Blog: Amazon Unboxing Episode 7: Silicone Soap Molds
Amazon Unboxing Episode 7: Silicone Soap Molds
This week might be our craziest Amazon Unboxing yet! Just take a look at the product details:
- Arts, Crafts & Sewing category
- 1,100 sales per month
- $19,000 in monthly revenue
- Less than 10 reviews!
Not a bad starting point, right?!
Obviously, in terms of improvements, the low reviews piqued our interest. Upping your email marketing game, and following up with your customers after they purchase, should be a given.
But let’s see what Joel and Adam had to say!
This seller did so much right with this listing, that we’re going to look at the very short list of potential improvements first.
Possible Improvement #1: Customer Email
It took Adam and Joel awhile to find this listing’s weakness. It almost didn’t exist! But when they didn’t receive an email from the seller, they knew they had found their Achilles’ heel. And it’s such a disappointment to see sellers failing to do something that is SO easy to automate.
No wonder they had just 10 reviews!
In 10 minutes, Adam, our email marketing guru, put together a quick thank you email for the mold. It included a couple of soap-making tips, along with a list of ingredients for customers to buy while they wait to receive the product. It’s a simple email that would add a lot of value to the purchase by telling buyers what they’ll need if they want to start making soap right away.
Typically, here at Jungle Scout, we recommend sending at least two (and a max of three) follow-up emails to your customers.
For example, the first could be sent immediately upon order confirmation. Ideally, it would introduce and explain the product to the buyer, providing them with a ton of extra value. The second could be sent about a week after the item ships, to check in and make sure the product arrived in good condition. This would also be the perfect time to ask for a review.
As for the third email (if you decide to send one), it could be used to give a little nudge to those customers who have yet to leave a review.
How easy is that?!
Possible Improvement #2: Packaging
As we unpacked the box, we noted that it needed a little work. The minimal bubble wrap and the plastic bag didn’t quite do the job they were meant to do. And, most importantly, there was no suffocation warning on the plastic bag!
If you take away anything, I’d take away this: make sure you check Amazon’s Packaging and Prep Requirements to ensure your packaging materials are compliant, always.
The mold’s packaging didn’t include any inserts either. Nor were there instructions explaining how to use the product. After providing so much useful information on their listing, they missed the boat by failing to reiterate those same points on a simple, package insert.
Nailed It! How this Seller Passed the Unboxing!
There was a lot to praise with this listing, but two optimizations stood out.
Nailed It Point #1 – Infographics
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: including text on your product photos makes you stand out from your competitors!
With that one image, the seller explains how their product works. Buyers don’t have to buy the mold to see how easy it is to use, and the seller is building trust with shoppers before they’ve even clicked “Add to My Cart”.
And by prominently displaying those instructions, the seller is reducing a customer’s potential confusion around how the product works. They also know where to go, if they ever need a refresher on how to use the mold.
The only thing that might be missing from the listing’s photo gallery is a lifestyle image. Help your customers see themselves using your product! This seller could have accomplished that by including a picture of someone pouring the soap into the mold. Or they could have added a photo of someone slicing the unmolded soap slab, while someone else packages the individual soaps.
Not a huge criticism for this particular listing, but one worth noting.
Nailed It Point #2: Multiple Purchasing Options
This is an Unboxing first! As you can see in the video, this listing has not one, but FOUR purchasing options!
Without straying too far from the original product, this seller has addresses the different needs of their customers. Wisely, they adjusted their offerings accordingly.
Customers have the option to purchase the basics of the product and its accessories individually, or they can buy it all, as an entire kit.
Options like these can be a game changer. When a customer feels more in control, particularly when it comes to price, they’re less likely to walk away.
Can we improve upon this? Sure. It would be nice to see the ultimate soap-making kit, with the ingredients you’ll need for the soap included. However, bundling the mold with soap-making ingredients could, potentially, require extra certifications and approvals.
Something else to consider…when we ran “soap making kit” through the Jungle Scout extension, we found that its opportunity score was even higher than that of “silicone soap molds”. So there’s more demand for this product than we first imagined.
Nailed It Honorable Mentions:
- Professional bullet points. Seriously, this seller either hired someone to write their listing or they have a flair for copywriting.
- The listing title is loaded with all the right keywords.
- They trademarked their company. This is a great way to legitimize a brand.
- The reviews are all positive!
Final Score
We’re on a winning streak!
This was a tough one to tear down. There was so much right, finding flaws was difficult. But this is a great example of finding a way to optimize your listing, always!
If you want to knock your listing out of the park and need a little assistance, check out Jungle Scout Market! We’ve already vetted the best freelancers for you.
