An Ethical Guide To Amazon Sales

by Kangaroo_Jase

Use your interest, knowledge and skills to sell those products you know, like and use. It is way harder to sell items you don't use. Read more about how to do it ethically.

The Top Reasons You Don't Sell Amazon Products

When you sit down and think about this for a while. You will be amazed that if your not doing well and actually find with all the websites you use, your Amazon sales still stink. Your getting no action. What is amazing is this is actually a no brainer. You are going about your sales the WRONG way.

There are many guides out there on getting sales, yet this article is more about having the right head space and understanding from a personal viewpoint (a personal journey for you as a salesperson) on getting maximum sales for your pages on the internet, and MORE Amazon sales.

As a matter of fact, a page written by someone I trust and value highly for her insight and knowledge can help you with very good practical ways to get sales.

Read Wrylilts page on the 'Guide To Getting Amazon Sales' here

Please read their article and then come back to read this one (or bookmark it, if you read it later or pass on to your marketing colleagues).

My point of view for writing sales pages, with an ethical viewpoint is essentially writing about what I know. In a way that’s easy to digest and understand, makes sense to people and have them leave my page but they find value in what I wrote. If I have achieved the right result, I will gain a readers trust and they will value my judgement by buying a product through my page.

For me, when I write sales pages, the majority of my pages to sell products will be about smart phones, computers & computer peripherals, board games, computer games & Collectible card games. I don't sell items about other niches unless it is something I am experiencing and learning about thoroughly and researching ALOT. Travel is something I have been doing a fair amount of over 12 months and that will come about with some pages of articles with items to sell, and be travel based pages.

The main and most likely top reasons you’re not selling Amazon products will be;

  • I don't have a background in sales so I'm inexperienced.
  • I don't like to sell so can't sell products.
  • I don't know what products to sell.
  • I don't have enough information to sell certain products I would be interested in selling.
  • I have never created an Amazon sales page before.

An Example Of What Not To Do

Let me tell you something. Your biggest learning curve on writing sales copy or articles with sales pages will be by trial and error.

I made the mistake of creating an article about women's boots. Not just any boots but really suave, really nice, really expensive boots. I know nothing about boots. So I went and spent time asking some of my female friends who know a little about shoes and had an opportunity to talk with a lovely lady about boots. So I did research and lots of it.

I wrote a beautifully laid out and finely crafted sales article about 3 specific sets of boots, containing loads of useful information and great Amazon links. The page looks spiffy. I get hundreds of views a month on the pages.

It has been out in the field for 6 months and not made a single sale. Not one. I put that down to not the price point, you would be surprised on how expensive some peoples tastes are for costs even in this economy. But I put it down to trust.

Ladies, would you by beautiful Italian Leather boots from a guy who writes about games and movies? HMMMMmmmmm.

Core Ethics And How To Write Within Your Personal Moral Compass

Let me just say, if you are one that wants to make money, but not through using Amazon widgets, modules, carousels and links, then don't. Do not compromise your principles, it is not worth it, it will not feel comfortable and you will become guilty in a short period of time.

On the other hand, don't let people say to you it is unethical to promote, push onto or sell yourself to others over the internet. This is usually based on people not understanding basic economics and how article promotion and sales promotion can work, from an ethical point of view. Which is, you have customers, you have sellers, customers buy from those sellers, that’s it.

The core ethic in any form of sales is, would you sell something you’re not comfortable in selling. Not something that your uncomfortable about due to lack of knowledge but selling something that would stop you sleeping at night.

One straight forward and ethical means to sell is to tell people what you know about, provide a product or service that’s related and tell people about that product. You almost do not have to do any 'selling'. If you find a solution to a problem and THAT excites you and you tell people, because it’s going to solve their problems, you’re going to sell stuff. Its always something, because your passionate about, will be something that’s ethical.

Selling items ethically are also done by looking at what your selling and then seeing if you would buy the product or service yourself. Ask questions using your moral judgement.

  • Do your sales sound 'pushy'?
  • Is there that emotional push for a 'time limited offer' when you know without a doubt that there is still a product or service still available when the time 'expires'.
  • Do I get time to change my mind after purchase?
  • Do I really need all the bells and whistles and can I just but the singular products without add ons?
  • Am I being told about ALL I am getting when I purchase, or is there some hidden additional costs.

Being able to answer these questions will help you generate some amazing sales pages with Amazon (and other types of products and services as well)

How To Write With Good Ethical Sales Values

There are various ways to write and there is no 'right' way to create a website or article, or landing page, for selling products. You will get to find over time that you hit your stride and find your personal style. I know I find that writing about what I know and usually products that I myself have used or owned will fair very well. My style is to write informatively and solve problems or make 1, 2, 3 suggestions on providing some solutions to common problems.

