9 Steps To Increase Your Amazon Sales Over The Holiday Season [Examples Included]

August 24, 2023
15 mins

The holiday season is often referred to as the “most wonderful time of the year,” but for Amazon sellers, it could also be dubbed the “most lucrative time of the year.” In 2022 alone, Amazon reported a staggering $149.2 billion in revenue during the fourth quarter, which includes key holiday shopping events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and of course, Christmas. This is up 9% from Q4 in 2021.

With more than 300 million active customers worldwide, this e-commerce giant offers an unparalleled platform for scaling your sales during the festive period.

However, the landscape is also fiercely competitive. More than 9.6 million sellers are vying for the attention of consumers, with over 60,000 of them earning over $1 million in sales annually. This begs the question: How do you stand out in such a crowded marketplace and get a slice of the multi-billion dollar pie?

Whether you’re a seasoned Amazon seller or a newcomer eager to maximize your holiday profits, this post will serve as your comprehensive guide to increase your Amazon sales over the holiday season.

So, are you ready to jingle all the way to the bank? Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Research and Identify Top-selling Holiday Products

One of the foundational pillars for increasing your Amazon sales during the holiday season is identifying what products are most likely to fly off the virtual shelves. No matter how compelling your marketing campaigns are, if you’re promoting products that aren’t resonating with holiday shoppers, your efforts could fall flat. Therefore, the first step is conducting thorough market research to identify top-selling items within your niche, or even branching out to include seasonal best-sellers in your portfolio.

Why Research is Crucial

The holiday shopping landscape is dynamic and constantly evolving. Trends can change from year to year; the hot gadget or toy that was a runaway success last holiday season might not generate the same interest this year. By investing the time to research what products are currently topping the sales charts, you are essentially setting the stage for a more targeted and effective sales strategy.

How to Conduct Research:

Amazon Best Sellers: This is a readily available resource where you can explore the best-selling items across various categories and sub-categories.
Keyword Tools: Use platforms like Google Keyword Planner or specialized Amazon keyword tools to identify what potential customers are searching for.
Competitor Analysis: Check what products similar sellers are pushing during the holiday season. Take note of their pricing, promotion strategies, and customer reviews.
Historical Data: If you have been selling on Amazon for a while, your own sales data can offer valuable insights. Identify your best-performing products during past holiday seasons and consider promoting them again.
Seasonal Trends: Use tools like Google Trends to see how seasonal products’ popularity has changed over the years.

Example: Selling Toys and Games

Let’s say you specialize in selling toys and games. Through your research, you discover that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) toys are seeing a significant uptick in interest and sales. They have topped Amazon Best Sellers in the toy category for the past two months and show a steady upward trend on Google Trends. Moreover, competitor analysis reveals that sellers offering STEM toys are featuring promotions and bundles, highlighting the item’s educational value as a unique selling point.

Based on this research, you decide to focus on selling a ‘Robot Building Kit’ that offers both fun and educational value. You strategize to offer holiday bundles that include an activity book with STEM challenges that complement the ‘Robot Building Kit’. By doing this, you’re not just hopping on the trend; you’re adding value that can differentiate your offering from competitors, making it more appealing to holiday shoppers.

Smart research not only helps you identify top-selling holiday products but also provides you with insights to tailor your offerings, making them irresistible to shoppers.

Step 2: Optimize Your Product Listings

Once you’ve identified the top-selling holiday products you want to focus on, the next crucial step is to make sure your product listings are optimized to the hilt. Remember, even the most sought-after items can get lost in the ocean of options available on Amazon. An optimized listing not only boosts your product’s visibility but also improves the conversion rate, meaning more of those who see your listing will actually make a purchase.

Why Optimization Matters

An optimized product listing acts as your 24/7 salesperson. In the high-velocity, competitive environment of Amazon, especially during the holidays, you have mere seconds to capture a potential customer’s attention. According to marketingcharts.com, 45% of Amazon customers never click past the first page of search results. That’s how critical it is to optimize your listing for Amazon’s search algorithms and human readability.

