My Amazon Guy

Send us Fan MailSelling internationally can feel overwhelming. Today we talk to an Amazon expert who will help you simplify the process to expand your business to other countries. Kevin Sanderson, host of the Maximizing Ecommerce podcast and a successful Amazon seller. Kevin is fresh off his PPC summit where he gathered some of the top PPC experts and if you didn’t participate in that I recommend my listeners check it out at maximizingecommerce.com/steven for PPC. There’s a special offer for $97 to get all the videos from the summit.So before we talk international, what’s on your mind this week?Is now a good time to go international?Yes - Kevin UK sales surpassed the USA for short time.How big should you be in the USA before you go international?Small - function of money in and money out.Focus Canada firstGoing to our podcast topic today, how do sellers get started and scale international markets for Amazon?Register with national government GST / HSTGST = VAT LIKESales tax added onCovers all provincesFile annuallyStuck on Pesticides gating? Answer key here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRbsQvqV3t0NARF - remote fulfillmentSend FBA USA inventory to Canada/Mexico https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2GNJAl2XdATaxesCustomsVATVAT resources https://services.amazon.co.uk/services/vat-resources.htmlWhich markets should be prioritized and why?CanadaUKGermanyRest of EuropeAustraliaJapanSingaporeSelling business - Seller Net Profit 3xExample: 100k USA net profit10k CanadaThe 3x goes to 3.1 multiple because of diversityFirst year 6.5% Full guide for getting started on international http://maximizingecommerce.com/mag with a special offer from Kevin Sanderson.Support the show

Send us Fan MailWe talk with a Trademark expert who has filed more than 1000 trademarks. We’ll talk about everything you need to know about trademarks for your brands. Preston Frischknecht https://brandregistrytrademark.com/1000 Trademark registrationsWhat’s the funniest ™ you have had to file. (Four letter words)Who are you and what you do you do, tell me a little bit about what you do.How to pick the right type of mark.Is a trademark as easy as buying a domain. TMs are difficult because the analysis requires research. You have to look to see if there’s a similar type of mark. Phonetically similar. SpecimensIntent to use base application vs selling currently.Thoughts on Trademark IP Accelerator, but costs moreSpeed is goodPre Negotiated rates are high however, significantly higher costs.How do you know if you have a good Trademark?Come early enough - to pick right ™ for guidelines.More distinctive and more protect-able.Too descriptive. Locations in ™ name.Descriptiveness - if too descriptive we don’t want you to lock it up like city names. Caveat if geographically if lesser known location.Me as an Amazon Agency and my clients they just want a ™ to get brand registry. But Trademarks aren't just valuable for Amazon purposes are they?Brands can be appraisal assetIf you infringe on a trademark, what should you do? Nebulous territory. Where do rights begin and end?Get Amazon Consulting at https://myamazonguy.com/#trademark #brandregistry #amazonselling #amazonseller Support the show

Send us Fan MailGet Amazon Consulting at https://myamazonguy.com/My adjustable dumbbell listing has been doing really well. It is the number 4 bestseller in the fitness weights category on amazon. It looks like I will be out of stock in two weeks, having sold half the stock in the same period of time. I have ordered another container of these dumbbells but it won’t arrive for around 3 months. In 3 months I think the market will be very different. There will be much more supply as sellers would have restocked by then and less demand because some gyms would have reopened and people would have bought all the weights they have wanted to buy. This means I will need to be more competitive with respect to price and marketing.My question is - what strategy should I adopt in the situation where I will be out of stock in two weeks with no further stock for another 10 weeks after that.Some things that you might want to consider in your advice:- should I now temporarily increase the price to slow down the sales?- what should I do with my PPC campaigns now and during the period I’m out of stock.- can I do pre-sales on my listing? It is this only for people who have brand registry?- should I deactivate the listing so that amazon doesn’t think I’m doing zero sales.-----Answers:When stockouts are guaranteed raise prices and shut off ads.Q4 will still be a good quarter so continue with your order.Once you reach zero stock you could close the listing but you'll probably get a return or something that would allow another sale.You can't do pre sales.#stockout #supplychain #amazon #inventoryflow #amazonselling #amazonseller #amazonfbaSupport the show

