For brands selling their products on Amazon, a successful strategy is made up of much more than just optimizing product photographs. From customer service to product representation, every single interaction a brand has with a customer makes a difference. Unfortunately, one bad experience can put customers off in a big way, and for brands working with multiple sellers on Amazon, it’s hard to control how these interactions are handled.
When a brand works with multiple sellers on Amazon, it loses any element of creative control and ownership over the product listing and everything that follows. This can cause irrevocable damage to brand credibility over time and seriously impact brand popularity because even if the buying experience is handled by a different organization, the brand name is still associated to the interaction. Below, we’ll explore a few ways bad sellers negatively impact brands on Amazon and how brands can win back control of their Amazon reputation.
We’ve all been there – you buy something on Amazon and what you receive at your door in two days (thanks, Prime!) is nothing like what you were expecting. Unfortunately this is an all-to-familiar experience, one that definitely leaves consumers frustrated and upset. In most cases, the majority of a consumer’s ill will is directed not towards the seller but at the brand, even though it had little to do with the online transaction. From incorrect product information to misleading photographs to incorrect sizing information, there’s no shortage of ways product listings can go south. And yet, brands have no control over how sellers market their products for e-commerce, so there are often few opportunities for course correction.
With so many different products on Amazon, customers can pick and choose which products speak to them – and usually this comes down to price. While most brands have MAP policies in place, tracking every single seller to ensure this policy is being met can be extremely tedious. This means brands are left in the dark when it comes to how sellers are pricing their products, and it’s not even the threat of overpricing that makes the largest impact. Sellers can also drop the price of products to a below-market value to drive quick sales and burn through excess inventory. For brands that have both an online presence and a brick-and-mortar store, it can create confusion among customers who might think that the online versions are cheaply made or are knock-offs.
One of the biggest threats to a brand’s reputation on Amazon is how it deals with customer service, shipping logistics, and returns. Amazon customers are used to a certain level of service and quality, so even the slightest dip in this attention can cause customers to become upset. Because sellers are concerned purely with driving sales and not with developing long-term brand/customer relationships, it’s not uncommon for things to slip through the cracks. Whether its sellers not fulfilling orders in a timely fashion or unanswered customer service questions, sellers who aren’t brand loyal can definitely make a negative impact on a brand over time.
Luckily, there are solutions for brands looking to regain control of their brand reputation. Instead of working with multiple online sellers, brands can partner with a single third-party seller to handle all aspects of the Amazon logistics process – from FBA fulfillment to MAP policy compliance and even customer service. You can learn more about third-party selling partners here.
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