What’s the Buy Box?
The Amazon Buy Box is the main ad you see when purchasing an item.
It’s front-and-center, but most shoppers don’t even realize that other sellers have the same product available because the “Add to Cart” button is the prominent element on the page.
In the highlighted screenshot you will see exactly what I mean:
- This is the Seller who owns the Buy Box for that moment you are looking at the Ad.
- This is the Buy Box which makes it easiest to recognize and purchase your order.
- Other sellers which offer the product as well often overlooked.
The Ultimate Amazon Buy Box Playbook
Winning the Buy Box is detrimental to the success of your online Amazon sales.
You will always have competition and need to be prepared to work hard keeping yourself front and center.
Winning the Buy Box is an ongoing process where sellers earn a share of the Buy Box, or rent for a period of time.
The factors which influence how long and how often you share the Buy Box are the variables you can optimize to increase your percentage and sales.
Playbook for Amazon Buy Box Success
Everybody loves sports, but not every sport is played the same way.
The plays you choose to use against your competition will have effects on your Buy Box success.
Below are the plays which increase or decrease your Buy Box ownership, which you can leverage to maintain the Buy Box for your products.
Buy Box Plays and Scores
Plays and Scores to increase Buy Box Time
Fulfillment Method– Touchdown Pass
Landed Price – Field Goal Kick
Seller Rating– Field Goal Kick
Shipping Time– Field Goal Kick
Feedback Score– QB Sack
Order Defect Rate– QB Sack
Late Shipment Rate– QB Sack
On-Time Delivery– QB Sack
Customer Response Time– QB Sack
Tracked Delivery Rate – QB Sack
Feedback Count– Pass Interception
Refund Rate – Pass Interception
Inventory Depth– Pass Interception
Cancellation Rate– Pass Interception
Buy Box Playbook Directions:
- Combine Fulfillment method and landed price for a first quarter lead.
- Add Seller Rating and shipping time to keep your competition weary.
- Execute order defect rate, feedback score, on-time delivery, late shipment rate, tracked delivery rate, customer response time, feedback count, inventory depth, cancellation rate, and refund rate for your 4th Quarter defensive stand.
- Submit to Amazon’s Buy Box Algorithm.
*Note: This is just an awesome way to put in the importance of how the Amazon Algorithm works for giving you the win at the end of the day, like in football or any sport.
So in no way will your favorite team’s touchdown passes give you actual Buy Box Time – but if it did that would be spectacular!
Buy Box Fundamentals
You’ll need all of the Fundamentals below to be eligible for Amazon’s Buy Box. When playing sports, you need to have talent and fundamentals.
You can understand how to play the game, but you can’t make plays without having basic fundamentals.
Buy Box Eligibility
Amazon sellers need to maintain the bare minimum for all of the Buy Box requirements but should keep in mind how much each factor impacts the overall percentage.
Below are the bare minimum requirements for Amazon Buy Box factors:
| Amazon Buy Box Factor | Bare Minimum Requirement |
| Landed Price | Existing price |
| Seller Rating | Higher than 75% |
| Shipping Time | 14 days or less |
| Feedback Score | No minimum, Higher scores influence Buy Box more |
| Order Defect Rate | Less than 1% |
| Late Shipment Rate | Less than 4% |
| On-Time Delivery | More than 97% |
| Customer Response Time | Less than 24 hours |
| Tracked Delivery Rate | More than 98% |
| Feedback Count | The higher the better |
| Refund Rate | The lower the better |
| Inventory Depth | The lower the better |
| Cancellation Rate | Less than 2.5% |
| Products | Must be new |
First and Goal for the Buy Box
Sometimes Sellers are focused on beating out the competition by underpricing them, but if you change your shipping method to a quicker turnaround time, you can charge more and earn Buy Box time in the process.
Variables affect the share of the Buy Box you are likely to win, and the variables which influence those factors also affect your Buy Box share.
For example, Order Defect Rate is comprised of a sellers Negative Feedback rating, Chargeback Rate, and A-to-Z Claim Rate. Most of the variables which sway Buy Box shares are aggregates of other elements or outside variables.
