How To Win The Buy Box On Amazon In 2024 (FBA Sellers Guide)

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For FBA sellers, the Amazon Buy Box is the holy grail of product visibility.

But with constant algorithm updates and high competition, securing that coveted spot can feel like a mystery.

In this guide, we will break down the key factors influencing the Buy Box in 2024, giving you the tools to optimize your FBA strategy and increase your chances of winning the Buy Box.

What is Amazon Buy Box?

The Amazon Buy Box is the section on a product detail page where customers can directly add items to their cart or make a purchase.

It’s a prominent feature that significantly impacts sales, as a majority of Amazon purchases are made through the Buy Box. Multiple sellers can offer the same product, but only one can “win” the Buy Box at any given time.

How-to-win-the-buy-box-on-Amazon

Benefits of Amazon Buy Box For Sellers

The Amazon Buy Box is a perfect opportunity for sellers to stand out in a highly competitive marketplace. Winning the Buy Box can significantly enhance a seller’s success on Amazon. It offers numerous benefits and ensures continuous improvement for sellers. Here are some key advantages:

  • Increased Visibility: The Buy Box is the focal point for most Amazon shoppers. When your offer is featured there, it gets significantly more eyeballs than competing offers relegated to the “Other Sellers” section. This increases the chance of customers adding your product to their cart.
  • Conversion Rate Boost: Studies suggest that winning the Buy Box can lead to conversion rates (visitors turning into buyers) as high as 80%. With the “Buy Now” button readily available, customers are likelier to complete their purchase without searching for alternatives.
  • Prime Customer Access: Buy Box-eligible offers are more likely to be shown to Prime members, a group known for spending more frequently on Amazon. This opens your product to a valuable customer segment with higher purchase power.
  • Increased Sales Volume: The combination of higher visibility, conversion rates, and access to Prime members significantly increases sales volume. Winning the Buy Box can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as higher sales can further improve your performance metrics and solidify your Buy Box position.
  • Brand Reputation Boost: While Buy Box doesn’t explicitly endorse your brand, its association with a trusted platform like Amazon can enhance your brand image. Customers perceive Buy Box winners as reliable and competitive sellers, potentially leading to repeat business and positive word-of-mouth marketing.

Amazon Buy Box Eligibility Criteria

Not every FBA seller can compete for the Buy Box. Here’s what separates the Buy Box contenders from the sidelines:

  • Professional Seller Account

    You need a Professional Selling plan on Amazon with a monthly subscription fee. Individual seller accounts are not eligible for the Buy Box.

  • New Item Condition

    Only sellers offering new condition products can compete for the Buy Box. This excludes used, refurbished, or collectable products.

  • Product Availability

    To be considered for the Buy Box, your product must be in stock and readily available for fulfillment. Out-of-stock products are automatically disqualified.

  • Seller Performance Metrics

    Amazon heavily considers your performance as a seller when awarding the Buy Box. This includes factors like order defect rate, on-time shipment rate, customer feedback rating, and A-to-Z Guarantee claim rate. Maintaining high-performance metrics is crucial for Buy Box eligibility.

These are the baseline requirements for Buy Box eligibility. In the next section, we’ll explore the factors that influence who actually wins the coveted Buy Box placement.

    How To Check Amazon Buy Box Eligibility?

    Since eligibility is the first hurdle, you’ll want to confirm your FBA account meets the basic requirements. Here’s how to check your Buy Box eligibility on Amazon Seller Central:

    1. Log in to your Seller Central account.
    2. Navigate to the Inventory tab from the top menu and select Manage Inventory.
    3. This will display your current inventory. Now, check your displayed columns.
    4. There might be a dedicated column labelled “Buy Box eligible”. If not, look for the “Preferences” tab in the top right corner.
    5. Within Preferences, you can choose which columns to display on your inventory page. Select the checkbox for “Buy Box eligible” if it’s not already checked.
    6. Once you’ve added the column, a “Yes” or “No” will appear next to each product, indicating its Buy Box eligibility status.

    If you see a “No” next to your product, don’t fret! The next section will cover strategies to improve your standing and become Buy Box eligible.

    How To Check Amazon Buy Box Eligibility?

    Since eligibility is the first hurdle, you’ll want to confirm your FBA account meets the basic requirements. Here’s how to check your Buy Box eligibility on Amazon Seller Central:

    1. Log in to your Seller Central account.
    2. Navigate to the Inventory tab from the top menu and select Manage Inventory.
    3. This will display your current inventory. Now, check your displayed columns.
    4. There might be a dedicated column labelled “Buy Box eligible”. If not, look for the “Preferences” tab in the top right corner.
    5. Within Preferences, you can choose which columns to display on your inventory page. Select the checkbox for “Buy Box eligible” if it’s not already checked.
    6. Once you’ve added the column, a “Yes” or “No” will appear next to each product, indicating its Buy Box eligibility status.

    If you see a “No” next to your product, don’t fret! The next section will cover strategies to improve your standing and become Buy Box eligible.

    7 Ways To Win Amazon Buy Box

    Winning the Amazon Buy Box requires a multi-pronged approach that optimises your product offering, fulfilment strategy, and seller performance. Here’s a breakdown of key tactics to boost your Buy Box chances:

    1. High Stock Availability

    The Amazon Buy Box is for products that can be immediately purchased. If your product is out of stock, it’s automatically disqualified from Buy Box contention.

    Even if you’re currently in stock, Amazon’s algorithm factors in your historical stock availability and sales velocity. If you frequently run out of stock, it throws doubt on your ability to fulfil orders consistently, hurting your Buy Box eligibility.

