Amazon has made Basic A+ content free for all Vendor Central users as of January 1st, 2018, moving away from a tiered pricing system that made enhanced content expensive for some companies.
Since it was introduced over a decade ago, Amazon A+ content has become a beloved part of the Amazon product page. Found halfway down the product page, Basic A+ content has traditionally included scannable text paired with lifestyle images, product comparison charts, bulleted lists, and other branded elements. Content-savvy companies have used Basic A+ content to build shopper confidence and increase sales.
Now that Amazon has done away with slotting fees for Basic A+ content, content26 CEO Tony Martinelli expects Amazon to begin pushing its new Premium A+ content.
“It’s exciting to see Amazon make A+ free for all brands; there should be fewer financial hurdles for brands to deliver a complete detail page experience,” Martinelli said. “Premium A+ allows brands to deliver an even more immersive brand and product experience, which is great news for brands with deep pockets.”
Why Amazon Basic A+ Content Works
No doubt about it: when it comes to online shopping, a product page represents the product on the shelf. Create a full, dynamic view of your product and you’ll increase sales and customer satisfaction. Here are some specific benefits of Amazon A+ content:
- Appeals to different shopping styles. Some shoppers scour each paragraph for every detail, while others scan headers and bullet points for a general overview. Images and videos offer a quick impression of your product and appeal to visual learners. Comparison charts help cross-sell and inform shoppers off all the items within a product family. Learn how each element appeals to different shopping styles with our Anatomy of an A+ Page infographic.
- Makes a stronger first impression. Amazon carries millions of products in each category, so standing out is a must. A+ content helps you capture your customers’ attention while also providing branding.
- Creates a full digital shopping experience. Quality A+ content answers shoppers’ questions about the features and benefits of your products. Enhanced content also serves as a digital sales and customer service team by building consumer confidence, minimizing returns, and keeping customers happy.
- Increases sales, both online and in-store. Knowledge is power—and it also sells products. According to Amazon, including basic A+ content increases sales by up to 10%. In addition, many shoppers use the web as the first step in researching potential buys, regardless of whether the purchase is made online or at a brick and mortar.
Amazon’s New Premium A+ Modules
Amazon Premium A+ content is similar to Basic A+ content, but relies more heavily on visual appeal and offers more interactive options. Amazon Sellers have a “lite” version of Basic A+ content called Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) Premium A+ modules are not free.
An example of a Premium A+ module from Samsung
Premium A+ allows for seven modules while standard A+ is limited to five modules. and generally follows the “Frequently Bought Together” and “Customers who bought this item also bought” widgets. It is comprised of modules that are stacked together, the same way standard A+ is built.
While Amazon has not made conversion info available for Premium A+ pages, the company reports that brands can expect up to 10% increase in sales from Basic A+ content. For more information regarding Premium A+ modules, our recent blog post goes into details regarding the differences between Basic A+ content and Premium A+ content.
