Amazon has made it’s way onto the scene in Australia as you know…
Roughly 50% to 60% of all online sales in the US are done on Amazon now. People are asking, ‘Is that going to happen here in Australia?’ … The answer is probably yes, over time, they’ve got the systems, they’ve got the name – no doubt they will dominate.
We meet a lot of physical product sellers and people are asking us ‘Is it worth getting on Amazon or is it a risk to your brand?’ Are they a Friend or an Enemy or a Frenemy (you know somewhere in between)?
If you listen to the mainstream media then basically it’s all doom and gloom for retail in this country. We personally don’t see it that way, but we’re marketers. Basically the way we look at it as, it’s another platform. It’s another platform for awareness, it’s another platform that you’re going to get sales from. We do a lot with Amazon in the US and at the moment we’re now expanding into Canada and Mexico and also the UK and Germany as well. So we’ve got experience in this space but more so overseas.
One thing we have found is the awareness factor, where you’re actually getting second-hand sales. What I mean by that is, at the moment in the US, we’re driving awareness on Facebook through Facebook ads for physical products and sure some people are purchasing straight from the link we’re giving them on the ad post, but what we do know is from the comments on the post people are saying ‘you can get these on amazon’ and ‘I just got this on Amazon’ that type of thing.
So the reality is, people are going to go to Amazon to buy whether you’re on there or not. Yes there is a bit of a risk in that with Amazon it can be a bit of a race to the bottom on price but if you’ve done things right, if you’ve setup your unique brand with Amazon Brand Registry then it’s not like you’re competing with everyone else.
All in all, the way we look at it is, definitely get on Amazon, sing out if you need a hand with that and we can help you. Also, because it’s brand new into the country, be quick to the table. Success follows speed. At the moment, everyone is starting with a even playing field – zero reviews. But if your competitor starts now and you start in 12 months time, then there is going to be a massive gap because really with Amazon reviews is what makes the most difference between those that win and those that don’t.
So what are you waiting for? Give it a go and let me know how you get on with it.