How to Optimize Your Listing

Keyword-Rich Title and Description: Use the keywords identified during your research in your product title and description, but do it naturally. Overstuffing can be counterproductive.
High-Quality Images: Use multiple high-res images showing the product from different angles, its dimensions, and it being used in a real-world setting.
Bullet Points: Use bullet points to break down the features and benefits, making the information easy to scan and absorb.

Example: Optimizing a ‘Robot Building Kit’

Let’s go back to our example where you’ve decided to focus on selling a ‘Robot Building Kit’ during the holiday season.

Title: “STEM Robot Building Kit for Kids – Educational Toy with App Control, 250+ Pieces”
Images: Showcase the robot in its built form, individual pieces, a child actively engaged with the kit, and infographics highlighting key features.
Bullet Points:
- Hands-on STEM Learning: Promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- 250+ High-Quality Pieces: Durable and child-safe materials for endless fun.
- App-Controlled Fun: Operate your robot through an intuitive mobile app.
- Step-by-Step Guide: Makes building easy and enjoyable.
- Perfect Holiday Gift: Ideal for kids aged 8-12.

By optimizing your listing in this way, you not only make your product more visible but also give shoppers all the information they need to choose your ‘Robot Building Kit’ over others. As a result, you’re poised to capture more of the ever-growing holiday shopping market on Amazon.

Step 3: Implement Effective Pricing Strategies

After conducting thorough research and optimizing your product listings, the next major step involves setting an intelligent pricing strategy. Given that 82% of shoppers consider price as a significant deciding factor in their purchase, mastering your pricing strategy can be the linchpin of your success, especially during the highly competitive holiday season. The right pricing can not only entice customers but also help you maintain healthy profit margins.

Why Effective Pricing is Essential

The holiday season often triggers a shopping frenzy, but it also brings about fierce price wars among sellers. Undercutting competitors might give you a short-term sales boost, but it can erode your profits. On the flip side, pricing too high can make you lose out to more reasonable competitors. Therefore, an effective pricing strategy needs to balance customer attraction with profitability.

Strategies for Effective Pricing

Dynamic Pricing: Keep an eye on your competitors and the market. Utilize automated tools such as Repricer.com that can adjust your prices in real-time based on market fluctuations.
Bundle Deals: Create package deals combining complementary products. This not only provides value to the customer but can also clear out your inventory faster.
Discounts and Promotions: Limited-time holiday promotions, early-bird discounts, and flash sales can drive urgency and increase conversions.
Tiered Pricing: Offer the product in multiple quantities or versions at varying price points. This can appeal to different segments of your target market.
Psychological Pricing: Use pricing tactics like setting the price at $19.99 instead of $20.00 to make the product appear cheaper.

Let’s take a look at how to use Repricer.com with the Robot Building Kit example:

Set Up Rules: Configure Repricer.com to adjust the price of your Robot Building Kit within a range of $50 to $60. You decide you want to be $1 cheaper than the lowest-priced competitor with a seller rating of at least 4 stars.
Automated Adjustments: It then monitors competitor prices in real-time. Let’s say a competitor lowers their price to $52. Repricer.com will automatically reprice your Robot Building Kit to $51, adhering to your rule.
Minimum Threshold: You have a minimum price set at $50 to ensure profitability. If competitors drop below this, Repricer.com will adjust your listing to your minimum allowed price of $50, but won’t go lower.
Peak Demand Monitoring: During the holidays, demand surges and you notice that the average selling price among competitors is around $58. Repricer.com will adjust your price to $57, giving you a competitive edge while maximizing your profit margin.
Data Analysis: Repricer.com also offers analytics features that show the performance of your pricing strategies. If you see that your sales have spiked after the tool adjusted your price to $57, that’s a clear indication that this price point is effective for both competitiveness and profitability.

By implementing these pricing strategies, you create multiple avenues for potential customers to engage with your product offerings. The options accommodate various budgets and needs, making it more likely for shoppers to hit that ‘Add to Cart’ or ‘Buy Now’ button.

Step 4: Stock Up and Prepare for Increased Demand

You’ve identified your top-selling products, optimized listings, and fine-tuned your pricing strategy. However, all of these efforts will be in vain if you’re not adequately prepared to meet the surge in demand that the holiday season inevitably brings. Running out of stock not only means lost sales opportunities but also a potential drop in your Amazon rankings, making it harder for buyers to find you in future searches.

