amazon Product Listing and Content Guide

amazon Product Listing and Content

The basics of listing on Amazon

In summary:

• Provide as much information as possible to help customers find your product, and decide whether to buy it
• Use only official product data
• Don’t include offer-specific information in the product information sections

Remember that the product detail page and all information on it will be used by all sellers. Don’t include any information that’s specific to your offers, such as price, quantity or condition – this can be added during the offer listing process. If your offer specific information is found on a detail page, you will be contacted by Amazon with instructions to remove it in accordance with our product listing guidelines.

Please do not create duplicate product detail pages. If our site is cluttered with duplicates of the same item, it makes it hard for customers to compare offers. And the existing product detail page will almost always get the most traffic, so you will lose out by setting up a duplicate. To avoid duplication, please use manufacturer-issued barcodes (EAN or UPC). Creating a product detail page for a product which already exists in the Amazon.co.uk catalogue is prohibited, and such pages will be removed.

Please note that Amazon can’t give you any legal advice. As a seller you are solely responsible for your offers and must ensure that all product information is correct and complete and in line with legal requirements. If you are unsure which information needs to be displayed when listing on Amazon.co.uk or whether your offers are in accordance with the law please seek independent legal advice. As far as this document contains references to regulations or legal requirements, Amazon does not assume any liability for their accuracy and completeness.

Detail page content

Our data consistently proves that getting detail pages, attributes and discoverability right is the single most important thing you can do to ensure your products’ success on the Amazon platform.

Detail page content helps search.
Most customers use search – either within Amazon’s own site or on external search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo! – to find products.
All detail page content feeds into both Amazon’s search and external search results. Good content and categorization are therefore crucial to customer discovery as well as decision-making.

Product descriptions and features have a direct impact on sales
Good detail page content is key to customer purchase decisions.
Would you buy an item that didn’t have an image, a description, or clearly defined features?

Customers care about product detail
An Amazon usability study for Hardlines products found that when researching products online, customers place most value on product details – particularly specifications, features, and descriptions. Next were reviews, followed by price and then alternate images.

Product title

Inventory Listing Template column name: title | Add a Product tool: Vital Info Tab > Item Name (aka Title)

Good titles help customers identify products. They’re shown on the product detail page, in search results (both on Amazon and on external search engines) and browse pages, in our automated and personalization features, and many other places.

Do:

Provide a short, descriptive title for the product that will help customers quickly identify its key features
Keep it under 100 characters
Include the brand, series, model number, product type, Colour and size if applicable
Use title case (capitalize the first letter of each word – except: the, and, or, for, a, an, in, over, with)
Write numbers as numerals (2 instead of two)
If a bundled product, state quantity in brackets (eg. 16-pack)
Include the following information, where applicable:
o Brand name, series and model number
o Size and Colour
o Product type; defining characteristics/key features
We recommend that every title should start with brand, series and model number (where applicable); the order of the other information is up to you, but consider whether it will help customers understand what the item is
Use the Promotion Manager tool to include price messaging, rather than the product title

Don’t:

Include too much information. Titles should contain the minimum information needed to identify the item. More info makes it hard for customers to scan and identify the item, and may harm your search results (see section 5)
Use all capitals, as it’s hard to read
Use subjective adjectives eg “awesome”, “great”. Keep it factual and descriptive
Use HTML tags or special characters not on a standard keyboard (eg. ®, ©, ™ or other Type 1 High ASCII characters)
Include detail specific to your listings, eg. price, your business name or “Free Shipping”. Remember that the detail page, including the title, will be used by all sellers
Include vehicle fitment information, such as vehicle make, model, and year. Fitment information can confuse customers who have a compatible vehicle other than the particular one listed in the title.

