Navigating the waters of a massive marketplace like Walmart requires not just a fantastic product or competitive pricing but also a well-strategized plan to stay on top of your game.
Following the best Walmart practices isn’t just an extra feather in your hat; it’s a necessity. Doing so boosts visibility, bolsters sales, and builds a reputation that customers can trust. Utilizing Walmart seller software and Walmart seller tools can greatly assist in streamlining this process.
As a Walmart seller, adhering to these guidelines could mean the difference between blending into the crowd and standing out as a trusted, go-to brand.
In this article, we’ll explore crucial tips and strategies that will turn your Walmart selling experience from ‘just surviving’ to ‘flourishing’.
From optimizing your listings for Walmart’s algorithm to managing your inventory strategically, we’ll cover all the critical aspects you need to outshine the competition.
6 Walmart Seller Best Practices to Adopt
Success at Walmart comes from more than just having great products. You also need to manage your operations effectively and continuously strive for improvement.
Here, we’ve compiled six(6) crucial best practices that you should adopt as a Walmart seller.
By integrating these tips into your daily operations and utilizing Walmart seller software, you’ll be able to optimize your selling strategy and improve your performance through Walmart seller tools.
1. Creating Optimized Listings
As a Walmart seller, it’s more important than ever to understand and implement search engine optimization (SEO) strategies into your product listings. SEO plays a vital role in making your products easily discoverable on the Walmart marketplace. Walmart seller software can assist in optimizing your listings to align with best practices.
With effective Walmart SEO, your listings can appear at the top of search results when customers input relevant keywords. This increased visibility can directly lead to improved sales.
Now, let’s talk about product descriptions and titles. An effective product title is concise, informative, and includes keywords that potential customers may use when searching for products like yours.
Similarly, a great product description provides essential information about the product, including its features, benefits, and use cases.
Your description is your opportunity to sell the product to the customer, so make sure it is persuasive and addresses any potential questions or concerns the customer might have.
One thing you must be aware of is that the product listing on Walmart is a totally different ball game from that on Amazon.
Walmart hates keyword stuffing. In fact, they explicitly tell sellers not to stuff their product listings with keywords in their guidelines for product titles and descriptions.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of high-quality images and videos in your listings. They serve as the visual representation of your product. Walmart seller software often includes tools to enhance images and videos, providing multiple angles and demonstrating product use to improve customer trust.
Because online shoppers cannot touch or try your product before purchasing, clear and detailed images and videos become their eyes.
They help customers get a good understanding of what they’re buying. Try to provide multiple images showing your product from different angles and, if possible, videos that demonstrate the product in use.
2. Managing Inventory Efficiently
Managing your inventory efficiently is a cornerstone of successful Walmart selling. Walmart seller software can simplify this task.
Keeping track of your stock, knowing when to reorder products, and understanding what items are your best sellers can greatly affect your business’s profitability and reputation.
Best practices for inventory management typically involve regular stock checks and a clear understanding of your sales patterns.
Conducting frequent inventory checks can help you avoid overselling (which can lead to cancellations and damage your seller rating) or underselling.
Analyzing your sales patterns can help you understand which products are your top sellers and which ones are not performing as expected. This information can guide your reordering decisions, as well as your marketing and pricing strategies.
The good news is that you don’t have to manage all this manually. There are numerous Walmart seller tools and software available that can help you streamline your inventory management. A perfect example of this is the Ecom Circles automated dropshipping software.
The Walmart repricing tool can automate many inventory management tasks like tracking stock levels in real-time, sending restock alerts, and even automatically updating stocks and prices on your Walmart seller account.
3. Improving Customer Service
Providing top-notch customer service is a non-negotiable part of being a successful Walmart seller.
It’s not just about selling products but also about creating a positive shopping experience that encourages customers to return and recommend your store to others.
The quality of your customer service can significantly impact your seller rating and, subsequently, your visibility on the platform.
One key aspect of customer service is handling returns and complaints. Despite your best efforts, there will be instances where customers are not fully satisfied with their purchase.
