ask a question about a product, right, and it will give you the most asked questions on Google, right. So that's where you can do the research and be more data focused. So I'll give you an example there was some sort of nail varnish that one of our clients sold. When we put that product into AHREF how to remove the nail varnish it was the biggest question I was asked. It was getting like 20,000 to 30,000 searches a month.   So, firstly, it's about finding the right questions. Where is the itch right? What are people asking? Right? And then, when you find a few of these questions, then we encourage friends and family and there are some other ways you can do it. I just would need to speak to a team about how to do it, but in the day-to-day of the business. But what we find is, when you do that and then you answer the question as well, there's Amazon Comprehend. So Amazon Comprehend is a tool that allows you to ensure you answer the question in the right way.   So you're not neutral. So either positive or negative, and it's about being as black and white as possible, and we've noticed that Rufus picks up on this as well. So, um, you want to make sure that you're answering those questions. Um, well too. So, um, don't be vague. Um, try and be yes or no. Um, does it answer the question is this a product that removes? Uh, you know how does this product remove nail varnish easily? Yes, it does it. Does it X, does it X, Y and Z? And actually what we did is, when we actually did the research on some of these tools like AHRef, SEMrush, we found that when you go to the listing, you can actually put some visual aids of showing step-by-step how easy it is to remove it. So there's a whole range of ways you can find it but this has been really, really useful for it.   Bradley Sutton: Um, you, you also mentioned, you know, Search Query Performance and I think that's just a great data point, that that Amazon. I think none of us really ever could have predicted that Amazon would, would, would give. Um, I think you touched on it. But, like, my main thing is, I'm looking at keywords where I've got a better conversion rate for purchases, that, then the overall and then yeah, you know, checking. Maybe I'm not advertising for it or maybe I'm not ranking high. I need to double down and then maybe the ones I'm not converting as well, maybe I even dial back on the spend because I know, you know, it might not help me much with my organic ranking. Uh, because I'm converting poorly for it. What other uses other than just those, those two that are using the search performance data for?   George Meressa: That's a good question. So, as well as looking at conversion rates, looking at what is the potential on that keyword, if you're getting three sales a week from that keyword and there's 25 sales, is it gonna be better use of your time to go for another keyword that you may be getting free sales, but there's 400 sales a week, right, so it gives you the potential that keyword has for you to grow in it and make more sales. So that's the first thing. Another thing as well is Amazon doesn't make this clear, but there's two types of keywords that you have within search query, so you have more discovery keywords and you also have more kind of intent based keywords. Right, and you can figure out where these keywords lie by just looking at their kind of um, the click percentage share, and you can also look at it from the add to cart share as well.   So there's going to be certain keywords where people just are more likely to buy quicker, and so they're the keywords really good to really understand as well, because effectively, this is going to be better use of your money. So if you can find those keywords where the conversion rate is higher, then you're likely to kind of do more with that. So there's some of the ways we use search query and I know they've gone a step further with my team as well where you can actually reverse, engineer and figure out, ok, depending on how many sales there are for a certain keyword and how much competition there is. There are for a certain keyword and how much competition there is, if you get X amount of sales for that keyword per day, this is how much it's likely to cost you per click on average to see what it would look like to move you up organically. So that's what search queries can do if it's in the right hands.   Bradley Sutton: What other new Amazon data points you know, like brand metrics or things like that, are you guys leveraging to help you make decisions?   George Meressa: Good question. So I think one of the I was just speaking to Ben just last week and I think one of the big things we noticed recently is just the B2B reporting through the child ace and so you can see now how many sales you'll get in from B2B customers. So I think that's been interesting. So I think anyone who uh is sales on amazon and they should just apply to and have b2b pricing. So if people wanted to buy uh larger units we're still quite early on into this, but we started to see certain trends of search terms where it's more targeted towards b2b customers and really taking advantage of those search terms as well and probably spending a bit we spend a bit more on them. So uh tape, some sort of tape for plumbers we kind of saw that. Yoga supplies we saw that. So there's gonna be a lot more we can do with it, but that's kind of one of the latest things that we've seen that we've taken advantage of.   Bradley Sutton: Are you guys leveraging AMC? I mean, AMC has been around for a while, but now it's kind of more getting a little democratized. It's not just for people with DSP. Have you been leveraging that at all for your clients?   George Meressa: Yeah, we've been using AMC for some time now with DSP clients, so there's a whole, there's a bunch of really cool things that AMC gives you in terms of data. So the first and most obvious way is you can now start to see how many new to brand sales you get through sponsored product ads. Uh, within the interface, you can only really see that for responsive brand. So it really, especially if you have, um a consumable product, you're able to see, okay, um, which, which keywords are responsible for bringing in new purchases where, um, they've never they've never seen your product I haven't bought within a certain time period. So that's been really useful.   Um, and leveraging that information, um, there's been. How else have we used it? Uh, we created custom audiences as well. So, um, you could exclude. So, within dsp, you can exclude those who may have seen your product 15 times, because they're less likely to buy after 15 times across the whole account as opposed to uh, as opposed to one um. So there's yeah, there's been a few ways, and I think this is going to be really good for uh, e-commerce brands now, the fact that we have it at our disposal within seller central, because before it was, you know, you had to go for an agency.   Bradley Sutton: So have you guys dabbled at all with any of your clients with a sponsored tv?   George Meressa: uh well, we haven't seen it work. We have, um, it just seems to waste a lot of money, um. So most of the clients that we deal with they're kind of more ROI focused. They want to grow. We haven't really had anyone yet with us. I know Matt has his previous agency that want brand exposure and are prepared to spend 20, $30,000 a month on that. So we haven't. We haven't. We've tested, we've not seen the results. So we haven't, we haven't, we've tested, we've not seen the results. So we've kind of moved away from it.   Bradley Sutton: Um, what's maybe the best kind? You know, obviously there's a million kinds of ads now before, back in the day, say, there's auto campaigns, or there's broad campaigns, and then there's ASIN targeting and then now all of a sudden there's, you know, sponsored brand headline ads and video ads and throughout different times, you know different ones have been the most profitable or drive best ROI. It's a general thing to ask, but anything like any type of ad you see nowadays in 2024, 2025, going into 2025, that are just working better than others, that you're like, hey, everybody needs to be making sure they've got a good strategy with this type of campaign.   George Meressa: I think it's been sponsored product ads from the get go and I think they're still kind of the number one.   If you can get your ads to appear, your products to appear at the top of the search results for the right keywords, that is always going to outperform anything else.   So that's the first place is to kind of find those keywords that you're likely to convert better with, or you have been converting better with, and pushing them top of page placements through sponsored products. We tend to find that 70 of our budget goes to sponsored product ads and then if we start to see, okay, there's common themes across certain keywords where we do convert well through sponsored product ads, then we would take those keywords and put them into sponsored brand ads on exact match to really push them that way. So they tend to and have done so for a while perform the best. Every now and again you get ace in target campaign and category targeting. That works really well, especially if a particular product is superior across the category. So if you have that kind of product where your average rate and count is a lot higher, then that's another option as well to kind of really push and with those kinds of terms, if someone has searched for your competitor and they end up buying your product, then Amazon's gonna favor that a great deal more too.   Bradley Sutton: So the question I have is kind of like, I'm not sure if there's one right answer, but everybody has differing opinions, so I just want to get yours is a common one that people have is like hey, I'm on a key keyword that's relevant to my niche, but now I'm already ranking high organically. You know, like, like, should I pull back on my, my spend? You know, like, maybe before I was always going for top of search for, for sponsored ads. But you know, like, my philosophy in the past has been I want as much real estate as possible. You know, I want to go ahead and have that sponsored brand headline ad. I want it to be the one of the first sponsored ads. I want the organic rank. You know, maybe I'll have a video on the page just because now it's pushing competitors. But you know, is it, is it possible that I'm maybe cannibalizing some organic sales because they clicked on the sponsored ad when they probably would have bought my product anyways? Where do you sit on this, on this kind of debate, I guess?   George Meressa: Good question. So, um, if you have the bestseller badge, you want to do everything within your power to keep that velocity of sales up. You want to make sure that you have more sales within that category than anyone else, because when you get that badge, amazon also already knows that you are the best in that category with what you sell. So there's going to be places that Amazon will show your products that you just would not have access to otherwise. So there's a whole range of benefits that you see would not have access to otherwise, right, so there's a whole range of benefits that you see. Not only that, but when you're positioned and you have the best seller badge, you actually have a much higher advantage compared to your competitors in terms of the price you pay per click. So we tend to also find that the cost per click is lower.   So when one of our clients actually cuts back or when they lose that bestseller badge, it's so hard to get it back. It's really, really difficult. Effectively, what you've done is you've created a moat. So if you've got those number of sales in, you're making a profit. You do really want to work hard to keep that momentum of sales. If it's working to cut back, it could be dangerous.   I would probably consider encouraging people to look outside of Amazon. If it's working to cut back, it could be dangerous. I would probably consider encouraging people to look outside of Amazon to kind of compliment what they have. But I mean, there's been just too many horror stories I've heard and seen where people have, like, positioned really well, doing great sales, and then a few people with VC-backed money come in, really push PPC, run their campaigns that are lost for a while, and then, um, they take the best seller badge and they just can't get it back. They don't have the resources like some of the other companies do. So if you're in that fortunate position, you should be doing everything you can, and I think one of the key metrics you should be looking at is how many units of sales are you pushing compared to some of your main competitors? Um, just to make sure that? uh, yeah,   Bradley Sutton: Somebody's just getting started and they want to start budgeting. Uh, you know, maybe it's tacos or maybe it's like, hey, how much should I put aside? You know, like because the worst thing they can do is just budget for the product, for shipping and getting started, and they have no budget for PPC. But nowadays I think the amount of advertising we kind of have to do is more than ever. But you know you can't do it to the point where you lose money. Is there a number where you're like, hey, you should budget this percent of, like, your initial order or this amount of money weekly or something for somebody so they can really make sure that they've got enough budget where they don't run out and then now they can't run advertising.   George Meressa: So somebody, so they can really make sure that they've got enough budget where they don't run out and then now they can't run advertising. So what we look at, especially when someone's launching a product, is okay, what terms are you going to want to go for to begin with and work backwards in that way? So if you have a product, strongly encourage you. Well, try and get brand registry from the very, very beginning so you have access to brand analytics. Get the products in. You're doing a variation; it's going to be easier to get this information. But what we tend to do is look backwards and go okay, what are the keywords that we're going to target and what impressions and clicks and conversions do they get a week? What do we need to achieve to begin with? And then how much do we need on average, working on some scenarios, to have more of an educated guess, and we work backwards in that sense.   And then we have phases as. So we might have four or five phases. So at the lower end of the phases, we've got those search volume keywords. I'll get in maybe 5,000 searches a month and we start there and then we kind of go right. Here's five keywords in phase four and what we're going to do with these keywords is start off with that and we're going to have X amount of budget. So we do have a tool in-house where we kind of figure out what we, what we need to spend and then we kind of move up the phases. The moment we start to see movement in organic positioning, um, but at the beginning is going to be, you know, I mean you obviously should probably going to sign up for vine and get those reviews coming in it's going to all factor in at the beginning. If you're getting really good reviews, you're getting really good conversion rate, then then you're going to have to have some budget, additional budget, to just help you with that momentum   Bradley Sutton: Another question I had was I think in the old days you know, I don't know, maybe six years ago or so a lot of, if not the majority of sellers, when they're trying to optimize their advertising, is like strictly ACoS, like hey, I have a cost goals at the campaign level, at the keyword level, whatever. Nowadays that that's not enough. You've got to be looking at ROAS and different things like that. What is your suggestions out there as far as managing your advertising in a more holistic way, instead of just strictly looking at that one ACoS metric that we did for so many years?   George Meressa: ACoS is certainly an important metric to look at, but that shouldn't be your key KPI. I think the conversion rate should be ultimately right at the top and TACoS then comes in later, should be prioritized more than ACoS, because there may be some sacrifices you have to make with ACoS for the benefit of organically getting ranked better and start to get more sales. I think the biggest shift that we're seeing is more sales across every. Well, most accounts we're looking at is coming from paid ads compared to organic ads from the past. So trying to reverse engineer that where you're having more coming from organic, is going to be key because that's going to give you a stronger moat compared to your competitors, if you can master that. So and there's been some extreme examples where we've had one or two clients where they have a higher price point when it comes to their product, but the conversion rate has been um, not as good, right. So PPC they have additional margins compared to their competitors where they can rank higher than them, I mean where they can position behind them on paid ad, but organically they're not running the moment. Moment their ads stop running, their listings go down, right. There's no history there organically. So it's heavily reliant on PPC. So, and that's why ACoS can be a dangerous game, if you're constantly measuring ACoS and you're going with the terms with the lowest ACoS and you're pushing them, every ACoS is just going to continue to climb and climb, and climb and climb. And for someone who's a little bit more strategic, um, and using data to their advantage and they're focusing more on the keywords where the conversion rates are higher and they're positioning better, they're going to come in and they're going to take those positions off you. They're the ones that are going to come and start to slowly win.   There's one example of one client where we didn't want the main competitors to even know that we were competing for those terms. So we went for those slightly obscure keywords that get maybe a number like 20 sales a week, 30 sales a week, and we pushed those keywords to get the velocity and we started ranking and we started to understand what kind of keywords relevant to us and then we went for those core keywords that everyone else goes for, right, and then that way we were able to then easily kind of come in and take organic position and rank, and that's how you should be thinking now. So a few years ago ACOS was our main KPI. Now it's just something we look at and it's really difficult actually to share with people. That way of thinking now is such it's so short term it's not going to allow them to kind of really see this for a year good points.   Bradley Sutton: Now before we get into our last questions. If people want to reach out to you to get more, information on what you do and how you can help them out. How can they find you on the interwebs?   George Meressa: So clearadsagencycom is the URL. Just search George Meressa on LinkedIn. I've got an obscure last name M-E-R-E-S-S-A. I think there's no one else with that. I'll just say George Meressa, so you'll find me. Connect with me there. But yeah, that's probably the best place.   Bradley Sutton: Favorite Helium 10 tool of all time.   George Meressa: Cerebro.   Bradley Sutton:     And something that you know. Maybe you don't know if we have or not, but you're like man, I don't think Helium 10 has this. If I was in charge of Helium 10 or this is the task I would give them that would give me more value.   George Meressa: I mean, you've got a Genie in there. Now we need the reverse, what helps you get money back. So that's what's, and it's free. So that's probably one I would have suggested, but you've already done it, so that's a box already ticked. I can't really think right now of anything I want. I think you've got the package. I think the data that we found has been, um, it's been so solid over the years. I think you, you're one of the very few companies who've had this data for so many years, and I think that's always been important to us. Um, but yeah,   Bradley Sutton: As you know, I'm going to Ethiopia for my first time. Obviously, I'm ordering lots of injera, but what's a couple of dishes that you recommend? Maybe even a dessert? I've never had Ethiopian dessert, so what are some things I should be looking for in some uh restaurants? I can call it by name and they'll be impressed that I know.   George Meressa: Okay so first, what you gotta do is you gotta find those little places where they're making coffee. There's like an old lady wearing all white and she's she doesn't have to be old, she could be young but like, um, like, and they're just making some coffee, the freshly brewed coffee. Get some of that, you're gonna love it. So that's the first place to go. And then, um, when it comes to India, the India is actually quite different to what you get in the uh, in the states and in the UK it's they use that.   It's that really brown sourdough. I don't know if you've had that version. It's usually kind of white flour they use in in your kind of Europe and the western world, but that's quite sour, so it's going to be interesting for you. I mean, you can take spice, right? Yeah, so I love ASAP. That's like the red sauce with the egg and the chicken and that is not my favorite, but, um, yeah, I think that's probably in Jera is like the most common thing to have there. So that's what I recommend.   Bradley Sutton: Love it, love it. That's the. It's a top three cuisine for me. Like I'm all for Mexican food, Korean food and then Ethiopian food is there, so like it's always been on my bucket list to go and I'm finally going only for a day, but maybe next time I'll be able to go for more.   George Meressa: That was the most random thing, though, and I think you told me three years ago. I was like George, do you have Ethiopian food? I was like yeah, and he's like I love it. And I was like what it was? Bradley was the last person food. It's like crazy. Anyway. I don't have many people that come up to me and tell me that and this is like an intimate cuisine for me, like I have it at home. I grew up with it, like growing up, and it's just there and um, and now you know you absolutely love it anyway. Crazy.   Bradley Sutton: Love it, love it. I will people know I march the beat of a different drummer. I don't like to go with what's the norm and that's definitely not the norm and I love it. So if you guys look up, uh, Yelp, if you have an Ethiopian restaurant near you, and give it a try and trust me, you're going to love it.   George Meressa: Thank you so much for having me, Bradley.   Bradley Sutton: Thank you for being on here, and we'll bring you back next year to see what you've been up to.   George Meressa: Sounds good.  

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
Helium 10 Buzz 11/7/24: Amazon Coupon Update | TikTok Shop Exclusive | Helium 10 Italy Workshop

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2024 21:52


New Amazon coupon change? Is live shopping finally taking off on TikTok shop? and a new way to update images by marketplace. These buzzing stories and more on this episode! We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's Chief Brand Evangelist, Bradley Sutton. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level. How TikTok Shop is ‘reimagining' Black Friday-Cyber Monday https://www.retailbrew.com/stories/2024/10/31/how-tiktok-shop-is-reimagining-black-friday-cyber-monday Alexa is now available as a new supply source for online video ads for self-service advertisers https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/online-video-ads-on-alexa-home-screen/ Explore Amazon's new Virtual Holiday Shop—an immersive 3D shopping experience that makes it easier to find the perfect gifts https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-shop-holiday-gifts How livestreams are taking over TikTok Shop https://www.modernretail.co/technology/how-livestreams-are-taking-over-tiktok-shop/ But that's not all—we've got some exciting updates from Helium 10 to share! Grab the chance to join us in Milan, Italy, for an empowering workshop co-hosted with Avask. Helium 10 Elite Milan, Italy Amazon Seller Workshop https://h10.me/milan - Use Code HELIUM50 to get 50% Off Your Tickets Plus, we're rolling out next-level tools like the enhanced Follow-up for bulk review tracking and the Managed Refund Service for Diamond members, ensuring you maximize your reimbursements from Amazon. And let's not forget the mighty Helium 10 Market Tracker tool—essential for honing in on specific keywords to boost your product group's market presence. Tune in to equip yourself with these serious strategies and gain a competitive edge in the Amazon-selling arena. In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Bradley covers: 00:48 - Amazon Coupon Update 02:29 - TikTok Shop Exclusive 04:24 - Country Specific Images 06:19 - Amazon DSP x Alexa 07:42 - 3D Holiday Shopping 10:20 - TikTok Shop Lives 13:06 - Helium 10 Italy Workshop 14:10 - New Feature Alerts 17:42 - Training Tip: Amazon Market Share Tracker ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Bradley Sutton: New Amazon coupon change? Is live shopping finally taking off on TikTok shop, a new way to update images by marketplace. These stories and more on this version of the Weekly Buzz how cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I am your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show that is our Helium 10 Weekly Buzz, where we give you a rundown of all the goings on in the Amazon, TikTok shop and e-commerce world. We give you training tips of the week and we also let you know what new features that Helium 10 has that will give you serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Let's see what's buzzing All right, let's go ahead and hop directly into the news. We've got what's buzzing. All right, let's go ahead and hop directly into news. We got a few news articles to go over today, some of them pretty interesting. Now, this first one is going to be from, actually, your Seller Central dashboard, in case you missed it, a pretty cool update that they are doing on coupons, which may be relevant to you, especially with Black Friday coming up.   Bradley Sutton: Cyber Monday, maybe you've got some coupons plan. It's entitled percentage off coupons can now be applied on up to five items per order. So what's different? Well, before, if there was a percentage off coupon we're not talking about the dollar off, you know, like $5 off but it was the ones where you can save, like 10% off. 15% off, the customer could only use one coupon per order. So let's say you know they had, you know from your store, three different items that they wanted to get, but each of them had a 10% off coupon. The customer would have to order that three times, like three separate orders. They couldn't add all three to the cart and have that coupon work. Now, when you create a coupon in seller central you can select no for limit redemption to one per customer. Now that means the percentage off coupon can be applied to a maximum of five items per order. All right, if you select yes in that section, only one coupon is going to be allowed to order, all right. So again, for example, it gives an example here If a customer clicks a 10% off coupon, let's say the offer price is $50. Okay, and then they buy three of your items. They're going to be able to use the coupon on all three items in one shopping cart for a $15 discount total. Why is that? Well, if it's 10% off, it's a $50 item each one. That means it's $5 off, but again, we're talking about three items total of $15 off. So again, a pretty cool update here. You'll keep that in mind as you're creating your coupons here in this shopping season and beyond.   Bradley Sutton: Next article, switching marketplaces. Now is an article from retailbrew.com and it's entitled how TikTok shop is re-imagining Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now, this is interesting because they're doing something a little bit different. Now, historically, a lot of the sellers maybe I could say most who are selling on TikTok shop they're probably selling on Amazon the same product as well. Right, very rarely do you see larger sellers launching TikTok shop only products that you know they just came up off the top of their head and they're not selling it on other marketplaces. But now TikTok, it says, wants to offer US shoppers products from lesser known, smaller DTC brands that may not have the resources to operate on rival platforms like Amazon. All right, so that's interesting, ok. Now it's saying that new product launches, exclusively for Black Friday, will be on TikTok shop shelves in November. Now this is like some special new promotion that some TikTok shop sellers are going to be able to participate in. However, according to this article, it seems like you're only going to be able to participate in it if you have a product that is TikTok shop exclusive, in other words, not on Amazon or Shopify or Walmart or other websites. Now this article goes on to say how there still will be special ways to participate in Black Friday, Cyber Monday, even for bigger brands or ones that are across platforms. But how many of you guys are shipping or selling on TikTok shop these days? I've started it on a couple of my accounts and it's going pretty pretty well for not that much effort my accounts. So I think it's definitely something that you guys should consider starting on, especially if you are based in the United States. If you're based overseas, it's a little bit harder to get a TikTok shop open. But let me know in the comments below how many of you guys are selling right now on TikTok shop and how many of you are going to participate in some kind of Black Friday, Cyber Monday deals.   Bradley Sutton: Next article is going back to Seller Central. It's entitled Image Managers'. Country-specific Features Give you More Control Over Visuals. All right. So we announced something like this before, but it's kind of like a reminder by Amazon In case you didn't know. You know, historically a lot of sellers had problems when they're selling a product, you know, maybe, let's say, in USA, and then they expand to the Mexican marketplace, or they expand to Amazon Germany, right, or they expand to Amazon Japan. Well, amazon would pull in the listing information right, the images right, and maybe the rest of the listing is translated okay. But the images that share across the platform and sometimes you change your image in US well, it changes it across. You know the platforms.   Bradley Sutton: Now, for those selling in marketplaces with other languages, you want you know the images to be for that marketplace, especially if you're using infographics that have you know words on it. You don't want you know Japanese words, you know coming up in your Amazon Germany marketplace. So now Amazon's like saying, hey, we've got new country specific features in the image manage tool. Right, you can view and delete localized images that display in a specific country, such as images that contain text in the local language. So the new features in this tool are country specific image views, so you can view both global and country specific images in separate sections, and now an image deletion capability, where you can delete country specific images directly from image manager to keep your library organized and up to date. So those are two like mini features, but perhaps this whole feature of of this, this page, is new to you and you were just thinking that you could only edit your images with flat files or in the edit listing in each marketplace and you're worried that the same image would publish across marketplaces. Make sure to check out your image manager tool, especially for those of you selling in multiple marketplaces.   Bradley Sutton: Next article is from Amazon itself and it's entitled Alexa is now available as a new supply source for online video ads for self-service advertisers. All right, there's been rumblings that that there's going to be more of an emphasis on shopping on Alexa, especially if Alexa goes the generative AI route. But even before that happens, you can now, if you're advertising with amazon DSP, you can now select Alexa as a video supply source. All right, so those advertisers, if you're running self-service online video ads on amazon DSP, you are going to be able to see Alexa as an additional inventory supply that is checked by default for video line items. Now one question you might have is well, amazon is cost per click pay per click right. When is a click recorded? Well, it says here it's recorded when the customer clicks on the autoplaying online video ad on the Alexa home screen to launch the video ad in the full video screen view. So it sounds like if the ad just plays and maybe the person in their house is across the room, they just listen to it, and maybe the person in their house is across the room, they just listen to it. They're still getting that view, but you're not going to have to pay for the click unless they actually go to their Alexa device and click it to expand the video out to full screen. For now, this is available only in the United States.   Bradley Sutton: Next article, also from Amazon, and it's entitled Explore Amazon's New Virtual Holiday Shop an immersive 3D shopping experience that makes it easier to find the perfect gifts. That's literally the for those listening in their cars or on the radio and not seeing this on YouTube. That is literally the entire title for this article, and it's you know. We've talked about this before and shown you how. You know, some big, huge sellers have access to these like 3D storefronts, right? So that's what's happening, where there's going to be these virtual holiday shops. That has 3D technology powered by Amazon Beyond that will showcase different products that buyers can buy All right Now this is mainly right now for huge companies.   Bradley Sutton: It says items from sought after brands like Beats and Kim Kardashian, Kate Spade, Bumble and Bubble Coach, et cetera, et cetera. So you can kind of like you know, for those not watching this on YouTube just it's like you're going into this virtual reality for a shop and you're looking at shelves and different. There's like Easter eggs where products, their product offers, are going to come up if you find the Easter eggs on the top of the shelf somewhere or something like that. But it's this kind of like virtual reality shopping experience. Now, the reason why I mentioned this even though it probably doesn't affect 99.9% of us who aren't beats by Dre and Kim Kardashian etc. Is that again, this is kind of like a preview of what could be the future for even just regular sellers. Remember, before you know, prime video and different advertising on TV and stuff was only available to like humongous you know sellers. Services like AMC was only available to bigger sellers who are using DSP. A lot of the things that start off at the top level of Amazon sellers and brands eventually trickles down for the rest of us, and so, you know, I could absolutely imagine a world where these virtual reality based shopping experiences are going to eventually be open to the rest of us and then maybe we're going to be able to make a virtual reality like shopping kind of mall or mini room where we can have our products. Like, imagine a spooky one where I can design it and then there's coffin shelves on the wall that people can buy and bat-shaped bath mats and all of our other spooky, Manny's Mysterious Oddities products. What about you guys? How's your creative mind Like? Can you start thinking about how you would design your virtual shopping mall? Those of you who want to get a preview of how it's going to look, make sure to check out your regular Amazon app. Go to some of these big brands and maybe you'll be able to see these virtual holiday shopping centers.   Bradley Sutton: Next article is from modernretail.co and it's entitled how Livestreams Are Taking Over TikTok Shop. You know, for literally years now the four years we've been doing the weekly buzz we have been talking about articles and articles about how live shopping. Different marketplaces keep trying to make it a thing you know Amazon, et cetera and it just doesn't seem to take off in this country, like it has in China, for example, where it is huge, booming business. But now more and more we're reading about perhaps you know things are shifting and it's mainly because of TikTok shop. So this article here talks about a brand called BK Beauty. They hosted an eight-hour live stream. Remember we did a seven-hour Meganar, a live webinar, in Helium 10 a few weeks ago, where they're like, hey, we can do one better, we'll do an eight-hour live stream. And they did it at the brand's headquarters in Austin, texas, and the eight-hour live stream ended up getting them $100,000, over $100,000 of sales in eight hours. Is that worth the eight hour live stream? All right, that is pretty amazing. All right, $100,000. Now, a couple of weeks later, it says that TikTok flew the BK Beauty staff members to their own studios, the TikTok studios in LA, to do more live streams. And then now TikTok gave them like this whole big fancy setup in order to live stream again and then they ended up doing a 10 hour live stream and that was so successful that it says BK Beauty has now made live streaming a key part of its e-commerce strategy and they're going to go to the LA studio again for TikTok this month to do even more.   Bradley Sutton: You know Black Friday and Cyber Monday campaigns for, for live selling. But again, you know, does this mean that finally, you know, live streaming is going to take off? I'm still a little bit hesitant to say that I need to see more success stories, but I have been hearing a little bit more rumbles around live streaming lately than, like, say, last year. Um, thanks to Tik TOK shop. Uh, those of you selling on Tik TOK shop, are you doing live streaming? You don't have to do it in a fancy studio or go eight hours live. Um, you know, give it a test, uh, sign up for it. And you know, do a test, sign up for it and do a test, maybe just in your own home studio. Or you don't even have a studio, just do it in your bedroom. See how it goes. Sometimes TikTok shop buyers are kind of like open to genuine streams and videos. They don't need fancy setups all the time, but it's worth a try. I don't think you'll be able to get $100,000 in eight hours, but let's see what you can get if you do live streaming on TikTok shop.   Bradley Sutton: All right, last up, last call, all right for next week, just in a couple of days, on Monday, myself and Shivali and a bunch of other top speakers from around the world will be in Milan, Italy, for our first ever Helium 10 workshop there in Italy, all right, so it's going to be on the 11th Monday and it's going to be co-hosted by Avask, and you can get there by going to h10.me forward slash Milan, h10.me/milan, and it's going to be an all day event. We're going to have lots of networking. If you want to save 50% on the tickets, the tickets are already cheap it's only like 89 euros, I think but if you want to save another 50% off, use the code Helium 50, helium 50 upon checkout. It would be great to be able to meet you guys out there. I just talked to somebody last night on Instagram. He's like let me book my flight and get over there, I'll see you on Monday. So if you guys are in Europe, I would love to see you in Milan, Italy, on Monday.   Bradley Sutton: All right, that's it for the news this week. Let's go ahead and hop into our new feature alerts from Helium 10. Now, the first one is about follow up. All right, so, first of all, follow-up is a tool that every Helium 10 platinum member and above has access to, all right, so it's not like something that's gated at a very high level. You can set up, guys, uh, your, your follow-up for all your products to send automated review requests using either the Amazon request review or even your own custom email. But an important aspect of this is being able to measure hey, how are your review requests working? Like, what kind of engagement are you getting? Like, how many ratings and reviews are you actually getting as a result of your outreach campaign? Well, the new feature is now you can do that in bulk, all right. So how this works is right here in your follow-up dashboard. These are the rating trackers that you can actually see. You can see how many reviews requested and then how many uh ratings you received, and so you can see your request and rating conversion rate, right. So now the new thing is, go to your product ratings tab right here, and then you can do bulk the ones that are not active. So, for example, I'm going to go ahead and select the united states marketplace and I'm going to be like, hey, here's, my egg tray is not active. I see here, my large coffin shelf isn't active, so I just select as many as I can. Uh, you guys should select all in opinion, that all of your active products and then hit enable product rating tracking. All right, so if you're new to follow up, you're not going to be tracking any of them, all right, so make sure to go ahead and hit enable product rating tracking and that will go ahead and start tracking so you can see how many reviews you're getting week by week, month by month, et cetera.   Bradley Sutton: Next new update is going to be, for some of you, diamond members All right, so we've been rolling this out little by little. Uh, check your account. All right guys. So if you have a diamond account, check your account on the very top. Do you have something that says manage refund service? All right, so this is a new feature that is coming out to diamond members. Before it was only our supercharger counts, but this is the Helium 10 version of being able to get you reimbursements and refunds from Amazon, but where Helium 10 is the one that's actually going to go in and set everything up for you. Like, we have refunding. You guys know about refund genie, where we'll give you the reports for loss and damage items and then you submit it to Amazon in order to get the money back. Well, with MRS or managed refund service, we're the ones who are going ahead and fighting with Amazon for you, filing those claims and arguing with Amazon, trying to get your money back, and then Helium 10 takes a percent of whatever we find for you, all right. So, those of you who have diamond plan, you're not automatically entered into this, but let me show you what you can do. You hit manage refund service. Now mine is going to be already active, but what you're going to want to do is, if you have that, just go here. You can see in one of my accounts I got 400 bucks already back and you're going to hit set up account, all right. So hit set up account and it will like run you through the system. Again, we're only taking 15% of whatever we find. So, like, if we can't find any money that you're owed and we can't win any money for you pay us nothing, all right. So this is a new feature for some Diamond members. Eventually, all diamond members will have it later. So if you want to see if you have access to it, just go to your dashboard and see if you have managed refund service there, all right?   Bradley Sutton: Next up, let's do our training tip of the week, and this is a tool that sometimes I think people sleep on. It's been. We've had this tool for maybe four years now. It's called market tracker, all right, and this is available at all levels of Helium 10. Even if you have Platinum, Diamond, doesn't matter. I highly recommend setting this up for every single one of your product groups you have, all right, for example. Uh, I've got a product that is a bat shaped bath mat, all right. So I set it up, and the first thing that I did was I set up the very specific keywords. Don't do broad keywords like bat bath mat. Um, you know, I'm sure I get some sales from the keyword Gothic decor, but that's very broad right. I pick very, very specific keywords. It doesn't have to be your best keywords or the highest search volume. You want to pick the keywords that really define your product. So I did bat bath mat. I put bat rug and bat bath rug right, and then you put in your own products and those who you already know are your direct competitors, and then we set up the market.   Bradley Sutton: And then the reason why this is cool is the kind of things that you are looking at. First of all, is your market volume, right. So many people sometimes say, oh hey, is anybody sales down? Or I'm not sure if I'm doing really good, my sales are down. This is terrible, but sometimes, if your sales are down, there's nothing wrong with that why? And your sales are going to go down. Well, you're just staying with the market, all right. Your market share, your piece of the pie, is what matters, all right. Your percentage of how big your pie is? Now, if the whole pie gets smaller, as long as your piece of the pie stays about the same percentage, you're not doing too bad, all right. So that's what Market Tracker can do is telling you, hey, what's the size of the pie, and then what is your market share? So, like, my market share of the Bathmat market is 7.8%. And then, over time, how is your share changing? I used to have 15% of the market, look here but now I'm only at 6.9%, 7%, so I'm losing market share, right?   Bradley Sutton: The other thing that this tool does is it gives me a heads up if there is a new mover and shaker that it detects in my niche. So, for example, it's saying hey, look at this, um bat bath mat. You know, do I want to track? I'm like, yeah, that looks like a bat bath mat. I'll go ahead and track it. I don't have to be like trying to look for new products that are popping up in the in the niche. I don't have to be constantly refreshing my keywords hey, is there a new mover and shaker in my niche? No, market Tracker is going to tell me. Sometimes it's going to throw me some products that it's suggesting that could be in my niche but it's not really like.   Bradley Sutton: Look at this one here's a Halloween bat or bath rug, but it looks like ghost or something. Is this my direct competitor? Is this a bat shaped bath mat? No, so I'm going to hit ignore, right. But before I do that, I'm going to go ahead and copy this ASIN and I might want to go ahead and either. Number one, think about it as a potential expansion to my product line, like if I'm selling bat-shaped bath mats, maybe this ghost-shaped bath mat would hit my target market, right. But number two, I might test this in one of my ASIN targeting campaigns in PPC, you know, maybe a sponsor display campaign or a product targeting ad.   Bradley Sutton: Here's another one, a coffin shaped bath mat right Again, that could be a potential new product for me or at the very least somebody who might be interested in a bat shaped bath mat. They could be interested in a coffin shaped bath mat. Maybe I want to go ahead and target this product in a PPC. So again, this tool is super cool. It's been around for years, but I think a lot of you haven't been utilizing it. Make sure for each and every one of your product groups. Go into market tracker, create your market and start tracking how you're doing in your niche. Is your size of the pie increasing or decreasing, who are the new movers and shakers in your niche and what are some potential product line extensions and what are some potential targets for product targeting ads? This tool can do all of that and more, but only if you use it. So make sure to get in there today and start using it. All right, guys. That's it for this week's news. We'll see you next week to see what's buzzing.