Why Stocking Up is Critical

The holiday season can be unpredictable, with sales spiking during promotions, flash sales, or even organically as the holiday draws nearer. Being out of stock in this high-demand period can lead to disappointed customers, negative reviews, and loss of market share. What’s more, restocking often takes time, and you may miss out on the peak selling season altogether if you’re not well-prepared.

Strategies for Stocking Up and Preparing

Inventory Forecasting: Use historical data, current trends, and any available market research to forecast your expected sales volume.
Supplier Communication: Keep an open line with your suppliers. Make sure they are aware of your increased demand forecasts and can meet your stock needs promptly.
Warehousing Solutions: Consider using Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) for faster shipping, or have a reliable third-party logistics provider on standby.
Quality Control: Make sure to stock quality products to avoid returns and negative reviews, which can hurt your seller rating.
Backup Plan: Always have a contingency plan for emergency restocking, especially for your best-selling items.

Let’s revisit our example of the Robot Building Kit.

Inventory Forecasting: Based on last year’s data, you sold around 500 units of similar STEM kits during the holiday season. However, this year, STEM toys are trending even more, so you forecast a 20% increase and prepare to stock around 600 units.
Supplier Communication: You inform your supplier about the projected 20% increase in demand. They confirm that they can produce and deliver the required units on time.
Warehousing Solutions: Given the bulky nature of the Robot Building Kit, you opt for Amazon’s FBA to manage fulfillment, ensuring quick delivery and less hassle for you in handling storage and shipping.
Quality Control: Before shipping your inventory to Amazon’s fulfillment centre, you perform a quality check to make sure all kits have the complete set of pieces and the accompanying STEM activity book is in good condition.
Backup Plan: You identify a local supplier who can deliver additional units on a week’s notice. While their cost is slightly higher, having this backup can be a lifesaver in case you run out of stock unexpectedly.

By preparing in advance for the anticipated increase in demand, you’re not just setting your business up for maximum profitability, but also ensuring a smooth customer experience. This is particularly important during the holiday season when customers have high expectations for quick and reliable delivery.

Step 5: Boost Visibility with Amazon Ads

Even with a fantastic product and an optimized listing, your item may still get lost amidst the millions of products available on Amazon. That’s where Amazon Ads come in. Did you know 74% of US consumers begin their product search on Amazon, a vital benefit especially during the highly competitive holiday season. These ads can effectively push your products to the top of search results, offering you a significant advantage in attracting customer attention and increasing sales.

Why Amazon Ads Are Essential

Visibility is the cornerstone of online retail. The top three slots on Amazon’s search results garner approximately 64% of all clicks. With Amazon Ads, you have the opportunity to propel your listing into one of these coveted spots. By strategically using different types of Amazon Ads, you can target different customer segments and purchase intents.

Types of Amazon Ads and Strategies

Sponsored Products: These are cost-per-click ads that promote individual products. They appear in search results and on product detail pages.
Sponsored Brands: These ads promote your brand and up to three products. They appear at the top, middle, or bottom of search result pages.
Sponsored Display: These are display ads that use browsing history to target customers both on and off Amazon.
Keyword Targeting: Make sure to use relevant keywords in your ad campaigns. This is where your earlier product and keyword research can be incredibly useful.
Budget and Bidding: Set a reasonable budget based on your overall marketing strategy and be prepared to adjust bids based on ad performance and ROI.

Let’s use our Robot Building Kit again as an example to illustrate how Amazon Ads can be effectively utilized.

Sponsored Products: You set up a Sponsored Products ad targeting keywords like “STEM toys,” “Robot Building Kit,” and “educational toys for kids.” This helps your product appear in the search results when those terms are queried.
Sponsored Brands: You decide to run a Sponsored Brands campaign featuring your Robot Building Kit along with two other educational products from your brand. You target the campaign with keywords like “STEM educational kits” and “holiday gifts for kids.”
Sponsored Display: Using Sponsored Display, you target customers who have visited similar STEM toy listings but did not make a purchase. These ads can appear on other websites and platforms, reminding potential customers about your product.
Keyword Targeting: You use high-performing keywords in your Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands campaigns, ensuring that the ads are displayed to the most relevant audience.
Budget and Bidding: Initially, you allocate a daily budget of $50 to test the waters. After a week, you notice that the Sponsored Products campaign is generating an impressive ROI, so you decide to increase the budget to $100 per day for that specific campaign.

