Which Amazon Mobile App Works Best for Your Products?
Amazon Mobile App Overview for Sellers
Amazon’s mobile apps are forging the way toward an app-driven online marketplace, but in the general world of ecommerce, there’s still a big divide between desktop vs. mobile.
Even further, there’s a divide between mobile sites vs. apps. If you’re selling on Amazon, you should know the differences between three of Amazon’s most popular mobile apps, and how you can maximize your product performance on the right ones. Let’s get started.
1. Amazon Shopping App
In a 2015 study by Morgan Stanley Research and Comscore Data [PDF Download], 93% of the top retailers studied saw most of their growth coming from mobile browsers. But not Amazon. Amazon topped the list of successful ecommerce apps with 53,579 unique visitors, and 58% of those visitors use the mobile app. By comparison, the Costco app drives just 33% of all mobile traffic, and Best Buy claims 8%.
Features and Limitations
This is the mother of all Amazon mobile apps, and it’s chock full of products and high volumes of traffic. If your products are on the Amazon shopping site, they’re on the mobile browser and the app, too. However, you won’t have complete control over how your listings rank, and this is a heavily saturated marketplace with limited space to compete.
As you probably suspect, downloads for the Amazon Shopping App are huge. On iTunes, there are over 120,000 ratings, which indicates a massive number of downloads, and on Google Play, there are between 50,000,000 – 100,000,000 downloads.
Bottom Line
Because this particular Amazon mobile app is geared toward quick and convenient purchases, there aren’t many opportunities for competition once the buyer hits the product description page. Make sure you’ve optimized all of your product descriptions, as we’ve mentioned before, those take precedent over bullet points on mobile.
See below:
In addition, Prime-eligible products have the advantage on mobile–they’ll be more likely to land the Buy Box. Consider which of your products could succeed and become qualified for Prime under Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA).
2. Amazon Prime Now App
As of January 2016, Amazon Prime boasted nearly 54 million members—just 20% of overall Amazon customers. That’s roughly 13 times the population of LA.
Some analysts estimate there are now 69 million Prime members, and on average, Prime members spend $1500 per year. When’s the last time you saw a loyalty shopping program as successful as Prime?
Features and Limitations
The Prime Now app offers tens of thousands of items—everything from daily essentials to take out—delivered within hours, with the standard free 2-hour delivery or 1-hour delivery for $7.99 24/7. Right now, it’s only available in 25 locations, and it caters to a more limited audience.
Although it’s difficult to find real-time download numbers, the app is ranked “#715 Free in Appstore for Android”.
On Google Play, there are between 1,000,000 – 5,000,000 downloads. On iTunes, it’s harder to tell—it’s possible that 634 ratings are far behind the number of app downloads. We’re talking about a smaller audience, but one with potentially more frequent purchasing habits (if general Prime members are any indication.)
Bottom Line
Last time we checked, products that aren’t FBA are not eligible for Prime Now. Eligibility is likely determined by proximity to Amazon warehouse locations (it’s tough to deliver toilet paper to someone in Boston in under an hour if your products are stocked in California), deliverability (based on size and heaviness of item), and popularity. Make sure your products fall into those categories if you want to get them listed on Prime Now.
3. AmazonFresh App
The first thing you should know: Users can shop using the AmazonFresh app, but most will be redirected to the general Amazon mobile shopping app into a dedicated “AmazonFresh” shopping section.
Features and Limitations
Like PrimeNow products, AmazonFresh isn’t available everywhere. It includes 130,00 food and household items, and users can order up fresh groceries (yes, even bacon) with free early morning delivery on qualified orders.
AmazonFresh users have to be Prime members and pay an additional $3.85/week on top of the yearly Prime fee. However, grocery orders over $40 are free.
Right now, the app has 100,000 – 500,000 downloads on Google Play, ranks “#3,731 Free in Appstore for Android”, and has around 400 ratings on iTunes.
Bottom Line
AmazonFresh is made for vendors using FBA. If you want to sell on AmazonFresh, you must complete a form including details such as total SKUs and estimated average selling prices for your products. Once you’ve been approved, use the AmazonFresh Seller Fulfillment app to view order details and manage your products. Optimize your product listings as you would for any other product—apparently, even limes merit product descriptions, features, and reviews:
Which Amazon App Should You Focus Your Strategy On?
Now that we’ve gone through each of these Amazon mobile app strengths, weaknesses, downloads, and dog slings—what app should you get more strategic about?
- Amazon Shopping App: Everyone. Whether you’re a third-party seller or a vendor, your listings should be optimized on the site and across the mobile app.
- Amazon Prime Now App: If you’re a local store in an area where Prime Now is allowed (shout out to newly added sellers in Boston, Paris, and London) and your products are already Prime eligible, you have a good shot at success on the Prime Now app.
- AmazonFresh App: To qualify for AmazonFresh (use the above-mentioned form), you’ll likely need to employ FBA and be in a location close to Amazon’s Fulfilment Centers in qualifying areas.
Looking for more information about AmazonFresh, Amazon Prime Now, and the basic Amazon Shopping app? Email [email protected]
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