Good product titles:

• Toshiba 32BV501B 32-inch Widescreen HD Ready LCD TV with Free view
• Pampers New Baby Size 1 (4-11 lbs/2-5 kg) Nappies – 2 x Economy Packs of 54 (108 Nappies)
• Acer Aspire 5742Z 15.6 inch Laptop (Intel Pentium P6200 Processor, 6 GB RAM , 640 GB HDD, DVD-Super Multi DL drive,
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit) – Black
• TASSIMO Kenco Colombian Coffee 16 T DISCs (Pack of 5, Total 80 T DISCs)
• Bosch SP15 Super Plus Universal, Single Wiper Blade

Factual descriptions of items
Include key features

A bad product title:

16 Compatible T0711 Black Epson Ink Cartridge for Epson Stylus
B40w BX300f BX310fn BX410 BX510 BX600fw BX610fw D78 D92
D120 DX400 DX4000 DX4050 DX4400 DX 4400 DX4450 DX5000
DX5050 DX6000 DX6050 DX7000f DX7400 DX7450 DX8400
DX8450 DX9400f S20 S21 SX100 SX105 SX110 SX115 SX200
SX205 SX209 SX210 SX212 SX215 SX218 SX 218 SX400 SX405
SX405wfi SX410 SX415 SX510w SX515w SX600fw SX610fw
Printers – Compatible Epson Cheetah Inks T0711 Black TO711 E711 by Company XYZ

Too long – hard to pick out key info
Includes all compatible model numbers
Includes brand name three times
Includes seller name

A better title would be: Black Ink Cartridge for Epson Stylus B40, BX, DX, SX Series (16-pack)

Images

Inventory Listing Template column names: main-image-url (for main image), other-image-url1 – other-image-url8 (for up to 8 other images)
Add a Product tool: Images tab

Good product images directly increase sales. This is your opportunity to show your product to your customer, so quality matters.
Images are shown on the product detail page, in search results (both on Amazon and on external search engines) and browse pages, in our automated and personalization features, and many other places.

Do:

Choose images that clearly and accurately represent the product
Show the main product image against a white background
The main image should show the main product only, not accessories or other items in the box

Don’t:

Include text, logos, watermarks or other images
Include a background on the main image (it’s OK for other images)
Show multiple images if the item is a multipack
Show multiple views of the product in the main image
Include images of compatible products (eg. if you’re selling phone cases, don’t picture them with phones in them)

Technical specifications:

• Minimum resolution 72 pixels per inch; minimum size 1000 pixels on the longest side
• Preferred file format: JPEG (.jpg)
• The URL (web address) must be fully-formed and valid (ie. start with http://)
• The URL must not start with https: or ftp:. It must not contain any redirects
• There must not be any spaces or non-standard characters in the image URL

Good main images:

Clear images of main item only
On white background

Bad main images:

Text, logos, and inset images are not allowed
Multiple shots of the same product are not allowed

The main image should have a white background
Main images shouldn’t show items not included with the product, or people

These are OK as other images, but not as the main image

Bullet Points (Key Features)

Inventory Listing Template column names: bullet-point1 – bullet-point5 | Add a Product tool: Description Tab > Key Product Features

Short sentences that summarize your product’s key features. A customer should be able to understand from these sentences what your product does, and may then decide to read the product description for more detail. The bullet points are displayed on the product detail page in the Technical Details section, above the product description, but also feed into Amazon search and external search results. They help customers evaluate a product, so any information not directly relevant to the specific product can detract from a customer’s purchase decision.

Do:

Keep the information factual and descriptive
Describe the most important features or attributes of the product
Include detail of up to 10 model numbers your product is compatible with
Include product dimensions where relevant
Begin each bullet point with a capital letter
Write numbers as numerals (2 instead of two)
Spell out measurements such as inches, feet, meters
Check spelling and grammar

Don’t:

Feel obliged to fill in all 5 fields – 3 good bullet points are better than 5 weak ones
Use ending punctuation eg. full stops or exclamation marks
Include subjective or time-sensitive comments eg. “great value” or “hot this year”
List more than 10 compatible models – use the Product Description instead
Include detail specific to your listings, eg. promotional or shipping information
Use HTML tags or special characters not on a standard keyboard (eg. ®, ©, ™ or other Type 1 High ASCII characters)

Good bullet points:

• Compact charger dock for iPhone/iPod
• LCD clock display
• Sleek matte finish
• FM radio built in
• Aux in, for any 3.5mm jack device

Key features clearly described

Bad bullet points:

• Stand out from the crowd
• Unique design
• Another essential product and a great deal from XYZ

Doesn’t describe key features
Includes subjective information – customers will decide for themselves whether the product will make them stand out from the crowd
Includes seller name

Product Description

Inventory Listing Template column name: description | Add a Product tool:   Description Tab > Product Description

A clear, concise, factual product description will help customers decide whether the product meets their needs. Product descriptions are displayed on the product detail page but also feed into Amazon search and external search results.

Do:

Provide as much factual, descriptive information as possible
Keep it clear – avoid marketing-speak
Describe the product’s key features, including size and Colour information and compatibility
Include the brand name, series and model number, even if they’re already in the product title
Include model numbers of products your item is compatible with
Use sentence case (only capitalize the first word of a sentence, or proper nouns)
Use

to insert a paragraph break
Check spelling and grammar

Don’t:

Write about anything but the product for sale; this is your opportunity to tell the customer about the product so that they can decide whether to buy it
  Include detail specific to your listings, eg. promotional or shipping information
Include subjective or time-sensitive comments eg. “great value” or “hot this year”
Use any HTML other than

Include any web or email addresses
Use special characters not on a standard keyboard (eg. ®, ©, ™ or other Type 1 High ASCII characters)

A good product description:

Designed to fit and complement notebooks up to 15.6 inches, the HYF G20C notebook sleeve offers plush-lined fabric notebook compartments to keep your notebook secure and free from scratching. Its unique, asymmetrical zipper design makes it ideal for easy access to your notebook from the top or the side. You can use the sleeve inside another bag for easy carrying, or on its own for on-site use.

Factual description of item
Describes key features

A bad product description:

Clock FM Radio with iPod/iPhone Dock in Black. Shipped by HYF Electronics.

Doesn’t describe key features
Doesn’t include brand name or model number
Includes seller name
In title case (most words start with a capital) – hard to read

Brand and manufacturer

Inventory Listing Template column name: brand, manufacturer | Add a Product tool: Vital Info tab > Manufacturer, Brand Name

This information helps customers to filter and identify products, as well as feeding internal and external search results. Typically brand information is more useful to customers than manufacturer information, but please provide both.

Brand:

• A unique and identifiable symbol, association, name or trademark which serves to differentiate competing products or services
• A name used to distinguish one product from its competitors; it can apply to a single product, an entire product line, or even a company
• A name or symbol used to identify a seller’s goods or services, and to differentiate them from those of competitors

Manufacturer:

• A business engaged in manufacturing a product

Example: HP

Note: Do not use your seller name for brand or manufacturer, unless the product is on your own private label. In this case only, you may use the name of your company in both the brand and manufacturer field.

Model number and part number

Inventory Listing Template column names: model-number, mfr-part-number | Add a Product tool: Vital Info Tab > Model Number, Manufacturer Part Number

If your product has a model and/or part number, this may be crucial to help customers identify that they have the right product. This information also feeds into Amazon and external search. If your product does not have a model or part number, leave these fields blank.

Box Contents

Inventory Listing Template column name: box-contents | _Add-a-Product Tool: _More Details tab > Box Contents

Product discoverability

Once you’ve set your product up, you’ll need to help customers find it. They can do this one of two ways: search – either within Amazon’s own site or on external search engines such as Google and Bing; or browse – navigate through the website. Most customers use a combination of both search and browse. So that customers can find your product, it’s very important to ensure that your products are optimized for search and correctly categorized in browse, and have the right attributes – product data – to help customers filter the results.

Products should be easy to find

This means that your product should appear prominently in search and browse results when the customer wants to find a product like it. Obviously, if your item does not appear when a customer is looking for it, you’re not going to make a sale.