Perhaps the product doesn’t meet their expectations, or maybe it arrived damaged. How you handle these situations can either turn a dissatisfied customer into a loyal one or potentially lead to negative reviews.
Firstly, it’s crucial to have a clear and straightforward return policy. Customers should be able to understand what they can expect if they’re not happy with their purchase.
Communicate this policy to your customers in a clear and transparent way. Check out our guide to Walmart returns to learn more about effectively handling returns.
When it comes to handling complaints, responsiveness is key.
Try to respond to complaints as quickly as possible and address the customer’s concerns sincerely. Apologize where necessary and provide a solution that aligns with your return policy, whether that’s a refund, replacement, or repair.
4. Leveraging Walmart’s Marketing and Walmart Seller Tools
In the pursuit of e-commerce success, utilizing all available resources is essential.
As a Walmart seller, you have access to an array of marketing and Walmart seller tools designed to boost your visibility and sales on the platform.
By leveraging these Walmart seller tools effectively, you can gain a significant advantage in the competitive marketplace.
Walmart offers a variety of marketing tools, one of which is sponsored ads.
These are paid advertisements that allow sellers to promote individual listings, making them more visible to potential customers browsing the site.
Sponsored listings appear at the top of search results and on product detail pages, giving sellers prime exposure.
However, as with any marketing tool, using Walmart-sponsored ads effectively requires a strategic approach. It’s not just about investing money; it’s about investing it wisely.
Here are some ways to do just that:
1. Product Selection
Choose the products you want to promote carefully. It’s often best to focus on your best sellers, high-margin items, or products that you have a surplus of.
2. Keyword Targeting
Sponsored listings allow you to target specific keywords. Conduct keyword research to understand what terms potential customers are using to find products like yours and target those keywords in your sponsored listings.
3. Budgeting and Bidding
Sponsored listings work on a bid system. You set a daily budget and bid amount for each click your sponsored listing receives. It’s important to monitor your bids and adjust them as necessary to maximize your return on investment.
If you want to learn more about how to use Walmart-sponsored ads, check out our extensive guide on the topic.
5. Price Competitively
Adopting a competitive pricing strategy is one of the best Walmart practices for achieving success in the Walmart marketplace.
While it might be tempting to set high prices for high profit margins, remember that customers have a multitude of options at their fingertips.
They are always on the lookout for the best deals and value for their money. Therefore, it’s important to strike a balance between a price that is attractive to customers and one that still ensures a decent profit margin for you.
Researching and understanding your competitors’ pricing can provide valuable insights. Knowing the average price for similar products can help you determine a competitive price for your own product.
Note that competitive pricing isn’t just about lowering your prices. It also involves providing superior value. You could offer bundled products, free shipping, or excellent customer service to justify a slightly higher price than your competitors.
Customers are not just buying a product; they are also buying an experience. If they perceive greater value in what you offer, even with a higher price, they are likely to choose your product.
Consider using Walmart repricing tool to price your products competitively and automatically.
These Walmart seller tools can provide real-time data on your competitors’ prices and help you automatically adjust your own pricing accordingly so your listings stay competitive and give you a higher shot at winning the Walmart buy box.
6. Monitoring and Improving Performance
Success as a Walmart seller isn’t something that happens overnight, nor is it something that stays static once achieved.
The marketplace is constantly evolving, and so too should your approach.
An essential part of this process is the regular monitoring and improvement of your performance.
Seller performance metrics are more than just numbers; they’re a window into how well your business is functioning on the platform.
There are a number of important metrics that sellers should track on Walmart Marketplace, including:
Order Defect Rate
This is the percentage of orders that are not delivered on time or are not as described. A high order defect rate can lead to customer dissatisfaction and account suspension.
Shipping Time
This is the average time it takes for your orders to be shipped. A fast shipping time is important for customer satisfaction and can help you improve your ranking in search results.
Customer Rating
This is the average rating that customers give your products. A high customer rating is important for building trust and loyalty with customers.
Return Rate
This is the percentage of orders that are returned. A high return rate can be costly for sellers, so it is important to track and reduce it.
By reviewing these metrics regularly, you can spot trends, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions about your business.