By employing Amazon Ads effectively, you can ensure that your Robot Building Kit is not just another product on Amazon but one that stands out and grabs customer attention. The boosted visibility can significantly enhance your sales, particularly during the bustling holiday season when everyone is fighting for the consumer’s attention.

Step 6: Encourage Reviews and Feedback

When was the last time you purchased a product online without checking its reviews? Probably never—or very rarely. You’re not alone. Approximately 93% of consumers say that online reviews influence their purchasing decisions. And in the Amazon ecosystem, reviews serve a dual purpose—they not only influence buyer decisions but also impact how your product ranks in Amazon’s search algorithm.

Why Reviews and Feedback are Crucial

Credibility and Trust: A product with multiple, high-quality reviews is perceived as more reliable and trustworthy.
SEO Benefits: Reviews can help your product rank better in Amazon’s search algorithm. The more reviews you have, and the better they are, the higher your product can potentially rank.
Consumer Insight: Reviews can provide valuable feedback on your product’s strengths and weaknesses, helping you to continuously improve.

Strategies to Encourage Reviews and Feedback

Follow-Up Emails: Send a courteous email to buyers after a successful purchase and delivery, asking them to share their experience in a review.
Amazon Early Reviewer Program: Use this program to encourage reviews for new or low-review products.
Respond to Reviews: Actively engage with your reviews, thanking customers for positive feedback and addressing any issues in negative reviews.

By adopting a comprehensive strategy to encourage reviews, you’re doing more than just potentially increasing your product’s star rating. You’re building a community around your product, gathering important consumer insights, and improving your product’s standing on Amazon, all of which can be particularly beneficial during the high-sales tempo of the holiday season.

Step 7: Utilize Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)

In the Amazon marketplace, customer experience doesn’t end when they click the ‘Buy Now’ button; it extends to how quickly and efficiently the product is delivered. That’s why Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) service is so crucial for sellers looking to boost their sales, particularly during the frenetic pace of the holiday season. In fact, 94% of Amazon sellers use FBA with 63% of them becoming profitable within the first year.

Why FBA is Essential

Prime Eligibility: FBA makes your products Prime-eligible, giving you access to Amazon’s massive base of loyal Prime customers who spend significantly more than non-Prime members.
Customer Trust: FBA lends an air of credibility to your listing. Customers are often more comfortable buying a product fulfilled by Amazon, knowing it comes with reliable customer service and return policies.
Efficient Shipping: FBA handles picking, packing, shipping, and customer service, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
Global Reach: FBA enables you to easily sell your products in international markets.

Strategies for Utilizing FBA

Inventory Management: Keep a close eye on inventory levels. Running out of stock while using FBA can lead to loss of visibility and rankings.
Quality Control: Ensure that products sent to Amazon’s fulfillment centers meet quality standards to avoid negative reviews and returns.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Make sure to account for FBA fees when pricing your products and calculating profitability.
Seasonal Planning: Plan for seasonal spikes by sending extra inventory to FBA warehouses well in advance of the holiday season.

Let’s use the Robot Building Kit example again:

Prime Eligibility: By using FBA, your Robot Building Kit automatically becomes Prime-eligible. Knowing that Prime members are more likely to purchase Prime-eligible items, you showcase the “Prime” badge prominently in your product listing.
Inventory Management: You keep a close watch on your FBA inventory levels through Amazon Seller Central. Seeing that the kits are selling faster than expected, you expedite shipment of additional units to the Amazon fulfillment center.
Quality Control: Before sending your kits to the FBA warehouses, you conduct a final quality check to ensure all pieces are present and the packaging is intact.
Seasonal Planning: Given the high demand during the holiday season, you send 30% more inventory to the Amazon fulfillment centers compared to non-holiday months, ensuring that you won’t run out of stock at a critical time.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: While FBA does have additional fees, you find that the increase in sales from being Prime-eligible more than offsets these costs. You adjust your pricing strategy slightly to maintain profitability while accounting for FBA fees.

