Storefront and Brand Store Showdown: Freebie Functionality vs. Brand-Building Powerhouse

Ever feel like Amazon throws jargon around like confetti at a toddler's birthday party? Don't worry, you're not alone. Today, we're clearing the confusion between Storefronts and Brand Stores, so you can stop scratching your head and start building your brand empire.

Let's face it, Amazon isn't exactly known for handing out free real estate. But that's where the Storefront comes in. It's a basic (think bare-bones) way to display all the brands you sell under your account. No setup required, just a quick and dirty list to show you're not a one-trick pony.

But hold on to your hats, sellers, because that's where the Brand Store swoops in to steal the show. Forget the static list; the Brand Store is a multi-page wonderland where you can create a captivating brand experience. Think of it as your own personal billboard within the Amazon marketplace, primed to turn casual browsers into brand loyalists.

Let’s dig deeper to understand their difference.

Locating the Amazon Storefront and Brand Store

Where to find Amazon Storefront

In the buy box or right side of the product detail page (PDP), look for the line that says “Sold by.”

Clicking this link will take you to your Seller Profile page which is similar to the one below.?

Click the hyperlinked text “Visit the (Brand Name) Storefront” to find the storefront page.

You’ll be redirected to a page where you can see the products sold under your brand name listed from the highest velocity down to the lowest.

How To find the Brand Store link

Look for and click “Visit the (Brand Name) Store in the PDP." This will immediately take you to your Brand Store.

Now you are probably wondering how you’ll benefit from knowing what and where the brand store and the storefront are. Such knowledge allows you to make the most out of each tool from Seller Central and allocate your resources where they can yield the most favorable results for you and your business.?

As we have mentioned in the introduction, the storefront is like real estate that Amazon provides to sellers for free. It is a page that sellers have no control over. Still, it serves a purpose regardless of how basic.

Profile Page

If you want to tell your customers about your business, go to Settings > Your Info & Policies. This is a page where customers may learn more about you and your business by reading the (text) information you have provided.

Optimize Your Seller Profile Page in Seller Central by adding these details:

• About Seller - (20,000 characters) Introduce your business and share your brand story to connect with customers and build trust.
• Seller Logo
• Shipping - Clearly outline your shipping policies and rates to manage customer expectations.
• Privacy Policy - Include any extensions to Amazon's existing privacy policy that apply to your business, ensuring they do not contradict Amazon's policies.
• Frequently Asked Questions - Provide answers to common queries about your policies or products, addressing information not covered on other Help pages.
• Custom Help Pages (20,000 characters) - Offer additional details such as sizing charts and product-specific or category-specific information to assist customers.
• Tax - Clearly detail your tax policies for purchased items to maintain transparency and compliance.

What To Remember About Your Profile Page

While there are sections you can edit here, remember that your profile page is an avenue for customers to reach out to you. It is here where they can ask you questions, leave seller feedback, and read more about your product reviews.

Build Your Brand Store

Your? Profile page allows you to enter text information about your business and upload some images like logos and assembly photos. Such customization is unavailable with the storefront, except for setting the display name, as described in this video. If you wish to have a page that is customized and designed according to your branding, then you need to create your brand store.?

What other benefits sellers can get from a dedicated Amazon Brand Store.

Centralized Brand Destination: An Amazon brand store offers a dedicated space to display your entire product range, making it easier for customers to discover and learn about your brand. It also provides a platform to share your brand story and build customer trust. Each store has a unique URL, enhancing brand recognition.

Ad-Free Environment: Unlike search results and product listings filled with competitor ads, your brand store is a competitor-free zone, ensuring customers focus solely on your products.

Higher Conversion Rates: By presenting your brand uniquely and free from competitor distractions, Amazon brand store can boost conversion rates, as customers engage more deeply with your brand.

Direct Traffic: Utilize Sponsored Brands or Sponsored Display Ads to drive traffic directly to your brand store, diverting potential customers from competitors. Leverage social media, email marketing, and Amazon Attribution to measure the impact of off-Amazon traffic.

Organized Subcategories: For brands with diverse product lines, brand stores allow the creation of subpages for different categories, making it easier for customers to navigate and find specific products.

Insightful Analytics: The Store insights dashboard provides valuable data on traffic sources, sales performance, and page views. These metrics help optimize marketing strategies and improve the Store's effectiveness.

Mobile Optimization: Amazon brand stores are designed to be mobile-friendly, catering to the millions of customers who shop via the Amazon app.

Indeed, a brand store can significantly contribute to your total revenue, and Jason Landro suggests that you should optimize your brand store.

Setting Up an Amazon Brand Store

Who Can Have an Amazon Brand Store? Not everyone can set up an Amazon Brand Store. The primary eligibility requirement is enrollment in Amazon’s Brand Registry.

What Are the Requirements for an Amazon Brand Store? To start using an Amazon Brand Store, you need to complete the following first:

1. Set Up a Seller Account:
2. Join the Brand Registry Program:

The Brand Registry program is designed to protect your brand and provide access to valuable resources and support.

To join, you must have a valid registered trademark in the relevant country or a pending trademark application through Amazon IP Accelerator. Our Amazon agency can help with your trademark registration so contact us to quickly get started with your brand registry.?

Your brand name or logo must be prominently displayed on all products and packaging sold on Amazon.

Is Setting Up an Amazon Brand Store Free? Yes, creating an Amazon Brand Store is free for sellers who have enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry. There are no additional fees for setting up or maintaining your Brand Store.

However, remember that you need an active registered trademark to enroll in the Brand Registry. Once enrolled, you can customize and add products to your Brand Store without any extra costs.

For detailed steps on creating an Amazon brand store, read our blog post Your Guide To Creating an Amazon Brand Store That Converts.