On another writing site I see so many new articles appearing over the last 3 months about 'How to make money on the internet' by people who are, to me, are Nobodies. I don't make any apologies seeing these articles written by people who DON'T know how to make money on the internet, because they are new and clueless. These same people write Amazon articles and don't know what they are talking about. They write up some fluff and virtually copy the descriptions and rewrite it to sound better. They are really just trying to pad out their article to get to 300 words.

So how to write ethically?

  • Engage your readers, make them feel welcome, you will find your 'style'
  • Be reasonable, don't make wild claims
  • Never write up features or benefits about a product unless you know those features or benefits to be FACT.
  • Don't Lie
  • Do not misrepresent your products. Which is likened to say, you like product X, but you REALLY want product Y.
  • Do be creative.
  • Do be adventurous
  • Use humour or tell a story
  • Don't go overboard on the emotional needs for sales, a little bit here and there is fine, just don't be silly about it, be realistic and be caring. Emotional based sales are things like, rewards to be had if one is losing weight (sell weight loss products), time limited factors (selling 37 items left so creating a sense of urgency), Buy this product for $49 today for tomorrow is goes back to a price of $89 (to create a sense of exclusivity for the sale)
  • Do offer options
  • You can be firm, but be nice.

Ethics And Books

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Updated: 01/01/2012, Kangaroo_Jase
 
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katiem2 on 09/13/2012

Great article, I love Amazon. I do very well with their amazing products and their reliable and trusted site. I promote Amazon on my own websites. It's a brand people know and trust and a great opportunity for we the content provider. :)K

Kangaroo_Jase on 03/31/2012

@TerriRexson,
I apprecate the way you tackle your subjects in your articles as you do indeed come accross as an expert in your subject matter. Your understanding and enthusiam stand out.
I have always been bothered by up and coming marketers who write about information they clearly dont know the subject matter fully. It's even worse when people are blatant about not knowing a subject and are just chasing a dollar.
That is not happening at Wizzley and thats also a good sign for the future of this site.

TerriRexson on 03/31/2012

Good advice. I do write about gadgets, boots and all manner of other stuff, but it's all stuff I have knowledge of and interest in. I've sold a fair few pairs of Spanish leather boots as it happens! (They are the brand I wear.)
The key is understanding how people make purchasing decisions online. And that's different for different kinds of product.
I'm a facts and details person. I don't even think about selling. I just think about helping people find the right product for them.

Kangaroo_Jase on 03/10/2012

@2uesday,
Our experience and life skills can be an asset for writing on certain subjects that we do not have prior knowledge of. Consider I wrote an article on HubPages about a fictional Australian Marsupial. Very few people know about the creature and using a comedic story of sounding like an authority on the subject, I can kind of get away with it some what.
But like yourself I know little about cars and vehicles and would not even think to attempt articles or posts on this subject. Not if I wanted egg on my face.

Kangaroo_Jase on 01/28/2012

@Jimmie,
I don't know why people would use topics to try and make money from what they have little or no knowledge on, I would expect a belief or perception of a higher profit motive. I reckon given enough time, personal ethics will steer people back to writing about based on their personal morals, convictions and beliefs.

Kangaroo_Jase on 01/28/2012

@fanfreluche
It has been shown as effective time and again that laser focusing on a niche will always work out better than for just providing on a general niche.

Kangaroo_Jase on 01/28/2012

@WillApse,

I agree with on the fact that some people are one to enter a store to try on goods, only to buy them online at a later time. It has become something of a issue under discussion for bricks and mortal retail here in Australia.
But I can't always see people always writing reviews for products that are sold day in day out, more likely for rarer or more expensive items.

Jimmie on 01/23/2012

I agree with you wholeheartedly. I have very strong convictions about so many issues. Those ethical convictions keep me from writing about certain topics, promoting certain ideas, etc. Sometimes I've wondered if I would be more profitable if I only would write about.... (whatever). But I refuse to jump on a topic that goes against my principles just because it is profitable. I cannot do it. Honestly, I would feel guilty to promote something that stood opposed to what I believe.
I trust that in the long run it will all work out and that doing Internet marketing according to your own personal values will bring success.

fanfreluche on 01/23/2012

I try to offer on target product, very specific to a page I write. I also try to find the best products, even if that means just one. And in many case, I think that's why people try to go niche so you don't ended up with, as you said, gaming stuff along fancy expensive girly items. I still have to try the niche way tho.

WillApse on 01/06/2012

Another thing to say about getting Amazon sales is to ask yourself what people buy online and what they will only buy in a store.

I am guessing many women will buy shoes only after trying them.

The number of reviews an Amazon product gets is a rough guide to whether people buy it online.


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