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
Helium 10 Buzz 10/11/24: AWD at Capacity? | TikTok Auto Ads | New VISA VAT Requirement

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 17:14


We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's Principal Brand Evangelist and Walmart Expert, Carrie Miller. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level. Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days was the company's biggest October shopping event ever https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/prime-big-deal-days-amazon-fall-october-prime-day Amazon's new AI Shopping Guides make it easier to research product types and buy smarter. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-ai-shopping-guides-product-research-recommendations TikTok Rolls Out Automated Ad Targeting Options for the Holidays https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-rolls-out-automated-ad-targeting-options-holidays/729142/ You can now reward customers for engaging with your Amazon ads https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/reward-customers-for-engaging-with-your-ads/ Exciting news from Helium 10 includes the integration of Adtomic into the Diamond plan, offering efficient PPC campaign management with Advertising AI, and introducing a new feature that Helium 10 customers have been asking for for years is finally here! Variation Sales Strength is basically showing you which of the variations have the most sales. And lastly, don't miss our training for the Inventory Heat Maps tool to optimize sales strategies during the holiday season In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Bradley covers: 00:54 - Oct Prime Day Success 02:22 - AI Shopping Guides 03:47 - VISA Verification 04:40 - AWD Too Full? 05:30 - TikTok Auto Ads 07:24 - US-UK Shipment Rates 08:05 - Customer Reward Ads 10:21 - 2024 Holiday Returns 11:01 - Sponsored Display Depreciation 11:45 - New Feature Alerts 14:14 - Freedom Ticket Webinar 14:42 - Elite Workshop in Milan, Italy 15:26 - Training Tip: Inventory Heat Maps ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Carrie Miller: A new feature that Helium 10 customers have been asking for years is finally here. There is a new VAT tax policy that you need to pay attention to. Amazon warehouse distribution might be too full and TikTok rolls out new automated ad targeting this and more. On this week's episode of the Weekly Buzz.   Bradley Sutton: How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That is our Helium 10 Weekly Buzz, where we give you a rundown of all the news stories that are going on in the Amazon, Walmart, e-commerce world. We highlight the latest new feature alerts from Helium 10, and we review a training tip of the week that will give you serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Now, today, our host is going to be Kerry Miller. So, Kerry, take it away and let us know what's buzzing.   Carrie Miller: Let's go ahead and get into the first article. That's October Prime Day Big Deals, and we have an article that was released by Amazon and they announced that prime big deal days was its biggest October shopping event ever. Okay, so that's pretty exciting, especially going into Q4. Here. They said that more prime members shopped compared to last year and took advantage of early holiday deals, marking the kickoff to the holiday season with higher sales and more items sold during the two day event than any previous October shopping event. So that's very good news, I think, for a lot of us sellers. Globally, prime members saved more than $1 billion across millions of deals, including on seasonal merchandise and gifts, so it was definitely a good time for shoppers as well. And if we scroll down a little bit more in this article, it goes on to talk a little bit about the role that AI actually played in this event. So Rufus, which is the generative, ai powered conversational shopping assistant, helped millions of customers in the US answer questions on a variety of shopping needs and products in the Amazon store. Rufus can now help make tailored deal recommendations, making it easier to discover great gift ideas at a discount, and customers also use something else called inspire, which is an in app mobile experience that helps you discover new products with a personalized feed, amazon lens, which is a visual shopping tool that identifies objects and finds similar items on amazon, and then also they have something called the ai shopping guides, which basically leads us into our next article, which is amazon's new ai shopping guides that make it easier to research product types and buy smarter. So let's go ahead and talk a little bit about this.   Carrie Miller: So Amazon has actually introduced AI shopping guides to simplify product research by consolidating key information and recommendations for over 100 product types. These guides use generative AI to deliver relevant details and product options quickly, making it generative AI to deliver relevant details and product options quickly, making it easier for customers to make informed purchase decisions. The AI guides are available on Amazon's mobile app and the website and are powered by Amazon's Bedrock large language models, enhancing their ability to offer personalized shopping results. So if you want to go ahead and take a look with me so we can see what this actually looks like, you can see right here that there's actually some recommendations to help shoppers to make better decisions. So, for example, if we go over to this one on the right, it says you know factors to consider the display type, the resolution, all of that great information so you can click on that and get more information about that. Or you can also go down. You can see that you can shop by popular brands, so you can click on the types of brands and then they'll also kind of have overview of the actual product. So this is quite interesting, making it, you know, kind of an interesting AI backed approach to this year's October event. So we'll probably see a lot more of this AI playing a part in the whole finding products, you know, on Amazon for customers. So we'll see how this goes and see how it improves our sales.   Carrie Miller: So let's go ahead and get into the next thing and this is kind of word on the street Maybe there isn't really an article about it so I don't have anything to share with you but there are some changes to Amazon VAT or the Visa program. We do have some sources that say that Amazon has actually updated its VAT compliance requirements for sellers. So if you're part of the Amazon VAT information sharing agreement or visa program, amazon is no longer handling VAT compliance verification and now, even if you've already switched over to another provider, which I'm sure many of you already have. Sellers must actually inform Amazon about the change or you're gonna risk suspension, and this affects both US and European sellers, and it's similar to last year's seller verification process, where, when you fail to update the details, it led to account suspension. So you definitely want to take some action. If you need some more information about this, you can actually contact Avask. They're in our partner hub. You can find them at h10.me. Forward slash Avask and they can help answer any of your questions.   Carrie Miller: All right, the next story is about Amazon warehouse distribution and whether or not it's actually full, and we're going to say AWD for short, which stands for Amazon warehouse distribution. We have heard from multiple customers in Amazon seller groups that they are getting messages from AWD saying things like this Sorry, this time we don't have enough space available for your inventory. We are unable to accept your shipment due to capacity limit. Try reducing your shipment volume or try again in seven days. Now I think this is a very big issue for AWD if they want sellers to start moving all of their logistics to AWD Now. I know a lot of sellers are trying to take advantage of this and Amazon maybe went pretty quick to market with this, but we really want to know in the comments if you've seen this message and what you're doing about it, and are you going to wait and send an inventory to the warehouse, or what are you going to do? What are your plans? Let us know in the comments below.   Carrie Miller: All right for this next story, we have TikTok launching new automated ads. They're rolling them out for the holiday season, so let's go ahead and take a look at the article. So TikTok has announced a new fully automated ad solution called Smart Plus, which will take care of the whole creation from ad creation, placement and bidding process for you. So if we scroll down, you can see a little bit more about what actually the Smart Plus automated ads program is, so you can get more details there. But basically, tiktoks explained it as Smart Plus automates the performance advertising process across targeting, bidding and creative to deliver the right ad to the right person to offer the best performance. Advertisers simply input their assets, budget and targeting goals and smart plus automatically creates or selects the best creative asset. Okay, so basically they're kind of doing everything for you AI run, ai generated. I'm not sure how many of us feel about all this being kind of AI generated and not having any involvement in it, but it is kind of interesting to kind of run some of these ads in addition to the other ads that you might be advertising, and so let's go ahead and look at some of what they're saying. So advertisers using smart web campaigns to optimize for value have actually seen a 52% improvement in the return on ad spend. So that is actually really good news as well. And if we scroll down a little bit more, tiktok is also rolling out GMV Max, which automates TikTok shop campaign creation with the aim of increasing your TikTok shop gross merchandise value. And they further go on to say a little bit more about this down below here. They said GMV Max considerably simplifies ad operations, cutting campaign setup time in half, and allows sellers to reach their audience across all shoppable placements on TikTok, including the for you feed, shop tab and search within a single campaign. So go ahead and check those out. If you haven't checked out the TikTok ads. I definitely think it's a game changer and something you should really be taking advantage of in this Q4 season.   Carrie Miller: Okay, next up, amazon global selling. Send rate rejection is happening for the US to UK shipments, so, in a bid to make international shipping more affordable, amazon has actually announced a reduction in send S E N D rates for FBA shipments from the US to the UK, and sellers can now save up to 15% compared to what it was in July. The program offers seamless seller central integration, custom support, competitive rates, door-to-door delivery and shipment tracking, and this move is set to streamline logistics for sellers looking to expand to the UK market, making it easier and more cost-effective to grow their business globally, so might be a really good time to think about expanding to the UK. Okay, this next article. It's from Amazon, and now you can actually reward customers for engaging with your ads. This is quite an interesting and exciting new kind of announcement and I will definitely answer some of your questions that you probably have about this. But Amazon is basically introducing a new feature that allows advertisers to reward customers for engaging with their ads, so now sellers can create campaigns that actually offer incentives like discounts or promotions when customers interact with their ads, making it easier to drive engagement and conversion. Now this innovative approach aims to enhance the customer experience while boosting ad performance, and the integration is designed to be seamless within the Amazon ads platform.   Carrie Miller: So if we actually scroll down, you are going to be able to see what this creative looks like, and I'm going to just scroll. There's a little bit about the setup and I want to show you what it looks like. So, basically, what's going to happen is you're going to see within the searches or on your stores, there's these previews where you can get a $5 Amazon credit. So that is going to be kind of a big bold red thing on the actual. You know where people can click and you're going to be able to give that as an incentive for your products.   Carrie Miller: And there are probably some questions, like I had. I had I said well, who's going to pay for the $5 credit? Well, the answer is definitely you. So at the very bottom, where it says where do I access it, it says the rewards ads experience is currently available via the Amazon DSP within a component-based creative ad template. Advertisers will be billed for the cost of the distributed or rewards. So there you go, you're going to be paying for those $5 credits or whatever it is that you're going to do. Advertisers also have access to two net new metrics, which is reward grants the number of rewards distributed and reward costs, which is the cost of rewards distributed. These metrics are currently available within the ADSP campaign builder dashboards, but are not available via public API. So definitely go ahead and check it out. That's where you're going to really find all that information. So I am really actually curious to know how many of you think you would use this and do you think you might raise your prices to be able to take advantage of this. It's kind of an interesting thing, especially with margins kind of being a lot lower for a lot of people. So we'll see how that actually turns out. So go ahead and check that out, if you haven't already checked it out.   Carrie Miller: Okay, the next story is very important to know, and that is the returns window for Amazon is going to be extended for the 2024 holidays. So Amazon is actually extending its holiday returns window for 2024. Items purchased between November 1st and December 31st of 2024 can be returned until January 31st of 2025, except for Apple products, which have a return deadline of January 15th of 2025. This extended policy applies to all seller fulfilled FBA and Amazon retail orders. Now, while the returns window is longer, eligibility rules remain unchanged, and this extension is aiming to make holiday shopping more convenient for our customers. Okay, and the next piece of news there is a depreciation announcement reminder Sponsored display version two reporting endpoints will shut off October 31st 2024. So Amazon is set to depreciate its sponsored display version 2 reporting endpoints, with a complete shutdown planned for October 31st of 2024. Advertisers should transition to the new version 3 reporting endpoints to continue accessing sponsored display reports. Until then, expect increased throttling on the old version, and amazon encourages feedback on this change through its ads API support page on by October 15th of 2024. So for more details on all that, you can go to amazon's migration page.   Carrie Miller: Okay, so all those news stories were very exciting, but I think we have even more exciting news within helium 10 with our new features now. This next feature is something that a lot of people have been asking for, and I am very, very excited to announce it, because I've been asked this question for years actually, and we've been working on it for a long time. So I'm going to go ahead and share my screen. So this is just a search of coffin shelf and what I'm going to do is I'm going to actually go ahead and I'm going to pull our x-ray extension. Okay, so what I want to show you, which is already kind of clearly here, is I basically take this is our Manny's Mysterious Oddities product and I'm just going to expand this down and it's basically going to show us the variation sales strength with a graph. Okay, so this is basically showing you which of the variations have the most sales. So, for example, variation sales strength for this black one is obviously the big seller for us, and then you can see that there's a very, very tiny sliver of the pie here for purple, and then also a very sliver piece of the pie, maybe a little bit more, for the pink. So we can see that the top seller is the black one, then the pink one and then the purple one. So this is some great news and it's really kind of actually a teaser. Really, this is going to be a teaser for something that we're even getting for you even more data. So stay tuned for the launch of that. But in the meantime now you can see which variation, or child variation ASINs have the most sales.   Carrie Miller: This next feature announcement for Helium 10 is very exciting, and that is that Atomic is now included in the diamond plan. So now you don't have to pay separately for it, it's going to be all included with the diamond plan, and with that we've actually launched advertising AI. So you know, if you don't know a bunch about PPC or you don't feel very strongly about it, you can actually give Atomic your ASIN and your ACoS goals and that's it. And Helium 10 will create your campaigns and optimize them by itself. So I'm going to actually show you how this works by sharing my screen. Okay, so if you go into Atomic, you're going to click on Atomic and go down here to the bottom, where it's the AI advertising very bottom icon and all you would do is you would click on your product goal and you're going to select your ASIN, say, you're going to do this one, you're going to set your ACoS goal and your daily budget and, if you want to, you can add some keywords in there and then you're going to basically go ahead and launch that campaign. So we're going to go into detail on how sellers can use Adtomic and save time and money in a live workshop with expert Destiny with Sean on the 22nd of October, so mark your calendars for that. We're going to be doing an in-depth PPC webinar, you know, for beginners, to help you to understand and use ad atomic better and more efficiently.   Carrie Miller: Next, we actually have an announcement. That is, our monthly freedom ticket training with Kevin King. So Kevin King is actually bringing on Mark Degrassi I'm not actually sure how you say his name, but Mark Degrassi, I think, is how you say it he's going to be actually talking about why branding has always been your biggest marketing problem and how AI is going to solve it. I actually did see him speak at one of Kevin's events and he's very, very good. So to register for this special training, you can go to the link below.   Carrie Miller: Okay, and another announcement that we have which is very, very exciting is that our next Helium 10 Elite Workshop is going to be in Milan, Italy, on November 11th. Bradley is going to be speaking there, Mansour is going to be speaking, Jana, who also does kind of listing optimization in other languages, and a few more top level speakers are going to be in attendance and speaking at this event. Elite members actually can go for free. So elite members just need to check the Facebook group for their free code, but everyone else you can actually attend, still for a fee. So just go to h10.me forward slash Milan to get your tickets before it sells out Right now. We have it on an 80% of the regular price special right now. So if you want to buy those tickets. You can go ahead and get them for a reduced price.   Carrie Miller: And, last but not least, I'm very excited to go into our training tip of the week, which is our inventory heat maps. Okay, so inventory heat maps are available in helium 10. I'm sharing my screen now and this is actually in profits, and what you would do is you go to the heat maps and you're going to click on inventory heat map. You can change what to whatever product you want. So this is our coffin shelf, so we have our coffin shelf selected and you can actually see where our inventory is located in every single part of the United States right here. So this is a really, really helpful tool, especially going into the holiday season, where you can actually, you know, see where your inventory is.   Carrie Miller: And something else that we do have in conjunction with that is the sales heat map, so you can actually see where the majority of your sales are in this heat map and you can go back and say is my inventory kind of matching up with those areas? Or maybe there's some areas where your sales are kind of up or have been in the past, but maybe they are not stocked with inventory. So you can go ahead and stock them with inventory, but go ahead and check out this inventory heat maps. Maybe, if you need some more distribution, you can figure out ways to kind of push inventory to other areas of the US and so that you can expand your reach. That is basically all that we have for this week's episode of the Weekly Buzz.   Carrie Miller: So what I would actually like for you to do if you have not done this, we do have a YouTube channel, and so we would love for you to go ahead and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We do lots of great updates, we do the Weekly Buzz on there, but we also have a lot of great training for helium 10 and just selling on Amazon in general. Lots of incredible information. So subscribe to our YouTube channel so that you can be the first to know the up-to-date information about selling on Amazon and other platforms. We look forward to seeing you next week again on the Weekly Buzz. I do believe Bradley will be back, so we'll see you again next week to see what's buzzing.

AM/PM Podcast
#412 - Expanding Your E-commerce Business into Europe with Melanie Katsaris' Tax & Compliance Expertise

AM/PM Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2024 56:48


Join us for an engaging and insightful conversation with Melanie Shabangu-Katsaris, co-founder of Avask, as we explore the vast opportunities in expanding global e-commerce. Melanie shares her expertise on why sellers should consider expanding their operations beyond their current markets, whether moving from the U.S. to Europe or vice versa. She provides an overview of how Avask supports sellers with critical aspects such as taxes, shipping, and compliance. We also reminisce about the close-knit nature of the Amazon-seller community, highlighted by memorable industry events like an unforgettable evening at a Beyoncé concert.   Listen in as we navigate the complex landscape of global e-commerce regulations, focusing on the differences between selling on Amazon in the U.S. versus Europe. Melanie sheds light on the regulatory challenges sellers face, including VAT registration and customs documentation, and explains why the maturity of the U.S. market often leads American and Chinese sellers to prioritize it over Europe. Despite these challenges, Melanie emphasizes the significant opportunities available in Europe and offers valuable insights to encourage more sellers to expand internationally.   Finally, we discuss the comprehensive services Avask offers to help sellers achieve international compliance, particularly in the UK and Europe. From VAT compliance to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) eco-contribution, Melanie explains how Avask simplifies these complexities for sellers. We also touch on recent changes in European regulations, such as Amazon's new VAT on Amazon initiative, and how Avask collaborates with Amazon to ensure seamless compliance for sellers. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to broaden their e-commerce horizons with expert guidance from Avask. In episode 412 of the AM/PM Podcast, Kevin and Melanie discuss: 00:00 - Expanding Global E-Commerce With Avask 02:42 - VIP Experience at Beyonce Concert 08:01 - Leveraging Technology for Business Growth 13:59 - Navigating Global E-Commerce Regulations 18:37 - Marketplace Regulations 20:24 - Navigating European E-Commerce Tax Regulations 23:29 - Amazon's Market Expansion in Europe 27:16 - EU VAT Compliance Regulations Impact Sellers 32:11 - International Tax Compliance and Reporting 34:23 - Navigating International Tax and E-Commerce 36:48 - Declaring Taxes and Customs 42:33 - Expanding International E-Commerce Compliance 43:21 - Global Shipping and Customs Impact 47:39 - Amazon's VAT Program Conclusion 49:23 - Amazon Sellers Facing Compliance Changes 56:13 - Kevin King's Words of Wisdom

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#588 - E-commerce Compliance & Amazon EU Expansion

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 17, 2024 34:24


Ever wondered how to navigate the complex world of tax and compliance as an Amazon seller? Join us as we chat with Bojan Gajic, the former CEO of Helium 10 and now CEO of Avask, who brings a wealth of knowledge and fresh perspectives on scaling your Amazon, Walmart, and e-commerce business. Bojan shares his experience from recent Avask x Helium 10 workshops in Europe, offering valuable insights into the benefits of advanced content and the irreplaceable value of in-person networking. Balancing work, family, and personal interests while striving for business growth can be a tough juggle. We'll explore the current landscape for Amazon sellers, highlighting the increasing challenges in the saturated U.S. market and the promising opportunities in Europe. Learn practical strategies for maintaining healthy margins and adapting to market shifts, ensuring your business not only survives but thrives. Expanding into the European market can be a daunting task, fraught with regulatory hurdles and compliance issues. We dive into the intricacies of choosing the right country for importing goods and the critical role of sophisticated compliance providers like Avask. Plus, we discuss the transition of Avalara's tax support in Europe and offer guidance on selecting new service providers. Tune in for a rich discussion that also touches on the joys and heartbreaks of Serbian basketball and offers tips for your next trip to the UK. In episode 588 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Bojan discuss: 00:00 - Amazon Sellers, Avask CEO Discussion 03:32 - Upcoming Avask x Helium 10 Workshop Announcement  07:53 - E-Commerce Seller Profitability Trends in Amazon 11:02 - Amazon's Marketplace Expansion Strategy in Europe 17:24 - Optimizing European Logistics for Amazon Sellers 25:27 - Global E-Commerce Compliance and Expansion 29:13 - Transitioning E-Commerce Tax Compliance Providers 30:40 - Transitioning to Avask for Tax Solutions 32:46 - Discussion on Serbian and UK Culture   ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos

