5 Secret Strategies To Win The Amazon Buy Box In 2024

According to Statista, Amazon boasts an astonishing annual revenue of over $500 billion, with 83% of conversions through the Amazon Buy Box. Imagine having your product featured at the top of Amazon's listing, gaining visibility and trust among millions of potential customers. It's not just a dream; it's a tangible goal for your business. But how can you ensure your spot in the coveted Amazon Buy Box?

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In this article, we unveil five secret strategies for how to win the Buy Box Amazon. Also, we’ll discuss strategies for optimizing your Amazon pricing for Buy Box and how it impacts your business. So, let’s dig into the details to excel in the competition of 2024:

What Is Amazon Buy Box?

The Amazon Buy Box is a pivotal feature on the Amazon platform that simplifies the purchasing process for customers. Amazon typically has two types of sellers: Amazon itself and third-party sellers.

For most products listed on Amazon, buyers are presented with multiple purchasing options. When a buyer decides to "Add to the Cart," the seller currently holds the Buy Box and secures that crucial sale.

Why Is Buy Box Amazon Important for Seller?

Before diving into how to win Amazon Buy Box, let’s understand its immense importance for Amazon sellers:

• Crucial Sales Channel: When users click the "Add to Cart" button, they choose one merchant to purchase from, the Buy Box winner. This significance is increased with the "Buy Now" button, which always leads to a purchase from the Buy Box owner.

• Trust and Credibility: Winning the Buy Box boosts sales and establishes trust in customers' eyes. When your product resides in the Amazon Buy Box, shoppers associate you with Amazon's return policies, expecting high-quality customer service and top-notch products.

• Impact on Advertising: If you run Amazon PPC ads through Amazon Seller Central, the ownership of the Buy Box becomes even more critical. All Sponsored Products ads stop running when a product loses the Buy Box. This means you could pay for traffic to a page where another seller ultimately gets the sale, especially since Sponsored brand ads aren’t Buy Box-dependent.

• Mobile Conversion: Winning the Buy Box is essential for converting mobile shoppers. On Amazon's mobile site, users must scroll down to find the "Other sellers on Amazon" section and then tap an arrow to view that information on a new page. This added friction can hinder the conversion of mobile users, and considering that most of Amazon's monthly visitors are mobile users, owning the Buy Box is even more critical.

Do you want to get an Amazon Mystery Box? Read our guide on how to buy Amazon Mystery Box in 2024.

How to Win Buy Box on Amazon: Eligibility Criteria

To compete for the Amazon Buy Box, sellers must meet four essential criteria:

• Professional Seller Account: Only sellers having a Professional Amazon Sellers account, which comes at a monthly cost of $39.99, are eligible to vie for the Buy Box. Moreover, Basic Seller accounts don’t qualify.

• Item Condition: The condition of the item matters significantly. Used items cannot surpass new items to claim a Buy Box position. Instead, a separate Used Buy Box for such things is distinct from the main Buy Box.

• Stock Availability: It's a straightforward requirement—if you don't have an item in stock, you cannot compete for the Buy Box, except in cases where the item is on backorder.

Do you have less product stock but didn’t reach your revenue target? Read our guide on how to sell on Amazon without inventory.

How to Check Eligibility for Amazon Buy Box?

To check if your listings are Buy Box eligible on Amazon, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Amazon Seller Central.

2. Go to the "Inventory" tab and choose the "Manage inventory".

3. Click on the "Preferences" tab.

4. Choose the "Buy Box eligible" tab in the column display list section.

5. From the dropdown menu, select "Show when available".

Now, in the Buy Box eligible column, you will see a 'yes' beside any products that currently qualify.

However, being Buy Box eligible is just the initial step. In addition to these basic criteria, Amazon's Buy Box algorithm determines which product will be featured at the top of each product page.

Understanding the Amazon Buy Box Algorithm

Winning the Buy Box isn't a simple task. It's determined by a sophisticated, machine-learning algorithm that carefully considers millions of data points.

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A straightforward formula doesn't govern this algorithm. Instead, it's a multifaceted, intricate system. The Amazon Buy Box algorithm sifts through vast data, analyzing the marketplace, current market conditions, and each seller. Here’s how the Buy Box algorithm works:

• The data-driven algorithm meticulously dissects the performance of each eligible seller into various variables. It then compares these variables with other sellers offering the same product, ultimately determining which provides the customer with the most comprehensive value.

• The weight assigned to each variable can vary depending on the specific product or category. This means that a seller who may lag behind a competitor on one product could outperform that competitor on an entirely different product.

For instance, when it comes to time-sensitive items like birthday cards, shipping speed may take precedence over other factors. Therefore, a seller offering one-day shipping might have the upper hand over a three-day shipping competitor. However, shipping time may carry less weight in the algorithm's assessment for products like kitchenware.

How to win Amazon Buy Box in 2024: 5 Effective Strategies

Here are some tips for Amazon sellers to help them dominate the competition while staying on top.

1. Maintain Ample Inventory

Your chances of claiming the Buy Box depend on Amazon's perception of your inventory adequacy. If you can't meet demand, your Buy Box prospects decline. It's crucial to monitor your inventory levels consistently and regularly review inventory reports to ensure you're never caught short.

Do you want to remove your product inventory? Read our guide on how to remove inventory from Amazon in 2024.

2. Use Amazon FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) sellers enjoy a distinct edge in the race for the Buy Box. With FBA, Amazon handles packaging, shipping, and customer service. Plus, FBA products often qualify for Prime, guaranteeing lightning-fast delivery. While non-FBA sellers can win the Buy Box, it's undeniably easier with FBA.

