Amazon's eCommerce dominance is not simply a product of its vast inventory or customer service excellence, it is also because of automation and increasing reliance on AI. Amazon actually has a VP of Artificial General Intelligence, an AI-powered bot named Rufus responding to customer service queries, and has worked to advance AI policy in Congress the past few years. Unsurprisingly, when it comes to AI from the seller side of Amazon’s ecosystem, Amazon provides tools and insights that were previously unimaginable even a few years ago. This blog explores how Amazon leverages AI to help sellers optimise everything from operations to detail pages and SEO. Looking to achieve greater success on the platform? We’ll discuss what features to use, how to use generative AI, and what pitfalls to avoid to save time and hassle when it comes to new tech and tools.
Using Generative AI for Product Detail Pages
Amazon consistently updates and enhances its suite of tools, offering new product features and advanced options for creating and optimising product pages and listing details. Now, sellers can theoretically input a few descriptive words about their product into Seller Central's integrated generative AI, which can then craft engaging product titles, descriptions, and additional details. Sellers also have the capability to generate new listings using existing products, external website links, images, and other resources as a starting point.
Managing your product catalogue and adding new items on Amazon has become significantly easier these days. However, generative AI can be inconsistent and inaccurate. Moreover, Amazon doesn't disclose specifics about how its embedded AI tools operate. For example, is the generative product description using high-converting Amazon Advertising terms? Or pulling copyrighted content from other products? Or, is it searching the web for close matches and putting it haphazardly together?
If you’re looking to use generative AI tools on or off Amazon, here are some issues to watch for to ensure you’ve done it correctly.
Checklist for Using Generative AI for Amazon Sellers
- Is it Accurate?
Double-check your freshly written content for accuracy and awkwardness. While some text may simply read unnatural, it can also be factually wrong or provide little to no information for customers you’re hoping to convert. Read your text for consistency and ensure there are no contradictions or bogus claims. You should also ensure all features (such as colours, sizes, or styles) mentioned in the text actually exist so customers know what they’re getting.
When you use generative AI for images, it’s even more important to review carefully. Oftentimes, images are not to scale or include jarring elements. For example, if you sell garden hoses, be sure the image isn’t of a fire hose. Be especially careful if you plan to generate lifestyle images of people or human features such as faces or hands.
While you can use AI effectively to help generate content, it’s best to use it as an outline or structure and not rely on it totally. Check for accuracy and consistency in your text or images and ensure it presents your brand and products in a way that drives purchases rather than deterring customers.
- Does it meet Amazon policy?
Generative AI created in Amazon’s own tools often doesn’t follow Amazon policy or guidelines. This is another reason why it’s imperative to apply a human touch. Generative text may include competitor brand names, copyrighted phrases, pricing information, sale claims, and more. Violating Amazon policy can get your products and account suspended, so be sure to review and look for any dangerous terms or inclusions. Check Seller Central for category specifics and the latest guidelines.
- Is there comprehensive SEO?
It’s important to remember that Amazon has not explained how the generative AI features operate. Just because Amazon suggests text, doesn’t mean it’s accurate, appealing to customers, or SEO-rich. Be sure to use external tools, such as keyword software, to ensure product pages and details are correct and brand-appropriate.
- Does it meet your brand’s tone and style?
Brand identity is crucial to succeeding in eCommerce and on Amazon. AI will not incorporate your brand’s identity or style into anything it generates. Be sure to review carefully and fix any style, voice, or brand inconsistencies with your copy, images, and SEO items. The content must deliver on your unique selling points and communicate all relevant details about your product and brand, or it’s virtually useless.
The Problem with AI and Quality Control on Amazon
In an ideal world, AI could absorb daily tasks and lighten the workload of busy eCommerce professionals. Amazon has worked to automate many aspects of their website and seller operations for years. While this could have benefits, it usually results in additional headaches with the increasingly unhelpful side of Seller Central support.
Using AI to automate content and policy review can be dicey. For example, Amazon flags terms or brand names, reclassifies products to additional nodes, changes product data, or removes or suspends content from the site for violations when there is no violation. Getting any of these issues corrected can take months, resulting in lost sales and revenue for small businesses all over the globe. Additionally, sellers that use generative AI without ensuring it’s accurate can result in more issues and headaches.
Amazon also uses AI on product pages, where it summarises thousands of reviews into a quick review, or notes if a product is returned frequently. While this could be useful for customers, it also fails to illustrate context. For example, perhaps a product is frequently returned due to packaging issues at an FBA facility, rather than being the fault of a seller.
Rather than reducing contacts as automation and AI intended, this has likely resulted in a vast increase in support requests and escalations. Sellers need to keep close watch on their account and proactively address any issues and manage concerns. The more issues that are reported to Amazon, the quicker the tools can be refined.
Managing Inventory
In addition to content and customer-facing AI features on Amazon, they have integrated more AI-based features into inventory management. Sellers can use AI to look at sales trends, ASIN-level data, and forecasting demand.
These predictive insights can assist sellers in a powerful way. Better and more accurate inventory management will certainly help businesses of all sizes save money and ensure more efficient business practices. These features include excess inventory alerts or out-of-stock risks. To see the most current features in Seller Central, visit the FBA Inventory tab. Amazon will continually use AI-based tools such as these to automate and streamline inventory management.
Marketing Personalisation
Amazon Advertising has been quick to incorporate AI capabilities, especially when it comes to targeted marketing campaigns and leveraging customer data. Amazon Advertising is a big money-maker for Amazon, meaning AI tools and external software that collaborates with Amazon Marketing will likely grow quickly. Through Amazon’s wealth of data, sellers should be able to better understand customer’s, from their shopping habits and preferences to their demographic information. We should see Amazon Advertising enable sellers to better target their marketing campaigns both on and off Amazon, including on the website, Fire TV, apps, social media, and display advertising. Hopefully, this will better utilise ad spend and increase conversion rates as well as improve the customer experience on various channels.
The Ethics of AI
As described in this blog, there are many potentially helpful aspects of AI, such as generative content, more efficient operations, and marketing budgets that go farther. But AI also comes with many risks and downsides. These include risks of inaccuracy, slow adaptation, or manipulation of software to promote certain listings and sellers. AI may use source content, such as competitors or high-performing and more profitable ASINs to generate content with no credit or payment to original creators. Reliance on new AI features may also marginalise smaller sellers who lack access or funding to use AI tools. How Amazon will address the range of ethical issues remains to be seen.
AI on Amazon and in eCommerce
Amazon and Seller Central, specifically, will continue to incorporate AI into its most-used features. Advancements may involve more sophisticated imaging technology and natural language processing capabilities, more robust always-on service for customers, improved predictive analytics for supply chain optimization, and AI-powered tools for product development and range expansion.
In summary, Amazon is at the forefront of employing AI in eCommerce. By automating routine tasks, offering better analytics, and improving the customer and seller experience, Amazon aims to streamline the online selling process. That said, AI is still in early development and relies significantly on human oversight to maximise its advantages. AI can help with a solid foundation for sellers who need structured product detail pages or content. However, accuracy remains critical, and sellers should continually review and refine their data. This is truly the beginning of what promises to be a complex and transformative future for AI in eCommerce. If you require further assistance with AI-enhanced features in Seller Central, account management, content creation, or marketing support, consider contacting the team at eCommerce Nurse.