Best Practices For Designing an Amazon Brand Store

• Meta Description helps your brand store rank higher for relevant keywords, enhancing visibility on search engines.

Include a comprehensive list of keywords related to your products to ensure your store ranks for various search terms. For example, if you sell gift boxes, include terms like "gift boxes for mom," "Mother's Day presents," "spa sets," etc.

• Ensure your header image clearly displays your brand name and conveys what you sell.

Spend time creating a compelling header image that represents your brand effectively. This is the first impression customers get when they visit your store.

• Create multiple subpages to showcase different product categories.

Subpages help mimic a traditional website, making it easier for customers to navigate and explore your offerings.

Include subpages for each product category to enhance user experience and make it easy for customers to find what they are looking for.

• Use videos to demonstrate your products and provide a better shopping experience.

Even simple videos, such as unboxing or product demonstrations, can significantly increase conversion rates by showing the consumer experience.

Design Considerations

• Legibility

Challenge: Ensuring text on images is readable.

Solution: Use large, clear fonts for all text on your store's images to avoid rejection by Amazon for legibility issues.

• Mobile Optimization

Importance: Mobile shopping is increasingly popular, so your store must be optimized for mobile devices.

Tip: Edit and preview your store in both desktop and mobile views to ensure a seamless user experience across all devices.

• Vanity URL

Purpose: A vanity URL makes it easy for customers to find your brand store.

Tip: Request a vanity URL that correlates with your brand name for easier access and marketing.

Overcoming Challenges

• Rejections and Issues

Common Problems: Text legibility, product link requirements, and submission errors.

Tip: If your store is rejected, address the specific issues mentioned by Amazon, such as increasing text size or adding product links. Persistently resubmit if necessary.

• Brand Store Accessibility

Linking Issues: Ensure your brand store is linked correctly to product detail pages.

Solution: Verify that UPC codes are loaded correctly in the GTIN field to prevent linking issues.

Discoverability

• Search Visibility

Google Ranking: Optimize your meta description and use relevant keywords to enhance your store's visibility on Google.

Amazon Search: Ensure your store appears in Amazon search results by using sponsored brand ads and proper keyword placement.

• Direct Access

URL Typing: Make your store accessible by directly typing the URL into the browser.

Brand Name Click: Ensure clicking on your brand name in product detail pages leads to your brand store.

Measuring the Performance of an Amazon Brand Store

Understanding Key Metrics

To measure the effectiveness of your Amazon Brand Store, utilize the insights dashboard to track various metrics (from Amazon Ads):

• Visitors: Total unique visitors within a selected time frame. Note that one visitor can visit multiple pages and traffic sources.
• Visits: How many times visitors arrived at your Store in a single day, possibly from multiple sources and pages.
• Views: Number of page views.
• Views/Visitor: Average page views per visitor.
• Views/Visit: Average page views per visit.
• Sales: Estimated total sales generated by Store visitors within 14 days of their last visit.
• Units Sold: Approximate units purchased by Store visitors within 14 days of their last visit.
• Orders: Estimated total orders placed by Store visitors within 14 days of their last visit.
• Units/Order: Average units per order.
• Sales/Order: Average sales per order.
• Sales/Visitor: Average sales per visitor.
• Sales/Visit: Average sales per visit.
• Followers: Total count of customers following your brand via the "Follow" button on your Store or Posts (U.S. only).

Measuring Traffic Beyond Amazon

Amazon Attribution provides insights into how non-Amazon marketing efforts drive value for your Store. Follow these steps to utilize Amazon Attribution:

• Sign in to the Advertising Console.
• Create your first campaign. Follow step-by-step instructions in the Help Center to create Amazon Attribution tags. Apply these tags to the final destination URL of your paid or organic campaigns.
• Launch Campaigns. Apply your tags and wait one to two days to review the initial reporting. Use the Amazon Attribution campaign manager to access reports on key metrics like clicks, detail page views, add-to-baskets, and purchases.

Using Metrics for Enhancements

Apply the insights from your dashboard to make data-driven improvements:

• Visits: Track which traffic sources and pages are most popular. If a paid source correlates with increased organic traffic, explore a halo effect.
• Page Views/Visitors: High visits to a single page with low subsequent page views may indicate the need to refine traffic sources or optimize landing pages.
• Sales, Units, and Orders: Calculate sales per visitor, sales per order, and units per order. Identify high-performing sources and pages to replicate successful strategies, and improve low-performing areas.

Amazon Storefront for Amazon Influencers

Here is another storefront that you should know about. Aside from the Amazon storefront, profile page, and brand store for sellers we have discussed above, an Amazon Storefront for Amazon Influencers is a dedicated page on Amazon where influencers can showcase and earn from products they recommend.?

Key Features include:

• Product Listings: Add recommended products with images, descriptions, and Amazon links.
• Custom Content: Organize products into sections, add notes, and reviews.
• Affiliate Links: Include tracking IDs to earn commissions on purchases.

In Conclusion?

The Amazon Storefront is a handy timesaver, but the Brand Store is your secret weapon for building a thriving brand on Amazon.?

Need to get your name out there quickly? The Storefront's got your back.?

But if you're serious about building brand recognition and customer loyalty, the Brand Store is the clear winner.?

Consider it an investment in your brand's future, and one that's sure to pay off in clicks, conversions, and customer adoration.

Share your thoughts and insights on Amazon Brand Store and Storefront in the comments below. Your experiences can provide valuable insights for others navigating the Amazon marketplace.

For more expert tips and strategies on succeeding as an Amazon seller, subscribe to Amazon Selling Chronicles. Stay ahead of the competition and watch your brand flourish on Amazon.