3. Fast Shipping is Key

Amazon Prime has reshaped customer expectations in e-commerce. Consequently, sellers offering quicker delivery gain more visibility and a competitive advantage in the Buy Box race. Generally, shipping times fall into these brackets: 0-2, 3-7, 8-13, and 14 days or more.

4. Fine-Tuning Your Product Pricing Strategies

When it comes to adjusting your product prices on Amazon, you have several strategies at your disposal:

Manual Repricing

• Ideal for new sellers with a limited number of products.
• Access Seller Central, select "Inventory," and select "Manage Inventory."
• Apply filters to focus on active items with sufficient stock listed on Amazon.
• Check the "Lowest Price" column to determine if your price, including shipping fees, is the lowest.
• If not, click the "Match Low Price" button to modify your price accordingly.

Rule-Based Repricing

• Allows you to establish specific parameters for price adjustments using Amazon profitability calculators.
• For example, you can set your repricer to automatically lower your item's price by $0.50 compared to the competitor with the lowest price.
• Note that the Buy Box doesn't always favor the lowest-priced merchant, making this approach somewhat intricate.

Algorithmic Repricing

• Offers enhanced profitability and increased Buy Box-winning potential.
• Since Amazon prices fluctuate every ten minutes, manual and rule-based repricing can become cumbersome for professional sellers.
• You can opt for software equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities to automate repricing. These tools affect your current Amazon seller performance metrics, marketplace dynamics, and competitor behavior.

5. Maintain Your Performance Metrics

In Amazon's customer-centric ecosystem, sellers with stellar customer service ratings hold a distinct advantage. To gauge your performance, navigate to the "Account Health" page, conveniently under "Performance" on the Seller Central homepage. Aim to meet the following benchmarks to uphold a "healthy" Amazon seller account:

Product Quality Metrics:

• Order Defect Rate: Keep it below 1%.
• Order Cancellation Rate: Maintain it below 2.5%.
• Return Dissatisfaction Rate: Aim for it to stay below 10%.

The return dissatisfaction rate encapsulates the customer's satisfaction regarding product returns. This rating encompasses negative buyer feedback, responsiveness within 48 hours, and the correct handling of return requests.

Do you want to reduce your return rate quickly? Read our guide on how to lower and optimize your Amazon return rate.

Customer Engagement Metrics:

• Timely Responses: Ensure messages are replied to after 24 hours, and non-replies remain below 10%.
• Customer Feedback Score: Strive for a score of at least 90%.
• Feedback Count: The more, the better. Encourage customers to leave reviews proactively.

Do you want to elevate your Amazon product reviews game? Read our guide on the Amazon Vine Program and how to use it.

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If you're a brand owner, consider registering your brand. Amazon's brand registry empowers owners to report trademark violations and counterfeit products. Being an Amazon-registered brand grants you control over your content and tools to monitor potential breaches of intellectual property rights. You'll also gain insight into the sellers associated with your branded products.

In case of shipping:

• Aim for "on-time" arrivals in 97% of your deliveries.
• Keep the late shipment rate below 4%.
• Ensure valid tracking numbers for 95% of shipped packages.

How a Seller Can Lose the Amazon Buy Box?

Here's why you might lose the Buy Box and strategies to avoid it:

Account Metrics Management

• Regardless of your selling model, maintaining healthy account metrics is paramount.
• Consider using a Buy Box tracker to monitor your Buy Box status and take prompt action if you lose it.

Geographical Limitations

• The Buy Box aims to connect buyers with the best deal and fastest delivery.
• Your location can impact your eligibility; if your product can't reach a buyer's door within 48 hours, you may not appear as the Featured Offer.

Listing Hijacking

• Unauthorized sellers and counterfeit products can be a nightmare.
• A competitor listing with fake products can result in price drops if you lose the Buy Box.
• As a brand owner, registering your brand and enrolling in Amazon Transparency can safeguard your listings.

Low Inventory Management

• If your Amazon fulfillment center inventory decreases, you risk losing a share of the Buy Box.
• Diligent inventory management is crucial for maintaining the Featured Offer status.

CRaP List Placement

• Selling CRaP (Can't Realize a Profit) items unprofitable for Amazon can lead to Buy Box loss.
• Items that are often out of stock, oversized, have slim profit margins, or slow sales velocity are at risk of ending up on Amazon's CRaP list.

Landed Price Considerations

• The landed price includes shipping, handling, and additional fees such as VAT.
• Offering your product at an excessively low landed price to compete may result in Buy Box suppression.
• If your product is priced lower on another platform, it can impact your Buy Box eligibility.

Conclusion

Winning the Amazon Buy Box is key to scaling your profits and sales. Amazon's unwavering customer-centric approach underscores the significance of prioritizing your customers, significantly enhancing your chances of winning more Buy Boxes.

Don't try to outsmart the algorithm by using aggressive pricing strategies or artificially inflating reviews. Moreover, by implementing the secret strategy discussed in this blog post, you can position your products for greater visibility and increased sales. Remember, as you refine your approach and adapt to evolving market trends, you'll be better positioned to thrive in the highly competitive world of Amazon sales.

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Frequently Asked Question

How To Win Buy Box On Amazon?

To win the Buy Box on Amazon, focus on maintaining competitive pricing, offering fast and reliable shipping, providing excellent customer service, and ensuring your product listings are accurate and well-optimized.