How to create a unique Amazon product listing: A step-by-step guide

So you’ve read the Amazon Selling Guide, and you’re officially an Amazon seller. Congratulations! The next step before you start selling is to create an Amazon product listing.

Customers at a shopping mall get to know brands through storefronts. Customers can see how a shop is designed, the type of products offered, and even ask questions about products. Consider your product listing as your virtual storefront. Like a window display attracting shoppers, your listing title and image on a search results page get buyers to click. Buyers then get a full impression of your item on the product page with a detailed description, customer reviews, and product images.​

Listings provide all of the knowledge a buyer needs to make a purchase, so they’re the key to making Amazon sales. As a seller, it’s paramount you craft your product page in a way that’s going to attract buyers quickly and easily.

To help you get started, we’ll go over how to set up your first Amazon listing and identify the key elements of product pages that draw buyers in and drive purchases.

Let’s get started.

How to set up your Amazon listing

If you’re the first merchant selling a specific product on Amazon, you have to create a new listing. This usually happens when you’re selling your own branded products. However, if your products already exist in the marketplace, you’ll share an Amazon listing with fellow merchants. 

How to list a unique product

• Log in to your

  Amazon Seller Dashboard

• Click “Add Product” from the Inventory drop-down

• Select “I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon”

• Use the search icon button to search for your product’s category. If you’re unsure of the category your product falls under, you can use the

  Amazon product classifier tool

• Select the category that matches your product

• Enter information for the “Vital Info” and “Offer” tabs

How to list an already existing product

After careful research of top-selling product categories, and you’ve decided on the product you’re going to sell, you’re ready to list your product. You must match your listing to an existing product listing. Here’s a step by step run through on how to do it:

• Log in to your

  Amazon Seller Dashboard

• Click “Add Product” from the Inventory drop-down

• Search for the product you want to sell in Amazon’s catalog

• Click “Show Variations”

• Select a condition

• Click“Sell this product”

• Enter your listing details in the required fields

The key features of a great product listing

As an Amazon seller, crafting a product listing is a juggling act. You have to make sure you optimize your listings with keywords that place them high in search results. At the same time, you have to include captivating copy and images that drive buyers to purchase your products.

These are the key  elements of successful Amazon listings:

• SEO-driven keywords

• Detailed product descriptions

• Scannable formatting

• Engaging visuals

Focus on these areas, and your listing will be in top shape with all of the content it needs to drive sales.

SEO-driven keywords

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to driving buyers to your Amazon listing. It guides search engines to rank your listing high in search results, so your product is highly visible to buyers.

The Amazon search engine works similarly to other search engines by interpreting the keywords you place in your listing to determine whether your product is relevant to search results. The trick is to include keywords in your listing your target buyers are frequently searching for — that way, your listing is ranked high where it matters. You can use keyword search tools, but another effective way of doing keyword research is to look at existing product listings and use them as a template for your listings. 

Say, for example, you’re selling a speaker and want to rank for the highly-searched keyword “Bluetooth,” a key feature of the product. You would include “Bluetooth” throughout your product listing, so search engines tie your item to that term in search results.​

Here are a few recommendations for keywords:

• Include target keywords in your product title.

  Avoid overloading your title with keywords, though — this will make your listing look like spam to buyers and search engines. Instead, stick to your most essential keyword phrases.

• Distribute your keywords consistently and evenly.

  We recommend including target keywords two to three times throughout your listing and spreading them out every 100 to 200 words.

• Use variations of your target keywords.

  If you are targeting “purple phone case,” for example, you’d also want to use phrases like “purple-colored phone cases.”

If you follow these listing optimization tips, you can boost your listing’s visibility and drive more buyers to your product.

Detailed product information

Your product description is like the salesman on the shop floor. It has to gain the buyer’s trust by explaining specific product information while also sparking shoppers’ curiosity and interest in the item.

First and foremost, your product description should be accurate. Making false promises about your product may win a sale initially. In the long term, though, the buyer will most likely return the item and leave a negative review, and your seller reputation can be harmed.

Beyond including basic product details, like the product name, brand name, and model number, a great listing description also takes into account buyers’ motivations. Instead of just listing product features, highlight the benefits of your item your key customers will care about the most.

For example, say you’re selling a mobile phone with Bluetooth 4.2. As a customer, this technical spec isn’t emotionally powerful — they’re much more invested in the function of Bluetooth and being able to connect their phone to other devices. To grab their interest, a description of the product might look something like this:

“The Bluetooth V4.2 ensures your device is compatible with a broad range of devices while providing faster data transfer.”

Scannable formatting

Amazon buyers aren’t going to read your entire listing — there are too many products on the marketplace for customers to read every page. Instead, it’s more likely a buyer will skim your listing to determine whether they want to make a purchase.​

Clearly separated, the five bullet points at the top of every Amazon listing are easy for buyers’ eyes to scan.

Knowing that customers are going to focus on these points, you want to strategically include product information in a way that highlights the best features of your item. Here are a few tips for highlighting your information in a listing’s bullet points.

• Place your product’s best attribute in the first bullet point.

  A buyer may stop reading your bullets if the first point isn’t captivating. Grab their attention by highlighting your product’s best feature first.

• Consider writing your key product features in all caps.

  Amazon’s description formatting is pretty restrictive — you can’t use tools like bolding to highlight your product features. A simple fix is to write your product’s most important features in all caps to draw buyers’ attention.

• Keep your bullet points short and sweet.

  You risk losing buyers’ attention if you include too much information. Keep your bullets short with only the most essential product information. We recommend mostly using a bullet length of one line and, at the most, two lines.

Engaging visuals

Clear, high-quality product images can quickly convince Amazon buyers to make a purchase. Capture your customers’ attention with these product image tips:

• Use high-resolution photos.

  Amazon recommends that your main image be at least 1,000 pixels in either height or width.

• Include multiple photos.

  Since Amazon buyers can’t physically interact with your products, including multiple images is a great way to build their trust in your brand and feel confident in buying your item.

• Edit your photos to make your products pop.

  Tricks like increasing the exposure, reducing shadows, and adjusting the contrast can make your product colors stand out and catch buyers’ attention more easily.

Check out this post for more tips on capturing great product photos.

Taking the time to carefully select and edit your product photos pays off in the long run. With attractive images, your listing grabs buyers’ attention and builds their trust in the product so they feel comfortable and ready to make a purchase.

Drive sales with a carefully crafted listing

Creating a new listing is a moment of opportunity. Unlike the standardized aspects of selling on Amazon, a listing is a space where your brand can shine and customers can realize why they should care about your products. Make sure you put a lot of effort into optimizing your listings. If done well, your Amazon business is likely to excel.

Knowing this, you should take your time to thoughtfully create a product listing. By considering how buyers come across and perceive your listing, you can craft a product page that’s highly visible and attractive to customers.