What Is A Product Launch on Amazon?

Sellers of every experience level will need to know the ins and outs of successfully launching a product.

 

But “launching” a product can mean a myriad of different things.

 

What is a product launch on Amazon?

A product launch refers to the act of introducing a new product on Amazon. This can be a new item being added to an existing product line, or it can be your very first product ever.

There are numerous steps involved in the process of launching a product, and the period of time for a launch can last anywhere from weeks to months, depending upon the goals of your launch and the resources at your disposal.

 

How Do I Launch A New Product on Amazon?

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way first:

 

For a successful product launch on Amazon, you need to have a good product, and you need to have a solid listing. This may sound simplistic, but thousands (yes, thousands) of new sellers attempt to jump into Amazon without doing the proper research and work, and wind up trying to sell an oversaturated product with a gimmicky listing. 

 

And it doesn’t work. 

 

Everyone is trying to ride the Amazon train, which means you need to sell something that people actually want, that they can’t get cheaper from someone already on Amazon, and you need to have a listing that guides them towards clicking Add To Cart.

 

If you’re working with an Amazon advertising agency, they should be able to provide you with feedback on any new listings you’re working on, and they should be able to help you with copywriting and keyword placement on your front end and back end. Having expert eyes on your new listing before it goes live could save you from crucial mistakes during the Honeymoon Period of your launch.

 

What Is The Honeymoon Period on Amazon?

The Honeymoon Period on Amazon is a brief period of time granted to new products during which they can more easily rank higher in search results. The Honeymoon Period is a time-sensitive opportunity - one that is absolutely crucial to take advantage of in order to ease the financial burden of getting a new product off the ground.

 

The Honeymoon Period typically begins as soon as your listing is live and your product is available. Once your inventory is in and the listing is live, the clock is ticking. The honeymoon period lasts for approximately one month.

Is The Honeymoon Period on Amazon Real?

Because Amazon has not outright stated how the Honeymoon Period works, there was initially some skepticism surrounding how it worked or if it even really existed. Those days are behind us, and the Honeymoon Period has been systematically shown to exist as a real opportunity over and again.

 

The Ratings & Reviews Dilemma 

New products lack a critical piece of the sales puzzle, leading to a major hurdle for securing sales:

 

Reviews.

 

Without reviews and ratings, new products experience a “trust deficit,” and shoppers on Amazon are particularly wary of buying from sellers they do not trust

 

One of the reasons it is so important to leverage the Honeymoon Period and to advertise both strategically and aggressively is that, the sooner you get your first batch of reviews in, the sooner your conversion rate will increase and ACoS will drop.

 

Your ROI depends on getting early reviews as quickly as possible, and a combination of launch campaigns during the Honeymoon Period is a winning strategy to get your listing out of the “new product blues.”

 

Launch Tactics To Get Early Reviews…

  • Have your listing optimized for CTR% and Conversion before it goes live (maximize the Honeymoon Period).
  • Set up Launch campaigns (Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands) as soon as the listing is live. Don’t forget to review your PPC targets against the keywords in your title, bullets, and back end keywords
  • Lower your price. Be willing to temporarily operate at break-even, or even at a loss, in order to get your product properly launched. The fastest way to overcome your lack of reviews is to be cheaper than your competitors, making you “worth the risk.”
  • Send external traffic, such as from existing email lists or from your social media accounts. Old customers are the best new customers!

 

How Many Reviews Do I Need on Amazon?

You will likely begin to see Conversion Rate improvements around 15 reviews, depending upon your category. Typically, 30-40 reviews is enough to no longer have to be overly concerned (assuming your rating is 4+ stars).

 

Bonus Resource #1: How Do I Launch a Product on Amazon During The Holidays?

 

Bonus Resource #2: The PPC Launch Method…How to Rank a Product on Amazon with 0-5 Reviews Using Sponsored Ads

 

Do You Need Product Launches & Ongoing Advertising Handled For You?

Being a brand owner doesn’t mean you’re an expert Amazon advertiser. If your brand is ready to have a team of Amazon experts take over the day to day management of your advertising, consider working with Entourage Management Services

 

With a group of experienced, highly dedicated specialists in your corner, every aspect of your brand’s growth will be painstakingly tended to, freeing up your time to work on other areas of your business. Click here to learn more and to schedule an exploratory call. 

 

Entourage: Software to Scale Amazon Ads and Results Driven Management.

Mike Zagare

Mike Zagare Founder, PPC Entourage Michael Zagare is a serial entrepreneur, a recovering physical therapist, and the founder of PPC Entourage. Mike has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge in all things Amazon, and loves sharing that knowledge with other sellers to help them take steps towards personal and financial freedom.