The Ecommerce Lab By Ecomcy
[EP #241] [ENG] - How to make efficiently expand your Amazon business into Europe - Piero Perera

The Ecommerce Lab By Ecomcy

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 18:41


Welcome to the eCommerce Lab Podcast! Join us in this exciting video featuring special guest Piero Perera, a renowned e-commerce expert and Strategy & Growth Account Manager at KATA Global Logistics and AVASK.In this session, we'll explore how to efficiently expand your Amazon business to Europe. Learn first-hand about key strategies to overcome logistical challenges, adapt to European regulations, and maximize your brand's potential in this lucrative market.Don't miss out on tips and insights from a professional who has guided numerous companies to international success. Tune in to find out how to take your business to the next level!#ecomcy #Amazon #amazonfba #amazonseller #amazonbusiness #amazonfbaseller #amazonppc #amazonadvertising #amazonsellercentral #amazonppctips #amazonprivatelabel #amazonselling #amazonseoe

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#568 - Amazon Semantic Search & Google Indexing with Leo Sgovio

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2024 39:08


Join us in this episode as we sit down with Leo Segovio, a top expert in the space, to discuss a wide range of topics that are essential for E-commerce sellers. Leo shares his unique insights on how optimizing Amazon images can significantly impact indexing and ranking. He also opens up about his recent ventures, including a software project for influencer and affiliate marketing, and an intriguing Airbnb project in Italy. Additionally, Leo provides valuable tips for Amazon sellers looking to diversify their income by investing in real estate, highlighting the importance of strategic investments to complement a thriving Amazon business. Listen in as we explore the evolving landscape of influencer and affiliate marketing strategies. We discuss how leveraging platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube can empower brands by building robust affiliate networks. We highlight successful brands and share advanced techniques for optimizing listings to ensure better visibility on Google and Amazon. Practical tips for using press releases on high-authority domains to improve Google indexing are also discussed, offering listeners actionable advice to enhance their marketing efforts. Finally, we talk about the significance of Google indexing for Amazon sellers and the benefits of driving traffic from Google to boost Amazon rankings. We discuss the theory that paid traffic may hold more weight and the value of optimizing images with keywords to enhance discoverability. Additionally, we examine Amazon's evolving search algorithms and how intent-based optimization is changing the way products are discovered on the platform. This episode is packed with valuable insights and strategies to help Amazon sellers navigate the complexities of e-commerce and achieve greater success. In episode 568 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Leo discuss: 04:14 - Investing In Real Estate Investments 09:41 - Leveraging Creator Marketplace for Affiliate Networks 15:56 - Google Indexing for Amazon Sellers 18:16 - Google Traffic Boosts Amazon Ranking 24:01 - Google Indexing Boosts Product Visibility 26:46 - Search Algorithm Evolution and Intent-Based Optimization 29:13 - Optimizing Amazon Listings for Intent-Based Search Transcript Bradley Sutton: Today we've got one of the top minds in the entire Amazon game back on the show, Leo Segovia. He's going to be talking about a wide variety of topics, such as the impact on indexing and ranking by optimizing your Amazon images, and much, much more. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think.   Bradley Sutton: Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. That's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. And speaking of the e-commerce world, I'm on the other side of the world right now. For those of you listening, maybe I sound a little different. We are in the AVASK office here in Madrid, Spain, right in the middle of our Elite Workshop, and just about 15 minutes ago we had our very first speaker. All the other speakers are very mad at him because he started off and he set the bar really high with his talk, but we've got no stranger to the show, Leo Segovia. Leo, how's it going?   Leo: Bradley, good morning. How are you doing?   Bradley Sutton: Doing great, doing great.   Leo: Awesome. Yeah, this morning was great. I'm actually happy this is my first time in Madrid. Yes, I actually just stopped once. I think I was on my way to Puerto Rico, but yes, I got to enjoy the city. Today I'm here at the AVASK office in Madrid, so happy to be here and happy to be your guest again.   Bradley Sutton: Awesome, awesome. So now you know it's been a while since Leo's been on the show, so let's first just catch up with what you've been up to. Have you been launching products on Amazon? You've just been focused on building software. What have you been up to the last couple of years since you've been on the show?   Leo: Yeah, it's been a crazy year for me actually. I've been involved in a couple of different projects. We are obviously always looking for new products to launch. What kept me very busy in the past year has been software that I've been working on for influencer and affiliate marketing, and actually this Airbnb project in the south of Italy, which has been kind of a roller coaster. Yeah.   Bradley Sutton: So, you actually moved, I remember you went from Canada to Florida and then a few months ago you moved back to your home, uh, country of Italy, but then this was always meant to be kind of just like a like a winter, uh or summer home for you.   Leo: Yeah, that is correct. Uh, I have a family in Italy. So, and recently their area of Italy is called Puglia, it's in the southeast was becoming more and more popular and more expensive, and so I decided to buy a property there so that we could spend a week or a month in the summertime, perhaps, when in Florida is too hot, you know, go inside of Italy. Invite some of my Amazon friends, you know, mastermind, and so that's the plan. Now, I was supposed to be there only for a couple of months, just to see what was going on, but when I got the keys, I realized that the place needed a lot of work, and so I've been stuck in Italy since November, actually, of last year, and I'll probably stay there until for two more months before going back to Miami.   Bradley Sutton: What passport do you have? What country passports? I have Italian and Canadian passport. Okay, so then, when you bought this house, you use your like Italian citizenship?   Leo: No, actually I well, I could participate to an auction because I bought this place at an auction. Not the $1 ones, it was more than that. But yes, because of my Italian citizenship it allowed me to participate to an auction. But everything that I'm doing is as a Canadian citizen. It works out better from tax perspective and all that.   Bradley Sutton: Okay. So that's why I was asking about this, because I think this is, you know, like somebody might be jumping on the show. What are we talking about? Airbnb here? But as e-commerce entrepreneurs, Amazon sellers, maybe we make a little money, maybe we're not interested in exiting our business, but now we have extra money, like do we start other businesses? You know, maybe something that has nothing to do with Amazon, but I hear of more Amazon sellers doing something similar. Where they go you know, not necessarily Italy, but another country, buy a house and then so, as a Canadian citizen or as an American citizen I would assume it's about the same. What's the process of participating, like in this Italian auction to be able to buy this house?   Leo: I think you need to have someone in Italy or a friend, someone with an Italian citizenship, in order to buy a place at auction. Otherwise, you just have to go to a real estate agent and buy a regular place. The reason for me it was convenient is because it was a good deal. If I was able to win the auction, and so in real estate, you make money when you buy, not when you sell. Right, if you buy for less, that's most likely guaranteed revenue or earnings whenever you sell, and so that's the reason why I did this. Now, I don't know exactly the process if I didn't have any Italian citizenship, but yeah, a lot of entrepreneurs you know, especially Amazon sellers whether, when they exit or you know if they're already doing quite well and they have good cashflow, they normally tend to invest in real estate Airbnb's. You secure yourself passive income from that, and it's always a good investment.   Bradley Sutton: So then would I have to have all cash though to once the auction closed, I can finance over there.   Leo: Okay. So that's an interesting thing. I was going to finance the project. I ended up buying a cash because it just made more sense for me, but in Italy they actually give you a mortgage as long as you can prove that you have income outside of Italy.   Bradley Sutton: Okay. And then so you calculated out, like how much you can maybe get an Airbnb. And then so have you calculated hey, for the other months of the year where I'm not staying here, I need to rent this place out x amount of time of the year. And it's going to be worth it, have you like, and did that analysis?   Leo: Yeah, so in this specific region of Italy and the location of what I bought in August for a place with a pool and four or five bedrooms, you can charge 5,000 to 6,000 euros a week. So you make your money in the summertime. Ideally, as an investor, you don't want to go and spend time in the summertime there, but you want to go, perhaps either early, like May or September, when the season starts to kind of slow down and so you don't take out money from your profits, right? So my plan is to rent it out June, July and August. If I have some good offers in September, maybe I'll rent it out, otherwise I'll go myself there in September or May, but, yeah, normally throughout the year.   Leo: You know Italy is a destination where you have a lot of tourism during summertime, unless you're in Rome or Venice or Florence, which is always busy throughout the year. You know south it's a summer destination, right. So you get a lot of tourism summertime. Wintertime dies down, so you probably can get us or what you can get in the summer. But you know it works out well because if you have a small apartment, for example, in a big city, and you are charging, you know, 200, 300 a night? Um, at the end of the year you make the same money. So with this kind of properties is a little bit of a different um investment. I went more on the luxury kind of market, hoping to work only with Americans. You know foreign tourism, but in my opinion it's a great one.   Bradley Sutton: Okay, so there you have it, guys. You know, like, maybe you've had some success on Amazon and you're thinking of what kind of things to invest in. You know, getting a property at a low price and maybe fixing it up even though it's a headache a little bit, you know could be the route that you want to go. Now you know we're going to talk a lot about some really cool Amazon strategy coming up, but you've been developing some software lately for a while now. That's not necessarily for on Amazon, but it helps Amazon sellers. Can you talk about that a little bit?   Leo: Yeah, I've been working. The software is called Spliced. I've been working on this for about two years now and I was supposed to be already in market, and the reason why I'm late is because of what I just explained. It took me, you know, it took resources and energy a little bit off the other project, but now we're ready to go, and the reason why I built this software is, you know, Bradley, you know I have Convomat, which was my first software that I built, and then Amazon changed it to iOS, and so I had to find a way to pivot. But I already knew that influencer and affiliate marketing was the way to go, also for us Amazon sellers, in order to have a little bit more control over the traffic, over the business and the revenue that we drive to our brands. And so, with Spliced, my goal is to leverage the creator's marketplace, which is huge between TikTok and Instagram and YouTube, and leverage that to build affiliate networks for your own brand.   Leo: There are already a lot of sellers out there that are doing a good job when it comes to affiliate marketing. Look at a brand like Goalie. Goalie, one of the key strategies for Goalie was actually the affiliate marketing, and so with Spliced, my goal is to allow brands to look up into our marketplace, which has already been built with we have over 20 million creators and then approach them with an affiliate partnership instead of just UGC content. This is the reason why we didn't build in Spliced, just UGC campaigns. There's already plenty out there of softwares that you can use for UGC, but in my opinion, if you have a solid affiliate network, you can keep launching new products, relaunching the same products. We use it for reviews. If you need something like that and you have more control over your business, and if you decide to launch your D2C website, you can leverage the same network and start pushing traffic off of Amazon. So there are a lot of reasons why I believe people should use a platform like that. It's like building an email list, but instead you're actually leveraging the creator marketplace.   Bradley Sutton: Okay, yeah, interesting, I think TikTok how it works, people's eyes are really open to more of influencer marketing. I mean, it's basically influencer marketing. There's not really SEO on TikTok, or it's not even. Even if you understand the hashtags, it doesn't necessarily guarantee the rally. It's a numbers game like getting you know. You get out to 25 influencers and maybe 24 do nothing, and then one person, even though they're small, they get on the For you page or something like that and literally can bring thousands and thousands of dollars. There's somebody I've been helping with, you know, shipping their products and they're you know they're doing me sometimes some days a thousand fifteen hundred units of sales for like this planner and it was a hundred. They didn't spend any for PPC on TikTok 100%. You know they just push the product to influencers and then one here and one there just goes viral and it just means a lot of business.   Leo: Yeah, I think you know it's probably right now a big hype. I mean the TikTok shops everyone is talking about them working with affiliates and it's probably one of the oldest marketing strategies, if we want to call it that way. You know the affiliate marketing works because of the power that the individual creator in this case has to influence people right, and so people want to buy from people, and if you, as a brand, do a good job in recruiting a few super affiliates in this case we're talking about good creators that will turn into affiliates, then you have to worry less about that promotion part of you know launching new products.   Bradley Sutton: Interesting, interesting. Okay, now let's move a little bit back towards the Amazon world and actually I'm going to go a little bit off of Amazon, but it's something that you talked about today in your speech and we're not going to go too deep into it. If you guys want to really hear his presentation, you have to be an Elite member. So you Elite members definitely make sure to look out for the recording on that. But one thing you were talking about when it comes to images, but the way you discovered this was you said you were checking indexing on Google. So we know, on Amazon, if you want to check indexing, you just use Helium 10 index checker, right? Or if you don't have Helium 10, you can use the old school method of put the ASIN plus the keyword and then search and see if it comes up. For just rudimentary index checking for keywords. If you want to see if your Amazon product is indexed on Google, how do you even see if you are?   Leo: Yeah, so normally on Google you will copy your URL, search it on Google. You can also do a site column with your URL and then Google will show only search results that are related to the domain you're searching. But if you type the whole domain, the whole URL, the canonical URL of your Amazon listing, if you are indexed, it will show there.   Bradley Sutton: But what about if you're? Can you look if you're indexed for a specific keyword?   Leo: So if you're indexed for a specific keyword, then you want to put that URL plus the keyword and then or amazon.com/dp/your ASIN, or you can also do ASIN in quotes plus the keyword and then you will see if you get, if you're indexed on Google from that keyword. It works in a similar way. Um, but yeah, the presentation we touched a lot on you know the details of what was going on Google which was dependent on, uh, the way that the listing was optimized on Amazon.   Bradley Sutton: You talked about some advanced strategy. We'll talk a little bit about that, about like images and stuff. But without the images, is there a way to force yourself to be indexed on Google, like, for example, if you create a custom canonical URL, just insert the keywords and then if you actually happen to you know, like maybe run some Google ads, get some conversions on that, will that index you for that keyword on Google?   Leo: Yeah, so, based on some experiments that I've done, the easiest way to get indexed on Google is to publish some press releases on domains with good authority score domain rank and have your you know pointing a link to your listing with the anchor text that you potentially also want to rank for using that specific canonical tag that you get from your Amazon listing. So the reason why this works better is because normally Google indexes across these websites. Like you know, if you publish through PR, news or something like that, they will be crawled, and so Google will find these links and then follow your Amazon listing, which obviously, as a consequence, would be indexed.   Bradley Sutton: Okay, interesting. Now, taking it a step further, why should an Amazon seller even be concerned about indexing on Google like, um? Obviously, if you're running Google ads, you know your goal is to get direct sales from it. But just being ranked organically, um, what kind of bumps do you see on sales? Or how does it help a to be ranked high? I'm not just index. I mean index doesn't do much if you're ranked on page 30 or something, but how does ranking organically for a keyword? What's the potential there for helping sales?   Leo: So there, are a few reasons why you want to be indexed on Google, and for the most, let's start from the most advanced ones, right? Advanced sellers they normally try to send traffic to Amazon, especially during the launch period, using external traffic, right? So Google, we know, is a good referral that tends to help your rankings, and so Amazon tends to reward you if they see traffic coming from Google. So if you're not indexed, you lose a chance to show Amazon that you are getting traffic from Google. Now, I have a theory that paid traffic has a little bit more weight than organic, but the reason why you want to be indexed and the reason why you might want to be indexed for certain keywords is so that when you drive traffic through the URL to Amazon, you can actually give attribution to that keyword. That's number one, right? So you can actually use these URLs as your two-step.   Leo: Number two if you do a good job with your indexation and your listing is optimized, you actually also appear in the images, right? And so if people are looking for specific products, sometimes I search on Google using images because I'm looking for specific products that might be hard to find on Amazon, but if I look through the Google images and I find the product, then I go to Amazon, and so if you're not indexed, you're also not going to be able to be found there, and Google images actually gets a ton of traffic. So here are some of the reasons why, two of the reasons why. I can think of many more, but the most important are these ones. Google is still one of the largest search engine, and so missing out on that opportunity, I'm afraid it causes a lot of missed visibility for an Amazon seller at a listing level.   Bradley Sutton: And then you've done some tests before where you noticed that if that Amazon can read what the search was from Google, so that when you get sales from a keyword in Google, it also potentially could help your Amazon ranking for that keyword, right?   Leo: Yeah, that is correct. There was a test that we have done two years ago where everyone was talking about Google traffic and so we drove traffic straight from Google paid to Amazon without using any keyword in the URL, and then we noticed that for the keywords that we were actually bidding on, we saw a lift in ranking. I remember going from position I think it was 35 or so to position seven or five. So surprisingly we saw that Amazon was able to attribute that search query on Google and then the ranking as a result for the keyword was actually improving on Amazon as well.   Bradley Sutton: Okay, interesting, interesting. Now let's switch and talk a little bit about images, because this also has to do with ranking on Amazon. It has to do with ranking on Google, getting indexed in Google. What has more of an impact with getting discovered or being able to be read by Google? Is it if you have an infographic and the actual words appear in the infographic, you know on the actual image, or is it the metadata, or it only works the best if you're doing both?   Leo: In my opinion, you have to do both, and the reason is that right now, every search engine uses AI to detect subjects, text and everything on an image. You know, if you look, if you're a Facebook advertiser, you probably know that they've had this for a long time. If you add more text on an image than the image, the visual itself, your ad wouldn't have been approved, and so AI detection for images has been going on for a while. But now, since you know, ChatGPT came out and you know Lama from Facebook, we have, you know. We know we have a lot more information about this topic, and what we found is that the search engines, including Amazon and Google, they scan the content of your image and they're able to rank these images based on the content of that image, including subjects, context and in the subjects and text. Did I say that?   Leo: So, basically, what Google cares the most on top of that is also the metadata, because the metadata helps the search engine classify that image. So, while the content itself helps them understanding okay, this is what this image is about the actual metadata is more technical for the crawlers, the engine themselves so that they can place you in certain categories. And so when it comes to Amazon, the content on the image right now, I noticed that through some different experiments, that is being used for ranking reasons. And so if you look at some products that don't have, for example, keywords on the images, they are less. You know there are multiple factors. Obviously, they play when it comes to rankings, but if you put two products side by side same ranking, same ratings, same being on market for the same time period, timeframe and same price one has text on images and keywords and one doesn't. Most likely the one with keywords on images is going to rank better.   Bradley Sutton: Okay. So then what Amazon sellers should be doing is for their main images, or you know, the in their image carousel and their A+ content is I mean, obviously you can't have text in your main image. You know that's against terms of surface, although if you can have the packaging there, that's a good, that's a good opportunity. But then to get, hey, you use the right keywords, but then also, if you're using like photoshop or something you have and we're not going to go into detail, it's like there's a bunch of crazy stuff about copyright and there's fields there that he talks about in his presentation. You'll have to watch the Elite workshop for that. But you've been doing testing where it one has, it one doesn't, and then it gets you indexed on Google. You've actually seen where the ones who did it, their Amazon sales were like way higher than the ones who did it.   Leo: Yeah, that is correct. We analyzed an e-brace on Amazon and this is, you know work that I was doing with a friend of mine, and we were trying to understand why these competitors were actually indexed on Google and they were indexed for certain keywords. Not the main keyword, but a variation of them. And so what I did I created this Google sheet where I was helping me understand which ones were indexed and for what keywords they were indexed and that led me to see that the ASINs that actually were indexed on Google were indexed for keywords that were present on the A+ banners. And so when we did that, what happened, this happened within 48 hours, we noticed that Google indexed that specific product image and they were actually featuring it as a search result on Google for the main search query, so that image wasn't used as a snippet or thumbnail for the listing itself. So the URL wasn't amazon.com/dp/ASIN, it was amazon.com/ the search you know embrace.   Leo: So it took me to the search results page, but the image that they took as a featured image was actually the one of my client, and so that was very interesting because Google detected a refinement and it detected an update in that listing. It saw that that image was very relevant for the search query because of the way that we optimized it using metadata and then they used it as the main image on the Google search results. Now this, to me, is fascinating and is very important, because if you are a shopper and you're searching on Google for an e-brace and then you see this image, most likely that's psychological,   most likely when you land on the Amazon search results page, you're going to go and find a product, you're going to go and click that product. So that added traffic, that added conversion rate, helped us recover the racing and the sales that we were losing. But that was a very interesting experiment that we did.   Bradley Sutton: Interesting, okay. So again, if you guys want to get more information about that, that almost might be worth it just to subscribe to Helium 10 Elite for one week, just to get that presentation. So if you guys want to look into that, go to h10.me forward slash Elite and see it's only $99 extra, so make sure to sign up for that. Now, another thing that I think a lot of people have been talking about not just you, but you were one of the first ones to talk about semantic search and Cosmo and things like this, and we'll talk about what that means. But I think, just to set some groundwork, I think everybody understands that any search algorithm will evolve over time. That's the whole purpose. Like the companies who don't want to do well, they'll just keep their algorithm the same right. But anybody you know whether we're talking about Google, Facebook, TikTok has an amazing algorithm, Amazon. It changes over time and we've seen that.   Bradley Sutton: You know, if we were searching five years ago on Amazon, it's different. And now if you've bought some how many of you who have bought something you search for a keyword that has to do with that and that thing that you bought is now at the top on your Amazon maybe not somebody else. That didn't happen like five, six years ago. Last year we showed an example of how you search a keyword that doesn't really exist. It's called noodle camera and no listing has the word noodle camera in it. But there was like maybe 30 listings that came up and it was like a stethoscope camera it looks like a noodle. So five years ago you put noodle camera it would say zero results because nobody has that in their listing and these listings don't have that keyword in there. But it's showing up because Amazon shows history that, oh, people don't know what this is called stethoscope camera but then they think it looks like a noodle. So now it's showing listing. So we've seen this even for a year. Now, first of all, Amazon science documents we've talked about it, but maybe 80%, 90%, never actually is 100% in production. Sometimes it goes into production, sometimes it doesn't. But what was it that made Cosmo so interesting these documents that talked about it, that you're like man. This is something that you think that Amazon is going to move towards.   Leo: Yeah, the reason why, I think is something that would be applied at scale across the marketplace is because, as searchers, as buyers, as shoppers, our goal when we use a search engine is to find a product or information that we need in order to solve a problem. And so, as a technology company in this case we're talking about Amazon their goal is to improve, like Bradley said, the algorithm in order to simplify that search result and give you exactly what you're looking for, by burning some steps in the middle, right. And so that's what Cosmo is designed for. Cosmo is designed to be a man in the middle, between yourself and the search results, right, when you work together with it to give feedback back and forth. And so what they do right now they learn. You type a search query, they give you some result, you refine that result by clicking on some products that you think are relevant. And what they do with this information? They start building this knowledge graph, right. So a classic example if you go on Wikipedia and for something, Wikipedia normally links to other relevant sources. That's what they call the knowledge graph, right? They know that this is relevant to that right. And so what cosmo is trying to do, instead of you having to refine the search. They're refining it for you.   Leo: So the example that I give in my presentation this morning is that, if someone is searching for winter coat, we saw a product that ranks number one on Amazon that doesn't have the word winter coat in the title. But yeah, they're ranked number one, and so this is shocking, right, like everyone's like oh come. Title is supposed to be the most important element on the page when it comes to optimization and some SEOs, but this time Amazon understood that you are looking for something that keeps you, to keep you warm, right. So now we're shifting from a keyword-based search to intent-based search, and so, as sellers, right now, what we need to do is understand what is the actual intent behind the person. What am I selling this to? I'm selling this to someone that wants to stay warm, right, that's what the purpose of a winter coat is, and so, with that intent in mind, we need to optimize listings so that we can convey the message through images, through the title, bullet points and description, so that Amazon, the new Cosmo, understands that this product is something that helps people stay warm.   Leo: And what I think is going to happen also because of the shift in the way that these search results are built, which is more intent-based, is that Amazon then will start recommending also related products. So if you're looking for, if you type in winter coat, they say, okay, well, this person is trying to stay warm and so let me show them also some winter gloves and winter socks and maybe some winter boots, and that will change everything right. They will change the way we advertise, they will change the way we try to be associated with other products. They will change the way we also promote our listings. So that's very interesting and fascinating, but I think it's a good thing for the buyer, right, while for our sellers might be challenging to figure out again, how do we optimize our listings keeping this semantic concept in mind for the buyer? And they've already proven. If you look at the Amazon science document in the research papers, they're already saying that they're seeing a lift in conversion rate when Cosmo is applied to a search result page. So we must pay attention to these and monitor certain. It's challenging right now to understand where this is applied, but we need to monitor better the Amazon marketplace and then evolve and adapt as Cosmo gets released into more categories.   Bradley Sutton: Not to be controversial here, but to me it's almost it's different, but it's not different. Like, at the end of the day, Amazon wants to make money, right, so that winter coat that became number one. It's not number one necessarily because of new algorithm, because it would not be number one unless that is one of the best converting ones, because that's what gives Amazon the best chance to make money. But I think where the difference here is, or what's something that's quote unquote new, is it gives people more at bats. Like maybe I never. Even if I didn't have winter coat in my title, it might've been almost impossible for me to get on page one. But now Amazon is all right, let's just throw it here. Oh, shoot, look at that, how well it's converting. Let's go ahead and push it all the way to the top, whereas maybe you know, four years ago, you know, unless you were super optimized for a certain keyword, you would never even have the ad back. Like you would never even be able to get on page one, you know, outside of PPC or something. So to me that's like the difference, but something also. Again, I keep saying I don't want to be controversial, but it's going to be because there's a lot of people I respect in the industry who have been talking a lot about things that and I agree mostly with them. But I completely disagree when they say things like, oh, tools like maybe Helium 10, if they don't change it's going to be out of date. To me, I cannot see a world where the traditional forms of keyword research, are going to be not as important In the future, if Amazon is super intuitive, of course that's going to evolve.   Bradley Sutton: But the main reason we do keyword research is to get indexed and to also make our listing. Initially because the Amazon algorithm is based on buyer interaction, right. So once it's been out there for three, four weeks, they have so many data points and how people searched and what they clicked on and stuff that. Okay, now we can start doing advanced algorithms. But to even get it in the right pages you had to have done the regular keyword research to show Amazon. Because when you're brand new, day zero of your listing, Amazon has no idea what it is. It goes by the image, it goes by what you have in the title and how you have it. So my personal opinion is that no like. Of course, little things are going to change with keyword research here or there, but the main core of hey, let me find the most important keywords. That's not going to change because you have to tell Amazon on day one what is your product.   Leo: So, Bradley, I agree with you and I think there is one important detail that is the link between what you're saying and what this all semantic stuff is about. Right, the reason why that winter coat might be ranking number one, even though the winter coat is not in the title is attributes of the winter coat. You know Amazon right now, which before they probably weren't doing before Cosmo, right, they're looking at the attributes. So most likely they are ranking this one very well because it contains, uh, goose feathers, or they have 300 grams of goose feathers per square meter or whatever foot, and so they now are using these attributes to understand is this product warmer than this one? So, while the keyword research tools are always going to be needed, what I think is an opportunity for companies like Helium 10 is now provide additional information to the seller together with the main keywords. That helps also the listing be more relevant for Cosmo, using attributes related to those keywords. So, if the keyword is winter coat, what are the main attributes of coats? Right? What does a coat have to have? Waterproof, has to be warm. What kind of feeling? Is it polyester? Is it goose feathers? Also, is it long or short? Things like that are going to be the difference between the traditional keyword research tools and the semantic powered keyword research tools. If you guys give the sellers the same list of keywords and, by the way, here are some attributes related to these keywords, that will help Amazon Cosmo understand more about your product. I think that's the winner, in my opinion.   Bradley Sutton: Yeah, and in his presentation he talked a lot about different things you can do to be more semantically relevant and you know, using ChatGPT, so some really good features there. But that's important because you know, the it's not just, we're not just talking about Amazon SEO, it's also going to help you on Google and Bing and these, these other things and there's things that just the human mind we can't process, but a computer can process and tell you hey, this is, this is the keywords with the buyer intent and this is the most important, this is how you can relate yourself. So, regardless of how much of this Amazon develops, it's already important now for outside of Amazon indexing. Now, before we get into your last strategy, and I have just a couple of questions for you if people want to get more information, reach out to you, find out about your new project you're working on, or just reach out to you. How can they find you out there?   Leo: I have my own website right now. It's leosgovio.com, so you can reach out to me on through my website.   Bradley Sutton: And spell that, because it's not spelled exactly as you might think.   Leo: It's l-e-o and then s as in Sam, g as in George, o, v as in Victor, i o. Yeah, over there I have some information also about the semantic SEO stuff. So if you're more interested about this, I'd be happy to share my knowledge in depth, and LinkedIn is one of the platforms that I use the most.   Bradley Sutton: Excellent. All right Favorite Helium 10 tool?   Leo: Magnet   Bradley Sutton: If you were a head of product at Helium 10, what is one tool or function that you would bring that we do not have currently?   Leo: I believe I will combine what we just discussed about into one tool, and so it's an hybrid between a listing analyzer powered with recommendation based on the semantic stuff.   Bradley Sutton: And your 30 to 60 second tip can be about anything for sellers out there.   Leo: Leverage. Try to think about your current strategy when it comes to product inserts. To leverage it for UGC.   Bradley Sutton: All right guys. If you want more information, go to leosgovia.com. Check them out in the Helium 10 Elite, the Q2 workshop replay. But thank you, guys, so much for joining us and we'll definitely be reaching out to Leo next year to see what he's been up to.   Leo: Thanks, Bradley, I appreciate you having me again and, yeah, looking forward to the next one.   Bradley Sutton: Adios desde España.

