How to become Amazon’s Choice – and whether or not it’s worth it.
My parents have a favorite child, and due to my life choices and split ends, it’s not me. My sister Liz gets whatever she wants- the biggest piece of chicken, a later curfew, even a kidney if one is up for grabs. And for Liz, it will always be up for grabs.
Amazon plays favorites too. “Amazon’s Choice” is a label we have been seeing pop up all over the site ever since it was invented for Amazon Echo in 2015. The products chosen seemingly come from Bezos himself (I mean, given his looks, of course people are going with his suggestions…).
And guess who is also playing the favorites game?? Consumers! 85% of buyers opt for recommended items, and product sales triple after they snag that badge. Plus reaching Amazon’s Choice status makes it much easier to gain voice sales, which are predicted to grow to $40 billion+ in 2022. (Alexa, order me the Amazon Choice Badge.)
So how do you get selected for this honor? Unfortunately, there is no application or nomination process. Amazon seems to decide based on more than just the fact that you got a job with health insurance (ya hear that Liz?!).
The lucky candidates appear to generally fit these requirements:
- Prime eligible
- In stock
- Available to ship immediately
- Low return rate compared to similar products
- High ratings
- Popular item or category best-seller
Right now you may be saying to yourself, “Easy peasy!” and while I personally love your arrogant confidence, it won’t be enough.
The selection system is automated making it hard to predict, and the algorithm can change the “chosen” products 4-5% daily if, say, their stock or delivery times change, or someone slams them with a bad review.
Now you’re probably saying, “Okay, but I should still bust my ass to be Amazon’s Choice, right?” Not necessarily. Sometimes you can do everything right, but the algorithm and keywords are simply off for your product. Plus one poll noted that only 50% of consumers were swayed by just the badge, so it’s not the end all be all.
You’re likely better off focusing on the things you can control, like having a killer product or getting your reviews and return rates where they should be. I mean, if you get the badge, great. Your mom will be so proud of you. And also of Liz, probably.
However, if you still want to chase that moonbeam of being Daddy’s favorite, try this reverse ASIN tool from Helium10 and see if you can get a badge. Or a kidney. Or whatever.
