5 things to consider before advertising on Amazon

The quality of your product information and product detail pages can have a meaningful impact on your advertising performance and sales.
Consider trying a few of these steps before you create your first sponsored ads campaign.

1. Choose products that display the Featured Offer

The Featured Offer is the section of the product detail page where customers can add items to their cart or buy now. When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines the offers into one product detail page, so we can present customers witht he best experience.

In order to advertise with sponsored ads, your product must be eligible to be the Featured Offer. Beyond that, we recommend choosing products that regularly display the Featured Offer to help maximize your visibility and sales. You can refer to your business reports in Seller Central or Vendor Central to see how often your products are the Featured Offer.

How can you become the Featured Offer?

Taking these steps may help boost your chances.

Featured Offer
  • Price your products reasonably
  • Review your inventory
  • Offer multiple shipping options, and free shipping if possible
  • Offer great customer service, which can help generate positive ratings and reviews

"Advice that I would give to a [selling partner] on Amazon: First, make sure that your products are completely retail ready. Take your time and build out complete product listings. Robust titles, plenty of rich imagery, very descriptive bullets, and product descriptions."

Sean, US advertiser

2. Create a strong product title

Think of your product title as a way to make a first impression with shoppers. It will appear prominently in your sponsored ads creative, not to mention on your product detail page. An informative, easy-to-read title, around 60 characters long, lets shoppers quickly know key facts about your product, and can help encourage them to click on your ads and learn more about your item.

What should you include in your title? Consider the following:

Sponsored Display ad placement
  • Brand
  • Product line
  • Material or key feature
  • Quantity
  • Product type
  • Size
  • Packaging
  • Color
KitchenSmart

Here’s an example of how this might come to life.

A fictitious brand called KitchenSmart sells an espresso machine, and they create a product title like this: KitchenSmart SmartEspresso Silver Espresso Machine (15")

KitchenSmart [brand] SmartEspresso [product line]
Silver [material] Espresso Machine (15’’) [Product type, height]

3. Include multiple bullet points on your product detail page

Once a shopper clicks on your ad and goes to your product detail page, you want to provide them with the guidance they need to make an informed purchase decision. One way to help do this is by including at least three bullet points that give them a clear overview of your product’s key features: contents, uses, dimensions, operational considerations, age rating, skill level, and country of origin are all ones to consider.

Use these tips to craft your bullet points:

Bright idea
  • Begin with a capital letter
  • Format as a sentence fragment (don't use end punctuation)
  • Reiterate important information about the title and description, where applicable
  • Avoid promotional or pricing information
  • Offer great customer service, which can help generate positive ratings and reviews

Let’s look at how KitchenSmart might write bullet points for its espresso machine:

Brand lift
  • Fully automatic espresso machine [contents]
  • Grinds beans, brews specialty drinks, and prepares milk froth [uses]
  • Operate at the touch of a button [operational considerations]
  • Crafted in Italy [country of origin]
  • 10" x 17" x 15" high [dimensions]

4. Craft a helpful, detailed product description

With your product description, you can go beyond the simple features included in your bullet points and capture your product’s benefits, uses, and value proposition in detail.

As a best practice, you should always write descriptions for your products.

Treat your description like a short narrative: use complete sentences, check your spelling and grammar, be concise but informative, and apply your brand’s unique voice. Accurate, engaging copy helps create a positive shopping experience, which can then help turn ad clicks into purchases.

Product detail page

When writing a description for its espresso machine, KitchenSmart takes the opportunity to show shoppers what makes their product special (and their brand interesting):

Get a café-style brew right at home in minutes. Combining a modern design with classic Italian craft, the SmartEspresso Espresso Machine is simple to use, easy to clean, and delivers rich, flavorful espresso drinks whenever you want them (morning, afternoon, evening, or all three). The unique milk system mixes milk and air in the built-in frothing chamber, adding an irresistible layer of foam to your cappuccino or latte. Sleek silver construction complements any kitchen. Imported.

5. Feature high-quality, zoomable product images

When customers browse your product detail page, images can help capture their attention and educate them about what you offer. Include four or more images showing your product from different angles, highlighting important details and features, and demonstrating how it can be used.

Product image

Make sure your images are set against a plain white background and that your product fills at least 80% of the image area. Also, make your images at least 1000 pixels in height or width. Meeting this minimum size requirement enables the zoom function on Amazon, letting customers get a closer look at your products and potentially helping you make more sales.

"When you’re creating a product listing, you’re creating a brand story, a product story. Because on Amazon, people shop with their eyes first. [They] look at pictures, look at your title, and see if this is what [they] want to consider purchasing. On the detail page, this is the time for [sellers] to really let the customer know why they should purchase their product. Communicate a good story to customers."

David, US advertiser