By leveraging FBA, you are not only streamlining your fulfillment process but also improving customer experience, which is key for securing both immediate holiday sales and long-term customer loyalty.

Step 8: Launch Holiday Promotions and Deals

The holiday season is synonymous with sales, deals, and promotions. During the holiday season, this number likely spikes even higher, given the shopping frenzy that takes place. So, harnessing the power of holiday promotions can be a game-changer for your Amazon sales.

Why Holiday Promotions and Deals are Important

Consumer Expectations: During the holiday season, shoppers expect deals. Offering promotions increases your competitiveness and meets consumer expectations.
Increased Traffic: Amazon experiences significant spikes in traffic during the holidays, making it the perfect time to attract new customers via deals.
Inventory Turnover: Discounts and deals can help you rapidly move inventory, which is particularly useful if you have seasonal items.
Visibility: Amazon often features promotional items in their “Deals of the Day” or “Lightning Deals,” giving your product increased exposure.

Launching Holiday Promotions for the Robot Building Kit

Types of Promotions: You decide to offer a 20% discount on single purchases of your Robot Building Kit and a 30% discount for those who buy two. This not only attracts individual buyers but also those looking for gifts for multiple children.
Timed Promotions: You schedule a Lightning Deal for Black Friday, slashing the price by 40% for a six-hour window. This creates a sense of urgency and draws in customers who are on the lookout for steep discounts.
Target Audience: Using Amazon’s analytics, you find that your kits are popular among parents of 6-12 year-olds. You target your Amazon ads to this demographic to coincide with your promotions.
Promotion Calendar: You set your 20% discount to run from November 1st to December 15th and schedule the Lightning Deal for Black Friday. The buy-two-get-30%-off deal starts December 1st and runs until stock lasts.
Monitoring and Adjusting: After the first week, you notice the 20% discount is popular but the bundled deal is not performing as expected. You decide to adjust and offer a free accessory kit with every bundle, enhancing the deal’s value.

By strategically implementing holiday promotions for your Robot Building Kit, you capture the essence of the shopping season, meeting consumer expectations for deals and discounts. This not only can significantly boost your sales but also attract a host of new customers who may become loyal patrons of your brand.

Step 9: Monitor Performance and Adjust Strategies Accordingly

The world of eCommerce is ever-changing, and what worked yesterday may not necessarily work today. In the high-stakes, fast-paced environment of Amazon, particularly during the holiday season, ongoing performance monitoring isn’t just a good practice—it’s essential for survival and growth.

Why Monitoring Performance is Critical

Adaptability: Markets and consumer behaviour are volatile. Being agile and adapting to real-time data can provide you with a competitive edge.
Resource Allocation: Knowing what works allows you to allocate resources more efficiently, be it time, money, or inventory.
Customer Insight: Data can reveal consumer behaviour and preferences, helping you to personalize your offerings and marketing strategies.
Long-term Success: The data collected is not just useful for immediate adjustments but also for long-term planning and strategy.

Strategies for Monitoring and Adjusting

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Decide on the metrics that are most important for your business, like conversion rate, customer acquisition cost, and average order value.
Regular Check-ins: Have set intervals (daily, weekly, etc.) for reviewing these metrics.
Data Tools: Use Amazon analytics tools and other third-party software to collect and interpret data.
Iterative Testing: Employ A/B tests to try out different strategies, from pricing to product images and descriptions.
Real-time Adjustments: Be prepared to make real-time changes to pricing, stock levels, and advertising budgets.

By diligently monitoring your performance and being prepared to adjust your strategies accordingly, you maximize your chances of holiday season success. This approach not only helps you in the short term but also provides you with valuable insights and data that can inform your strategies for the following year.

Conclusion

In the fiercely competitive landscape of Amazon, especially during the bustling holiday season, standing out and boosting sales can seem like an uphill battle. However, with thoughtful planning and strategic actions, you can position your business for both short-term holiday success and long-term growth.

Interested in taking your holiday season sales to the next level? Try Repricer.com completely free for 14 days and ensure your products are priced competitively and poised for optimal profitability.