Send us Fan MailHow does an Amazon agency work, how does My Amazon Guy run? In today’s podcast I reveal how I run the agency like a news organization. Many of the principles I use are applicable in most organizations.Roles in a news organizationGeneral ManagerNews DirectorTV reportersAnchorsProducersSalesReporter for 2 years before I started MAG and before I got my MBA. In Idaho and Wisconsin. Client communication is fundamental.The show must go on at 5pm each and every day.If you don’t have a story, you go find one. (Find the sale or next project)Support the show

Send us Fan MailSignup for ShipStation. How do you automate shipping across your marketplaces, Amazon, and website? One of my favorite solutions is joining our podcast today to talk about ShipStation. Cody DeArmond - Sales Director at ShipStation. First 20 employees ShipStation and now the rest is history.You’re busy right now. How do you deal with Amazon delayed shipping FBA.So why Shipstation is a good solution to automate shipping with marketplaces and your website.Time and moneyTrackingMarking as shippedBusiness reports for all integrated channel in place.Shows real shipping costs.Net value on what you pay vs customer paysShipStation is software, not a 3PL, doesn’t physically ship the item.How do you deal with International shipping?Should I ship internationally?Automate custom documentsWhich carrier should I use?No all eggs in one place.Automate rulesLightweight to X carrierExpedited to Y carrierOther shipping advice?Built in discounts into ShipStationThink of shipping as an extension of your business, not an afterthought.Last good book you read and why everyone should read it?Hard things about hard thingsPeacetime and wartime businessAmazon consulting at www.myamazonguy.comSupport the show

Send us Fan MailTo get 15% off Zon Tools use promo code "myamazonguy" Tarik Ozkan CTO of Zon ToolsSearch Term IsolationPhilosophy to only advertise on converting keywordsDecreasing bids doesn’t always lower ACOSZon Tools - Automation of PPCAutomate existing campaignsBulk EditorZon Tool has a dozen of product offerings, all with their one unique Trademarked name.Algorithm Black Box - curiousHow does Zon.Tools work? Interactive Rule Flow Bot brain here: www.zon.tools/flowAM 3.0 works on all Targets (PAT and EAT) and Keywords (all matches). Every 6 hours adjusts your bid based on your ACoS goals (“Max ACoS“), clicks (“Min. Action Click“) and spend (“Max Spend“).The new bids are calculated based on:ClicksSalesMax ACoSMin BidMax BidAM 3.0 will wait for one of the 3 conditions before starting working:The Keyword or Target reached “Max Spend” without sales –> AM 3.0 will immediately drop its bid to “Min. Bid” regardless of the number of clicks it hasThe Keyword or Target reached “Min Action Clicks” and there are no sales –> AM 3.0 will immediately drop its bid to “Min. Bid“The Keyword or Target reached “Min Action Clicks” and there are sales –> AM 3.0 will then look at the keyword ACoS compared to “Max ACoS” and adjust bids as defined below:AM 3.0 algorithm will calculate the optimal bid for each entity (Keyword or Target) based on its conversion rate.The system willmove toward the optimal bid with daily increments or decrements of 0% to 100% / day based on the assigned Change Rate at PGN creation or Edit Rule Configuration.AM 3.0 bid range is limited by “Min Bid” and “Max Bid“.AM 3.0 will never Pause nor Enable your Keywords or TargetsKeyword Miner & Term-Inator:KWM and TI work every 6 hours on 3 main triggers (thresholds):Min Action ClicksMax SpendMax ACoSOrders7Relevancy Trigger (KWM)KWM and TI will wait for one of the 2 conditions before starting working:The Customer Search Term reached “Max Spend” without sales –> TI will negate regardless of the number of clicks the search term hasThe Customer Search Term reached “Min Action Clicks” –> KWM and TI will then look at ACoSIf ACoS is above threshold –> TI will Negate the search termIf ACoS is below the threshold and “Orders7” equal or above “Relevancy Trigger“–> KWM will Mine the search termHow KWM mines:Exact Campaign: Exact MatchPhrase Campaign: Phrase Match + Negative Exact — Search Term Isolation —Broad Campaign: Broad Match + Negative Phrase — Search Term Isolation —How TI negates:Phrase Campaign: Negative ExactBroad Campaign: Negative ExactAuto Campaign: Negative ExactSupport the show