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
Helium 10 Buzz 5/9/24: Amazon South Africa Launch | INFORM Act Re-Verification Required

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 18:42


We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's Chief Brand Evangelist, Bradley Sutton. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level. Amazon launches Amazon.co.za in South Africa https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-south-africa Amazon announces the launch of Amazon.ie in Ireland in 2025 https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-ireland-store-launch It's getting harder to avoid commercials: Amazon joins other streamers with 'pause ads' https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2024/05/08/amazon-prime-video-pause-ads/73614614007/ Walmart shopper data will soon feed targeted ads on Disney Plus and Hulu https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/8/24152172/walmart-disney-plus-hulu-targeted-ads Amazon Marketing Cloud now supports offline sales insights https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/amazon-marketing-cloud-now-supports-offline-sales-insights/ Starting in March 2024, Amazon began rolling out a new experience designed to make it simple for sellers to comply with certification requirements related to the US INFORM Consumers Act.  Now, starting in May 2024, if you have 200 or more transactions or $5,000 or more in revenues during a continuous 12-month period, you may receive a formal notification to review and certify that your business information is correct.  However, you do not need to wait to receive the formal notification and can take action now to avoid the risk of account deactivation later which could affect your upcoming sales events. The episode continues with a must-attend call to action for all sellers aiming to refine their competitive edge: the Elite Workshop in Madrid, Spain. We've got an impressive lineup of speakers who will share invaluable insights on strategies for success on Amazon and Walmart. Tune in for Bradley's tips on harnessing Helium 10's Insights Dashboard for effortless competitor tracking, covering everything from pricing to sales and keywords. And don't miss out on the discussion about the critical role of click-through rates versus conversion rates, using Helium 10's Chrome Extension with Amazon Brand Analytics data to illustrate why attracting clicks is only half the battle in e-commerce. Discover the power of coupling high clicks with strong conversions, ensuring your products don't just catch the eye but also seal the deal. (Time Stamps) -  In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Bradley covers: 00:45 - Amazon South Africa Launch 01:50 - Amazon Ireland 03:37 - Prime Video Ad Update 05:52 - Walmart Video Ads 07:34 - AMC Update 08:33 - INFORM Act 2024 10:42 - UPS Ground Saver 11:34 - Instagram Integration 12:45 - Seller Workshop In Madrid, Spain 13:42 - Pro Training Tip: Competitor Tracking Using Helium 10 ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript   Bradley Sutton: Amazon has launched a marketplace in two new countries. There's soon going to be another way to use sponsored TV ads. Make sure you confirm your seller information with Amazon so you don't get your account suspended. These stories and more on today's Weekly Buzz how cool is that? Pretty cool, I think.   Bradley Sutton: Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show that is our Helium 10 Weekly Buzz, where we give you a rundown of all the news stories that are going on in the Amazon, Walmart and e-commerce world and we give you training tips of the week that'll give you serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Let's see what's buzzing. All right, let's go ahead and hop right into the news stories Now. The first one is actually about a new marketplace that has launched. All right, there was a while where Amazon was launching marketplaces left and right. Then there was like a year or two where it seemed like there wasn't many new after the ones that launched in, like Poland and Netherlands, et cetera. And now we have a article from Amazon entitled Amazon launches Amazon.co.za in South Africa. All right, so Amazon has now launched and customers in South Africa can now shop on this website that I just mentioned, and they've got desktop browser, mobile browser, everything. Well, there's 20 different product categories that they have, and they actually get free delivery on their first order and then free delivery for any subsequent orders above 500 of their currency, which is about 27 US dollars. Interestingly something different in South Africa, they receive their status updates via WhatsApp. All right, so that's how they can track their orders there, and they also have hassle-free returns. So here's another English language-based country that is opening up, and so, as the opportunity to sell there come for foreign sellers might be a little bit easier to get your listings ready for that market.   Bradley Sutton: Speaking of English-based countries where Amazon is expanding to, another announcement was made this same week, again from Amazon, entitled Amazon announces the launch of Amazon.ie. You guys know where that is Amazon.ie in Ireland. All right, not this year, but next year, 2025, amazon is going to launch there. Now, this article mentioned how there's already a lot of people in Ireland who are searching on Amazon, but they're having to search from other countries, and so now there is going to be a dedicated Amazon marketplace in that country. Now, right off the bat, there's going to be a lot of local sellers who will be able to take advantage of that platform. This article says that there's already over 1,000 small and medium-sized Irish businesses already selling on Amazon and they generated over 150 million euros in export sales in 2022. So, you know, sometimes when they launch new marketplaces, there's like a slower rollout or a local rollout that you know starts before the major rollout. So I would assume, if things go similar to these other launches, you know some local sellers might have first access to be able to sell on that marketplace, but again another marketplace where it's English language based for the most part and you're not going to have to, you know, go through some like heavy duty translations to get your listings live in that country. So what about you? Any? Do we have any Irish sellers who are selling in other marketplaces Amazon UK or Amazon USA? Are you looking forward to having your own Amazon Ireland? Let us know in the comments below.   Bradley Sutton: Next article, also about Amazon, and this is about advertising. So we this article is actually from the USA Today and it's entitled it's Getting Harder to Avoid Commercials. Amazon Joins Other Streamers with Pause Ads. So what is the pause ads mean? So that's like, let's say, you're watching a streaming program and you hit pause. Got to go to the bathroom or you're doing something on your phone or whatever, so you hit pause. Well, instead of just the screen pausing, now there's going to be ads that will be visible and also shoppable carousel ads that are going to play during scheduled commercial breaks on Amazon Prime Video. Ads on Prime Video is nothing new, you know. This article reminds us that. Hey, earlier this month, you know, prime Video started to push advertisements on its basic tier viewers and remember it costs $8.99 per month or $14.99 per month as part of Amazon Prime, and then you have to pay $2.99 a month more if you don't want to see these ads. Now, ads on streaming television is nothing new. You know, like Hulu, peacock have these pause ads before, and so now Amazon is doing it.   Bradley Sutton: So the three types of ads that USA Today reports that Amazon is going to have number one carousel ads. It's going to pop up in a sliding lineup during prime video ad breaks and pause ads, which I just mentioned. If a show, movie or even a live sport is paused, there's going to be these like translucent, transparent ads that'll have brand messaging and imagery and even add to cart buttons on there and then brand trivia ads. That one I'm not sure about, but it says it's going to share facts about the brand with the viewers while also giving them opportunities to add the product to their Amazon cart. So again, if you, I'm just wondering, you know, has anybody been using amazon sponsored tv? These are things I might not even have mentioned in in weekly buzz a couple years ago, because no regular sellers would be able to have, you know, be able to qualify for this kind of advertising. But now, with sponsored tv, it's kind of made it available to even smaller sellers. As a matter of fact, I just started the sponsored tv campaign in project x and was able to do it for like $20 a day budget, so even smaller sellers are able to get into this.   Bradley Sutton: Now, speaking of streaming video ads not to be outdone. Walmart made an announcement this week on the Verge. Isn't it funny how Amazon will announce something, then Walmart will do the same, or Walmart will announce something. A few days later there's going to be an Amazon announcement about something similar. It's like they don't want the other one to one-up each other. Right. I love it. It's great for us consumers out there that they're competing for new features and good for sellers, giving us new opportunities to advertise, right? Well, Walmart here in this article from the verge, says Walmart shopper data will soon feed targeted ads on Disney plus and Hulu. All right, so now, uh, information about shoppers, both in store and also those who shop on Walmart.com are going to be kind of like shared um for Disney's streaming portfolio, which includes Disney plus and Hulu. Now this article says, as part of this deal, Walmart advertisers will be able to match the retailer shopper data with Disney's audience graph tools, helping them target audiences and measure data better Now, I'm not sure you know and measure data better.   Bradley Sutton: Now, I'm not sure you know how you know, if a regular you know Walmart sellers, how many of them can participate in this. But again, it's just interesting to me to see where we're coming. You know, three, four or five years ago, not only were people not even selling on Walmart, but you know, nobody would have dreamed that. Oh yeah, let's go ahead and maybe put some of my Walmart products on Disney show or a Hulu show. There was, no, I don't even know if there was a Hulu like four or five years ago. But anyways, it's just interesting how you know the ecosystem of advertising and streaming is progressing and it's affecting, you know, amazon and Walmart sellers Going back to something advanced.   Bradley Sutton: Now. This might only affect some of you, but I wanted to bring it out those of you who are using Amazon Marketing Cloud. Amazon Advertising announced this week that AMC, amazon Marketing Cloud, now supports offline sales insights. All right, so to get this, you subscribe to something called NCS CPG Insight Stream. It's a paid feature in AMC. Now, the difference of what this is providing compared to before, well, well, you know, you could use AMC to be able to see hey, how is our ads impacting online engagement of what you know our consumers are doing after they view our ad? But now it's going to you're going to be able to measure the impact of offline sales. All right, I'm not going to go too deep into this because I know it only affects. You know very few of you are of the level that you're doing AMC, but if you are, make sure to take a look at the article that I linked to below about this and see if this is something that you could leverage Now, something that affects every single third-party seller on Amazon.   Bradley Sutton: Some of you already might have got it, but you saw the announcement that, hey, you've got to review your business information for Inform Act requirements. Inform Act that's a law here in the United States where you've got to confirm your contact details and your address and stuff. It's hard to believe it's been a year already since this came out. We talked about this a lot in the weekly buzz last year, where, you know, amazon was like sending all these like warning messages hey, you might get your account suspended if you don't do this. Well, now you're you're starting to see these notifications come up again and you need to act on it right away. So what the threshold is is starting last month. If you've got 200 or more transactions or $5,000 or more in revenue during a continuous 12 month period, you are going to get this notification that you have to review and certify your business information. This is not just some Amazon rule. This is like the law you know, like any marketplace is going to have it. I'm sure Walmart will have something similar as well. However, you don't need to wait for the notification. All right, you can go to your account health page, all right, and review your account information. If you look in your news on your seller central dashboard, you can get the link where to check this and you're going to be able to kind of like proactively do it because, let's say, you do get that notification. Well, you only have 10 days, all right, in order to certify this information. Now there's a lot of questions that sellers are having about this, like you know different scenarios. So um Shivali has been writing a blog about this with all your frequently asked questions. By the time you're watching this, if you're watching this live, I'm not sure it'll be available yet, but sometime later on today, Thursday, go to h10.me/blog and you should see it towards the top a blog article about the INFORM ACT. It's going to have the links where you can go check in your Seller Central dashboard. It'll have pretty much the answer to any question you might have about this. So make sure to go to h10.me forward slash blog later today and you will be able to get more information about what you need to do to make sure your account does not get suspended.   Bradley Sutton: Another small announcement from Amazon Seller Central. Last week we talked about a new FedEx service that you can buy if you're doing merchant fulfilled FBM Right. Well, now you also can do UPS ground saver. That's like one of the cheapest forms of shipping for UPS for residential deliveries, all right. So you, it's a new option that you can go ahead and buy shipping labels for UPS ground saver All right, and I didn't even know this. Uh, ground saver actually deliver seven days a week. I was like, what UPS delivers on Sunday? Didn't, didn't realize that, all right. Um, you can even deliver two PO boxes. Uh, with this, all right. So you know, like you know, normal UPS, you can't really deliver UPS, but I think what this does is like transfers it to post offices or something like that. But anyways, check out the Seller Central dashboard. You'll get more information on this. I'm all about shipping.   Bradley Sutton: Next article is not really an article, but you guys remember last year, like about last November in the weekly buzz. Remember last year, like about last November in the weekly buzz, I talked about this news article that came out that said hey, meta is letting Amazon shoppers buy products on Facebook and Instagram without leaving the app. So this was something that CNBC and other articles were reporting way back in November of last year. Well, if you look on LinkedIn, our Serious Sellers podcast, buddy Liran, he's talking about how he's actually now seeing it in his Instagram account. He had a video here that that showed how he was on his Instagram and there was an ad that he saw and then it allowed him to sign in, while he was still on Instagram, to his Amazon account and, you know, able to purchase that product. So he had a lot of like discussion, uh discussion on his LinkedIn about, you know what he thinks is coming, uh, if this really is rolling out, or maybe he's just special. I'm not sure, and that's why he got to see. I haven't seen this yet, but you know, like I said, it was announced way back in November and so, hopefully, maybe this is finally going to get rolled out. We might see some more official announcements about how, uh, amazon sellers are going to be able to leverage advertising on Instagram, perhaps even in Facebook. Yeah, it's going to open up a world of opportunity. Uh.   Bradley Sutton: Last thing, I just want to remind you guys, uh, in a few weeks, I'm going to be in Madrid, Spain, with a lot of other sellers, all right, so make sure to sign up. I don't care if you live in the United States. If you can make it to Madrid, get out there. If you're in Europe, man, that's like a $60 Ryanair flight away. Hang out with us in Madrid, Spain, we are doing our Elite Workshop, normally only open to Elite members, but we're opening it up to others, together with AVASK. We've got some amazing speakers like Leo Sgovio, Alina, Carrie, we've got Vincenzo Toscano. We're going to be talking about a lot of high-end Amazon and Walmart strategy. We're going to have a lot of networking opportunities. Really looking forward to our first ever event in Spain. So if you'd like to get there, make sure to go to h10.me/elitespain.   Bradley Sutton: All right, let's get into our training tip of the week, and this one is about a couple of things I want to highlight, and the first thing is about competitor tracking. This, I think, is something that people sleep on. I think you know competitor tracking is not new. A lot of people have been doing it, but it's a manual process, like what kind of things do you want to track with your competitor? Do you want to track if they're getting sales from new keywords that you might not know about? Well, what do you do? You probably run Cerebro once a week on them, or once every other week or something. Do you want to check if they have price changes, like they're lowering their price or raising their price, maybe they're running a coupon, maybe their category is changing, maybe If you're monitoring that, you're probably like having somebody go to their Amazon page and refreshing it or something, right? Well, remember, you don't have to do that.   Bradley Sutton: So, Helium 10 members, diamond and up, you've got access to what we call the insights dashboard. So how you can have Helium 10, do all this work for you is just go to your dashboard, go to one of your products, click the arrow that opens up the details of it, and then go to the competitors tab and make sure to add competitors. All right, so you can see right here those of you watching on YouTube. I added four main coffin shelves right here that I'm monitoring and I now will know, hey, if any of these coffin shelves change their price, or maybe their sales get better than mine, or sales get worse than mine, or maybe other fulfillment type changes, or maybe they start running the coupon or maybe they end a coupon. I'm going to see that.   Bradley Sutton: In addition, if they start getting sales from a new keyword that I might not have in my listing, I can actually get a notification of that. I don't have to go checking Cerebro all the time. So how I did that was I went here to my insights and I hit insight settings at the very bottom, and in insight settings I was able to make new insights. Where I do that, there's two kinds. The keyword one is right here. Under keyword, I select the thing that says keyword suggestions based on my competitors, and after I select that, I can set the parameters where I can say, hey, if I'm not ranking for a keyword but one of my competitors is ranking from one to 20 or whatever ratio I want, it's going to give me a notification that they're on page one for that keyword. The other one here is under competitor. I can start selecting things like competitor changed their price, or they started or ended a coupon, their performance changes. That could be anything from their BSR is more or less than mine, the review count increases by a certain percentage, their sales increase by a certain percentage, or maybe I want to see when they change their listing, like their title or their main image, their category, their subcategory. And so we've got all of these options that allow you to set these notifications so that we're doing the work for you and you're not having to go constantly every day refresh the listing to see what your competitors are doing.   Bradley Sutton: One more thing, speaking of competitors, you know I've talked about this before, but to me this is just like an amazing asset. Whenever you are going on Amazon, this is like one of the things that I look at, and anywhere, as long as you have the Helium 10 Chrome extension installed in the search results. Now you are going to see a blue bar above the three products that are the brand analytics top click for the previous week. All right, so you'll? You'll say ABA most click, number one. This is super, super insightful, because now it's not just a matter of oh, I think the products that are performing best for this keyword. Maybe they're the ones at the top, or maybe they have the most sales or whatever. No, I can literally get the information from Amazon, from brand analytics. Now, the only way you'll see this is if your account has brand registry, because by Amazon terms of service, we can only show it to those who have brand registry. But you can now see which are the most click. And not only that if you put your mouse over that ABA most clicked, it's going to tell you what the conversion percentage is like, like the one that was most click. Look at that. They only have this coffin shelf has only 7% of the sales. Now this one that was the second most click they've got 38% of the sales.   Bradley Sutton: Now take a look at this one. Here's the third most clicked. It's actually a makeup shelf. So you might think, oh man, this person probably has a third most sales on this page. If I mouse over it, even though they're the most third most clicked, I can see that here they have 0% of the conversions in a full week. So, like I'm not even worried about that coffin shelf, if they're not getting any sales, let them have all the third most clicks on the page, because people aren't liking what they have, right? So, really, really beneficial tool that is available if you have the Chrome Extension. All right, guys. That's it this week for the Weekly Buzz. Hope you found this insightful and make sure to join us next week to see what's buzzing.

Serious Sellers Podcast auf Deutsch: Lerne erfolgreich Verkaufen auf Amazon
#124 - Die beste Strategie für Wachstum auf Amazon in Europa - Alles zu | PAN-EU, EFN, COS

Serious Sellers Podcast auf Deutsch: Lerne erfolgreich Verkaufen auf Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 45:11


Hat Ihr Unternehmen das Ziel, seine Flügel im internationalen E-Commerce auszubreiten, aber Sie fühlen sich von den steuerlichen und regulatorischen Hürden überwältigt? Dann ist unsere Unterhaltung mit James Farah von Avask ein Muss für Sie. Wir tauchen zusammen in die Welt des grenzüberschreitenden Online-Handels ein und beleuchten, wie Sie das volle Potenzial Ihres Heimatmarktes ausschöpfen und Ihr Geschäft auf neue Märkte ausweiten können. James teilt mit uns sein tiefgreifendes Wissen über die Programme von Amazon und das Überwinden von Compliance-Hürden, während wir die Bedeutung einer angepassten Strategie für lokale Märkte diskutieren. Das Navigieren der komplexen Zollabfertigungsprozesse kann für viele Händler ein Kampf sein. Wir sprechen darüber, wie sich die internationalen Handelsbedingungen geändert haben – nicht zuletzt durch den Brexit – und welche Auswirkungen dies auf die Logistik hat. Mit Blick auf die spezifischen Herausforderungen an Grenzen wie Dover und Calais, erörtern wir, wie Zollagenten und das Europäische Fulfillment-Netzwerk von Amazon den E-Commerce-Akteuren Türen öffnen und was es bedeutet, sich auf veränderte Bedingungen schnell einzustellen. Zum krönenden Abschluss widmen wir uns dem Call-Off-Stock-Programm von Amazon und diskutieren, wie dies den Handel für Verkäufer vereinfachen kann. Wir beleuchten, was Sie beim Verkauf in Großbritannien beachten müssen, welche strategischen Entscheidungen anstehen und wie Avask als Ihr Kompass im Dschungel der Steuerregistrierungen und Zollnummern fungiert. Lassen Sie sich von James' Expertise leiten und gewinnen Sie Klarheit in einem Meer von Amazon-Problemen und Steuerthemen. Begleiten Sie uns auf dieser aufschlussreichen Reise durch die Welt des internationalen E-Commerce. In Folge 124 des Serious Sellers Podcast auf Deutsch, Marcus und James diskutiéren 00:00 - Grenzüberschreitender E-Commerce Und Steuerkonformität 08:48 - Internationales E-Commerce Und Zollabfertigung 17:24 - Amazon Call of Stock Programm Erklärt 33:37 - Importieren Und Verkaufen in Großbritannien 43:48 - Amazon-Probleme Und Steuerthemen

Seller Sessions
The Art & Science of Finding You Top Performers

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2024 34:40


The Art & Science of Finding You Top Performers Advanced Insights into Data Analysis and Optimization with Dr. Ellis Welcome to this episode of Seller Sessions, where we dive deep into the nuanced world of data analysis and optimisation with the return of Dr. Ellis. After a hiatus of 18 months, we've brought the good doctor back from the depths of data science to share his wisdom on making advanced decisions using a comprehensive scoring system for Amazon sellers. Unveiling the Scoring System: A Gateway to Precision Dr. Ellis unveils a sophisticated scoring system designed to navigate the complexities of data, ensuring sellers can identify their top performers across various metrics, including keywords and ASINs. This scoring system isn't just about surface-level data; it delves into the art of analytics, employing fractions, logarithmic scales, and a keen understanding of variables to bring forth actionable insights. The Essence of Scoring: Simplifying complex data into a single, comprehensible score. Variables and Fractions: Introduction of a next-level approach to handling data, emphasising the use of fractions (X over 1 or 1 over X) based on the variable's impact (whether higher or lower is better). Data Compression via Logarithms: A crucial step for dealing with extensive data ranges, ensuring that scores reflect a more accurate value of variables like search volume. Applying the Scoring System: Practical Insights and Examples Dr. Ellis, with his profound expertise, walks us through the practical application of this scoring system using the example of surfacing important keywords. He illustrates how to score individual variables, compress data, and combine scores to unearth the top performers, providing a detailed blueprint for sellers to emulate. Scores as Fractions: A methodological approach to scoring, where variables are written in a fraction format to maintain consistency and prevent algebraic errors. Compression to Reflect Significance: Utilising logarithmic compression to manage wide-ranging data, ensuring that score increases remain proportional to their actual significance. Zero Score Prevention: A critical adjustment to ensure no valuable data is discarded, by modifying equations to prevent scores of zero. Advancing Beyond Basic Analytics This session is more than just a tutorial; it's a journey into the fundamentals of data analytics, offering sellers a way to leverage their data beyond the basics. Dr. Ellis highlights the significance of understanding and applying advanced analytics to stay competitive in the ever-evolving Amazon marketplace. Beyond Keywords and ASINs: The scoring system's flexibility allows for its application across various aspects of a business, offering insights into where to focus efforts for maximum impact. Next-Level Approach to Data: The introduction of logarithms, fractions, and multi-report scoring takes common data analysis to the next level, offering a fresh perspective on tackling large sets of data. Conclusion: Embracing Complexity for Competitive Advantage Dr. Ellis's insights into advanced data analysis underscore the importance of adopting sophisticated techniques to navigate the complexities of Amazon selling. By understanding and applying the principles of scoring and data compression, sellers can gain a competitive edge, making informed decisions that drive success. Looking Forward: Your Invitation to Advanced Analytics As we wrap up this session, we extend an invitation to our audience to dive deeper into the world of advanced analytics with Dr. Ellis. Your feedback and queries are welcome as we continue to explore topics that provide you with the tools to excel in the competitive landscape of Amazon selling. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – Seller Sessions Live 2024 Get 50 off using Discount code: 202450 Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, East West Basics, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "

Seller Sessions
The Broad Match Show - Adam had a stroke, The W**d Farm and Rouge 99 Designer Steals A Seller Design

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 40:04


Danny and Adam's Return Danny and Adam return for the second Broad Match episode, diving into some wild seller stories. Beyond business, Adam shares insights on recovering from a stroke he suffered at 41. Health Challenges and Recovery Insights Adam Heist's journey took a dramatic turn with a sudden stroke in Bali, triggered by a chiropractic adjustment. At 41, the ordeal highlighted the unpredictability of health and the critical nature of swift recovery strategies. Adam's path to regaining his balance, mobility, and a sense of normalcy underscores the essence of overcoming such health challenges. The Weed Farm Dilemma A startling discovery by one of Danny's clients—a weed farm hidden within their warehouse—spells trouble. Leasing out space led to unwanted ties with a criminal element, escalating to compromised security and a complex legal bind. This segment explores the ordeal of dealing with crime and property rights, emphasizing the gritty realities of business operations. The Rogue Designer Incident Copyright infringement hits one client hard, tracing back to a designer on 99designs who sold a stolen design. The confrontation, initially poised for legal battle, turns towards a negotiated understanding, highlighting the perils of intellectual property theft and the importance of vigilance in business practices. The 1 Million Euro Debacle McMillan shares the tale of navigating a financial maelstrom, with a client owed 1 million euros. The saga of recovery, through dogged determination and strategic alliances, showcases the criticality of cash flow management and the value of resilience in the face of adversity. These narratives from the Broad Match Show peel back the curtain on the seldom-discussed trials entrepreneurs face, delivering a raw glimpse into the resilience required in the business world. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Get €50 off using Discount code: 202450 Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, East West Basics, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.” Looking for a Free PPC Audit? Visit https://www.databrill.com/  

Seller Sessions
7 Figure Sales Off Amazon

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 33:22


7 Figure Sales Off Amazon Today, Danny is joined by Phil and Ian to discuss their multi 7 figure Amazon business and the hard yards they have put in to reach 7 figures off of Amazon as well as on it. Background and Initial Success: Embarking on the Amazon Journey: Ian and Phill, longtime friends turned business partners, started their Amazon venture around 2020, transitioning from conventional careers to the dynamic world of online retail. Their initial journey to seven figures was marked by innovative strategies, leveraging their unique insights and backgrounds. The Leap to DTC: Highlighting their adaptability, they expanded beyond Amazon, achieving their first million in sales through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels within a year, demonstrating the significant impact of diversifying sales platforms. Strategic Insights and Tactical Wisdom: Focus on Product Niches: They discovered a lucrative niche in men's lifestyle and gifting, modernizing a traditionally stagnant market segment. This strategic pivot was crucial in differentiating their brand and commanding premium pricing. Community and Engagement: Emphasizing the power of community, they fostered a dedicated customer base through social media and influencer partnerships, leading to explosive growth and customer loyalty. Adaptability and Learning: Their journey underscores the importance of adaptability, learning from early missteps, and refining strategies to align with evolving market dynamics and consumer preferences. The Path to Scaling: Diversifying Revenue Streams: Expanding into DTC and exploring retail opportunities, they leveraged their brand's growing reputation, underpinned by a strong community, to tap into new revenue avenues. Strategic International Expansion: Although challenging, their foray into international markets like the UK, Germany, and Canada aimed at global brand presence, despite the complexities involved. Key Takeaways for Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Simplicity and Focus: Their narrative reinforces the value of focusing on core competencies before diversifying, advocating for a "keep it simple" approach to business growth. Customer-Centric Innovation: Engaging with their community for product validation and ideas has been a cornerstone of their strategy, ensuring that their offerings resonate with their audience. Strategic Hiring and Team Building: The importance of assembling the right team, emphasizing attitude and cultural fit over just skills, has been pivotal in their continued success. Conclusion and Forward Look: Ian and Phill's journey is a testament to strategic agility, customer-focused innovation, and the power of community engagement in the e-commerce landscape. As they steer their business towards the eight-figure horizon, their story offers invaluable lessons on growth, resilience, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Upcoming Events and Contact: Stay tuned for upcoming developments from Ian and Phill, and don't miss out on connecting with them through LinkedIn for more insights and collaborative opportunities. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Join us at the forefront of e-commerce innovation and strategy at Seller Sessions Live in London. Secure your spot and take advantage of the knowledge shared by industry luminaries like Brandon Young, Colin Rodger, Steve Simonson, and many more. Grab your tickets now at sellersessions.com/live2024 and enjoy a special discount using code: 202450. This event is a must-attend for anyone serious about scaling their online business and staying ahead in the dynamic e-commerce landscape. Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, East West Basics, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Testimonials: Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
#543 - VAT, Compliance & International Expansion For Amazon Sellers

