5 Amazon Listing Mistakes To Avoid When Expanding Internationally - MerchantSpring

Want your products to sell like hotcakes all over the world?

When it comes to Amazon listings, there are a few things you should keep in mind to make sure you're appealing to a global audience. 

Incorrect translations, neglecting key details, and failing to localize your content are just a few of the common mistakes that sellers make when expanding their business to new international markets. 

My name is Omar Deryan, CEO at OJDS. We’ve optimized and localized over 9,000 listings in the past 4 years, and in this article, I’ll share with you simple tips that will help you avoid these pitfalls and ensure that your listings are ready for your global move. 

So without further ado, let's get started!

Mistake 1: Translating an unoptimized listing

When translating a listing, making sure that the original listing is well-optimized is KEY. 

Let’s say you are translating a listing from English to another language.

If the English listing is poorly written, It doesn’t matter how good the translation is.

You would be wasting your time and money.

This is a very common mistake that we see at our agency.

Sellers would ask us to translate and localize a listing that looks like the example below.

The bullet points would be poorly written, featured-driven, too long, or too short.

The description would look like a big block of text that is difficult to read without any persuasive touch or call to action.

In this case, you would first need to work on your current English listing using the best Amazon listing optimization guidelines.

This means doing the keyword research, having a benefit-oriented persuasive copy written by an Amazon copywriter, and adding the keywords in the right places.

Once this is done, you now have a strong foundation to work from.

Mistake 2: Translating keywords to the native language instead of doing keyword research

One Amazon listing mistake that can have detrimental effects is translating keywords to the native language instead of doing keyword research for each marketplace you plan to sell on. 

Amazon's search algorithm penalizes listings that stuff keywords, regardless of the language. 

So, even if a seller knows that a certain keyword translates to "red dress" in Spanish, if that keyword isn't being used by customers in Spain, it’s no use. 

Might as well not use any keywords at all. 

You need to take the time to do proper keyword research in EVERY marketplace you are expanding on.

There are plenty of Amazon seller tools that help accelerate this process by allowing you to find keywords relevant to your product in every language, even Arabic!

You can find out which keywords are being used by customers in different countries and integrate them in your listing accordingly. 

International SEO can be time-consuming, but it's essential to boost your product ranking and sales.

Finally, don't forget about Amazon PPC campaigns to increase the visibility of your listing.

You don’t want to bid on translated keywords that no one is using. 

Mistake 3: Not having your listing’s copy adapted to your target audience

To succeed on Amazon, you need to have a listing that is optimized for both search engines and potential customers. 

However, many sellers make the mistake of not adapting their listing copy to their target audience. 

As a result, their listings fail to rank well in Amazon search results and fail to convert potential customers into actual sales. 

Luckily, this mistake is easy to fix. 

By taking the time to understand your target audience and considering cultural nuances in your listing copy, you can ensure that customers will engage with your copy and hit that buy button.

Mistake 4: Hiring regular translators with no expertise in Amazon translation

Did you know that locally targeted content drives six times more engagement?

Translating and localizing your listing is an essential part of your success abroad.

Inaccurate translations can lead to:

• Customers misunderstanding your product information and leaving a bad review
• Coming out as unprofessional 
• Losing sales and conversions
• Low ads performance

While It can be tempting to simply use Google Translate or other automatic translation tools to generate a translation, they often produce inaccurate results. 

One of the most common Amazon listing mistakes is hiring regular translators with no expertise in Amazon translation specifically.

Without an understanding of Amazon's search algorithms, Amazon TOS, the best practices, character limits, and indexing rules, they may not be able to properly optimize your listings for maximum visibility. 

As a result, your products get lost in the Amazon shuffle, costing you sales and exposure.

Amazon translations need to be fluent, error-free, and keyword-rich in order to be effective. 

This means using the right keywords and phrases to help your listing stand out to potential customers in other countries. 

In addition, they need to be designed specifically for Amazon's search algorithm. 

As a result, investing in a professional Amazon translator can be well worth the cost.

Mistake 5: Not making sure that your listing is TOS compliant

Amazon is one of the largest online marketplaces in the world, and as a result, it has very strict rules and regulations regarding the type of content that can be published on its site. 

If you are planning to list items for sale on Amazon, it is essential to make sure that your listings are compliant with Amazon's terms of service (TOS). 

Failure to do so could result in your listings being flagged or taken down. Amazon regularly updates its TOS, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest rules and regulations. 

There are a few common mistakes that Amazon sellers make when creating their listings. 

For example, some sellers use misleading images or copy in their listings. 

Others include prohibited content, such as profanity or adult material. 

Finally, some sellers try to game the Amazon search algorithm by using irrelevant keywords. 

If you want to avoid having your Amazon listings flagged or taken down, it is essential to familiarize yourself with Amazon's TOS and make sure that your listings are compliant.

The bottom line

When expanding your business to new international markets, it's important to make sure your Amazon listings are ready for the global stage. 

By avoiding common mistakes like incorrect translations, neglecting key details, and failing to localize your content, you can ensure that your listings appeal to a worldwide audience.

 So don't wait any longer, start making your listings today!

–

GUEST AUTHOR

Omar Deryan (wordpress/gravatar email: contact@ojdigitalsolutions.com)

Omar is the E-com Obsessed Co-founder and CEO of OJ Digital Solutions, an agency that helps Amazon sellers 2X their conversion rate by optimizing their Amazon listings. You can connect with Omar via his website and Linkedin