Send us Fan MailGet Amazon Advertising Management at My Amazon Guy. You can search for campaigns, ads, keywords and product targets, and ad groups by entering all or part of the name in the search box at the top of the table. By layering multiple filters you can analyze specific performance drivers based on the benchmarks you set.To search in the campaign manager:Navigate to the campaign manager.Navigate to the page you'd like to search within, such as campaigns, ad groups, ads, targeting, or negative targeting.Click the search box at the top of the table.Type all or part of the campaign, ad, or keyword name and press Enter.Click Filter by and choose a filter.Select your filtering criteria from the options presented. Often this consists of a range for the filter (such as greater than or less than), and a value.Click Save to create the filter.Review your filtered results and modify the filter as needed.Edit your campaigns as needed by clicking any editable fields in the table.Note: You can choose which columns show in the campaign manager. To change the settings, click Columns, then Customize Columns on the right side above the table.List of Amazon Advertising FiltersTypeTargetingBudgetImpressionsClicksCLickthrough rate (CTR)SpendCost-per-click (CPC)OrdersSalesAdvertising cost of sales (ACOS)NTB Orders% of orders NTBNTB sales% of sales NTBAlmost or out of budgetPortfoli#AmazonFilters #AmazonAds #PPCSupport the show

Send us Fan MailListing reinstatement and suspension service https://myamazonguy.com/amazon-listing-reinstatement/https://www.webretailer.com/b/amazon-suspension-root-causes/What went wrong?Diagnosis and strategy in relation to “what went wrong” forms a big part of how we approach account reinstatement work with our clients.We understand the key differences between what Amazon refers to as “root causes” (the problems that led to complaints) and the seller’s perspective on what happened. Those differences can make or break an account suspension appeal.So, what are the differences between the seller’s perspective and root causes?Let’s dig into what you have to research in terms of:Mistakes by staffGaps in your internal operationsFailure to keep up with performance notificationsAny other root causes relevant to your suspensionDon’t underestimate the importance of getting beyond your first reaction to a buyer or brand complaint, and digging down to the underlying problem.Here are some examples.Expired productsIt’s not unusual for buyers to complain about products being past their expiry date, or lacking an expiry date completely.What sellers say:Buyers thought the items were expired because the items don’t have an expiration date.Or…Buyers didn’t find the expiration date on the product, but it’s there.Root causes that Amazon wants to hear:We did not realize that buyers looking for expiration dates would have trouble finding them on the bottom of the bottle.Or…We failed to appreciate that several buyers would mistake the lot code for the expiration date due to similar code formatting.Inauthentic complaintsAuthenticity has long been a problem on the Amazon marketplace. Buyers can be quick to complain that the product they have received is fake or is not what was advertised.What sellers say:Buyers made authenticity complaints because we sold under listings that did not exactly match the products we sold.Root cause that Amazon wants to hear:We lacked a listing review oversight process to match our inventory to the proper product detail page 100% in every detail.Late shipment ratesSellers who do their own fulfillment (instead of using FBA) have to keep their shipping metrics up to a high standard, particularly if they are in the Seller Fulfilled Prime program.What sellers say:We had a technical error in our order fulfillment software that delayed some shipments until we could correct it.Root cause that Amazon wants to hear:We failed to assign a manager to monitor our tools and processes for on-time shipment confirmations, which led to some late shipments and out of range metrics.Safety concernsComplaints and trigger words around safety are a priority for Amazon. The slightest hint that a product you sell is not safe can cause an immediate ASIN suspension.What sellers say:A buyer who consumed our product did not read the instructions or check with their doctor in advance to see if their allergy would be provoked when consuming the item.Root cause that Amazon wants to hear:We failed to update our listing details to include information on specific allergies that could lead to bad buyer experiences or health concerns.Rights owner complaintsMore and more brand owners are monitoring the Amazon marketplace and filing infringement notices when they find that their intellectual property is being misused.What sellers say:We listed our products after matching UPCs and joined an already estaSupport the show

