COVID-19 has changed the way many people shop. A recent Mastercard SpendingPulse report found that e-commerce sales jumped by nearly 93% in May of 2020, while a PYMNTS.com report found that 4 out of 10 people are now buying retail goods online. Given this boost in e-commerce, along with a pandemic that continues to impact the country, brands need to shift their focus to online marketplaces if they want to remain competitive. As the largest e-commerce platform in the U.S., Amazon provides businesses access to 150 million prime members who are estimated to spend a whopping $240 billion in 2020.
Unfortunately, selling successfully on Amazon is no simple feat. There are currently 2.5 million sellers across all Amazon marketplaces, which makes distinguishing your brand not only crucial, but difficult. For this reason, more and more businesses are turning to channel management agencies for help. This growing demand has caused a surge in e-commerce consultants. So, how do you choose the right Amazon agency? With the stakes this high, your decision could mean the difference between success and failure.
What differentiates one agency from another?
The first thing to know when choosing an Amazon agency is that not all agencies are the same. Some have a large in-house team, some maintain a modest-sized staff, and others consist of only a few consultants. Size does not necessarily matter, but experience does. Therefore, the first question to ask is: what differentiates your agency from all the others?
At Channel Key, we pride ourselves on three primary distinctions: 1) our pedigree, 2) our boutique experience, and 3) our proprietary process. Our pedigree stems from our sister company that is currently a Top 200 Amazon seller. We have more than 30 years of combined experience helping clients in many industries succeed on Amazon, resulting in $250 million in cumulative sales. In other words, we walk the walk.
Our boutique approach is our paramount focus and pro-active mindset to detail, communication, quality over quantity, and brand goals. Every business is unique. Customizing a successful Amazon marketplace strategy begins with learning and understanding the particular and often changing needs of your business. This requires the kind of attention and communication that large agencies often struggle to provide.
Our primary goal at Channel Key is to develop smart and competitive strategies that increase your company’s sales and overall revenue. To achieve this, we have developed proprietary processes to ensure a consistent approach that creates alignment and generates maximum results. These include providing your business with a dedicated account manager, content strategist, marketer, and data analyst who will work directly with your team to develop a strategic plan and build you a best-in-class Amazon business.
What can your business expect regarding growth and performance?
One of the most important questions to ask an Amazon agency is: what kind of results should I expect? Beware of agencies that promise exponential growth in a short amount of time. The Amazon marketplace just does not work that way. Instead, seek agencies with proven track records. Channel Key has helped complete more than 4.5 million e-commerce transactions on Amazon and has managed more than 145,000 SKUs. While exact sales numbers are impossible to forecast, we guarantee to provide you the same results-driven, comprehensive service that has proven successful for our diverse roster of clients. We are happy to share case studies, testimonials, and white papers that detail our successful strategies that have directly increased traffic and sales on Amazon.
How will an agency grow your business on Amazon?
When it comes to Amazon agencies, details matter. Successful agencies will not only help you understand what kind of results you can expect, but more importantly, how they will achieve them. Selling on Amazon requires a multitude of key functional components operating simultaneously to drive the best results. These include listing optimization, advertising campaigns, technology integration, data analysis, operations, supply chain management, and much more.
For example, Channel Key uses a proprietary algorithm to identify the best keyword opportunities for your business by incorporating numerous critical marketplace factors like competition and search volume. Based on a detailed analysis of the results, Channel Key will customize a multi-pronged approach that incorporates numerous tactics and strategies that can include:
- Strategic Business Planning
- Brand Store Creation
- New Product Launches
- Catalog Management
- Ad Strategy Management
- Organic Search Placement
- Fulfillment Setup
- KPI Management
- Gap Analysis
- Segmentation
The most important factor to consider when choosing an Amazon agency
Of all the questions to ask when choosing an Amazon agency, one is undoubtedly the most important: is this the right agency for my business? Not every agency or consultant will tell you this. Channel Key has a successful track record because we are selective about the businesses with which we partner. We know that not every business will be a good fit, and that is okay.
Transparency is one of our core values. Every relationship with our clients begins with an initial phone call to learn more about their business and goals. This helps us determine if we are the right agency to help them succeed. At the end of the day, success for our clients means success for us. As a business, you should seek an agency that follows this guiding principle and has the record to back it up. If you are interested in strengthening your presence on the Amazon marketplace and would like to know more about how we may be able to help, contact us today for a free consultation.
REFERENCES:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/304938/amazon-prime-and-non-prime-members-average-sales-spend/