But “easy to find” also means that an item does not show up when the customer does not want it. If search and browse results are cluttered with unwanted results, whether from you or from other sellers, customers will not be able to find the product they  want. That could be your lost sale, too. If this happens consistently, a customer can become discouraged and stop shopping on Amazon altogether. That could be many more lost sales. (And it’s another reason why duplicate detail pages are bad.)

Correct categorization aids discovery

Products which are correctly categorized in browse, and have detailed product
attributes – which drive browse refinements (the additional filters that you see in the left column after you either search for a keyword or navigate (browse) through the Amazon website) – get more traffic than those which don’t. Miscategorisation can cause real problems for customers and will result in lower sales for your product.

Please take great care to categories your items correctly – it really matters.

Variations

Inventory Listing Template column names: SKU, parentage, parent SKU, relationship-type, variation-theme Add a Product tool : Vital Info tab

If you want to sell a product that comes in different colours and/or sizes, you will have to create a product variation. Variations allow customers to choose the desired colour and size of the product from a single detail page, which you create using parent child product relationships. A product variation always needs to consist of two different elements:

Parent product: The parent product is just a “dummy” – it is not itself for sale and will be hidden on our website. A parent item has neither a barcode nor price or quantity information. However, it does need a SKU, as well as generic product information such as a description, product features etc. The parent item’s product title must be generic, containing no variation- related information such as Colour or size – eg. “Acme T-shirt”.

Child products: Child items are the individual products that you are actually selling. For each child item, fill in all the columns in the inventory listing template or Add-a-Product tool – price, stock level, images etc. It is crucial that the child item’s title contains the respective variation attributes such as size or colour (eg. ” Acme T-shirt – Small”). The child item’s title is the information that the customer will see in their order confirmation. If you don’t add the variation attributes (e.g. size, Colour) to the child item’s product title, the customer will no longer have access to this information once the order has been placed.

Creating variations:
When creating parent/child variations please ensure they are configured properly.

Ensure each product – parent and child – has a unique SKU (stock-keeping unit – your reference for the product)
Use the parentage column to show whether each SKU is the parent or one of the children.
The parentSKU column is only used by the child; enter the SKU of the parent that the child is attached to
The relationship-type column is only used for Child products. Enter “Variation” here.
The variation-theme column is used to determine the parameter(s) by which the products vary. This example highlights a variation theme of Size; please refer to the list of valid values in the flat file template or Add-a-Product tool for a comprehensive list of themes. Remember that you also need to populate the corresponding column (size) which then needs to contain the variation data.
Example:

Title| SKU| Parentage| ParentSKU| Relationship Type| Variation Theme| Size Name
---|---|---|---|---|---|---
Acme T-shirt| 03AMZN01| Parent| | | |
Acme T-shirt – small| 03AMZN02| Child| 03AMZN01| Variation| Size| Small
Acme T-shirt – medium| 03AMZN03| Child| 03AMZN01| Variation| Size| Medium
Acme T-shirt – large| 03AMZN04| Child| 03AMZN01| Variation| Size| Large

The product only varies by one parameter – eg. a t-shirt that comes in different sizes but only one colour, or a toy which comes in different colours. The product varies by two parameters – eg. a t-shirt which has different size and colour combinations

Search terms

Inventory Listing Template column names: search-terms1 – search-terms5
Add a Product tool : Keywords tab > Search Terms

These are additional terms that can be added to help customers find your product when they search on Amazon.co.uk. They do not affect searches on external search engines, eg. Google. Note that much of the content you provide in the title and brand fields already counts towards search, so there is no need to add this info again. Search terms can include attributes of the product, and different ways of describing the product, if relevant.

Do:

Use if your product title does not already include the word/phrase, and you think customers who will be interested in your product are likely to be searching for that word/phrase.
For example:
o Product title: Kingston Data Traveler 101 Gen 2 8GB USB Drive – Red Suggested search terms: USB stick, “flash drive”
o Product title: HP Deskjet 3050A e-All-in-One Printer
Suggested search terms: scanner, copier, fax
List compatible models if relevant

Google Trends and Google Insights can help you to identify appropriate search terms.

