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• Competition stirs up black hat tactics on Amazon

• How often should you track your sales metrics?

• Increase your sales in 3 easy ways

• Scammers pose as Amazon affiliates to commit fraud

ECOMMERCE NEWS

Competition stirs up black hat tactics on Amazon

Of all the issues the ecommerce industry has faced, black hat sellers are among the pressing ones. PracticalEcommerce interviewed seller-turned-consultant Ken Freeman to shed light on the current status of competition and black hat selling on Amazon.

🍵 Freeman shared how intense Amazon competition is and what black hat tactics other sellers do to take down competitors:

• Rivalry is intense when you’re in the Top 10. This is where sneaky tricks appear because everyone wants a spot. To survive, watch out for signs like off-the-charts ad spending.

• Competitors use “impressive but terrifying” black hat tactics, such as reporting false violations, inflating their rankings, and intentional clicks on sponsored ads. What’s worse is they can fool Amazon’s fraud detection system.

• Amazon is a “pay-to-play” system. To legitimately succeed on the platform, you have to invest in sponsored ads and master the pay-per-click game. In addition to avoiding black hats, you should be looking for “golden keywords.” ✨

🏆 To increase your sales and reach without staining your reputation, Freeman suggests doing these five things:

• Learn things that can further your business.

• Surround yourself with people who share the same passion for learning.

• Keep an eye out for trends.

• Optimize your keywords and analyze your performance data.

• Be present on Amazon.

Succeeding and making tons of clean revenue on Amazon is hard but not impossible. You just need to keep your eyes on the prize. If you have dollars to spare, you can also ask for help from direct-to-consumer consultants to improve your customer relationships.

HOT TOPIC

How often should you track your sales metrics?

Everyone on Amazon is meticulously tracking and manually reporting their sales metrics daily…right?

📝 A seller attempted to answer these questions in a recent Reddit post. An interesting discussion about the key points in ASIN monitoring then opened up:

• Saas vs DIY: Many sellers argued that keyword and product trackers from SaaS (JungleScout, Helium10, SellerLabs, etc.) are more efficient than customized Excel worksheets. However, different programs use different methods to compute costs and profits (not to mention subscription expenses). DIY-ing a report to fit your needs might work better.

• Daily vs Weekly: Some sellers prefer weekly checks, while others agree that daily checks are more efficient. If issues arise, daily ASIN checks can help curb unnecessary costs and losses, such as spending too much on a suddenly low-ranking keyword.

• Number of ASINs: Everything comes down to the number of ASINs you have. Investing in auto trackers would be the best option for those selling hundreds of items. But for some sellers with fewer ASINs, assigning a daily checker can minimize costs.

📈 Trackers are invaluable to forming marketing and ad strategies. Plus, they will tell if you’re still on track with your goals. Analyze them carefully, as these numbers mean nothing without action.

BITES OF THE WEEK:

• When it comes to innovative marketing, we have powerful two-word letters for you: A and I. AI is your current best friend in optimizing your Amazon listings - Jungle Scout

• Women’s month is not yet over. Let’s hear how to succeed in the Amazon world from another empowered female. - About Amazon

• If you’re all about NFTs, then hear this: Amazon will be launching an NFT marketplace this April! - PaymentsJournal

• Did you know Amazon Stock climbed last week? Yup, and it has something to do with satellites, the Internet, and technology. - The Motley Fool

• Amazon Prime Air promised to deliver goods in less than 30 minutes. But regulations and weak demands can’t promise it will take off anytime soon. - CNBC

• One of your powerful weapons in ecommerce is updated information. Do you know what’s currently hot in the ecommerce world? - Helium 10

CASH CORNER

Increase your sales with these 3 easy methods

✏️ Here are 3 sales-driving tips from an experienced Amazon consultant:

1. Hire Amazon influencers

Doing so will enhance your listings and make your content dynamic and engaging. Influencers can also direct traffic from their websites to yours. This is your chance to have ‘brand fans,’ a.k.a. a solid customer base!

💡Tip: Know your intent and budget when selecting influencers. Choose those with credibility and reasonable fees to optimize your influencer marketing strategy.

2. Use Google ads

Aside from promoting your products, you can use Google ads to analyze consumer intent, boost organic traffic, and find top-ranked keywords. And did you know about the Brand Referral Bonus Program? Basically, Amazon will pay you to run Google ads on your listings!

3. Be unique and creative.

Stand out by developing a unique and striking brand image. Try external marketing strategies like building an email list, attracting social media followers, and driving traffic to your website.

💪 Remember, selling on Amazon can be a foundation for a fruitful ecommerce journey. Whether you’ll be profitable will depend on how far you’re willing to go and how hard you work to build a strong brand.

BLACK MARKET

Scammers pose as Amazon affiliates to commit fraud

As the ecommerce world grows, fraudsters are becoming more daring. A report from Northwest Arkansas Newspapers LLC proved they can now create poser emails that are almost impossible to distinguish from those sent by Amazon.

🥷 Reporter Joy Schwabach decided to find out what happens when you click a phishing email link.

• Upon clicking, she was taken to a mock-up of Amazon's site. The website address is "Amazon.com" and even has a security lock.

• The site says her credit card is unlinked from her Amazon account, and she should call the number listed. Now that’s sketchy because Amazon doesn't list its number on the website (take note).

🚩 Millions of Americans have been victimized by fraud. And these scams affect not only buyers but also sellers! Failing to spot suspicious texts and emails can lead to unauthorized access to your business accounts and even identity theft.

To avoid these dangers, keep your financial information confidential. Most importantly, think before you click. 🖱️