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2024 35:04


Join us on this episode, as we sit down with Jerome de Guigne, a seasoned expert in international business and Amazon marketplace strategies. We take a trip across Jerome's impressive business career, which stretches from France to Luxembourg, and uncover the crucial steps he took to carve a niche in the world of Amazon. Listen in as Jerome lays out the intricate process of aiding brands in scaling their operations and mastering the art of value creation on this global platform. This conversation also welcomes Jacob McQuoid from Avask and throws light on the hurdles U.S. companies face when stretching their commercial footprint to European shores, such as VAT intricacies, regulatory hoops, and the ever-present language barriers. But it's not a one-way street; European entities eyeing the U.S. market have their fair share of VAT tax complexity to navigate. We bring in perspectives from professionals at firms like Avask and explore tools like Pacvue and Helium 10, providing a lot of insights for Amazon brands planning to cross these transatlantic bridges. Finally, we touch upon the wisdom of starting small and testing the waters when it comes to international expansion. This approach allows businesses to minimize risks and optimize for market receptivity, a strategy underscored by the shared knowledge from this episode. So whether you're an experienced Amazon seller or new to this realm, this episode is packed with invaluable advice and strategies for taking your Amazon business to new international heights.   In episode 543 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley, Jerome, and Jacob discuss: 00:01 - Expanding Amazon Sales With European Experts 02:49 - Value Creation Through Amazon Specialization 06:45 - International Expansion Strategies for Amazon Sellers 09:25 - IRS and European Tax Authority Comparison 16:51 - Navigating International Business and Online Presence 20:10 - Navigating VAT and E-Commerce Expansion 22:38 - Understanding VAT for American Sellers 29:39 - US Sellers' VAT Number in Europe 31:08 - Comparing Import Tariffs 35:24 - Starting Small for Market Testing ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Bradley Sutton: Are you a North American seller interested to expand to Amazon Europe, or maybe vice versa? Are you interested in advanced Amazon advertising strategies? Well, today, I went to Germany to interview in person two experts on these topics. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Bradley Sutton: Want to keep up to date with trending topics in the e-commerce world? Make sure to subscribe to our blog. We regularly release articles that talk about things such as shipping and logistics, e-commerce in other countries, the latest changes to Amazon Seller Central, how to get set up on new platforms like New Egg, how to write and publish a book on Amazon KDP and much, much more. Check these articles out at h10.me/blog. Bradley Sutton: Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm Bradley Sutton and this is the show that's completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Another episode here coming from the opposite side of the world. I'm in Frankfurt, Germany and was able to interview a lot of different people. For the first time on the show, we've got Jerome here. Jerome, welcome. Jerome: Thank you very much. I'm super happy to be here and it's nice to see you on this part of the world. Bradley Sutton: Excellent. So you know, like I do with first time guests, we need to find out about you. And this is important too, because, like I don't know much about your back stories. What country in Europe are you from? Germany, France, so I have. Jerome: I'm all about going international, so my background is international also. I was born and raised in France but my mom is British. My dad is French. I lived in France but I also lived in Turkey. I lived a bit in Germany, in the UK and now I'm office design Luxembourg. So a lot of different experiences all over the world. Bradley Sutton: Okay, excellent, excellent. Now, what did you? Where did you go to university? In what country? Jerome: So I went to university mainly in France, so first in the nice city of Grenoble, which is not too far from Lyon. It's in the Alps Mountains, really nice to do like business and management. And then afterwards I did an MBA in a school in Basin Paris but had campuses in Germany and in the UK and also in the States. I did a week in Texas, for example. It was really interesting. So like multinational is really my thing. Bradley Sutton: Okay, excellent. Now, upon graduation, did you enter right into the business world and what you had studied, or what did you do? Jerome: So I went to work two years into the chemical business at that time it was called Atofina Archema. Now, it's like I was helping the head of the subsidiary there. So doing a lot of things, helping on IT topics, on business topics for two years. And then I came back and I worked for 10 years for a Chinese group and that's where I started to work in Luxembourg. And then afterwards, I was looking for a job and couldn't find one. So I said I'll start my own company. Bradley Sutton: Okay, and what was that company? Jerome: So at the beginning my idea was say, okay, I want to bring value, because when I did my MBA it was all about okay, how do you create value for your ecosystem? Because value has a price and you know, and then you can sell. So my first idea was to help people expand and grow in terms of sales. But I had been doing a lot of Amazon business in my previous company and like, step by step, I found out that a big pain point for people in Europe at that time so 10 years ago was not understanding Amazon and I said, oh people, it's simple, let me explain to you. So I went into step by step into the Amazon business and that's where we become specialized in Amazon. Bradley Sutton: Amazon is not a typical segue from somebody just coming from the business world. How did you first, just you know, think about that as a good aspect, you know, like Google or friends? Jerome: So my background was really distribution, since I was head of Europe and EMEA for this Chinese brand and we were expanding into countries having subsidiaries, having distributors, and so it's about selling right and then I started to work with companies and helping them expand and actually even 10 years ago, the or even more 10 years ago, the fastest way to expand was Amazon and it actually really started when a German brand I knew from before told me okay, take care of the international distribution of our brand, which was binoculars, and I said, okay, well, you know, the best way is really Amazon and that's where we really started to go there. So we mostly started from vendor background because bigger brands were working on vendor and now we have probably 70% seller, 30% vendor in terms of people we help. Bradley Sutton: So what about you? During this time, were you selling on Amazon yourself as well? Jerome: So I never sold on Amazon myself. I was always selling in the name of a company and, like I said, I started as a vendor, so selling to Amazon rather than selling on Amazon, and I've been helping a lot of sellers but never sold myself. Help friends. But, yeah, never went into it. It's a bit of a dream at some point to do that. Bradley Sutton: For your agency for the last few years, are you focused on any particular aspect of Amazon or like PPC, for example, or it's A to Z? What is your focus on? What you help sellers with? Jerome: It's very much A to Z we focus. We've got three main topics we focus on. One is global expansion, so it's helping anyone to go from Europe to the US, from US to Europe to US to Japan, to anywhere in the world, and it's really whatever they need. That's the first thing we focus on. The second thing is retail media. It's one of the big topics we do is like how do we help them expand better thanks to retail media. So advertising, PPC, DSP, AMC, whatever there is. And the last thing is technology. Jerome: So we're not a SaaS company but we use a lot of tools. So Helium 10 is one, Pacvue is another one. We also partner with SalSify, for example, on the PIM side, and we have built our own dashboard. So those three topics Global Expansion, Retail Media, technology are three topics we're very focused on and we try to help people through those different things. So it's really, for me, it's A to Z especially in those aspects. So anybody, for example, we've started to sell on our own accounts for brands who can't sell. So for me, it's like an additional. We're not really a distributor, but if a brand can't sell themselves, it's okay. We'll set up a seller account and we have one in the US. We have a seller account in Europe and we have one in India also, for example. So anyone who wants to expand in any way, we are here to help them. Bradley Sutton: Let's talk about the first thing you mentioned about the international expansion. I mean, there's probably 35 different combinations you can have. You know, Japanese person selling on America, European person selling in Japan, a person from Dubai selling in Mexico, you know, etc. etc. Let's talk about some of the more common ones. Probably the most common for our listeners would be I'm a US-based company doing pretty well. Now I want to get started in Europe because that's the second and third biggest marketplaces, UK and Germany. The thing the elephant in the room for a lot of people is like oh my goodness, VAT and things like that. So what are some of the main obstacles and maybe difficult things to navigate for an American company who wants to get started in Europe? Jerome: Great question. For me, the three things. The first thing is regulations and taxes. Regulations. So the thing is like am I allowed to sell those products in Europe? We're talking with a supplements brand, for example, in the States, and it's like okay, the way you talk probiotics, for example, or can you have that keyword on your listing all of that? So that's a first hurdle. We today were speaking with AVASK and AVASK is a great partner. We partner with to deliver, like VAT services and also help on regulation. Jerome: The second thing is languages. Obviously, you need to have a great service and you need to have great content for the local people and that's something we are partnering also with a company, YLT Yanak Krekic, who's delivering great service, for example. So typically, we create a hub of people we work with. And the third part is logistics, supply chain. It's like, okay, how do we? Will you get your products to Europe? Like, will you have a warehouse in Holland? Will you go directly to FBA? Who will be your importer of record? That also we work with AVASK and some logistics company. So, even before going into advertising, content and everything, you've got those three things as regulation, translations, in a sense and supply chain. Bradley Sutton: What are some of the steps that somebody needs to take as far as the basics that everybody needs to do? Like you know, there are some things that are kind of like nice to have. There's some things that are need to have. For example, let's talk, you know, let's talk about the need to have for getting started in Europe. I don't need to form a company in Europe. I can use my US company, but I need to. What something that everybody has to do? Is it the VAT register for VAT? Jerome: Yeah. So one thing you can't. Well, same way as in the US you can't play around with IRS, right, and in Europe you can't play around with the tax authority. So VAT is a must and my recommendation is that, typically, Amazon tends to underplay and when they sell the service of expansion, they tend sometimes to be a bit optimistic about the simplicity of VAT. It's not that simple, it's not over complicated, but you need to speak with people who know this stuff. AVASK is a great example of people who really know this stuff. So that's the one thing you need to be set up in at least one country. I don't know, we want to go in all the details, but you need at least one country. Best is to be listed in or having VAT in every countries in Europe but you need at least one to be legal and compliant. Bradley Sutton: Let's do the opposite. I'm a European based company. I want to sell in the biggest marketplace in the world Amazon, USA. You know, I know like way in the old days and now on Walmart, you know, actually still for in some situations you do have to have like a US corporation, but nowadays I can. You know, I'm registered in Germany. I can go ahead and register as an individual or as a person. What are some things that I, absolutely, have to do that are in obstacle to some Europeans for selling in USA? Jerome: So our assumption as Europeans that everything is simple in the US and generally doing business in the US is much easier than in Europe. Like you have much less regulations, there's less hurdles. Now on the tax side, it's still quite complicated and as a European, I had to learn okay to navigate that. Because you can have a company in the States, in one state who's like, its addresses one state but if most of your sales is in another state, the other state where you're doing the sales might say no, no, I want you to pay your taxes where you're doing your turnover. Or if you have employees, it will start say no, then there's a fight between the different states. Jerome: For us in within one country, that doesn't happen. Like if I'm living France, you won't have the south of France trying to fight for you to pay your taxes and south of France doesn't make sense. Yes, so this you have to learn. So here again, you need to speak to the professionals, because taxes, you can't play around with and it's once you've understood, you've understood it or you have someone doing it for you it really goes smoothly. It's also that in some states in the US the tax accuration is automated between Amazon and the states, but in other states it's not. So it's like navigating that and understanding that is a bit complicated and if you're not an accountant, you'd rather work with someone who's a specialist and we work a lot with, like AVASK, for example, or specialists who will help you navigate that. So for me, it's focus on what you're good at and try to outsource what you're less good at to make sure you don't make mistakes. Bradley Sutton: What are you using Pacvue for? For your clients and maybe you know, some people out there might be wondering what kind of amazon seller or large corporate or large company might have use for Pacvue as opposed to Helium 10. So what are you using now Pacvue for? Jerome: So I think, we probably started to work with Pacvue and Helium 10 both the same time, a long time ago. So I think we started in 2019. I think, the first agency in Europe using Pacvue. Basically, we were looking for a tool and what I did is I asked the teams. I said I don't want to take the decision. I wanted the really the users to audit the different tools and decide which one they wanted to work with. And they decided to work with, at that time, to with Pacvue. Jerome: What we did is there's a lot of rules on a lot of features sorry on Pacvue, for example, rules to like improve your campaigns and as an agency, you've got you know 50, 70, 100 brands you work with. So you have a lot of campaigns and you have to have rules which help you optimize. You can't be checking every campaigns all the time. So you have rules really helping you optimize things. So we've been using Helium 10 from day one also to understand the market, make research, and we've used Pacvue really to optimize campaigns and do a better job in terms of advertising for our customers. Bradley Sutton: Are you using Pacvue for non-Amazon platforms at all? Jerome: Yeah, so we've started to go on Walmart, for example, in the US. So we are using Pacvue on Walmart on the platforms in Europe. Not all of them are linked on Pacvue because some of them are smaller. So it really depends. But on the major, we try to use Pacvue, as much as possible, because it's our sort of system of record today in the company. Bradley Sutton: And Helium 10, what is your team using Helium 10 like? What particular tools or what kind of strategies are you guys using? Jerome: So they are using it every day, I would say. So they are checking on the consulting side. Our consultants are checking, like the Market Tracker, for example, or the keyword researchers, like, example, when you were saying, okay, should we go into a new market? Okay, let's see what. You know how many researchers are done on the brand or on the type of product. Then the teams are also working when they're doing their SEO, like checking, you know, keywords and backing keywords and also campaign keywords. They checking all of the tools. Jerome: For me, Helium 10 is amazing because each time I go, it's like, wow, there's so many tools and I feel like there's a new one each time. So I have a hard time keeping track of all of them but I know they're using it daily to really on one or the other bit to improve things altogether. And because we have a content team, we have an advertising team, we have a consulting team, an analytics team, they check different things, each of them for different purposes and Helium 10 has always been amazing to me, like the amount of wealth and value they provide on so many things and that's as a day, as I said, a day to day tool we use. Bradley Sutton: Okay, excellent. Now what kind of, you know, strategy help that can you give to our users? We usually ask our guests like, hey, give us a tip or a strategy. You know it could be about international expansion, could be about PPC, could be about health, could be about which French football team to follow. Anything that you want to talk about. What some strategies you can give our listeners? Jerome: So, yeah, I'm not a big soccer man so I won't go there because I might embarrass myself. No, the thing I typically say when you talk about global expansion is there's a lot of potential but there's a lot of hurdles. So probably you want to start small or start focused. So if you're in the US and you want to go into Europe, maybe you start in Germany and or in the UK because language is easier. Just make a proof of concept, go there, be successful and then start to expand. Because if you start to go in six, five, six, seven countries, then you have five, six, seven campaigns to build, translations to do. There's a lot of work. Jerome: So probably do one, show that you can be successful in one of the European countries and then expand. Same in the US, you probably don't want to maybe take all of your catalog and take a smaller part of the catalog, make sure you're successful and then expand. So for me it's like start small and grow from there. Learn, try to learn. Because international we're talking about earlier with other people today is like, you know, we say they're saying culture eats strategy at breakfast is like cultural things are very strange, like what happens how customer behaviors are different. So get used to it and to start with something and build on it. Bradley Sutton: Love it, alright. Now, one way I know people can find and reach out to your company is if you go to hub.helium10.com type in E-C-O-M-A-S. Is that right? What are other ways that people can find you, your company, on the interwebs out there? Jerome: So we're very vocal on LinkedIn and the team produces a lot of content on retail media on the street topics like retail media, technology and global expansion, so we do try to share as much as possible with everyone. I was honored to be named one of the Amazon Retail Media Advertising Ambassadors, so one of our job is really to share as much content as possible on advertising specifically and one of the advice I gave it was about globalization. If I talk about retail media is like AMC. Amazon marketing cloud is one thing which today is open. Really, if you're doing DSP and PPC, hopefully tomorrow it will open to PPC also only. I would really recommend people to look into it. This is giving you advice, like learnings, which will get you to the next level in terms of advertising. Bradley Sutton: What is the first thing that somebody just getting into DSP or AMC? What is the first thing they should maybe if they're just getting their feet wet? Jerome: So one feature, for example, which is already in Pacvue, which is day parting with AMC you will get even more granular information, a bit like with Facebook. You will know we've run some studies for some of our brands where you get information on the persona, like who is buying your products, like is it you know male, what age, what location, and then you can tailor your messaging, your content, everything you're doing, to really focus on that target customer you have. So that's one example and there's many others you can bring on AMC. We're just starting and people are just starting to get like insights from it. So for me, it's like get first, get into it, and it's not super easy so there's a bit of a barrier to entry. So, once again, either you can, you have got enough knowledge to go in yourself or ask for people for support, and there's a lot of great people. We can help. But there's a lot of great people on AMC which can really help you. Pacvue, for example, has got embedded some AMC features already. So I really look into it because that will be a game changer and for me, like they will probably be a change of like a crossroads people getting into it and who will win? And the others lagging behind. Bradley Sutton: Okay, all right. Well, thank you so much for coming on and hopefully, see you on my side of the pond next time. Jerome: Indeed, thank you very much. Bradley Sutton: All right. So our next guest is one of the hosts for today from AVASK. We're in AVASK, Frankfurt office. This is not your main office. I believe the main office is in London. Jacob: Southampton, so it's about an hour south of London. Bradley Sutton: We're here in Frankfurt, Germany. And this is Jacob, who I met originally in Korea, spoke at an event that I did over there. And what is your title here? Jacob: So I'm the head of business development and commercial services, so responsible for client acquisition. You know have a team based here in Germany, in UK, in Spain and in Italy. So we're supporting, consulting clients, helping them expand. Bradley Sutton: Okay. Now, how did you get into the e-commerce world? Like, what's your backstory? What did you? Where did you go to university? What did you study? And then your entry into the job world. Jacob: Okay. So in terms of studying, I actually did Creative Media in college and then just directly went into working straight from there. So I started as an Account Manager for a finance company and then transitioned to AVASK. I've been here for five years. So that's the kind of a short background but yeah, been at the company for a good amount of time now. Bradley Sutton: Okay. Now, last time we had somebody from AVASK was Melanie, was on maybe, probably almost three years now ago. There's some people who might not know about you guys. So you know elevator pitch with an amazon seller and elevator. How do you tell them what you guys do? Jacob: Yeah, so we help people expand cross-border, so getting to different markets and try and make it as frictionless as possible. Kind of the biggest area for us and kind of the one we've been working in the longest is Europe. So supporting US sellers, you know, Chinese sellers, European sellers, sell all around Europe but that's not it. But like kind of in a nutshell, that's our main service, but essentially we help people get into different markets and make it as frictionless as possible. Bradley Sutton: Okay, so now you know, we just had Jerome on a couple minutes before you. He talked about some of the you know things that people need to be concerned about going from US to Europe, vice versa, maybe going to another marketplace. And he mentioned you guys too. So let's talk a little bit more in the weeds. About some of the you know, like this is what I call the unsexy side of e-commerce. You know the sexy side is PPC and Keyword Research and finding new products and developing your brand. The unsexy side is stuff that actually is arguably even more important, you know, getting your taxes in order and your business entity. So we touched a little bit with Jerome about the VAT and things like that. Bradley Sutton: But let's, let's dig into it because, like me, it just I've never sold. I've never done VAT here myself in Europe, and it's for a lot of, you know, US base sellers, like it's kind of like this monster of a thing that we have to worry about. Like, do I need to get it in every country? Do I have to report to every single country? Is it only if I am at a certain level of sale? So you are very familiar with what American sellers probably need to be educated on as far as this goes. So just take it away and let us know what we need to know about VAT in Europe to start, I would say, there's a bit of a, especially in the us. Jacob: I've been at the company for five years. Especially now over the last few years, has been a lot more regulation introduced in Europe. So when I first started at the company, there was a lot more US sellers who were interested in expanding because there was less regulation and people weren't as advised. But governments have caught up a little bit. There was a lot of that fraud so people weren't actually paying VAT. And that's not just you know American sellers, that, sellers from all over the world. But now marketplaces are Amazon a lot more regular, regulated, so they have to enforce it. So it stops people from wanting to expand. You know a lot of Americans they say, okay, VAT, how do I do of that? Okay, they don't worry about it, and I think that's quite a lot of the story in America. Jacob: For a lot of clients that I've spoken to, essentially VAT, like the system that we have in Europe, and in lots of other places as well, is completely different to the US system. Obviously, the US system, you have tax added on at checkout so you only have to worry about pricing your product and then in the majority of places, i.e. Amazon, and they're going to add the tax on, whereas here in Europe, you are responsible for adding the tax. So when you're listing your product, so you know, if you create a new listing and you need to make sure you include VAT. So I've had lots of customers who want to expand into Europe. They've gone for it. They didn't consider that the VAT would be part of the price that they actually put on the listing. And then you know, a month later, two months later, they've got the VAT bill and they have to pay that and they hadn't actually priced it into the product. Bradley Sutton: So like you're saying, like the buy box price should indicate it or it needs to be, it's separate? Jacob: No, it's just inclusive. So like, if you list your product for 24 pounds, for example in the UK, that 24 pounds is inclusive of the VAT. That's not going to add any VAT at the end. Bradley Sutton: What is the approximate VAT? Jacob: So for the UK, it's 20%. Bradley Sutton: So that means if I've got a product that I'm selling for the equivalent of 25 dollars, let's just say, I need to make that at least like 30, 31, 32 dollars, to include that VAT, because that's what I'm going to end up paying the government. Jacob: Yeah, exactly. So you have to look at the net price. So 25 dollars add to the 20 percent, so add another five dollars to get it to 30. And then out of that 30 dollar sale, once it's converted, the portion which was the five dollars would be paid to the government and the rates are there or there about. So like we're here in Germany right now, the rate here in Germany is 19% so slightly different, but there are there abouts. Bradley Sutton: Now in America, you know, after three years ago or so, we have the Marketplace Facilitator Rax. You know, like that was a huge headache before, where people didn't know in America. Like, all right, I live in California, I know I got to pay California Sales Tax, but you know, do I have a Nexus or whatever we call it in all the different states. And then Amazon's like or actually all online marketplaces were like there's some law passed or something where it's like, all right, you guys are the ones who have to collect it. Now we as Amazon sellers, hopefully we don't have to. That's what I've been doing. We don't have to worry anything about it. We don't add it to our price or anything. The customer is paying for it but Amazon collects it. They remit it. Now in Europe, what it sounds like number one, we do have to add it to the price, as you just said. And also, Amazon is not remitting that. I've got to hold on to that money. Jacob: And then so previously that would have been correct. But as of a couple of years ago, Amazon and now and marketplaces are responsible for collecting and remitting VAT for non-European and non-EU sellers in the EU. You still need to price it so, like in that example we had, that was $30. That $5 would actually be deducted from you and be paid to the government on your behalf. However, you still need to report all of those sales via VAT returns in different countries where you've got different liability, like similar to Nexus. Nexus means you've got a liability, basically. You'll have to get a VAT number when you have a liability and you can create different liabilities and free different kinds of means, but the actual money will be deducted and paid by Amazon but you still have to report it. Bradley Sutton: So that's at least one burden off. And then now is Amazon withholding that from your disbursement? Then each two weeks? Jacob: Yeah. So that would get completely withheld. So Amazon should be withholding it and then paying it on your behalf. Bradley Sutton: Okay. Scenario A, I plan to open in all European marketplaces plus UK. So UK, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, et cetera, et cetera. How many VATs am I needing to register for? Jacob: Depends. So you've got options. So with Amazon, you've got options for how you can actually use the FBA system. So, like obviously, in US, you send to a single FBA center. You have no control over where they're good to go. Amazon can transfer them to different warehouses. It's one country. It's lots of different states, lots of different tax laws, but it is one country, whereas with Europe you've got many different countries. So UK, we separated from the European Union the free flow of moving goods essentially. So whenever good to travel from UK to EU, they need to go through official borders. So customs checks, there needs to be paperwork, there needs to be declarations, et cetera. A lot of sellers now treat the UK separately and they just have their own separate supply chain directly into the UK. You need a VAT number there as a US seller so you can store your products there and sell your products, whereas in Europe, for FBA purposes, you've got options. Jacob: Amazon have their main fulfillment centers in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic. You can select which ones you want to have your goods in. Whichever country you decide, you allow Amazon to store. You've got an Enable Infantry Replacement on a Seller Central so you can disable and enable. If it's enabled, you have to have a VAT number because Amazon store your products there and that's creating a Nexus. Essentially, you create a liability. You've got to have a VAT number there. Jacob: So you could just start with one for the EU and you can list your products. So you could say right, I'm going to store my products in Germany, I'm going to list them in Italy, I'm going to list them in France, I'm going to list them in Spain, but they will all be fulfilled from Germany. Now the pitfall to doing that is Amazon charges you a significantly larger fee for fulfillment. So whenever I speak to sellers as long as they understand that because I've got people who you know they only want to get the one VAT number, because getting six or seven or however many you need to get is complicated and it means a lot of paperwork et cetera to get set up but at the same time, they don't quite realize the Amazon fees that you get charged. And I've come across cases where, yeah, it was an extra three or 4,000 pounds to get the VAT numbers but they ended up spending extra 40,000 pounds in fulfillment fees. So, like understanding, that's quite clear, but you can start off with not too many, which makes it easier for sellers. Bradley Sutton: A lot of American sellers are very familiar with rough costs of like tariffs and importing custom duties from China to the United States. Some have more. That's why you know maybe some people are moving their factory to India or other places. How does it compare, though, because most I would say 90% of Amazon sellers are probably manufacturing their products in China or India? How does the custom duties and tariffs compare on a percentage wise importing to the US as opposed to importing to Europe? Are there differences between like UK and EU? Jacob: Yeah. Depending on the products, the UK and EU used to have the same tariffs because of the UK separation. We've got the UK Global Trade Tariff and EU's got what's called the TARIC system. The rates for those two systems I would say probably 99% of the same and that will change over the course of time, but it wasn't going to all change immediately. There is some differences but you might find certain products have much higher rates in Europe. So you also get anti-dumping duty. Jacob: I'm not too sure if there is anti-dumping duty in the US, but this can be products that might be damaging to the environment or harmful to the environment so they put the rates up really high. But understanding it before you actually start shipping the products is easy to do. As long as you've got the right people to do it. You can understand the rates, understand if there's a difference between the rate. One thing you do need to be careful of, especially as a US-based business, not just US as a non-EU-based business, the particular country we're in right now, Germany the way that they look at imports for non-EU-based companies is sometimes different to an EU-based company. So I've had a lot of clients who they've imported stock directly from their supplier in China or in India into Germany, and the German customs office have revalued that stock. So instead of using the transactional value, so the cost of your products, the insurance and the freight, say €10,000, they've looked at it and they've taken the retail price and then minus Amazon fees, minus VAT, so to say 60% of retail, which then that 10,000 does end up getting to 50,000, and then they've been charged 5% on the 50,000 instead of 10,000, so suddenly you've got five extra costs. So that's something to look out for and be aware of, because I've seen it happen quite a few times. Bradley Sutton: Okay. Now, before we get into your last strategy of the day, just as a reminder, if this is all overwhelming to you, it's not something that you just can't ignore and pretend that it's not there. It's stuff that you have to take care of if you're doing cross-border or getting into new marketplaces. If you guys want to reach out to AVASK, the easiest way to remember to contact them just go to hub.helium10.com and then just type in AVASK, A-V-A-S-K right there inside there you can have the portal. There might be some specials depending on your level of Helium 10 membership that you might have available to you. Other ways that people can find you guys on the interwebs out there. Jacob: Yeah, so all the general means like LinkedIn, Instagram or just avaskgroup.com, so A-V-A-S-K group.com, and yeah, you can contact us directly for those means. Bradley Sutton: Okay, all right. Now what's your last, you know, something I like to ask some guests is like a 30 or 60 second tip or strategy, that it could be about any topic you've talked about today. Jacob: Yeah, okay. So I would say, first of all, do consider Europe, but maybe take it slow, because there's a lot of red tape and there's a lot of history with American sellers in Europe and people getting stung by governments because of certain situations that happened in the past. Things are different now, so there's a lot more regulation that makes it easier for sellers to make sure they're doing the right thing, but it also puts more barriers to entry. You can start small. Like I said, you don't have to go for all of the countries. Start small with one. Start looking at the other countries, so like if you wanted to start in Germany, what are the biggest markets? Open your listings in the other markets and see if you start getting sales trickle in and then kind of make targeted decisions based on where you start to see growth. And that's what I think is good because we get a lot of people that are like right, I need to go for everything, I need to go for it straight away. Some cases really good, some cases they don't get the sales they expect and then they have to attract. So, depending on your position, obviously, would depend on what you decided to do, but if you're just considering it, you're not sure. Try that way because you're limiting your exposure in terms of compliance. You can start off small, your costs are lower and you can just see how the market goes. Bradley Sutton: Alright. Well, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and thank you for hosting us here for our first onsite podcast here in Germany and our AVASK and Helium 10 Elite event, and maybe we'll be seeing you at a future conference again. Jacob: Thanks, Bradley.

