Happy Monday—and belated Happy Mother’s Day!
Just like how moms can feel their kids did something suspish, Google seems to know how many customers shopped on your website. Whether that’s creepy or useful, we’ll let you be the judge. For now, scroll down to see what other hot news we have today.
- Amazon’s scam story 💻
- A new venture without the scary scam story 🗞️
- Reminders for the INFORM Act 📍
- A/B testing hacks 🆎
POST OF THE WEEK
BLACK MARKET
The appeal of the convenience offered by online shopping is undeniable. However, it's not without challenges—logistical snags, damaged packages, and, the most annoying of all, counterfeit products and scams. 😈
And Amazon isn’t safe from these problems. One customer even labeled the retailer a ‘scammer’ in a recent controversy involving Amazon India.
Here's what happened as reported by Postoast:
- The buyer, Rohan Das, purchased a $1,200 Lenovo laptop from Amazon India on April 30.
- Upon receiving the laptop on May 7, he discovered that the warranty had already begun in December 2023, indicating it was a pre-owned device! 😱
- Feeling deceived, Rohan took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his experience, posting a video detailing the incident.
- His post quickly gained traction, sparking diverse opinions on the issue. Some netizens were outraged with Amazon, while others advised Rohan to contact Lenovo directly.
🆘 Amazon under fire
When Rohan aired his grievances, Amazon scrambled to douse the flames with an apology and a promise to investigate. But Rohan wasn’t about to let them off easy, demanding swift action to rectify the mess.
Meanwhile, Lenovo clarified its stance on warranty discrepancies. While they maintained innocence in the affair, they assured customers of their commitment to fair dealings.
A pattern of problems
Sadly, Rohan’s story isn’t an isolated incident. Amazon has had its fair share of slip-ups, leaving customers skeptical. While some issues get resolved, others linger—casting a shadow over the shopping experience and the marketplace itself. 🕳️
TOGETHER WITH WALMART MARKETPLACE
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*Source: Walmart first-party data, 2021-22
BITES OF THE WEEK
- Falling Behind: South African businesses are struggling to keep up with fast-paced ecommerce.
- Brand Spotlight: All Shades Matter is an inspiring example of an inclusive ecommerce brand.
- Epson x Amazon: A joint lawsuit against sellers of counterfeit Epson ink bottles was filed.
AMAZON NEWS
FYI: You need to update your business information for the INFORM Act
In a recent announcement on Seller Central, Amazon reminded sellers to verify business information in compliance with the INFORM Act. According to the announcement:
“Starting April 2024, if you have 200 or more transactions or $5,000 or more in revenues during a continuous 12-month period, you will receive a formal notification to review and certify that your business information is correct.”
However, a lot of sellers expressed their grievance at the ‘ill-timed announcement.’ They said since the updates were for April, the announcement should have been posted last MARCH (instead of a month AFTER).
🫢 Just a big misunderstanding
For everyone’s reference, the INFORM ACT was signed into law in December 2022. It’s already been in effect on Amazon since June 27, 2023. Also, everyone must verify that their business info is accurate EVERY YEAR. The May announcement referred to the formal notifications being sent from April onwards.
Whether you’re an old or a new seller, you can verify or update your information by performing the following:
- Go to your Account Health Page.
- Under Priority actions, click “Review your account information.” You will be redirected to the Notice and Certification page.
- Once you view this page, the law requires you to certify your information within 10 days.
✍️ With Prime Day 2024 fast approaching, you don’t want any mishaps or violations that could prevent you from participating. So, make sure you keep your information updated AND accurate to ensure smooth business operations.
TACTIC TALKS
4 things to remember when running A/B tests
A/B testing (or split testing), is like a secret weapon to know what convinces customers to click the Buy button. And just like any weapon, you must use it strategically AND wisely.
⚠️ According to MarketBeat, there are 4 things you should be extra careful about when doing A/B tests:
- Don’t ignore different types of shoppers. Various user segments behave differently. Customize your website for specific customer groups to ensure a better experience and higher engagement.
- Give your tests enough time. If you stop your test too soon, you might not get the full picture. It's recommended to let your test run for at least 2 weeks to monitor differences in behavior across different days.
- Don’t try to test everything at once. If you change too many things on your website all at once, it's hard to know which one made the difference. Stick to testing one variable at a time (like a different button color or a new headline) to know exactly what's working and what's not.
- Watch out for external factors. Outside factors like holidays or big sale events can mess up your A/B test results. Run your tests during normal days to ensure your results are all about your changes, not something else.
📋 It pays to pay attention
If you want to up your A/B testing game, keep these tips in mind to be better equipped to optimize your website and boost those sales.
But of course, you’re free to add more tricks (if you have one) by replying to this email. 😉
