Q4 Guide is a step-by-step adviser for the most profitable season of the year, based on our work experience with 7-9 figure brands.
When you sell on Amazon, mistakes are a steep learning curve, especially for newbies. But even seasoned sellers learn through hit and miss during the craze that is Q4. The fourth quarter can be a perfect time of year, with faster sales and higher profits, but it can also be a time of great confusion.
We’ve created a list of the most common mistakes (orf “not-to-dos”) that Amazon sellers make. Let’s go further with the article to learn how to avoid the things on this list during Amazon Q4: your sales, finances, and overall success will increase.
The Importance of Amazon Q4
Q4 Amazon selling mistakes are particularly bitter: see, this period usually brings the most profit for sellers who carefully prepare for it throughout the entire year. Amazon sales revenue spikes about 30% every Q4. The research shows that Amazon q4 earnings in 2020 accounted for $14.09 billion.
source: Marketbeat.com
Logically, all sellers try to arrange their online shops and prepare them for overloads. Unfortunately, they often slip up due to simple miscalculations because there’s so much to take care of.
You don’t just go headfirst into the Q4 quarter, skating blind, without a game plan, expecting to win. You get ready, do your due diligence and learn what you shouldn’t do. So what are those most common Amazon Q4 mistakes that sellers should try to avoid in 2022?
Constantly Checking Pending Sales
It is exciting to see the pending sales during the Q4 season adding themselves up quicker than usual, which reflects your success in attracting new customers. However, it is a waste of time. To make the most out of Q4, spend your time as productively as possible. So try to reasonably check the sales data and direct more energy on the business.
Hesitating to Order Inventory
Remember the mantra: the holiday shopping season starts in the summer, picks up toward the end of August and into September. Get the inventory now to ensure that you stay stocked up and thus ready to meet this holiday season’s demand. It would be painful to miss out on sales because you didn’t order enough.
Implementing a New Strategy
As with many other tasks, learning to implement a new strategy or sell in an entirely new category is always a rewarding task for any Amazon seller. However, Q4 might not be the perfect time for experiments. The first three quarters of the year are ideal for tinkering around with new ideas, tools, or product selections.
During Amazon Q4, sellers need to focus the knowledge they have on making the most profit. There is no need to spend valuable time trying to master a complicated concept that is not earning sellers any money right now.
Not Updating Ad Campaign
However good your marketing is now, you have to redo it specifically for the holiday season. Updates are important because you will be competing with a lot of holiday-related ads from other stores.
To get more attention to your ad and increase sales, be sure to stuff it up with season-related keywords that shoppers can use during the holidays, such as “Father-in-law’s Christmas Gift”. Every important Amazon Q4 date requires special holiday keywords.
Shoppers go straight to Amazon looking for gifts. To hold ACOS to a minimum, adjust your PPC ad campaigns for your product using the top 10 keywords.
Recklessly Cutting Prices
Once the Amazon Q4 selling season starts, some sellers start to panic and muse on if their prices are too high. But if you lower prices, it will decrease the supply on the Amazon website, meaning prices will grow. Not only should you refrain from dropping your prices to bait customers into thinking your inventory is empty, but you should also raise your prices when other sellers can’t maintain their sales levels.
Follow Too Many Q4 Groups
There is tonnes of information about all of the holiday sales, including Amazon seller support groups. Nonetheless, it can be helpful to look at their advice from different perspectives — it can be contradictory. Don’t let the masses of information distract you from the business: take advantage of the most profitable time of the year and squeeze as much as you can out of Q4.
Setting Delivery Charge
Since online shoppers anticipate swift and free shipping, you’ll be damaging your Q4 Amazon strategy by charging a shipping fee. With merchant-fulfilled Prime eligibility, you can offer free two-day shipping without the FBA fees. The only drawback is that you have to fulfill orders yourself.
Don’t miss out on the lucrative holiday season waiting till the last minute. We’ve got some tips to help you get started!
Looking for the Hottest Toy
Catalogs and magazines provide you with insight into what is popular, so you start chasing it down for resell, right? Yet this is a tricky business, as every seller follows the trends, and thus competition increases. What we get as a result are lower prices and lower profits.
Stores usually look at trends to see what will be popular and are well stocked with hot toys. To eliminate competition, look for lesser-known products that complement hot toys and, therefore, sell.
Neglecting Customer Feedback
It is imperative for your business to be aware of negative product reviews and to not shoot yourself in the foot by overlooking them. You want to respond to each unsatisfied customer and try to solve their problem. Also, with this insight, you can use the same information to improve your product or keep an eye out for any trends that may affect your future restocking.
Comparing your Business to Others
You’re bound to see other sellers post photographs of the crazy amount of daily sales on Amazon. You might even start to compare yourself to the sellers and wonder why your level of success isn’t seeing the success you’re hoping for. But this is something you really shouldn’t do.
First, it’s a waste of time. Secondly, there is no single store like yours, because nobody can do what you do and the way you do it. Pursue your goals only, and don’t bother thinking about somebody else’s success or failures.
Final Word
Mistakes happen. Q4 is the busiest time of the year for Amazon sellers, no doubt, and when so much is hanging over your head, it’s easy to take the wrong turn. Do your best to avoid the above-described slips, and you’re good to go.
But then again, not every seller has time to dive into Q4 peculiarities and difficulties. Profit Whales specializes in helping Amazon brands and sellers to get noticeable and successful in the marketplace. So, don’t hesitate to contact us, and we will gladly cooperate with you to excel during Q4. And how to plan the most eventful period of the year we described in the guide!
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