Which drives more Amazon sales?

The Amazon marketplace makes it simpler than ever to scale an ecommerce enterprise.

Whereas long-term gross sales progress can come from optimizing listings and increasing key phrase concentrating on, sellers have two major short-term levers:

This text explores how modifications to those components impression Amazon gross sales efficiency.

TL;DR

• Worth and advert spend are the 2 levers sellers can use to affect gross sales within the brief time period.
• We analyzed developments throughout 5 merchandise. Each strongly affect gross sales, however advert spend seems to have a stronger relationship.
• This examine’s software is restricted, as we reviewed a small vary of merchandise in a selected class. Nonetheless, it offers directions on how one can analyze your individual product(s).
• This ought to be utilized to particular product information for sensible use instances. 

On this examine, we analyzed two years of gross sales information for 5 non-commodity present merchandise on Amazon, priced between $20–$60, with each day advert spend starting from $0–$40.

By reviewing developments throughout these merchandise, we aimed to establish which variable – worth or advert spend – had a stronger impression on gross sales.

Our findings present that each variables correlate with gross sales quantity, although advert spend seems to have a stronger affect.

Information compilation and manipulation

To streamline our information assortment, we used:

• Sellerboard to export each day gross sales and advert spend per product.
• Helium10 to export each day costs.

The information units have been matched utilizing VLOOKUPs, eradicating any days with zero gross sales, as these seemingly indicated stockouts.

With over 2,000 rows of knowledge throughout 5 merchandise, we created a number of new metrics primarily based on present ones to make the information extra scalable and insightful. Beneath, we define our course of intimately.

Aggregated differential pricing 

Our information set included 5 merchandise, every with a distinct worth level, so we wanted a standardized approach to evaluate pricing throughout them. 

As a substitute of utilizing precise costs, we centered on pricing modifications by making a metric referred to as “differential pricing from the imply.” 

First, we calculated every product’s common worth, then subtracted every each day worth from this common to find out the deviation from the imply.

These deviations, or “differential costs,” have been then rounded into integers to group comparable values, making a constant and comparable metric throughout all merchandise.

For instance, Product A had a median worth of $33.90. If the precise worth on a given day was $33.70, this represented a -$0.20 distinction from the imply, which we rounded to 0, indicating the value was on the imply. Conversely, if the precise worth was $33.00, there was a -$0.90 distinction, which we rounded to -$1.

The screenshot beneath reveals these pricing teams for Product A on the x-axis: 

• 0 represents the imply worth. 
• +1 is for worth factors rounded to $1 above the typical. 
• -2 is for worth factors rounded to -$2 beneath the typical. 

Within the subsequent step of the graphing section, we aggregated every pricing differential to calculate the typical gross sales for every particular pricing differential. The outcomes are displayed within the graph beneath.

Within the instance above, items offered are represented on the y-axis, and worth differentials are on the x-axis.

Every blue dot is an combination of all the identical worth differentials and the typical variety of gross sales at that worth differential.

For instance, at -5 on the x-axis, we see all the times when a product offered for $5 lower than its common worth (35 cases of this). At this worth differential, the typical variety of items offered was 4.89. 

Aggregated advert spend

For each day advert spend, we additionally rounded every information level to the closest integer (e.g., a each day advert spend of $23.65 was rounded to 24). 

Within the graphing stage, we aggregated equivalent each day advert spend quantities and plotted these in opposition to the corresponding common gross sales.

Within the chart above, every x-axis level is an combination of all each day spends at that spend.

For instance, the blue level at $40 on the x-axis represents all days the place advert spend was $40 (on this case, six cases). We see at $40 the corresponding common gross sales of 8.5 items on these six days. 

Pricing differentials at totally different advert spends

After making these manipulations, we are able to see that common advert spend is pretty constant in any respect pricing differentials. 

On the graph beneath, pricing differentials on the x-axis are spaced out evenly with advert spend aggregates on the y-axis. 

We will be assured that our advert spend remained constant throughout various worth factors, making certain we didn’t spend extra when costs have been low or much less once they have been excessive.

This balanced strategy permits for a good comparability of metrics throughout totally different worth ranges.

---

Findings: The impression of pricing on gross sales

So, how do modifications in worth have an effect on the entire items offered? 