Seller Sessions
Getting Out of Amazon Jail

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2024 33:15


  Getting Out of Amazon Jail Navigating Amazon's Complex Landscape: Insights from Nir Raveh and Adam Heist Adam Heist engages in a comprehensive discussion with Nir Raveh, a seasoned expert in the realm of Amazon selling. Their conversation offers an in-depth exploration of the multifaceted challenges and strategies associated with selling on Amazon, providing listeners with a blend of technical wisdom, practical advice, and forward-looking insights. From Advertising to Amazon Mastery Nir shares his journey from the advertising world to becoming a pivotal figure in the Amazon marketplace. His transition from a strategic planner and business development manager to an Amazon expert illustrates a deep understanding of market dynamics and the importance of adapting to the evolving e-commerce landscape. Nir's ability to pivot and harness his advertising acumen within the Amazon framework underscores the significance of agility and strategic foresight in today's fast-paced market. Addressing Amazon's Operational Quirks The podcast delves into the intricate details of Amazon's operational challenges, such as listing suspensions, account shutdowns, and the nuances of appeal processes. Nir's expertise shines as he discusses the importance of proactive measures, the intricacies of navigating Amazon's compliance requirements, and the strategic approach to resolving disputes with Amazon. His advice on dealing with Amazon's complexities offers a roadmap for sellers seeking to safeguard their businesses and maintain a smooth operational flow. Technological Advancements and Seller Strategies Highlighting Amazon's technological advancements, Nir discusses how sellers can leverage these developments to their advantage. The conversation covers the importance of staying updated with Amazon's evolving algorithms, image recognition capabilities, and the potential implications for sellers' listings and overall visibility. These insights are crucial for sellers aiming to optimize their presence and performance on the platform. Empowering Sellers Through Knowledge and Preparedness Nir emphasizes the power of knowledge and preparedness in the Amazon selling process. By understanding Amazon's guidelines, anticipating potential issues, and being equipped with well-thought-out strategies, sellers can navigate the platform more effectively and mitigate risks associated with their Amazon ventures. Summary: A Convergence of Expertise and Strategy This episode with Nir Raveh is a treasure trove of wisdom for Amazon sellers at all levels. The detailed discussion provides a comprehensive overview of the strategic, operational, and technological aspects of selling on Amazon, equipping listeners with the knowledge to navigate the platform's complexities confidently. The insights shared by Nir, combined with Adam's probing questions, make this a must-listen for anyone looking to master the art of selling on Amazon. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Get 50 off using Discount code: 202450 Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, East West Basics, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.” Looking for a Free PPC Audit? https://www.databrill.com/  

Seller Sessions
China's Slow Meltdown For Amazon Sellers

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 25:57


China's Slow Meltdown For Amazon Sellers Welcome to another enlightening episode of Seller Sessions, where host Danny McMillan engages with the ever-insightful Steve Simonson. This session dives deep into the evolving dynamics of global logistics, supply chain intricacies, and the strategic foresight needed in today's unpredictable market landscape. Unpacking the Logistics Landscape: A 2024 Outlook Current Climate Overview: Steve Simonson shares his expertise on the logistical challenges and changes as businesses transition into 2024, emphasising the importance of adaptive strategies in the face of unforeseen global shifts. Supply Chain Insights: Discussion revolves around the post-COVID supply chain recovery, unexpected hurdles, and the criticality of staying agile amidst fluctuating container costs and transit times. Strategic Foresight and Adaptive Planning Forecasting Faux Pas: Simonson reflects on past predictions, highlighting the unpredictable nature of supply chain disruptions and the necessity of resilient planning. Real-time Adjustments: He shares anecdotes of swift strategic shifts his team made in response to the dynamic global trade environment, underscoring the essence of flexibility in business operations. China's Economic Conundrum: Impact on Global Sellers China's Slow Meltdown: A deep dive into the economic and industrial challenges within China, including liquidity crises and the effects on manufacturing sectors and global sellers. Navigating Manufacturing Uncertainties: Simonson offers valuable advice on mitigating risks associated with factory closures and capital constraints, advocating for strategic negotiations and the importance of securing favourable terms. Diversification and Global Manufacturing Shifts Beyond China: Exploring the strategic shift of manufacturing bases to countries like Vietnam and India, considering their proximity advantages, labor dynamics, and industrial capacities. India's Potential Unpacked: A nuanced look at India's burgeoning role in the global manufacturing landscape, balancing its skilled workforce against the backdrop of technological and infrastructural development. Leadership and Organisational Growth Blueprint for Effective Leadership: Simonson is set to lead a workshop focusing on foundational leadership qualities, strategic decision-making, and cultivating a culture that aligns team satisfaction with customer happiness. Future-Proofing Through Learning: Emphasising the importance of continuous learning, embracing mistakes, and the relentless pursuit of improvement in leadership and organisational success. Summary / Round-Up This episode with Steve Simonson offers a treasure trove of insights, from the intricacies of global logistics to the strategic nuances of leadership in uncertain times. As businesses navigate the unpredictable waters of 2024, Simonson's advice stands as a beacon for adaptable, forward-thinking strategies that can help steer companies towards sustained growth and resilience. Stay tuned for more enriching discussions on Seller Sessions, your go-to podcast for expert insights into the e-commerce world. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Get £50 off using Discount code: 202450 Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Intellivy, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Seller Sessions
The Challenge of Amazon's New Fee

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 39:54


The Challenge of Amazon's New Fee Host Danny McMillan and guest James McConnel Jr. delved into the complexities of Amazon's newly introduced fee structure. James, with over 40 hours dedicated to dissecting this topic, shared his profound understanding, emphasizing not just the increased workload for sellers but the nuanced challenges it presents. This conversation is crucial for Amazon sellers looking to navigate the murky waters of Amazon's fee adjustments with strategic foresight. Understanding the Fee's Complexity James McConnel Jr.'s analysis begins with acknowledging the inherent complexity of the new fee. Unlike straightforward increases in FBA or referral fees, this fee intricately ties into a seller's operational workflow, significantly affecting cash flow and demanding a higher level of strategic inventory management. It's not just about adjusting prices to cover increased costs but understanding the mathematical and logistical implications behind the fee structure. The fee's complexity lies in its basis on historical stock levels and its application to future orders, compelling sellers to meticulously plan their inventory levels to avoid penalties. Strategic Inventory Management and Planning One of the standout insights from James revolves around the strategic management of inventory levels. The fee calculation, relying on historical data, places immense pressure on sellers to maintain adequate stock levels. This approach by Amazon, while aiming to streamline inventory management, introduces a layer of unpredictability for sellers. It necessitates a shift from reactive inventory management to a more predictive and strategic model. Sellers are advised to not only monitor their current stock levels closely but also to analyze sales trends and forecast future stock needs more accurately. Navigating Amazon's Calculation Methods James pointed out the opacity of Amazon's calculation methods for this fee as a significant hurdle for sellers. The fee is computed weekly, with its roots in past inventory levels but does not account for inbound shipments until they're officially checked in. This discrepancy creates a blind spot for sellers, making it challenging to align their inventory strategy with Amazon's fee calculation timeline. It underscores the necessity for sellers to adopt a conservative approach to inventory management, ensuring they have a buffer to account for any delays or inaccuracies in Amazon's stock level calculations. The Complexity of Parentage and Variation Management For sellers with products that come in multiple variations, the new fee introduces additional layers of complexity. James emphasized how the fee calculations take into account the entire parent SKU, affecting inventory management decisions for individual child SKUs. This scenario presents a double-edged sword; on one hand, it offers an opportunity to balance stock levels across variations to mitigate fees, while on the other, it risks penalizing sellers for underperformance in just one of the variations. Sellers must meticulously manage their product variations, potentially reorganizing their product listings to optimize for fee efficiency. James's Inventory Management Calculator In response to the challenges posed by this new fee, James McConnel Jr. developed a calculator designed to aid sellers in estimating the optimal inventory levels to minimize fees. This tool is a testament to the need for precise and informed decision-making in inventory management. By inputting product dimensions and weight, sellers can receive tailored recommendations on stock levels that balance the risk of incurring the new fee against the costs associated with holding excess inventory. This calculator represents a significant step towards empowering sellers with the data-driven insights needed to navigate Amazon's evolving fee landscape strategically. Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations The conversation between Danny McMillan and James McConnel Jr. sheds light on the critical aspects of Amazon's new fee structure, emphasizing the need for sellers to adopt a more analytical and strategic approach to inventory management. The insights shared by James, from the importance of understanding the fee's complexity to strategic inventory planning and the utilization of specialized tools like his calculator, are invaluable for sellers aiming to navigate this new challenge effectively. Sellers are encouraged to not only digest these insights but to actively engage with tools and strategies that can help them optimize their inventory levels. The key to success in this new fee environment is a combination of vigilant inventory management, strategic planning, and leveraging available resources to make informed decisions. As the Amazon marketplace continues to evolve, staying informed and adaptable will be crucial for sellers aiming to maintain profitability and operational efficiency.   Referenced Article: https://marketplaceprep.com/low-inventory-fee Seller Sessions Live Announcement: - Event Date: May 11, 2024 - Ticket Information: Available at Seller Sessions Live 2024 - Organizer: Databrill - Exhibitors: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, Ecomcy, and more. - Sponsorship Opportunities: For those interested in sponsoring, please get in touch. Praise for Seller Sessions Live: - Michele Venton heralds the event as "The first of its kind!" - Steve Consalvi calls it the "Best seller event so far!" - James Cissel describes it as "Insightful and actionable."

Seller Sessions
Unlocking Amazon's Algorithm with Colin Raja: A Deep Dive into Ranking, Indexing, and Keyword Strategies

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 23:34


Unlocking Amazon's Algorithm with Colin Raja: A Deep Dive into Ranking, Indexing, and Keyword Strategies In this insightful episode of the podcast, host Danny McMillan welcomes back Colin Raja, a New York-based brand builder who skyrocketed his startup from a modest investment to a million-dollar enterprise within 18 months. The duo embarks on a detailed exploration of Amazon's ranking mechanics, discussing indexing, keyword linking, and the future of Q&A features. Indexing Insights: Amazon's Evolving Indexing Strategy: Colin demystifies Amazon's indexing process, highlighting the transition from simplistic category-based indexing to a more nuanced approach involving product type, item type, and gender ledger. This evolution underscores Amazon's commitment to refining its categorisation to improve product discoverability and relevance. The Importance of Relevancy: As the conversation unfolds, Colin emphasises that relevancy and conversion rates are pivotal in achieving better rankings. He shares groundbreaking tactics, including leveraging Amazon's AI for semantic matching, which allows products to rank for related keywords without explicit indexing. Keyword Linking Mastery: Colin unveils his advanced keyword linking strategy, distinguishing between browse keywords and purchase keywords. By identifying and exploiting the intricacies of keyword relevancy and conversion metrics, Colin outlines how to optimise PPC campaigns and achieve significant ranking improvements. The discussion further delves into the use of bigrams and trigrams in creating a scoring system that enhances keyword relevancy and ranking potential. This sophisticated approach enables sellers to strategically position their products in highly competitive niches. Sunsetting of Q&A and its Implications: Highlighting an imminent shift in Amazon's platform, Colin predicts the phasing out of the Q&A feature. He advises sellers to capitalise on the current functionalities to enhance product visibility and keyword relevancy, underscoring the dynamic nature of Amazon's algorithm and the need for sellers to stay informed and adaptable. Summary: This episode is a treasure trove of strategies for sellers looking to navigate Amazon's complex algorithm. From the nuances of indexing and the power of keyword linking to adapting to platform changes, Colin Raja and Danny McMillan offer invaluable insights into achieving eCommerce success. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!" Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable."

Seller Sessions
Unlocking Amazon Success in 2024 with Kevin King

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2024 54:16


Unlocking Amazon Success in 2024 with Kevin King Kevin King returns, a name synonymous with cutting-edge strategies in the world of Amazon. This deep dive explores Kevin's top picks for the year, offering listeners a blend of forecasting, strategic advice, and actionable insights aimed at navigating the evolving landscape of our community. Strategic Highlights and Expert Insights: Product Selection and Sourcing: Kevin emphasizes the critical importance of product selection and sourcing, advising sellers to focus their efforts on these areas for maximum profitability. The discussion delves into the necessity of looking beyond traditional sourcing markets, such as China, to avoid potential geopolitical and supply chain disruptions. Leveraging AI and Technology: The conversation shifts to the utilization of AI, with Kevin sharing his approach to employing AI for analysis and brainstorming rather than content creation. He underscores the role of AI in enhancing operational efficiency and sparking creativity in product development and marketing strategies. Navigating Changes in Amazon's Ranking Algorithm: Kevin predicts significant changes in Amazon's ranking algorithm, urging sellers and tool developers like Helium 10 and Jungle Scout to adapt. He forecasts a shift towards AI-driven search mechanisms, which will transform traditional SEO practices and keyword optimization on Amazon. The Power of Imagery and AI in E-Commerce: Kevin discusses the increasing importance of images in e-commerce, suggesting that AI's role in analyzing and interpreting product images will play a pivotal role in search relevance and customer engagement. This segment highlights the need for high-quality, contextually appropriate images to enhance product visibility and appeal. Building a Robust Brand Presence Beyond Amazon: The dialogue encourages sellers to explore platforms like TikTok and to cultivate a brand presence across multiple channels. Kevin stresses the importance of building a direct relationship with customers through effective use of social media, newsletters, and other digital marketing tools. Embracing Change and Preparing for the Future: Throughout the episode, Kevin and Danny McMillan discuss the necessity for sellers to stay agile, embrace new technologies, and prepare for the inevitable shifts in consumer behavior and platform algorithms. The focus is on building a sustainable brand that can thrive amidst the fast-paced changes in the e-commerce ecosystem. Summary and Takeaways: This episode of Seller Sessions with Kevin King is a treasure trove of insights for e-commerce sellers aiming to stay ahead in 2024. From strategic product sourcing to the adept use of AI and the importance of multi-channel branding, Kevin offers a roadmap for success in an increasingly competitive online marketplace. Listeners are encouraged to embrace change, leverage technology, and focus on building meaningful connections with their customers to achieve long-term success. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: - Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK, Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Seller Sessions
Exploring Google Business Profiles with Norm Farrar

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 35:38


Exploring Google Business Profiles with Norm Farrar Introduction to Google Business Profile In this insightful episode of Seller Sessions, host Danny McMillan welcomes Norm Farrar, a seasoned entrepreneur and host of Lunch with Norm, to delve into the world of Google Business Profiles (GBP). Farrar shares his vast experience and knowledge, offering valuable insights for businesses looking to leverage GBP for enhanced visibility and growth. Key Insights from Norm Farrar Understanding Google Business Profile: GBP, previously known as Google My Business, is a platform for managing online presence. It's not just for local SEO or brick-and-mortar businesses; brands can benefit significantly. Only a tiny fraction of eligible businesses utilize GBP effectively. Utilizing GBP for Brand Visibility: Businesses can geo-target regions, cities, or even countries. Instant indexing on Google when using GBP. Key strategy: Regularly update GBP with relevant information and promotions. Integration with Other Google Services: GBP integrates seamlessly with Google Analytics, offering detailed insights. Utilizing Google Sheets for daily updates can significantly boost SEO rankings. Encouraging user reviews through GBP can enhance credibility and visibility. Maximizing the Impact of GBP: Consistent updates are crucial; a stagnant profile is ineffective. Use of Google Sheets for dynamic content changes. Incorporating various types of content (images, offers, events) for engagement. The Importance of Reviews and User-Generated Content: Aim for at least 20-25 reviews for credibility. Encourage user-generated content for authenticity and engagement. Utilize contests and promotions to generate interest and participation. Leveraging GBP for E-commerce: Link GBP with e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify. Use GBP for promoting specific products, offers, and events. Strategic Updates and Content Posting: Regular updates are essential; however, avoid over-posting to maintain authenticity. Balance between informative posts and promotional content. Event-Based Marketing Through GBP: Creating events on GBP can drive more traffic and engagement. Use events for product launches, special promotions, and seasonal sales. Real-world Examples and Success Stories: Farrar shares examples of businesses that have significantly benefited from using GBP strategically. Tips for Effective GBP Management: Ensure all relevant fields are filled with updated information. Regularly update hours, especially during holidays, to avoid showing as closed. Summary and Round-Up Norm Farrar's discussion with Danny McMillan on Seller Sessions provides invaluable insights into the effective use of Google Business Profiles for enhancing brand visibility and engagement. The strategic use of GBP, integrating with Google's array of tools, and focusing on user-generated content and reviews can significantly impact a brand's online presence and SEO performance. This episode is a must-listen for businesses and entrepreneurs looking to leverage GBP for their growth and online marketing strategies. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify, and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Seller Sessions
The Broad Match Show with Adam Heist

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2024 55:05


The Broad Match Show with Adam Heist Amazon Selling: Navigating the 2024 Landscape Adam Heist's Insights: Predicts a shift in Amazon strategy from keyword focus to more nuanced approaches. Emphasizes the increasing importance of product quality, differentiation, and visual representation. Highlights the need for constant A/B testing and creative innovation in product listings and marketing. Danny McMillan's Perspective: Stresses the importance of understanding and adapting to the changing landscape of Amazon selling. Discusses the need for rigorous testing and the significance of sentiment analysis in product marketing. Conversion Rate Optimization: The New Frontier The Shift from Technical to Creative: Both Heist and McMillan agree that conversion rate optimization will be key. This includes a stronger focus on visual identity, product presentation, and customer experience rather than just technical aspects like keywords and PPC. Test Everything: McMillan emphasizes extreme testing, especially for underperforming products. Heist agrees, noting the importance of constantly innovating and adapting to stay ahead in the market. Personal Identity in Business Navigating Ups and Downs: Both hosts discuss the psychological challenges of running a business. They delve into the importance of not tying one's identity too closely to business success or failure. Ego and Business: Heist shares his experience of ego death and the realization that business achievements do not define personal worth. McMillan echoes this sentiment, discussing the importance of maintaining perspective and focusing on meaningful work over status. Looking Ahead: 2024 and Beyond Embracing Uncertainty: Both hosts emphasize the importance of being comfortable with the unknown and adapting to changes in the Amazon landscape. Personal Growth and Business Strategy: Heist discusses how personal growth has informed his business strategy, advocating for a more holistic approach to business and life. Key Takeaways for Amazon Sellers: The discussion concludes with key strategies for Amazon sellers in 2024, focusing on adaptation, customer experience, and personal well-being. Summary/Round-Up Adapting to Change: In 2024, Amazon sellers will need to adapt to a more nuanced and customer-focused approach. This includes less reliance on keywords and more emphasis on product quality, differentiation, and customer experience. Conversion Rate Optimization: This will be crucial, with a shift towards creative and visually appealing product presentations. Emotional Resilience: Sellers should focus on their personal growth and not solely define their worth by their business achievements. Future Outlook: Embracing the unknown and being adaptable will be key to succeeding in the evolving landscape of Amazon selling. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, MultiplyMii, Zignify and Ecomcy. P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Seller Sessions
Advanced Level Landing Page Optimization (Walkthrough) for 2024

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 22:36


Advanced Level Landing Page Optimization (Walkthrough) for 2024 In the constantly evolving digital landscape of 2024, landing page optimization remains a pivotal element for online marketing success, especially for Amazon sellers with their own websites. This In-Depth podcast we walk you through the anatomy of an effective landing page, essential design strategies, and the critical nuances that distinguish high-converting pages in 2024. The Anatomy of a Landing Page Essential Elements: Headline: This is your primary attention grabber. It should be compelling and succinct, clearly stating what you offer. Sub-headline: It supports and expands on the headline, adding more context or details. Single Call to Action/Form: A clear, focused action for users is crucial. This could be a sign-up form, download button, sales inquiry, or product purchase. Conversion Button Colour: The button should stand out, unique and distinct, not replicated elsewhere on your site. Minimize Distractions: The page should be free of unnecessary navigational elements, except for a back button, to keep the user focused on the conversion goal. User Eye Movement: Understanding that users typically scan from left to right in a zigzag pattern is essential. Positioning conversion elements, like forms or buttons, is often more effective on the right-hand side to align with this natural eye movement. Design and Copywriting Strategies: Experiment with Layouts and Copy: Using a mix of paragraphs and bullet points can make the information more digestible. Capturing Zigzag Eye Movement: Align content to match the typical scanning patterns observed in heat maps. Adhere to the 10 Second Rule: Engage users within the first 10 seconds, including page load time, to prevent them from leaving the site. Example - Amazon's Product Detail Page (PDP): Amazon's PDP showcases effective button placement and color, aligning with typical user eye movement patterns. While it deviates from the single conversion goal norm, Amazon successfully employs multiple conversion opportunities, though this strategy may not suit all brands. Not All Landing Pages are Created Equal Long landing pages with flashy, hypnotic text might work for certain products like diet pills, but this approach can be detrimental for premium brands like Apple. Good design equates to trust. Lean copy, high-quality images, and concise language are generally more effective. For more technical products, a combination of video and copy with specialized language may be necessary. The "Keep It Stupid Simple" (KISS) principle often applies here. Issues with Mobile Mobile optimization is challenging due to limited screen space. The message and design must work together to create a better user experience. This means being concise and ensuring that the design is mobile-friendly. Check out the Seller Sessions Youtube Channel to follow along. Key Questions for Landing Page Strategy Target Audience: Are they warm, hot, or cold customers? Variations Needed: How many versions of a landing page are required, and for whom? Testing Long and Short Forms: Determining the effectiveness of each in engaging different audience segments. Targeting Example For Seller Sessions Live Landing Page For paid ads targeting ages 30-55 on desktops, this approach considers that the core audience is likely to engage more deeply with content on a larger screen, especially for higher-priced items. The convenience of switching between tabs for additional research is crucial, less so on mobile. However, a separate mobile campaign can be developed later, targeting users by device. Conversely, for those entrenched in the Amazon FBA community, landing pages are constructed with an inherent warmth, considering the audience's familiarity with the brand and speakers. For email campaigns, mobile optimization is crucial as the platform on which customers open emails is less predictable. Subscribers have already shown interest, so the approach is tailored accordingly. Leveraging Technology for Optimization Browser compatibility is a significant factor in conversion rates. Tools like Browser Stack, which costs about $60 per month, are invaluable. They allow you to test every browser and operating system configuration, identify bugs, and ensure compatibility. The tool's page tester provides screen grabs across browsers, helping to quickly identify and address issues, a common use for this technology. Conclusion Don't let your landing page be a leaky bucket and waste precious time and ad dollars on lazy quick pages, the wins are in the details and the payoff is higher conversion rates. Seller Sessions Live May 11, 2024 Grab tickets – https://sellersessions.com/live2024/ Brought to you by: Databrill Exhibitors Include: - Uncapped, Getida, VAA, AVASK. Ecom Brokers, Kata Logistics, Data Dive Tools, Mint Accounting, Zignify and Ecomcy. Cheers Danny P.S. Interested in Sponsoring? Get in touch. Michele Venton: "The first of its kind!” Steve Consalvi: "Best seller event so far!" James Cissel: "Insightful and actionable.”

