As you likely already know, Amazon likes making changes to its broad suite of tools for sellers. One of the most recent changes is that Amazon Enhanced Brand Content (EBC) and A+ pages are now the same. This merges two features that had very similar values under the same system. It has helped to bring the Seller Central and Vendor Central functionality closer together.
What Is A+ Content?
A+ content is a collection of multimedia modules on Amazon product pages. It appears in the “from the manufacturer” section of the page. A+ content has been around for brands and manufacturers for a little while. Sellers will be new to the name but will recognize a lot of the functionality from the former Enhanced Brand Content toolset.
The goal in A+ content is to boost customer confidence by allowing brands to share more interactive, in-depth and meaningful product and brand information. Sellers and vendors don’t have to be satisfied with text and images. They can leverage this more enhanced content to engage shoppers in a more impactful way.
What Is Enhanced Brand Content (EBC)?
Enhanced Brand Content has been essentially the same functionality as A+ for a while. It is a toolset available in Seller Central. Previously, EBC was very template driven. This has changed with the merger (more information on that below).
The Merger
With the most recent changes to these systems, Amazon has united Vendor Central A+ and Seller Central Enhanced Brand Content all under the same name. Everyone has access to the basic version of A+. Some organizations, principally those on Vendor Central, have access to a premium version.
Premium A+
Whereas basic accounts can include up to five modules, premium accounts can use up to seven. There are thirteen premade modules including images and text for basic accounts. Premium A+ users have access to another five premade modules and can include video, comparison tables, hotspots, and other high-quality content. The premium modules are also larger than their basic counterparts.
Although the premium A+ users have some enhanced tools, the two options are definitively the same system. Whereas EBC and A+ used to be separate, they are now together under the A+ umbrella. There are still some mentions of Enhanced Brand Content (likely to help sellers find the right pages), but this seems to be for legacy purposes only.
Other Changes
In addition to bringing the two systems under the same roof, Amazon has made some other changes that will help vendors and sellers more thoroughly take advantage of A+. This includes an improved user interface and new modules.
Enhanced User Interface
The new dashboard is significantly more user-friendly compared to the old version, particularly for EBC. Pages can be viewed more easily. There is now a filter that lets users find pages by language, content name, content status, content type, and most recent modification.
The new user interface isn’t an earth-shattering redesign of the experience. However, it looks nice and it is easier to browse around. That is the sort of change that everyone can appreciate.
New Modules for EBC and A+ on Amazon
As mentioned above, both basic and premium A+ users have new modules to work with. For basic users, this includes a product description text and standard text. This is a helpful way to make the content more informative and helpful to shoppers.
This content is not used by Amazon for its own search functionality. However, it is searchable with Google and other outside search engines. So, if you have keywords in your A+ content, you should see an increase in traffic coming from organic search.
Currently Available Modules to Choose From
Goodbye Templates
Previously, EBC relied heavily on predefined templates. There were five predefined options and one customized template. Now the templates are all customized. This offers a lot more do-it-yourself opportunities for advertisers. However, it also requires more work. This could be a little confusing at first for some sellers.
Easier Multi-Page Upload
Sellers can not upload A+ content with ASIN. This makes it easier to upload multiple pages at a time. You can apply A+ content to a parent ASIN and then select which of the child ASIN you want to use it for. This is significantly faster than doing it one-by-one in the older system.
What This Means for Sellers
These changes offer some significant value to vendors and even more so to sellers. If you are selling on Amazon, taking advantage of A+ content lets you do a lot more with your product pages. This is more engaging content with a more professional look. It is a great way to increase conversion rates on product pages.
It also helps brands to market themselves more through their product pages. A+ content allows for more consistency and brand clarity across multiple products.
Many sellers have observed reduced product returns also due to clearer product messaging. Buyers are less likely to get confused and order something that doesn’t match their needs. This reduction can have a major bottom-line impact, especially for relatively small sellers.
The merger also suggests that sellers will be getting more of the goodies from vendor central. The difference between the two dashboards has been diminishing and this is one further step in that trend.
Get Support To Launch Your Amazon EBC and A+ Content
These new changes merging and improving EBC and A+ content can provide significant benefits to sellers that take advantage of them. However, staying on top of all the available functionality on Amazon is not easy. Turn to Operation ROI to help your business master the art of e-commerce marketing. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand on Amazon and other platforms.
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