Amazon A+ Content: How Design Works for E-commerce

A couple of years ago, Vondel Marketing, an Icecat partner, launched a new project in content design for e-commerce. When Vondel Marketing asked an e-com client: “What are your expectations from your digital agency?”, the answer was: “To be fast and accurate!” Over the past years, e-commerce clients changed the game for visual content, including Amazon’s so-called A+ content. The creation should not take more than one day. Imagine being a designer and finding out you have just one day to finish the job, in stead of a week or even a month in traditional snail commerce! Vondel re-configured its content design process because of that e-com requirement.

What is Amazon A+ content?

Amazon A+ content is used to improve the consumer experience on Amazon, which in turn drives traffic and sales. Amazon A+ content consists of enhanced listing product descriptions, high-quality images, and video content to help online shoppers tell a brand story more vividly. It includes comparison tables of competitors, high-quality images, and HD videos.

For one of Unilever’s brands, Vondel Marketing created Amazon A+ content. The designers started by carefully studying the platform’s technical requirements and also the client guidelines. New brand, new platform, corrections to the tech guidelines, there is always something new. If Vondel Marketing was unable to meet the tech requirements, then the artwork would be rejected by the Amazon platform. This would result in delays, and time is always of the essence.  

Fast and accurate

Accuracy has to be applied not only to the tech requirements of Amazon or other platforms, but also to the product story itself. How do you accurately convey the nature of the product? Not just by text and figures, but also by using emotions and perceptions, by choosing the right image, which would carry the right message from the product to the consumer. That is exactly the creative job of a designer.

Vondel’s content factory learned to produce vast amounts of art work, not just for companies like Unilever, but also for starting brands who are dipping their toes in the water. In just a few days we create for example single-image designs, product infographics, comparison tables, and Amazon brand story designs. More time is needed to create a rich cart or shop in shop designs. But, that is worth it as they also are more convincing for consumers to buy. High-quality Amazon A+ content has gone from a mere whim to a true must for highly competitive segments.

A/B Testing

A/B testing in e-commerce proves the effectiveness of a good accurate design. As far as our clients’ experiences go, the conversion rates can change dramatically because of improved design. It is the design that decides whether the consumers purchase the product from your brand or your competitor’s brand. Fast and accurate design most often means years of professional experience, a team that knows that the devil is in the detail and has the ability to build effective relationships with partners.