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon
Helium 10 Buzz 1/11/24: Shipping Price Hikes | Amazon AI Listing Changes | Walmart Ads Update

Serious Sellers Podcast: Learn How To Sell On Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2024 16:09


We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's Brand Evangelist, Shivali Patel. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, Walmart, and E-commerce space, interview someone you need to hear from and provide a training tip for the week. Global shipping rates set to jump as carriers avoid the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/10/global-shipping-rates-set-to-surge-as-carriers-avoid-red-sea.html Walmart Connect now allows brand term targeting for Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Video campaigns to help suppliers and sellers gain new customers and defend and maintain share of voice. https://gecrm.my.salesforce.com/sfc/p/#61000000ZKTc/a/8Y0000010m2h/7xTFu8gBw7LO5UHgY1DcW.oPCExzSEZqfWAJlat9k_g Improve your campaign performance on rest of search placements using Sponsored Products rest of search bid adjustment control https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/improve-campaign-performance/ Sponsored Display is expanded to Amazon Business globally https://advertising.amazon.com/en-us/resources/whats-new/sponsored-display-amazon-business-globally/ How Amazon Fashion is using AI to help you find the perfect fit https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/how-amazon-is-using-ai-to-help-customers-shop Walmart unveils new generative AI-powered capabilities for shoppers and associates https://blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2024/01/09/walmart-unveils-new-generative-ai-powered-capabilities-for-shoppers-and-associates/ Alibaba Boosts SMEs With New AI Feature at CES 2024 https://aithority.com/technology/alibaba-boosts-smes-with-new-ai-feature-at-ces-2024/ Sky High Ambitions: Walmart To Make Largest Drone Delivery Expansion of Any U.S. Retailer https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/01/09/sky-high-ambitions-walmart-to-make-largest-drone-delivery-expansion-of-any-us-retailer Walmart unveils latest technologies at Consumer Electronics Show https://drugstorenews.com/walmart-unveils-latest-technologies-consumer-electronics-show Our training tip for this week is how to add Helium 10's Follow-Up tool to your toolkit, gathering customer reviews has never been smoother. So, buckle up because you've got yourself an episode brimming with actionable insights and essential updates for every serious seller out there.   In this episode of the Weekly Buzz by Helium 10, Shivali covers: 00:45 - Amazon Fees to Hike 300%?! 02:42 - Unenroll, Avoid Suspension 04:20 - Walmart Brand Term Targeting 05:48 - New Placement Bid Adjustments 06:20 - Sponsored Display Expansion 06:51 - AI Powered Innovations 08:20 - CES Announcements 10:18 - Comparison Charts Gone! 11:22 - Pro Training Tip: Automated Request A Review 14:00 - Join And Meet Bradley In These Events ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Shivali Patel: Amazon shipping prices to increase by 300%, unenroll an automated AI, changes to your listings and a plethora of new AI-powered integrations. This and more on this week's episode of the Weekly Buzz.   Bradley Sutton: How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think.   Shivali Patel: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers podcast by Helium 10. I am your host, Shivali Patel, and this is the show that is our Helium 10 Weekly Buzz, where we give you all the latest news in the Amazon, Walmart and e-commerce space and we also provide you with a training tip of the week that will give you insight into serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. Let's see what's buzzing this week. First up, let's jump to shipping and logistics. I'm currently on CNBC and, as you can see, the latest news is global shipping rates are set to experience a steep rise.   Shivali Patel: In order to divert ships from the Red Sea, where there has been a surge of ships being attacked with drones and missile strikes by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, new routes are being taken, extra fees are being imposed and, as a seller, you should expect longer transit times. Analysts are actually warning the chaos could bring about a second wave of inflation, as many container companies are electing to reroute the vessels through routes sailing around Africa's Cape of good hope, making the journey longer than usual. Of course, for sellers everywhere, this differs based on where you're sourcing. This also comes at the expense of time, money and delayed product deliveries, and while we can hope that the global supply chain will eventually return to normal, for the time being it's probably best practice for you to prepare your inventory, turnover and profit margins accordingly. I actually recently had a conversation with Brock from Foursquat and I quote he said that it does affect every line price and departure times and schedules. Majority of these shipping lines have 10 to 15 day delays. If we're talking about a departure from China, that container vessel has to go from China to England, which will then go from England to USA, and every sailing schedule is connected to one another. From China to UK. It's around 7,000, versus two months ago when it was $2,500. The main problem being the total turnaround time. And of course, this has a massive impact because Chinese New Year is also around the corner. Geez, talk about a steep height and a snowball effect. Understandably so, but as a seller myself, I don't love it, though I would prefer my shipments remain intact. Hopefully, as a seller, you are able to make feasible changes that sustain your business needs.   Shivali Patel: Next up, we have this post that Jason made in our serious sellers club Facebook group yesterday. The meat and gravy of this post is actually based in something that we reported on the weekly bus a few weeks ago. At some point, amazon announced they would start potentially optimizing listings using AI. Now we've seen many, many sellers report that their titles, even their bullet points, were getting changed, sometimes without notice, and occasionally those changes end up being products that could get a listing suspended.   Shivali Patel: Thankfully, there is a way that you can unenroll from this and if you are someone who wants to opt out, here's how you do it. So you're going to want to go to your seller central account and once you're there, go ahead and open up that left paneling click inventory, not inventory catalog, click add products. Once you're on this page, then you're going to go to this section down below where it says explore brand selection, click learn more, and by going to the page that this takes you to, you'll see there's an option right here that says you can unenroll from the program at any time. So go ahead and select that and then at the very bottom of this page, you'll see it says no thanks, I do not wish to enroll, and go ahead and select that From there. You are good to go. If, in the case that Amazon has already chained something like they did for David right here, then you will need to create a case for it to be resolved and affirm that you want to be the lead contributor, as you are the brand owner. So there you have it. It is really as simple as that. But you will want to make sure that you're doing this if you want to defend your listings against any changes that you haven't made yourself. With that, let's go ahead and move forward to a different fruitful note, where we have an article from Walmart Connect.   Shivali Patel: Part of being a seller is gaining new customers and retaining loyal ones. So, outside of the clear variables to stay on top of, such as knowing your customer and ensuring your brand and products are relevant to the customers you're targeting, having great keywords, compelling listings, creatives and utilizing brand shop and shelf URLs, setting up a defensive for your brand by bidding on your own and your competitor's branded terms is really beneficial. So the good news with Walmart Connect is they actually allow brand term targeting now for sponsored products, sponsored brands and sponsored video campaigns, so that way, customers can discover your brand and products when you advertise, while simultaneously helping you defend and maintain share of voice, as it says right here. This is really cool because, statistically speaking, Walmart has publicly revealed that 58% of customers surveyed will spend time looking for a discount, while 54% of Walmart consumers are open to switching brands if it means getting a better value for the same products. I know my family is definitely a part of these metrics. So to use it, make sure that you bid on keywords related to your competitor's brands and products, and bear in mind that there are some restrictions. For instance, you cannot bid on Walmart private labels, and this is only applicable for exact match keywords. Now that's Walmart toggling gears.   Shivali Patel: What's happening over at Amazon? Well, a few things. But to start, advertisers can now apply bid adjustment for rest of search placements in their sponsored product campaigns. Looks like they're saying that the new bid adjustment control for rust of search works pretty much the same as the adjustments available for top of search and product page placements. So, if you choose, you can adjust bids up to 900%, just like the other two placements. This is great for helping you balance out campaign performance throughout your placements. Amazon has also expanded their sponsored display to show up on Amazon business globally with placements on the homepage, search and detail pages, be it on desktop and mobile, meaning you can now promote to business shoppers with exclusive pricing, such as quantity discounts, as they tend to purchase in bulk and more frequently than regular customers. This is available in North America, parts of Europe and Asia Pacific.   Shivali Patel: For a continuation of exciting changes, ai has been all the rage since its inception and when reading up on different news pieces, that definitely shines through. Platforms like Amazon and Walmart are tapping in. For instance, amazon fashion here is using AI to help consumers find the perfect fit. Alongside that fit insights tool If you remember, I talked about it the last time I hosted weekly buzz and hopefully for you as a seller, this can translate to less returns overall, while improving the overall experience that you deliver to your consumers. Similarly, in terms of Walmart, most families spend six hours planning household groceries and shopping. Many do it digitally.   Shivali Patel: Now the company is moving towards using a generative, ai powered search function to expand their searches, with the intent of allowing shoppers to look for specific themes, ideas, products across a host of categories. As an example, here on Microsoft's blog, we have a parent who is planning a birthday party for a child that loves unicorns and, as opposed to typing in maybe independent searches or running multiple different things such as napkins and plates, you can now just type in help me plan a unicorn themed party for my daughter and instantaneously you have a goal based search as opposed to scroll searching, and I really liked that identification right here. So it says shifting from scroll searching to goal searching. At the end of the day, both of these news pieces are a testament to a move towards a more customer centric approach. In other news, at CES, which is currently happening, alibabacom also dove into their newly developed smart assistant, which acts as an intuitive personal assistant guide to sourcing, where an AI powered robot can help you with your basic queries regardless of time zones or language barriers. This is an in addition to their September 2023 launch of upgraded image searches and smart requests for quotations to allow business owners to manage data collection and insights from a single touch point, and I'm excited about this. I know something we always consider is how well we are able to communicate with our suppliers, and the language barrier can make it difficult to understand the efficiency of operations. With this, hopefully, it expands the efficiency and ability to work with even more suppliers.   Shivali Patel: Ps, Alibaba debuted a new campaign to celebrate entrepreneurial spirit and innovation and, since we're all a little bit nuts about what we do, it's actually a super fun quiz. We have our own link so you can be eligible for prizes from Alibaba. Just go to H10.me slash nuts that's again h10.me forward slash nuts to see what kind of nuts you are. I think I was a cashier when I took this quiz and Bradley was a chest nut. Okay, more from CES.   Shivali Patel: Walmart's Tuesday keynote expressed they will be expanding their drone delivery to 1.8 million additional households in the Dallas fourth worth metropolitan area. While their drone delivery system isn't exactly new, their expansion signifies demand, efficiency and growth. The company also revealed an in-home replenishment which uses AI to understand consumer shopping habits and then keep them stocked with their favorite groceries after determining a cadence, as well as a beta platform that's called shop with friends, which will allow customers to create outfits visually and then get some feedback from their networks. Lastly, if you haven't seen it yet, inside of the news section, directly inside of your seller central account, amazon has opted to make some changes on what documents are acceptable to standardized product listings, as well as make it easier for your consumers to understand the information that's available about your product.   Shivali Patel: From January 29th 2024, you will not be able to upload or edit the following on your product detail pages. This does include brochure, comparison charts, compatibility guides, FAQ, size charts. There's quite a few things, but in the case that any one of these already exists on your page, then that will stay there until February 26th, at which point they will be able to remove it from your product detail page. And all this is to say that if there is certain information you want to ensure stays on your listing page, make sure you audit your SKUs and then move that information to the appropriate sections or at least respond to that in a supported format, reflect uploaded accordingly. So that concludes our news pieces for the week. With that said, we move forward to the training tip of the week. Having substantial social proof is such an integral part of driving momentum in any business, so I'm going to pass it off to Carrie, where she will share a little bit about Helium 10's Follow-up tool.   Carrie Miller: Hello everyone, I've been noticing lately that a lot of you have been asking how to get more reviews on your Amazon listings, and I have a very simple, easy and quick way to set up an automation that will help you to get more reviews with no effort, pretty much other than just setting this up. Now you have access to this tool If you're platinum diamond, elite. All the plans should have access to this, so it's a great thing to utilize. If you have not yet utilized it, the first thing that you want to do is you want to obviously log into your helium 10 account, and once you're logged into your helium 10 account, you're going to go up to the top here where it says follow up, and you're going to click on follow up, and then, once you're in the follow up tool, you can obviously set up your own kind of customized automations, but that takes more time and effort. I would recommend just doing what I tell you here, and this is an automation, so email automation is where you're going to go next, and then what you're going to do is you're going to go up to the right hand corner where it says new automation and you're going to click on new automation and then you're going to click here where it says send a message to request a review. Once you click on that, you're going to click on create a new automation and this is where you're going to kind of set up the parameters here. Now, if you wanted to use this for a certain ASIN, like you wanted this automated request to go for a certain ASIN, you're going to put that ASIN right. You can click on this and you can add this filter and you're going to put the ASIN in here. You can also do that by skew as well, but that is how you are going to be able to do the request review and this is an automated email that goes out through Amazon that they already do.   Carrie Miller: The only other thing that you are going to want to edit is this wait time. So this is how long they wait after you had an order placed. I recommend 12 to 25 days. You mean you can really go anywhere in here. So maybe day 20, you can add that action and then you're going to hit save and exit and it's going to basically automatically send these emails to request a review from Amazon. This is a very quick and easy way to get those reviews that you want and if you haven't set this up. Once you've set it up, it'll automatically request those reviews for you. Basically, it goes through Amazon and Amazon requests those reviews, so check it out, if you haven't already. Again, that's the follow up tool and let us know what you think.   Shivali Patel: Incredible. So there you guys have it. Make sure you're making use of our email automation functionality to help you streamline your processes and keep that Amazon flywheel in motion. Before I close out, I just want to briefly touch on some of our upcoming January meetups and conferences. I know Bradley covered these last week, but perhaps between then and now some things have changed and if you have the bandwidth, obviously we would love to see you. Don't forget to let us know in the comment section if you're attending any of these.   Shivali Patel: First up, we have a Dubai meetup on the 12th, which is this Friday. I believe this event is sold out now, but if you are nearby or you already have tickets, you will likely be meeting up with Bradley and Crystal from Amazon Seller Society. It's a casual meetup in the morning, hosted at the Movenpick Hotel apartments in downtown Dubai. Find out more at h10.me forward slash Dubai meetup. And a couple days later, on the 14th, Bradley will be in Lahore at the Pearl Continental for a reality check. If any of you are tuning in from areas close to there, then hey, it might be something you want to consider heading over to. Then we have our Frankfurt event on the 25th. I'll be there. Bradley will be there. It's a Helium 10 Elite event we're hosting in collaboration with Avask that typically only elite members in Avask plus members get to go to. If you are an elite or Avask plus member, you get in for free, but what typically costs elite members in the 600 range, this time, if you're not a member, you can still access this full day event for only 75 euros, because it is the first of its kind in Europe.   Shivali Patel: We have a carefully curated but killer lineup of speakers Matt Altman from ClearAds, Kara Sayer from Snooze Shade Both are flying in from UK, Nick from Boomed Silas, who used to be head of paid and organic search at Lego, and a few others. You don't even need to rent a car or anything, because it'll be at a venue located inside of the Frankfurt airport. Literally just fly in and come through. And the biggest event is in Berlin with AMZ Hackers live conference at h10.me/germany on January the 27th. Again, Bradley and I will both be there, so come, swing by and say hello. Hope you enjoy this week's episode. We will see you next week to see what's buzzing.  

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)
#175 - Cómo expandir nuestro negocio de Estados Unidos a Europa, con Hannah Santin

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2023 24:41


Expandir una empresa hacia Europa suena como una buena idea, pero hacerlo es un proceso bastante más complejo que participar de una misión comercial o hacer un “viaje exploratorio” para ver el mercado. Para evitar cualquier error, en este episodio contamos con Hannah Santin, que es desarrolladora de negocios internacionales en AVASK, una firma internacional de contadores y expertos en impuestos, especialistas en la expansión del comercio electrónico mundial. Según nuestra invitada, lo primero y principal que un vendedor debe tener en cuenta al momento de expandirse para Europa es cubrir la parte fiscal de la empresa, teniendo “un número de IVA en el país donde vamos a importar y almacenar la mercancía, seguido de un número EORI, que nos va a permitir importar o exportar hacia o desde la Unión Europea”. “Luego de esto, dependiendo de los planes que se tengan, vamos a tener que cumplir con otras regulaciones”, afirma Hannah. “Cuando ya contamos con esos números dados de alta, tenemos que encontrar un proveedor, que va a actuar como transportista de la mercancía, y contratar a un agente de aduana, para ayudarnos directamente con la importación y presentar la declaración para que los productos puedan entrar”, agrega nuestra especialista. Ingresar al mercado europeo puede ser más fácil de la mano de Amazon, ya que nos ofrece facilidades para el desarrollo de la gestión. “El poder de Amazon como plataforma es indiscutible. Amazon nos ofrece muchas herramientas para expandirnos mediante su plataforma en Europa. Una de ellas, y la más importante, es FBA, que nos permite almacenar con Amazon y que ellos hagan el envío y la gestión del inventario”, comenta Hannah. En países como Estados Unidos, Amazon cobra directamente al momento del check out lo que viene siendo el sales tax, por lo que no es el vendedor quien tiene que incluir el porcentaje de sales tax, sino que Amazon lo recolecta y lo paga. En cambio, en Europa los vendedores tienen que incluir dentro del precio final del producto el IVA correspondiente y Amazon actúa como un facilitador. “Al nosotros no ser una empresa europea, Amazon se encarga de recolectar y de remitir ese IVA pero, aun así, es importante que el vendedor incluya el porcentaje dentro del precio de su producto”, recalca nuestra invitada. “Si quiero hacer mi expansión a Europa a través de Amazon, la recomendación para simplificar las operaciones es que a la empresa americana la registremos para efectos de IVA en Europa para comenzar a vender y almacenar en la región, pero la entidad que va a estar vendiendo va a ser la empresa americana, que es la que está como una entidad legal dentro del Seller Central. Si queremos hacer la expansión utilizando otros marketplaces, además de Amazon, entonces tendríamos que evaluar abrir una entidad completamente separada en Europa para hacer las ventas”, desarrolla nuestra especialista. Si incorporamos dos empresas en distintos países, cada una tiene un carácter jurídico completamente separado. “Si la empresa vende en Europa, las ventas que se realicen se declaran como ganancias en Estados Unidos”, asegura Hannah. Desde la parte operativa, tener dos empresas separadas es una carga administrativa para los vendedores, porque nos significa llevar dos contabilidades y separar las operaciones. Pero si se piensa vender en otros marketplaces que no sean Amazon, “últimamente se está pidiendo que haya una compañía incorporada dentro de la Unión Europea para poder vender a través de las plataformas”, enseña nuestra especialista. La elección de otros marketplaces para vender nuestros productos generalmente llega cuando tenemos más conocimiento sobre el mercado y una empresa más madura. “Es importante no depender únicamente de Amazon, sino diversificar mis canales de venta y dividir el riesgo porque, si algo pasa con la plataforma, se para toda nuestra operación. Hay marketplaces en Europa que ya están teniendo más alcance, sobre todo para algunas categorías específicas, como electrónicos”, destaca Hannah. Cuando elegimos un país para vender en Europa, hay que tener en claro que puede haber diferencias en la tasa de tributación, es decir, el impuesto sobre las ganancias. “Por eso siempre donde esté incorporada la compañía vamos a necesitar a nuestro gestor para que lleve a cabo los libros contables de la empresa y también declare las ganancias. Existen países que tienen ventajas frente a otros, pero también hay limitaciones. Entonces es importante entender como vendedor dónde soy un residente fiscal, cuál es mi país de residencia habitual, etc.”, aconseja nuestra invitada. Cada país tiene sus pros y sus contras. En el caso de Reino Unido, Hannah remarca que “tiene un excelente esquema de importación, porque incluye diferir el IVA de importación y sólo se pagan los aranceles, y esto es muy positivo para el cashflow de la empresa”. “Los Países Bajos también tienen varios esquemas que son muy buenos y competitivos. Países como Francia están introduciendo también diferir el IVA de importación. Hay países que están ofreciendo ese ‘extra' para motivar a los vendedores a expandirse”, añade. Como recomendación final, Hannah sostiene que es “muy importante hacer una traducción buena de los listados con un nativo del país y con alguien que esté especializado en hacer listados de Amazon”. Por otro lado, advierte que desconocer las implicaciones fiscales de los programas de Amazon es un error que no nos podemos permitir tener: “Si no nos informamos bien de eso, podemos estar sujetos a bloqueos de cuenta, podemos estar incumpliendo obligaciones fiscales, nos pueden llegar penalizaciones, etc.”, remata. Email: enquiries@avaskgroup.com / hannah.santin@avaskgroup.com

Seller Sessions
Hacking the Brain, Amazon Data & Living Life On Your Terms - with Anthony Cofrancesco

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 29:33


Adam Heist does his first in person interview with Anthony Cofrancesco from Data Dive.       Seller Sessions Live is Back! Grab A Ticket - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../seller-sessions-live... Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun!   This years line up thus far... More to be added   - [ ] Danny McMillan - [ ] Sharon Even - [ ] Leo Sgovio - [ ] Adam Heist - [ ] Jana Krekic - [ ] Tim Jordan - [ ] Ben Leonard - [ ] Ben Webber - [ ] Matt Altman - [ ] Erin Graybill - [ ] Kata Phipps - [ ] Cara Sayer Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK, Trendlution and Ecomcy. Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../seller-sessions-live...

Seller Sessions
User Generated Content For Amazon Sellers - Earn Buyers Trust!

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 16, 2023 51:47


On Thursdays with Sharon Even, we invite Christina Passmore from Christina Ink back to talk about how leveraging User Generated Content in your Business can not only help earn buyers' trust but also help grow Brand Awareness and of course Increase Sales! ………………………………………………………………………………. Seller Sessions Live is Back!   Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun!   This years line up thus far... More to be added   Danny McMillan  Sharon Even  Leo Sgovio  Adam Heist  Jana Krekic  Tim Jordan  Ben Leonard  Ben Webber  Matt Altman  Erin Graybill Kata Phipps Cara Sayer   Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK and Ecomcy   Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seller-sessions-live-tickets-333834777807

Seller Sessions
Tips & Tricks for Post Chinese New Year Product Sourcing for Amazon Sellers

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2023 22:12


Unpacking the Post-CNY Landscape: Insights and Strategies for Amazon Sellers on Thursdays with Sharon Even.   Join Sharon as she provides a comprehensive look at the current state of affairs in China and how it may impact your Amazon business & Get actionable tips on how to optimize your product for maximum profitability. Stay ahead of the curve and tune in for valuable insights and advice on Thursdays with Sharon Even.   ………………………………………………………………………………. Seller Sessions Live is Back!   Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun! This years line up thus far... More to be added Danny McMillan  Sharon Even  Leo Sgovio  Adam Heist  Jana Krekic  Tim Jordan  Ben Leonard  Ben Webber  Matt Altman  Erin Graybill Kata Phipps Cara Sayer Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK and Ecomcy Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seller-sessions-live-tickets-333834777807  

Seller Sessions
Amazon Seller Roundtable -Strategies For Inventory Auction and Rising Fees

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2023 37:21


Amazon Seller Roundtable -Strategies For Inventory Auction and Rising Fees   I'll be joined by an all-star line up of 7-8 figure sellers as we discuss some strategies around rising fees and Inventory Auction.   Leo Sgovio is an Amazon seller and innovative entrepreneur with a strong passion for digital marketing and technology. With over 15 years of experience in the e-commerce space, Leo has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with others. He started his career as an SEO and pay-per-click advertising specialist, working with companies such as Google and Adobe. In 2018 and 2019, Leo headed innovation at Viral Launch, a company that helps e-commerce businesses grow and scale on Amazon. After exiting one of his brands, Leo founded Convomat, an influencer marketing solution for Amazon sellers.   Leo is always looking for new and innovative ways to succeed on Amazon, and he loves sharing his strategies and growth hacks with others. Whether you're just getting started as an Amazon seller or looking to take your existing business to the next level, Leo is a valuable resource to have in your corner.   Benjamin Webber is a seasoned Amazon seller with a wealth of experience in the private labelling space. He has been selling on Amazon since 2015 and has built a successful 8-figure business with his partners, three friends from college. What started as a retail arbitrage operation run out of a house has now evolved into a thriving private label business, thanks to Benjamin's expertise and dedication.   Benjamin specialises in generating high conversions through listing optimisation and is skilled at building both internal and international teams.   Matt Altman is an experienced Amazon seller who has been successfully operating on the platform for the past 12 years. Over that time, he has sold a wide range of products and generated tens of millions of dollars in sales each year. Matt is always on the cutting edge when it comes to marketing on and off Amazon, and he is constantly seeking out new strategies to drive sales.   In recent years, Matt has focused mainly on the supplements space. He has a deep understanding of the Amazon marketplace and knows how to navigate the constantly evolving rules and regulations to achieve success. His team uses detailed data analysis, advanced algorithms, and high-level strategic planning to help sellers generate more sales from their existing traffic or come up with ideas for new products that can be sold profitably on Amazon. If you're looking to boost your sales on Amazon, Matt and his team are a valuable resource to have on your side. Also joining is James McConnel Jr one of the smartest people in the space when it comes to optimising logistics and 3PL costs. Seller Sessions Live is Back! Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun!   This years line up thus far... More to be added - [ ] Danny McMillan - [ ] Sharon Even - [ ] Leo Sgovio - [ ] Adam Heist - [ ] Jana Krekic - [ ] Tim Jordan - [ ] Ben Leonard - [ ] Ben Webber - [ ] Matt Altman   Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK   Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../seller-sessions-live...

Seller Sessions
Amazon FBA New Capacity Limits 2023 & AWD

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2023 27:11


Amazon FBA New Capacity Limits 2023 & AWD   Today on Thursdays with Sharon, we discuss the recent news of Amazon FBA's new capacity limits for 2023. Amazon has implemented new capacity limits for its Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. We'll discuss what these limits mean for sellers and how they may impact our storage, Additionally, we'll also delve into Amazon's new Automated Warehousing and Distribution (AWD) program and how it may change the way products are stored and shipped.   ………………………………………………………………………………. Seller Sessions Live is Back!   Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun!   This years line up thus far... More to be added   Danny McMillan  Sharon Even  Leo Sgovio  Adam Heist  Jana Krekic  Tim Jordan  Ben Leonard  Ben Webber  Matt Altman    Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK   Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seller-sessions-live-tickets-333834777807

Seller Sessions
Amazon PPC Roundtable: with Brian Johnson, Destaney Wishon, Dr Ellis Whitehead and Daniel Fernandez

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2023 62:03


Amazon PPC Roundtable: with Brian Johnson, Destaney Wishon, Dr Ellis Whitehead and Daniel Fernandez   Today, I am joined by the Brain, the First Lady of Amazon PPC, the Good Doctor and the Young Gun to discuss trends to look out for this year pertaining to Amazon PPC and we take a rear view look on 2022 and what progress we have seen over the last 12 months.     Brian Johnson is a leading strategist in Amazon Pay-Per-Click Advertising. He has founded several successful ventures in the eCommerce world, including the Amazon PPC Troubleshooting community, PPC Scope ad management software, and Canopy Management advertising agency. He is known for his ability to achieve success as an online seller and help other brands do the same.   Destaney Wishon is the Co-Founder and CMO of BetterAMS, a company that specialises in Amazon Advertising. She has extensive experience in managing ads for well-known brands and has managed advertising initiatives for over 100 brands through BetterAMS.   Dr. Ellis Whitehead is a Data Scientist and Algorithm expert and co founder of Databrill with Danny McMillan. He was one of the architect behind the smart technology used by Jungle Scout, a groundbreaking Amazon software tool. With a PhD in automation and data science, Ellis has a proven track record in solving complex problems through software engineering, mathematics, and data science.   Daniel Fernandez is an entrepreneur and expert in cross-border commerce, copyright, and marketing. He runs an Amazon marketing agency that specialises in PPC. With a global perspective and extensive knowledge of supply-chain logistics, international trade, and product launch strategies, Daniel helps brands successfully get their products into the hands of end-users.   ………………………………………………………………………………. Seller Sessions Live is Back!   Seller Sessions Live is back 13th May, bigger and better with a new home. With Seller Sessions Live 2022 being a sold out success, we want to go bigger and focus not just on bringing in the best 7 & 8 figure sellers but making sure you get multiple opportunities to network and have fun!   This years line up thus far... More to be added   Danny McMillan  Sharon Even  Leo Sgovio  Adam Heist  Jana Krekic  Tim Jordan  Ben Leonard  Ben Webber  Matt Altman    Would like to say a big thank you to our sponsors; Carbon6, Clearads, 8fig, Getida, Branded, VAA and AVASK   Get Tickets - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/seller-sessions-live-tickets-333834777807

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)
#133 - Autónomo o SL: ¿Cuál es la mejor opción para nuestro negocio?, con Sebastian Cantor

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2022 19:57


Hemos decido trabajar por cuenta propia, desarrollar nuestro proyecto de forma independiente y seguir en nuestra vida profesional un camino apasionante: emprender. Pero antes de ponernos en marcha, debemos tener muy claros ciertos aspectos de gestión esenciales para el lanzamiento de un negocio, y más si queremos expandir nuestra empresa hacia otros mercados, como el europeo. Hoy nos detenemos en uno de los más importantes: ¿Quieres ser autónomo o una Sociedad Limitada? Cada una de estas fórmulas tiene considerables ventajas y algunas desventajas a tener en cuenta. En este episodio veremos al detalle todo lo que concierne a esta decisión junto con nuestro invitado Sebastian Cantor, quien es desarrollador de negocios internacionales en AVASK y experto en comercio electrónico. La elección de la forma jurídica a la hora de emprender nuestro negocio es bastante importante porque eso va a tener una repercusión en nuestra empresa. Una no es mejor que la otra, pero depende de la madurez y el proyecto que tengamos para saber cuál tiene más relevancia. Teniendo esto en cuenta, Sebastian afirma que “podemos empezar siendo autónomos o una Sociedad Limitada”: “Como autónomo tienes una responsabilidad ilimitada y no te cubre la espalda como nos gustaría. Si alguna cosa sale mal con un cliente es posible que tengas que pagar con tu patrimonio personal; cosa que no pasaría con una Sociedad Limitada, ya que tu responsabilidad está sujeta a tu capital social”. Los tiempos para convertirse en autónomo son más cortos que la Sociedad Limitada. “Como autónomo en España, la constitución es bastante simple y no tarda mucho, puede ser de un par de días a una semana, que si comparas con la Sociedad Limitada, esta te puede llevar hasta un mes”, asegura nuestro invitado. Por otro lado, es importante saber que para ser autónomo no necesitas un capital social inicial para empezar como empresa; lo que contrariamente sucede con la Sociedad Limitada, que requiere al menos 3 mil euros de capital social o activos para poder iniciarse, que “es una inversión bastante alta”, considera Sebastian. “La mayoría de los clientes que están empezando inician siendo autónomos por el proceso rápido de creación, el coste, que no es mayor, y es la primera base para empezar en Europa dentro del comercio electrónico. Puedes comenzar desde cualquier plataforma y estarías tributando bajo el IRPF, que es un impuesto progresivo como muchos de los que puedes ver en otros países”, enseña Sebastian. Como emprendedores nos preguntamos en qué etapa de la empresa es conveniente convertirse en Sociedad Limitada, y según informa nuestro invitado, en España se debe hacer cuando tenemos “una facturación mayor a 39 mil euros anuales”. “Para la Sociedad Limitada se paga un 25 por ciento sobre la ganancia (el autónomo paga sobre el IRPF)”, añade nuestro especialista. “El cambio de autónomo a SL no es tan exhaustivo”, asevera Sebastian, ya que “puede tardar dos semanas como máximo”. Como bien decía nuestro especialista en el segundo párrafo, ser autónomo no nos cubre como quisiéramos ante algún inconveniente judicial. “La que te cubre legalmente al 100 por ciento es la Sociedad Limitada, ya que va a afectar solamente tu capital inicial, más cualquier capital que haya generado la empresa. En cuanto al autónomo, lamentablemente van a tu patrimonio personal. Si tienes la mala suerte de caer en un problema judicial y no tienes el dinero, responderás con cualquier activo que tengas en un futuro. Por eso, iniciar como autónomo está bien, pero luego conviene pasarse a una Sociedad Limitada, no sólo porque te estás protegiendo a ti mismo, sino también porque tienes más credibilidad como empresa y, al momento de adquirir financiación, los bancos te ven con otros ojos”, opina nuestro invitado. Para el caso de España, el costo medio de una PYME que es una Sociedad Limitada actualmente puede ser entre 600 a 900 euros. “Esto incluiría desde el registro mercantil, abrir la empresa, saber cuál es el nombre que está disponible, y luego hacer los trámites de inscripción, te dan el número de IVA, etc.”, cierra Sebastian. Email: consultas@avaskgroup.com

