Pulse November 2017 | Page 59

Thomson. “Invest in eyeballs and you won’t lose money.” Amazon is not going to sell what people don’t want. Developing a distinct brand and line of product is a necessity. Making people want it, that’s the magic. Amazon Consultant William Tjernlund, co-founder of Goat Consulting, believes that if high-end spa brands want to succeed on Amazon, it must be done mindfully and strategi- cally. “Amazon is where you buy, not shop,” he said. “Brands that are fun to shop for don’t need to be on Amazon, but if they are unique and consumers feel they need them now, they could work like charms.” Amazon is expanding their reach into popular culture with the successful creation of their own holiday (Prime Day) that rivals Black Friday and unique Amazon-produced/streamed TV series and films. “The level of investment Amazon is putting into category expansion, drone delivery and seller marketing tools definitely sets them up to swallow even more business away from tradi- tional brick and mortar retail,” says Nico Cabral, Product Marketing Manager at Tech Armor. “Additionally, their recent acquisition of Whole Foods could potentially develop into an efficient distribution center for their online goods and services.” Here are the basics you need to know: calculating Pricing There are many factors to consider when pricing for Amazon including the following: l How much you make per product l Your overhead l Return rate l How much it costs to process returns l Your margin before or after taxes l The cost of buying keywords and listings the listing As with any sales and marketing tools, you need to under- stand your audience before you connect with them. “Explaining the value-adding features of your product in the main imagery and bullet points is key, along with creating a title that not only works well for search, but prompts a user to click,” advises Cabral. Facts like size, weight, etc. that don’t relate to the main function, which don’t make customers buy, are afterthoughts that should not be played up because they use up valuable copy space that can be hard selling. It’s all in the positioning of the product you are selling. You need to develop a message that resonates with an increasingly jaded audience. Then you need to deliver that November 2017 ■ PULSE 57