The chart beneath illustrates this relationship, with worth differentials plotted alongside the x-axis and common gross sales on the y-axis. 

The orange development line signifies a basic sample: 

• When costs fall beneath the imply (represented by 0 on the x-axis), we see a rise in gross sales.
• Conversely, when costs rise above the imply, gross sales are inclined to lower.

Apparently, this relationship will not be as linear as anticipated. Common gross sales seem to stabilize inside a variety of -$5 to +$5.

We initially anticipated a extra easy sample, the place gross sales would constantly lower as costs elevated. 

Gross sales could also be increased at worth differentials beneath -7.5 on account of elevated advert spend somewhat than solely due to decrease pricing. 

Within the graph beneath, we signify increased advert spend with bigger bubbles. It reveals that a lot of the highest gross sales factors coincide with the most important advert spends.

General, decrease pricing appears to drive extra gross sales, but it surely’s not a gentle development, and advert spending could possibly be a confounding issue.

Findings: The impression of advert spend on gross sales

Within the chart beneath, advert spend is plotted on the x-axis and common gross sales on the y-axis. 

A transparent development emerges: as advert spend will increase, complete items offered additionally rise.

We will additionally rule out cheaper pricing as the reason for elevated gross sales. Within the chart beneath, increased costs are represented by bigger bubbles. 

Surprisingly, a number of the highest gross sales happen on the highest costs, which is the alternative of what we initially anticipated.

General, there appears to be a powerful development between advert spend and gross sales and pricing seems to have little impact. 

All three variables collectively

Within the line charts beneath, we plot all three variables collectively for a complete view. 

The primary graph is sorted by worth differentials, with worth will increase represented by the blue line transferring from left to proper. 

You’d anticipate complete items offered (inexperienced line) to lower linearly as costs rise, however this isn’t the case. 

As a substitute, gross sales (inexperienced line) seem to align extra intently with advert spend (pink line), suggesting that advert spend has a stronger affect on gross sales than pricing alone.

Within the second graph beneath, we plot the identical variables, however this time sorted by advert spend. 

As we transfer to the precise, advert spend (pink line) will increase. Right here, we observe the anticipated impact: as advert spend rises, complete items offered (inexperienced line) additionally enhance. 

Whereas there’s some correlation with worth differential (blue line), it’s notably weaker.

Insights

The information reveals that each worth and advert spend impression items offered. 

Whereas we anticipated a powerful linear relationship between worth modifications and gross sales, this sample doesn’t clearly emerge. 

As a substitute, advert spend seems to have a stronger correlation with gross sales than pricing does.

That is in step with the way in which the Amazon algorithm works. Advertisers generally observe that merchandise rank increased on Amazon as their sell-through charge improves, and the quickest approach to drive this enhance is thru substantial investments in Amazon Ads. 

Dig deeper: 5 reasons Amazon Ads is better than Google Ads for ecommerce

Disclaimers 

Firstly, all of the merchandise analyzed fall inside the gifting class. It’s doable that present patrons prioritize high quality or enchantment over worth, making them much less price-sensitive.

Against this, patrons of commodities might reply extra straight to cost modifications. Subsequently, we can’t completely low cost the impression of pricing, as this sample could also be distinctive to the gifting class.

Moreover, analyzing a broad set of merchandise to establish basic developments might overlook particular person product nuances. When analyzing particular person merchandise extra intently, we might observe various patterns.

Beneath, we current graphs for 2 particular person merchandise from our set. Within the first graph, as advert spend will increase, items offered additionally rise.

Massive bubbles signify increased costs, and small bubbles signify decrease costs, with each pretty nicely distributed throughout the information.

Within the second graph, which represents a distinct product, gross sales volumes peak inside a mid-range degree of advert spend. 

Right here, the best gross sales happen across the smaller bubbles, indicating decrease costs. On this case, pricing seems to be the first issue influencing gross sales volumes.

Our aggregated information examine aimed to establish basic developments between advert spend, pricing and gross sales.

Nonetheless, in follow, every product performs uniquely, and the best strategy is to use this evaluation on a person product foundation.

We suggest conducting an identical evaluation to your personal merchandise to pinpoint the components that almost all affect their efficiency. 

To help this, we’re sharing our data together with the Looker Studio template used to create these graphs, permitting you to construct personalized information units to your merchandise and evaluate your outcomes.