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)
#131 - Qué es el EPR y cómo afecta a los e-sellers, con Patricia Alava y José Villarroel

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2022 23:27


Sabiendo la situación del planeta, es ideal que las empresas tengan la obligación de cuidar el medioambiente de sus productos, fabricación y posterior desecho. En Alemania y Francia surgió el EPR (en inglés Extended Producer Responsibility) o RAP (del español Responsabilidad Ampliada del Productor), que es una política medioambiental que responsabiliza a los productores de todo el ciclo de vida de los productos que introducen en el mercado, desde su diseño hasta el final de su vida útil, incluyendo la recogida y reciclaje de residuos. Para concientizarnos y conocer de qué se trata esta nueva reglamentación, invitamos en este episodio a Patricia Alava, administrativa del departamento de Eco-legislaciones en AVASK, y José Villarroel, Extended Producer Responsibility Business Development Officer en la misma compañía. “La RAP se trata de un nuevo impuesto y se enfoca en recaudar valores que ayudan en el tratamiento y eliminación sostenible de estos productos”, define Patricia, mientras que José remarca: “Es importante destacar quién es el productor. El productor es quien coloca su producto por primera vez en el país, que es donde la regulación ya está establecida, y por ende se convierte en un producto sujeto a los requisitos de la RAP. El productor puede ser el que fabrica, el que importa al país o el que vende un producto”. Actualmente, el EPR está vigente sólo en Francia y Alemania, aunque estiman que se va a expandir por toda Europa. “En Inglaterra está previsto que inicie oficialmente en el 2024. Austria y Suecia también están por ingresar. No está del todo confirmado, pero España ingresaría en el 2023. Todos los países están encaminados a implementar esta regulación, porque el tema medioambiental está en niveles críticos y se está buscando la mejor manera de manejar estos desechos”, sostiene Patricia. La RAP está dividida por categorías. “En Francia, por ejemplo, si vendes productos que caen dentro de estas categorías debes registrarte. Tenemos la categoría de embalaje, aparatos eléctricos, pilas y baterías, mobiliario, neumáticos, papel, productos textiles y químicos y equipo médico de piercing”, enumera Patricia. Mientras que en Alemania, según José, “redujeron las categorías a tres solamente, que son embalaje, aparatos eléctricos y pilas y baterías”. “Pero el EPR es una regulación cambiante y puede que agreguen más categorías en los diferentes países”, comenta nuestro invitado. Respecto al registro, éste se hace una sola vez y así se obtiene un número de identificación. “Lo que hay que hacer anualmente es un reporte de las ventas. En el inicio se hace una proyección de ventas, es decir que puedes usar las ventas del año pasado y hacer una proyección para el próximo año y haces tu eco-contribución basada en esa proyección. Al final del año se hace un balance de lo que realmente vendiste VS lo que habías proyectado y pagas la diferencia en caso de que haya alguna variación o se te realiza una devolución en el caso de que hayas pagado de más”, enseña nuestra invitada. El número de registro es muy importante para luego publicarlo en nuestro marketplace o página web. “Cabe mencionar que para cada categoría existe un número diferente y cada una la maneja una organización distinta. Son organizaciones privadas autorizadas por cada país para realizar este tipo de actividad”, destaca Patricia, y añade: “El dinero que se recauda por la eco-contribución va a la organización que se encarga de hacer el desecho”. Hay un pago que debe hacer cada empresa y se basa en la cantidad de ventas anuales, por lo que el valor varía por cada vendedor, producto y país. “En Francia se basa en la cantidad de unidades, ya que no toman mucho en cuenta el material del embalaje, pero en Alemania sí se toma en cuenta la cantidad de unidades más el material de embalaje”, asegura Patricia, y afirma que “no hacen su cálculo de la contribución en base al precio de venta del producto”. Si no sabemos proyectar cuánto vamos a vender en un año, tendremos que pagar el mínimo, pero corremos el riesgo de que, “si luego vendemos 10 mil unidades, las organizaciones pueden tomarlo como que has querido pagar el mínimo y puedes caer en penalizaciones”, advierte Patricia. Actualmente, el valor mínimo a pagar en Francia son 80 euros anuales, mientras que en Alemania el mínimo son 25 euros. “Pero todo es de acuerdo al embalaje y las unidades vendidas. En las otras categorías entras a otros tipos de cálculos”, detalla Patricia.   Esta regulación todavía no la han aplicado a tiendas físicas, sino que sólo online. Y cuenta con fechas límites que hay que respetar para poder tener un número de registro. “Si no tienes el número de registro no puedes vender y por eso ha habido muchos cierres de tiendas de Amazon”, alerta Patricia. “En el caso de Alemania ya tuvimos una fecha límite este año que fue el 1 de julio para la categoría de embalaje”, informa nuestra invitada, y agrega: “También tenemos para Alemania el deadline en enero del 2023 para aparatos electrónicos”. “En el caso de Francia han sido más flexibles, porque el deadline que habían puesto para el packaging fue enero del 2022, pero le han dado la oportunidad a los vendedores de que se puedan poner al margen de la regulación por lo que resta del año”, puntualiza José. “Recomendamos que hagan el trámite con tiempo, porque muchas personas se quedaron sin su número de registro. En el caso de aparatos electrónicos, el registro tarda en completarse tres o cuatro meses. En embalaje tarda menos”, cierra Patricia. Email: consultas@avaskgroup.com

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)
#129 - Qué es OSS (Ventanilla Única) y cómo beneficia a los e-sellers, con Bruno Santochi

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 21:15


El concepto de Ventanilla Única o One Stop Shop (OSS) se trata de un único punto de referencia a través del cual el comercio electrónico puede realizar el pago de los impuestos cuando logra una venta en cualquier país miembro de la Unión Europea. Los temas tributarios suelen ser complejos pero a la vez muy útiles, y éste es uno de ellos. Por eso, hemos decidido en este episodio invitar a Bruno Santochi, quien es desarrollador de negocios internacionales en AVASK y experto en comercio electrónico, para que nos explique mejor de qué se trata este nuevo programa que ayudará a todos los vendedores que deseen expandirse por Europa. “La Ventanilla Única sirve para declarar las ventas a distancia que se hacen en Europa, que son las ventas que se realizan de un Estado miembro hacia otro”, explica Bruno, y agrega: “Previamente a este nuevo esquema tributario existían umbrales, que son los montos que establecía cada país y que, luego de superar en ventas esos montos, el vendedor tenía que tributar en cada país de destino. La principal diferencia ahora es que todos esos umbrales de los diferentes países se han abolido y se han unificado”. Esta idea se ha desarrollado con el fin de beneficiar a los e-sellers y hacer mucho más fácil la tributación de estas ventas a distancia entre países comunitarios. Según Bruno, “hay un único umbral de 10 mil euros anuales en ventas en todo Europa y, una vez superado, es obligatorio inscribirse en la Ventanilla Única”. “Lo bueno de esto es que ahora el e-seller tiene menos problemas y, desde el país donde está incorporado, vende, almacena y abastece al resto de los países enviando sus productos a la comunidad europea. Entonces se evita tener un registro de IVA en cada uno de esos países para solamente recolectar y remitir al resto de las haciendas europeas”, detalla. Previo a la llegada del umbral de 10 mil euros, el e-seller puede acogerse de forma voluntaria y se contabiliza con el IVA local. “La diferencia es que con la Ventanilla Única, el usuario final recibe el producto con el IVA correspondiente al país donde está adquiriendo el producto”, enseña Bruno. Hay que tener en claro que cada país tiene su IVA, pero con la ayuda de profesionales o compañías como AVASK, podemos alivianar cualquier trámite tributario. No obstante, la OSS aplica a todos los países de la UE. “Debemos constituirnos desde el país donde se hace el almacenamiento de productos para contabilizar las ventas a distancia”, recalca nuestro invitado. Cuando son empresas del extranjero que quieren sumarse al mercado de la Unión Europea, Bruno asegura que lo más común es constituir una SL, que es una Sociedad Limitada, o ser autónomo. “El registro de las empresas en Europa es bastante rápido en general. Tarda, en promedio, tres semanas. Y para la OSS es más rápido porque el registro es en forma digital. La idea es simplificar todo este aspecto tributario para hacerle la vida más fácil al e-seller y que sólo se enfoque en el desarrollo de su negocio”, afirma nuestro especialista. Además, Bruno aclara que el registro para incorporarse dentro de la OSS no tiene costo. Un punto muy importante a tener en cuenta es que las empresas que no están incorporadas en Europa, pero sí almacenan en el continente y venden a través de un marketplace como Amazon, tienen la ventaja de que la propia plataforma se hace cargo de esa recolección y remisión del IVA. “Las empresas que no están incorporadas en la UE tienen la obligatoriedad de registrarse cuando venden a través de su propia página web o alguna plataforma que no sea considerada marketplace”, remarca Bruno. Otro detalle a comprender es que la OSS no está vinculada a la contabilidad nacional, es decir que no reemplaza a la contabilidad local, sino que son cosas que van en paralelo. “Si un empresario de Estados Unidos quiere venir a constituir una sociedad, la contabilidad propia del país la lleva al contador local y luego informa las ventas a través de la OSS”, ejemplifica nuestro invitado. Finalmente, Bruno destaca que hay que saber que, en caso de que uno venda a través de Amazon o cualquier plataforma y utiliza algunos de los programas de Europa, como por ejemplo el Paneuropeo, “va a necesitar estar registrado con el IVA en cada país donde vaya a tener almacenamiento”. “Entonces son cosas que no se reemplazan sino que se complementan al efecto del registro del IVA”, cierra Bruno.

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)
#127 - Kit Digital: un programa para digitalizar las empresas de España, con Stefano Di Loreto y Jesús Andujar

Wizards Of Ecom (En Español)

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 31:39


¿Por qué elegir España frente a otros países europeos? Después de USA, es el mayor mercado electrónico por volumen de ventas. Además tiene otra gran ventaja que es la ayuda europea a las empresas con la digitalización de sus negocios con fondos de regeneración post Covid 19, conocidos como Fondos Next Generation Kit Digital. El programa piloto comenzó este año en España y se espera que para el año que viene se repita la convocatoria.  AVASK fue nombrado agente digitalizador por el programa y puede gestionar los bonos digitales no sólo en su trámite, sino en su ejecución. Por eso, en este episodio invitamos a Stefano Di Loreto, Business Manager para España e Italia en AVASK, y Jesús Andujar, quien también dentro del equipo de AVASK en Europa es el International Business Development Officer. “El Kit Digital es una iniciativa del gobierno español que tiene como objetivo principal llevar a las empresas a un nivel significativo en cuanto a la madurez digital de sus plataformas de gestión, y para lograr ese fin se hace uso de los fondos destinados por la comunidad europea post Covid y así se subvenciona la implantación de soluciones digitales para las empresas”, explica Stefano. “Aquí en Europa, luego de la pandemia, se dieron cuenta que lo único que funcionó fue el comercio electrónico y es lo que sujetó a las economías de todos los países miembros de la UE. Al igual que el siglo pasado, luego de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, hubo un impulso económico a través de los fondos Next Generation y se pusieron en marcha varias iniciativas. Unas se basan en llevar el Covid de la mejor manera posible; y otras, de cara a futuro, a impulsar a las PYMES y a los autónomos a desarrollarse digitalmente. Este programa piloto está teniendo sus réplicas y tendrá en el futuro otros modelos en otros países miembros de la UE”, asegura Jesús.     Como bien decíamos anteriormente, este programa ayuda a colaborar en las necesidades que pueda llegar a tener una empresa tanto en su página web, como marketplace y redes sociales, entre otros espacios digitales. “Desde AVASK ayudamos a tramitar esa ayuda, como buscarles un especialista para el desarrollo de listings en Amazon”, suma Jesús. Por su parte, Stefano destaca que “es importante considerar que esta ayuda del Estado es dinero que se obtiene gratuitamente, sin compromiso de retorno, simplemente el compromiso formal a invertir en las soluciones de digitalización”, y remarca: “Es una gran oportunidad que tenemos en España para recibir a todos los e-sellers que quieren entrar al mercado europeo, sentar bases en España y dar soluciones en términos de e-Commerce”. Para acceder al programa, es necesario registrar la empresa en España. “Un requisito del Kit Digital es que tengas registrada la empresa en España seis meses con el VAT español. Como ahora se están abriendo los tramos de petición del Kit Digital durante 12 meses, si vienes a registrarte en España y estás seis meses, puedes pedir esa subvención dentro de seis meses y cuando seas beneficiario del bono podrás utilizar esos fondos para tus necesidades con agentes digitales del programa, no con empresas terceras. AVASK es un agente digital del programa y podemos activar ese bono que te da el Estado”, resalta Jesús. “Si uno quiere realizar la expansión con la misma empresa que tiene en Estados Unidos, se debe abrir y registrar la compañía en España con el VAT y hacer las declaraciones correspondientes, porque mandaría parte de su inventario de Estados Unidos a España. Lo que nosotros sugerimos es que se abra una SL española y se separe el mundo de Amazon USA con su LLC y el mundo de Amazon Europa con una limitada española, porque luego ese negocio en Europa llega a un nivel de madurez tal que puede ser interesante para realizar un exit con una agregadora que nosotros ayudamos a contactar para que les hagan una oferta”, recomienda Jesús. Respecto a la logística, Jesús cuenta que hay partners de 3PL que ya están establecidos en España y en distintos puntos de Europa, y luego está la logística de Amazon FBA. “Para el movimiento de mercancía nos apoyamos en la estructura de Amazon, de los warehouses, y si quieres almacenar tu mercancía hay otros partners que se encargan del transporte y otros servicios del 3PL. Le entregas tu mercancía y ellos te la mueven dependiendo de tu necesidad y movimiento de ventas”, informa Stefano.   El bono que ofrece el programa varía dependiendo del número de empleados que tenga la empresa. Según Jesús, se divide en tres segmentos: de 0 a 3 empleados te dan un bono de 2 mil euros, de 3 a 9 empleados son 6 mil euros y los bonos grandes corresponden a PYMES medianas de 10 a 49 empleados. Como cierre, Jesús comenta que cuentan con los equipos contables desde AVASK que ayudan a llevar los libros contables anuales: “Si eres una LLC lo podemos hacer nosotros y, si te estableces como una empresa española, uno de nuestros partners locales colaborará con eso”. Página web: www.avaskgroup.com Emails: jesus.andujar@avaskgroup.com / stefano.diloreto@avaskgroup.com

Wizards of Amazon
#218-Demystifying Selling in the EU - What is OSS and IOSS - With Dr. Angelos Katsaris of Avask Group

Wizards of Amazon

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2022 48:47


Warning: This episode might sound intimidating at first but I guarantee a lot of learnings. The focus of the topic has something to do with what it looks like to sell or supply in the EU and the purpose is mainly to share solutions to possible problems your business is facing and get to focus more on scaling the business. I have her with me, Avask Group partner Dr. Angelos Katsaris and Piero Perera to give us glimpse of taxes and costs seller would need to register in order to sell in the EU. In This Episode: [00:30] Avask group on the show with Dr. Angelos Katsaris and Piero Perera. [01:45] A little background of Dr. Angelos and Pier and what are their positions at Avask and the rewarding part of their jobs. [06:17] What is Avask group? [10:56] VAT, OSS and IOSS means? [12:10] What does it look like to sell in the EU, cost and taxes. [16:40] Where does OSS come in? [22:40] VAT registration and requirements. [27:18] US based supplier who wants to sell in the EU. [29:35] The biggest marketplace in the EU. [32:50] Market research. [34:50] What does the process look like working with Avask?   Guest Links and References: Website: https://www.avaskgroup.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-angelos-katsaris-705b1550/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/piero-perera-21525bb0/ Book References: The Online Hustle by     Dr. Angelos Katsaris & Melanie V. Shabangu           Don't Make me Think by Steve Krug   Links and References: Wizards of Amazon: https://www.wizardsofecom.com/ Wizards of Amazon Courses: https://wizardsofamazon.mykajabi.com/a/27566/x6Kwkz6p Wizards of Amazon Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/South-Florida-FBA/ Wizards of Amazon on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WizardsofAmazon/ Wizards of Amazon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wizardsofecom/

Seller Sessions
Amazon Seller Opportunities With Aggregators.

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2022 21:54


Paul Harvey joins me today for an interesting conversation... Amazon operators are in high demand due to the influx of aggregators. But most companies and aggregators are struggling to find good talent. The irony is that most Amazon sellers fail... but still know a lot more than the aggregator's without operational chops and would be an asset to any ecom business. Seller Sessions is now sold out! 10 tickets left for Branded By Women.Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 30BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Video Assets And Why Amazon Sellers Should Utilise Multimedia Possibilities To Scale.

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2022 65:07


This week on Inspired with Bell... This is a mindset show and the Pinterest info is at 58 mins if you want to start from there. Bio: Matt Parker is Co-Founder of Pinformative; a marketing ,e-Learning development agency that works with Pinterest and is dedicated to scaling brands from a multitude of marketplaces including Amazon, Ebay, Shopify & Etsy. Matt has worked with many well known blue-chip companies all over the World including clients such as Universal Studios and the BBC television in the UK and is Co-Director of multiple 7-figure brands. Having been in the ecommerce World for over 15 years, he has been involved with over 250 top selling items scaling across Ebay, Amazon and Woocommerce. Primarily, his background is in multimedia programming and UI interface design which he initially studied at the University Of Wales.     Seller Sessions is now sold out!   17 tickets left for Branded By Women.Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 30BBW   Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/    Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly,  Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/  Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
April 2022 Logistics & Shipping Update with Refael Elbaz

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2022 43:36


On Thursdays with Sharon, Sharon Even welcomes back Refael Elbaz CEO of Unicargo International Logistics to give us an update on the current Shipping & Logistics situation. We go over: * USTR Exclusion of 352 products from Trump tariffs - Can you get refunds on the tariffs paid, if so how and what you need to know. * Update on current Shipping Rates * Port Congestion Update - How many Vesicles at anchor, time it takes to pass customs currently, and our prediction of what is to come * China Lockdowns and how they have and are impacting shipping and logistics * Labor Union Negotiations - How this may impact the LA ports * Bidon ban on Russian oil and how this is impacting trucking and more. Seller Sessions is now sold out! 19 tickets left for Branded By Women.Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 10BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Increasing Conversions On External Traffic By Sending To Store Page On Amazon

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2022 18:35


Brandon Nutter from Ampd joins me today to discuss external traffic and how that impacts on the store vs product page. Many of the results show a greater attribution for reduced ACoS and how best to set this up. We discuss products and user intent, how to plug the leaks and the copy on your Google Ads for a better yield. Seller Sessions is now sold out! 19 tickets left for Branded By Women.Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 10BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Optimising Your Account Health With A Structured Approach

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2022 17:52


Make your Amazon account healthier – and more profitable – one ASIN at a time Lesley Hensell is co-founder of Riverbend Consulting, where she oversees the client services team. Lesley has personally helped hundreds of third-party sellers get their suspended Amazon accounts and ASINs back up and running. She leverages two decades as a small business consultant to solve the underlying business issues in online retail businesses, resulting in improved operations and profitability. She has been an Amazon seller for a decade, thanks to her boys (20 and 14) who do most of the heavy lifting. A lifelong Longhorns fan, Lesley earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and volunteering for A Wish With Wings, a wish-granting organization for little Texans with life-threatening conditions. Seller Sessions is now sold out! 19 tickets left for Branded By Women.Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 10BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Building Your Parachute On The Way Down - Mindset Of Entrepreneurs

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2022 51:03


This week on Inspired With Bell...   As a refugee from Kyiv (Ukraine), Regina was not born into an entrepreneurial family - but she did watch he parents work hard for their new life and opportunities. Deciding in her mid teens that a "normal" life was too boring for her, Regina has spent the last 35 years figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up. An expert at jumping out of planes and building the parachute on the way down, she has travelled the world, built businesses, spoken on stages, inspired others and is super passionate about not living with regrets. She may even tell you her 3 favourite places-in the world to visit - they may surprise you. Seller Sessions is now sold out! 20 tickets left for Branded By Women. Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 10BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
How To Find Suppliers From Mexico Using Linkedin

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2022 17:34


As supply chain gets more and more complicated, lockdowns in China keep popping up and sourcing from China continues to become harder, we as product developers have learned that allowing our businesses to be solely dependent on manufacturing in China is not an option anymore. Mexico is a great option for many reasons - but how can we find suppliers? On Thursdays with Sharon, Sharon shows how she has been able to find Mexican-based tradeshows, summits, manufacturers, logistics companies and much more using Linkedin!   Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Use Discount code: 10BBW Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/  Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly,  Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps and many more Grab Tickets Now: https://brandedbywomen.com/  Ticket includes the full day conference and the Cocktail party brought to you by Helium 10 Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Common Mistakes When Structuring Amazon PPC

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2022 45:50


Mina is multiple seven-figure seller in the supplement industry, investor, Amazon PPC expert, and founder of Trivium Group, an Amazon Advertising agency. Mina excels at developing cutting-edge supplements for different target audiences and combines his passion for supplements, his background in chemical engineering and chemistry, and his expertise in PPC to crush the competition on Amazon. He has spoken on every major stage in the Amazon industry, consulted over 400 brands, consulted 3 aggregators worth $1.2 billion combined, has been on over 100 Amazon and E-commerce podcasts to share his knowledge, and continues to be a leader innovating in the Amazon advertising space. His goal is to change the way people perceive Amazon PPC and empower them to take back control and dominate their ads. ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist, Toimer Rabnovich, Paul Harvey, Dr Ellis Whitehead and many more.. Hosted by: Danny McMillan, Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/ Use the code:10SSL (for 10% off) Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP Dinner is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative, Unicargo and Profit Whales, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Ranking On Walmart & Omni Channel Management

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2022 27:52


Darren is CEO of Vendo, a is a 360° digital growth agency specializing in online marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart.com having. Darren has 20 years+ of ecommerce experience including affiliate marketing, PPC marketing, marketplace strategy, supply chain, sourcing, and all areas of general ecommerce management. He believes that in today's highlight competitive online marketplaces you need to win as much off of those platforms as on them by building brand awareness. Darren is very passionate about all things ecommerce and is focused on how we can continue to add value and growth for all of our VENDO clients in an ever-changing online marketplace. ***10% off discount code when you use 10SSL** ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist, Toimer Rabnovich, Paul Harvey, Dr Ellis Whitehead and many more.. Hosted by: Danny McMillan, Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/ Use the code:10SSL (for 10% off) Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP Dinner is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative, Unicargo and Profit Whales, Carbon6

Seller Sessions
Amazons New Query Performance Dashboard Explained

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 28:03


On Thursdays with Sharon, Sharon goes over the new Query Performance Dashboard in Brand Analytics.   The Query Performance Dashboard Provides visibility into your search term's performance based on shoppers' search behavior. For the selected timeframe, it shows metrics of the top terms of your catalog or ASIN (e.g., search displays, clicks, adds to shopping cart, and purchases). This information can help you to understand customer demand, what queries lead buyers to your products, at what stage you may be “losing” the buyer and much much more!   ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist, Toimer Rabnovich, Paul Harvey, Dr Ellis Whitehead and many more..   Hosted by: Danny McMillan,  Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/  Use the code:SSL10 (for 10% off) Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP Dinner  is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative, Unicargo and Profit Whales

Seller Sessions
AI And Machine Learning For Amazon Sellers With An Edge

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 49:59


Today Andy Arnott joins as we discuss some of the future possibilities for marketing on the cutting edge for Amazon sellers. The impact of AI on Marketing, Machine Learning and how to use in your business. How AI can improve your supply chain and why those that do use AI will have the upper hand. Andy started selling on Amazon in 2012 and hit 7 figures in sales within the first year of starting the business. Before starting his Amazon business, he worked for the US government in the aerospace industry & created a 7 figure mobile app software company. In 2015, he started an Amazon-related saas service to help sellers get reviews. Through his podcasting, coaching, & software has helped thousands of Amazon sellers grow their businesses. Today he's building a media network, and with his wife growing their real estate empire with long and short term rental properties. ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist and many more Hosted by: Danny McMillan, Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/ Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative ___________________________________________________ Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps. Tickets: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii

Seller Sessions
Amazon Sellers Of The Ukraine

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2022 24:23


Today we take a look at what is going on for Amazon sellers inside the Ukraine the impact on their families and Amazon business. Today, Vitalii Khyzhniak joins me to gives us some insight on how things are going and the effects of those around him. Vitalii Khyzhniak is an Amazon advertising and marketing expert, Chief Executive Officer at Profit Whales, a full-service marketing agency for Amazon brands, that accelerates sales growth using on & off Amazon traffic to give them an edge over competitors and diversify the revenue streams while increasing the business evaluation. Amazon Ads partner. Pinterest partner. He's obsessed with increasing profits for 7-9 figure brands selling on Amazon, helping them with building strong brands beyond the marketplace, finding the best CPA, and conversion. More ways to donate and help Ukraine: - https://helpukrainewin.org     The credible news sources to follow on the updates in English: - Telegram channel https://t.me/ukrainenowenglish  - https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/; - https://www.economist.com/ukraine-crisis.   To contact someone from Ukraine directly, write to Profit Whales, they will help you: - https://profitwhales.com - dari@profitwhales.com -https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitwhales - https://www.facebook.com/profitwhales/    ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist and many more Hosted by: Danny McMillan, Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/ Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative ___________________________________________________ Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps. Tickets: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii More ways to donate and help Ukraine: - https://helpukrainewin.org     The credible news sources to follow on the updates in English: - Telegram channel https://t.me/ukrainenowenglish  - https://www.eurointegration.com.ua/eng/; - https://www.economist.com/ukraine-crisis.   To contact someone from Ukraine directly, write to Profit Whales, they will help you: - https://profitwhales.com - dari@profitwhales.com -https://www.linkedin.com/company/profitwhales - https://www.facebook.com/profitwhales/ 

Seller Sessions
Going Deep Into Web3 With Blockchain And Advanced NFT Strategies

Seller Sessions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2022 62:53


Yev Marusenko is founder of Zontracker, tracking $4B+ of Amazon sales including attribution from Facebook ads. He also created the georank tracker for regional Amazon keyword ranks in each US state. With Zontracker, Georank, and Wego behind him, he is taking a data-driven and innovation approach from e-commerce to web3. ___________________________________________________ Grab Tickets for Seller Sessions Live Brought to you by Thrasio on May 7, 2022 Featuring: Ivelin Demirov, Tim Jordan, Destaney Wishon, Adam Heist and many more Hosted by: Danny McMillan, Sharon Even, and Izabela Hamilton Grab Tickets at: https://live.sellersessions.com/ Conference tickets include the “Afterparty brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads”. Purchase tickets to the VIP Dinner “brought to you by Avask” https://live.sellersessions.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Seller Sessions Live in brought to you by Thrasio (May 7) The VIP is brought to you by Avask (May 6) Afterparty is brought to you by BetterAMS and Clear Ads (May 7) Thank you to Perpetua, YLT Translations, SellersAlley & Pinformative ___________________________________________________ Grab tickets for Branded By Women Live brought to you by Branded. Hosted by: Sharon Even and Izabela Hamilton Featuring Yael Cabilly, Melanie Shabangu, Olivia Jones, Amy Wees, Cassandra Craven, Jana Krekic, Michele Venton, Cara Sayer and Kata Phipps. Tickets: https://brandedbywomen.com/ Big Thank you to our sponsors: Branded, AVASK, Helium 10 and Multiplymii