I want to demystify Amazon for you. You might be selling on Amazon now, thinking about it, or in discussions about it. You may have heard lots of terms, phrases, and acronyms that you don’t understand. I want to give you the ultimate A to Z guide to explain common Amazon terms and acronyms simply.
Without futher ado here it is:
The Amazon A-Z
A9 is Amazon’s proprietary product ranking algorithm that analyzes factors like keywords, sales history, reviews, etc. in nanoseconds to determine which product listings appear on the first page for a specific search term.
A+ Content provides additional descriptive content on a product detail page, like high-resolution images, instructional videos, expanded product information, comparison charts, etc., and requires enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry.
An Application Programming Interface (API) allows different software systems to communicate and share data seamlessly, like setting up an API between Amazon and your warehouse to sync inventory levels automatically.
The Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN) is the unique 10-character alphanumeric ID code that Amazon assigns to identify each unique product listed on their marketplace.
Amazon Brand Registry is a free program that allows companies to officially register their brand with Amazon to access expanded brand tools like A+ Content, sponsored product ads, Enhanced Brand Content, and analytics.
A Brand Store is a customizable brand-specific storefront page on Amazon that companies can use to showcase their full product line and requires enrollment in Amazon Brand Registry.
A Brand Story is A+ content focused on providing background on a brand’s origins, founders, mission, etc. and displays prominently on product listings for that brand, requiring Amazon Brand Registry.
Browse Node codes are numerical category identification codes used internally by Amazon to classify products into the appropriate category taxonomy, like 283155 for Books > Literature & Fiction.
The Best Seller Rank (BSR) shows a product’s sales rank relative to competing products within the same Amazon category, displayed as a number like #52,634 in Books.
Bundles allow grouping related products together, like a headphone and charging cable, to sell as one package deal, which is easier to set up as bundled listings on Amazon in the US than UK currently.
The Buy Box is the “Add to Cart” box displayed on each product page that sellers need to win to get better visibility, as having the Buy Box enables promotions and product ads for a listing.
A Child ASIN is a specific variation of a parent product, like a particular size and color option for a t-shirt, that allows managing inventory for the different variations together under one parent.
The International Article Number barcode identifier (EAN) is provided when registering brands and products with GS1 and required by Amazon for product listings.
Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) provides A+ Content features for vendors approved to sell wholesale directly to Amazon.
The European Fulfillment Network (EFN) enables fulfilling orders on Amazon’s European marketplaces from a seller’s UK-based Amazon FBA inventory until it sells out.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is Amazon’s service where sellers store inventory in Amazon’s warehouses and let Amazon pick, pack, and ship orders to customers.
Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) means the seller stores their own inventory and ships orders themselves after the sale is made on Amazon.
Pan-European FBA refers to storing inventory in Amazon warehouses across multiple countries in Europe in order to be able to reach customers across the entire European market.
A Parent ASIN is an umbrella product category rather than a specific item, used to group many related product variations together under one ASIN for easy management.
Prime is Amazon’s membership program for customers that includes benefits like free 1-2 day shipping, streaming media, and more. FBA listings are eligible for Prime’s free faster shipping.
Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) is a performance metric calculated by dividing sales revenue generated by ad costs, useful for evaluating Amazon ad performance.
Seller Central is the main portal online for registering and managing your Amazon seller account, creating listings, running sponsored ads, tracking sales, etc.
Seller Support is the customer service department at Amazon available to assist marketplace sellers with inventory, account, and order issues.
A Shipping Plan requires submitting detailed information to Amazon before sending inventory to their warehouses, like number of units, dimensions, prep requirements, etc.
A Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) code uniquely identifies each product variation, like a UPC or internal inventory code, and can be used alongside ASINs.
Sponsored Products are pay-per-click product ads displayed within Amazon’s search results based on keywords, a core advertising tool on Amazon.
Variations refer to different versions of the same product, like different sizes and colors for apparel, that can be managed under parent ASINs.
Vendor Central is the separate seller portal for vendors approved to sell wholesale directly to Amazon, rather than as a third-party seller.
The Amazon Vine program offers free product samples to top reviewers on Amazon in exchange for their honest product reviews, with brands paying to participate.
I hope that helps, if you have any questions, please do get in touch. I am always happy to help.