Consider the following factors which influence each variable, and how you can modify your share of the Buy Box by optimizing these factors which impact percentage:
| Amazon Buy Box Factor | What impacts this Buy Box variable? | Buy Box Factor Time Influence |
| Fulfillment Method | Fulfillment by Amazon, Solution Provider fulfillment, Seller Fulfillment | |
| Landed Price | Shipping price, distance, Shipping provider, Seller Margins, product price, product manufacturer | |
| Seller Rating | Number of ratings, quality of product, FBA commingling | Previous 365 Days |
| Shipping Time | Seller location, FBA, customer location, product size, perishable items | |
| Feedback Score | Amount of seller feedback, orders placed, customers who purchased from your store | |
| Order Defect Rate | Negative Feedback rate, A-to-Z Claim Rate, Chargeback Rate | Previous 90 days |
| Late Shipment Rate | Fulfillment method, product shipped, customer location, Fulfillment provider | Previous 90 days |
| Customer Response Time | Customer Service provider, FBA | Previous 90 days |
| Tracked Delivery Rate | Customer Service provider, FBA | Previous 90 days |
| Feedback Count | Number of orders placed,Amazon shoppers, Buy Box competition, Customer Service, Review solicitation | |
| Refund Rate | Product Quality, FBA commingling, Amazon shoppers | Previous 90 days |
| Inventory Depth | Data management, Fulfillment, Manufacturer, Product Demand, Buy Box ownership | Previous 90 days |
| Cancellation Rate | Data Management, Fulfillment | Previous 90 days |
Buy Box Time Out
When choosing your playmakers, you need to carefully consider the quality of your plays to win.
The more game-changing plays you make will give you a higher success rate of the overall goal of winning the Buy Box.
If you use a substitute for a different player or lose a variety of plays, you will not reach the overall goal of heading home a Buy Box champion.
Winning the Buy Box is heavily impacted by Fulfillment Method, Landed Price, Seller Rating, and Shipping time.
If you are lacking in these Buy Box influencing factors, the quality of your plays will decrease, along with the percentage of Buy Box Share.
Here is a breakdown of Buy Box factors by importance:
| Amazon Buy Box Factor | How Important is it? |
| Fulfillment Method | Very Important |
| Landed Price | Very Important |
| Seller Rating | Very Important |
| Shipping Time | Very Important |
| Feedback Score | Important |
| Order Defect Rate | Important |
| Late Shipment Rate | Important |
| On-Time Delivery | Important |
| Customer Response Time | Important |
| Tracked Delivery Rate | Important |
| Feedback Count | Somewhat Important |
| Inventory Depth | Somewhat Important |
| Cancellation Rate | Somewhat Important |
Put yourself in your fans shoes and understand what is most important to them. Consider low prices, fast shipping times, and great ratings on your team!
Always make it a priority when calling plays, but always look for a way to sneak in a Buy Box Blitz. (Cancellation Rate, Inventory Depth, Feedback count, etc.)
How Can I Increase My Share of the Buy Box?
All of the requirements which impact an Amazon seller’s share of the Buy Box should be in your strategy playbook.
Each of those variables should meet Amazon’s minimum requirements at the very least (to be eligible for the Buy Box).
In a perfect world, Buy Box competition would meet the following requirements:
| Amazon Buy Box Factor | Optimal Factor Status |
| Fulfillment Method | FBA |
| Landed Price | Lowest Price |
| Seller Rating | Higher than 98% |
| Shipping Time | 2 days or less |
| Feedback Score | 100% |
| Order Defect Rate | 0% |
| Late Shipment Rate | 0% |
| On-Time Delivery | 100% |
| Customer Response Time | Less than 12 hours |
| Tracked Delivery Rate | 100% |
| Feedback Count | The higher the better |
| Refund Rate | 0% |
| Inventory Depth | The lower the better |
| Cancellation Rate | 0% |
Unless you are Amazon, you won’t always be perfect in how you execute your plays.
However, see what plays you are best at and put your time into fixing the little things that will make you a successful champion.
As I have learned in life, in any event when perplexed, confused, or seeking for the answer, ask yourself: what would Vin Diesel do?
Webaholics Can Help
If you need help selling your products Amazon, the Webaholics Team will be more than happy to lend you a hand.
With our experience, we know how to conquer the Buy Box and other features that sell on Amazon.
If you want to see how we can help your Amazon needs, give us a call at (801) 432-0676, or shoot us an email at info@webaholics.co.
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