Send us Fan MailGet listing reinstatement help at My Amazon Guy. Warned 2 times on something, the 3rd time will almost surely result in a suspension within 90 days.Inauthentic items claimsReview manipulationMisuse of variationsListings yankedInfringement ClaimsDuplicate accountsSelling Prohibited Items.Negative Feedback.Late Shipment Rate.Get Amazon Consulting at https://myamazonguy.com/Support the show

Send us Fan MailProduct title requirements https://sellercentral-europe.amazon.com/gp/help/GYTR6SYGFA5E3EQC?Listing Reinstatement Service for $500 https://myamazonguy.com/amazon-listing-reinstatement/In this video I cover this error "Product Name : The Title has prohibited phrases which is against Amazon policy."  And removing the word "gift" solved it.Title requirements apply to all non-media products on all of Amazon’s worldwide marketplaces. The four criteria that could cause a non-media product to be search-suppressed are:Titles must not exceed 200 characters, including spaces.Titles must not contain promotional phrases, such as "free shipping", "100% quality guaranteed".Titles must not contain characters for decoration, such as ~ ! * $ ? _ ~ { } #  | * ; ^ ¬ ¦Titles must contain product-identifying information, such as "hiking boots" or "umbrella".Failure to comply with these requirements may cause a product to be suppressed from Amazon search results.Title lengthAmazon generously allows 200 characters for titles, but for better title quality, you should aim for a maximum of 80 characters.You may notice that different title lengths are listed in our category-specific style guides. These are guidelines only, not strict requirements, based on the preferred, typical title style for product listings in that category. For example, if a category-specific style guide recommends a title length of 150 characters, a product will not be suppressed from search for having a title over 150 characters long, as long as it stays within the limit of 200 characters.TipsGood title quality is a key factor to ensuring a positive customer experience on Amazon. Below are additional tips for improving the quality of your titles. We will only search-suppress products with titles that violate one of the four requirements listed above, but we strongly encourage adherence to the following title standards:Titles should be concise. We recommend fewer than 80 characters.Don't use ALL CAPS.Capitalise the first letter of each word except for prepositions (in, on, over, with), conjunctions (and, or, for), or articles (the, a, an).Use numerals: "2" instead of "two".Don't use non-language ASCII characters such as Æ, ©, or ®.Titles should contain the minimal information needed to identify the item and nothing more.Don't use subjective commentary, such as "Hot Item" or "Best Seller".Titles can include necessary punctuation, like hyphens (-), forward slashes (/), commas (,), ampersands (&), and full stops (.).Titles can abbreviate measurements, such as "cm", "oz", "in", and "kg".Don't include your merchant name in titles.Size and colour variations should be included in titles for child ASINs, not the main title (see below).Titles using variation relationshipsIn Variation Relationships, only the title of the parent ASIN is shown on the detail page. The title for the selected child ASIN will appear once the ASIN is added to the customer's cart, so it is important to include the variation attributes like size and colour in the title for the child ASIN.Example parent: Crocs Beach ClogExample child: Crocs Beach Clog, Lime Green, Men's Size 8-9ExampleOur research shows that customers scan-read results, meaning that titles don’t need to contain the exact phrase that customers are searching for in order to catch their eye. Longer titles are also harder to read than shorter titles, so the longer your title is, the more you risk losing your customer’s attention.Get Amazon Consulting at https://myamazonguy.com/Support the show