    2. Leverage Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

    FBA sellers generally have a significant advantage in the Buy Box race. Amazon prioritises Buy Box placement for sellers who leverage their fulfilment network due to factors like faster and more reliable shipping.

    FBA takes care of storage, picking, packing, and shipping your products, allowing you to focus on product sourcing and marketing

    3. Positive Customer Feedback

    Positive reviews are like mini-testimonials, convincing potential customers that your product is high-quality and your service is excellent.

    When awarding the Buy Box, Amazon prioritises sellers with a strong positive feedback rating. Higher ratings translate to a higher chance of winning the coveted spot.

    4. Competitive Pricing

    While not the sole determinant, competitive pricing is undeniably crucial. Amazon’s algorithm prioritises offers with the lowest price (including product price and fulfilment fees).

    Consider using repricing software to automate price adjustments based on competitor pricing and market fluctuations. This ensures you stay competitive without sacrificing profit margins.

    5. Low Order Defect Rate

    Order defect rate (ODR) might sound complex, but it simply refers to the percentage of orders that receive negative feedback, high refund rates, or other issues. In simpler terms, it measures how often customers are dissatisfied with a product.

    If a seller has a high ODR, it indicates that customers do not like their products. Consequently, Amazon removes such sellers from the Buy Box feature. On the other hand, sellers with a low ODR are those who sell high-quality products, resulting in high customer satisfaction. This is precisely what Amazon aims for.

    Achieving a low ODR is not rocket science. To keep customers happy, you need to offer high-quality products, ensure impressive packaging, and guarantee safe delivery.

    6. SEO Friendly Listing And Product Page

    SEO is the practice of optimising your product listing and page content to rank higher in Amazon’s internal search results. When customers search for relevant keywords, your product with a well-optimized listing is more likely to appear at the top, increasing your chances of grabbing Buy Box ownership.

    Here’s how SEO can fuel your Buy Box strategy:

    • Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords that customers typically use to search for products like yours. Tools like Amazon Seller Central’s keyword research tool and Google Trends can be helpful for this.
    • Keyword Integration: Strategically incorporate these keywords throughout your product title, description, bullet points, and backend keywords. Don’t stuff keywords unnaturally; ensure they flow naturally within your product information.
    • High-Quality Content: Create informative and engaging product descriptions that highlight features and benefits and address customer pain points. Well-written content improves SEO and converts viewers into buyers.
    • Compelling Product Titles: Craft clear and concise product titles that accurately reflect your product and include relevant keywords. This will entice customers to click on your listing and improve your search ranking.

    7. Quick Customer Response Time

    When customers have questions or concerns, a speedy response demonstrates that you value their business and are committed to resolving their issues efficiently. This fosters trust and satisfaction, translating into positive reviews and repeat business.

    Amazon factors customer response time into its seller performance metrics. A history of prompt responses can significantly improve your standing and increase the chances of your product getting picked by the Amazon Buy Box algorithm.

      8. Seller History

      Your Seller History on Amazon is like your report card; it reflects your past performance as a seller and plays a critical role in both Buy Box eligibility and ultimately, becoming Buy Box winner.

      What Makes Up Your Seller History?

      Amazon considers a multitude of factors when evaluating your Seller History. Here are some of the most important ones:

      • Order Defect Rate (ODR): This measures the percentage of orders with problems like cancellations, returns, or damaged items. A low ODR signifies a smooth customer experience.
      • Late Shipment Rate (LSR): This reflects the percentage of orders shipped past the promised due date. A low LSR indicates reliable fulfillment.
      • Customer Feedback Rating: Positive customer reviews demonstrate your ability to meet customer expectations. A high rating boosts your credibility.
      • A-to-Z Guarantee Claim Rate: This measures the number of claims filed against you under Amazon’s Guarantee program, which protects buyers in case of issues. A low claim rate signifies a trustworthy seller.

        What is a Suppressed Buy Box?

        Many sellers might not be familiar with the term “suppressed Buy Box,” but they have likely encountered it. On a product page, instead of the usual “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons, you might see a small box labeled “See All Buying Options.”

        This is known as a suppressed Buy Box. It appears when no seller meets Amazon’s criteria to be assigned the Buy Box. Instead of a direct purchase option, customers must click “See All Buying Options” to view a list of sellers offering the product, along with their prices.

        In this scenario, customers must manually select the seller from whom they wish to purchase the item.

            What About the Buy Box Percentage?

            The Buy Box percentage is a valuable metric for sellers. It measures how often a seller’s products win the Buy Box compared to the total number of views for that product.

            A higher Buy Box percentage means you frequently appear in the Buy Box. For example, if a product is viewed 100 times and you appear in the Buy Box 50 times, your Buy Box percentage is 50%.

            A high Buy Box percentage leads to more sales and revenue. Conversely, a low percentage indicates flaws in key factors necessary for winning the Buy Box.

            Therefore, monitoring and improving your Buy Box percentage is crucial for increasing your chances of winning the Buy Box and boosting your overall performance on Amazon.

                Conclusion

                Securing the Amazon Buy Box is essential for maximising your sales potential and achieving success as an FBA seller in 2024. You can better position your products and enhance your visibility on the platform by understanding the importance of key metrics such as order defect rate and Buy Box percentage.

                Focus on maintaining high-quality standards and good seller feedback, ensuring excellent customer service, and adhering to Amazon’s policies. Doing so can reduce your order defect rate, increase your Buy Box percentage, and ultimately win more Buy Boxes. This boosts your sales and strengthens your brand recognition and competitiveness.

                Remember, winning the Buy Box is not just about luck; it’s about consistently delivering value to your customers.

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