Don’t:

Add words already in the product title or brand name – we will pick these up automatically
Include common misspellings of the product name, or variants of spacing, punctuation, capitalization, or pluralization (eg. both 80GB and 80 GB, computer and computers, etc.) – our search engine is smart enough to figure this stuff out for you
Include subjective terms, eg. “best”, or time-sensitive statements eg. on sale, “available now”
Include generic terms such as “laptop” or “essentials”
Include your seller name
Worry about case – our search engine is case-insensitive, which means it doesn’t matter if the customer searches for upper case or lower case letters
Include information that misrepresents the product, such as a competing brand. This type of information is fraudulent and violates Amazon’s conditions for sellers

Good search terms:

[for an iPod] MB147LL/A: digital music player
MP3 player: digital audio player
AAC player

Includes terms which are not already in the product title but which customers search for

Bad search terms:

[for an iPod]:  digital
APPLE IPOD:  player
IPODS:  movies
APPLE:  80GB
music

Repeats keywords already in product title (apple, ipod, 80GB)
Includes keywords customers don’t typically use when searching for MP3 players, eg. digital (“digital audio player” or “digital music player” are more common)

Browse

_ Inventory Listing Template column names: recommended-browse-node
Add a Product tool _(Vital Info Tab): Recommended Browse Nodes

“Browse” is the term Amazon uses to refer to the “Department” list that you see in the left column when you either search for a keyword or navigate (browse) through the Amazon website. You will need to refer to the separate Browse Tree Guide document to determine which sub-department, or “node”, your product should be added to.

You can think of browse nodes as being like a tree, with branches and leaves. Branches allow multiple choices deeper within the department. The leaves are the end point from which customers can’t make any more selections. For example:

• Electronics & Photo branch
• Accessories branch
• Camera & Photo Accessories branch
• Camcorder & Video Accessories branch
• HDMI Cables leaf

The more specific the node you choose, the more easily customers will be able to find your product by filtering. Products assigned to a leaf will be included in the branches above it by default. In the example above, an HDMI cable assigned to the leaf node (HDMI Cables) will also be included in the Camcorder & Video Accessories, Camera & Photo Accessories, Accessories and Electronics & Photo branches.

Leaves and branches are mapped to all relevant points in the tree, so you only need to assign the item to one leaf node for it to appear in all relevant places. For example, an HDMI cable assigned to the leaf node above will also show up in the HDMI cables lead node in the Home Audio & Video branch and relevant sub-branches.

Do:

Choose the most specific leaf node possible for the product. Remember, it will automatically be included in all branches that leaf is attached to, and in other relevant branches

Don’t:

Choose a branch node (in grey in the Browse Tree Guide document) unless there is no appropriate leaf node
Be tempted to assign products to a “similar” node – eg. don’t put iPhone skins in the MP3 player cases node. Take the time to find the right leaf node and customers will be able to find your products more easily

Search and Browse Refinements

Refinements are the additional filters that you see in the left column under browse (“Departments”) after you either search for a keyword or navigate (browse) through the Amazon website.

The deeper you navigate through the departments, the more specific the refinements get to that sub-department (leaf node). This refined set of results, whether used alone or with search keywords, helps customers home in on a very specific set of items. If a customer filters by a refinement, your product will not show up unless you provided data for that refinement.

Refinements are populated by the data you provide via the Inventory Listing Templates and/or the Add a Product tool in Seller Central. We are constantly adding more refinements – so the more data you add, the more easily customers will be able to find your products. Please complete as many fields as you can when setting up your products.

Additionally, product attributes populate the Product Specifications section of the detail page. This also helps feed internal and external search.

Do:

Fill in as many of the columns as you can in the Inventory Listing Template, or as many of the fields in the Add a Product tool

Don’t:

Be tempted not to fill this in – or customers will have a hard time finding your product

Remember: The more information you provide, the more easily customers will find your product, and the more likely they will be to buy it.

Product Listing & Content Guide UK Hardlines & Consumables. Updated Jan 2014

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amazon Product Listing and Content Guide – Download

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