Building Trust: A Guide to Leveraging Amazon Badges for Success

Increasing Discoverability and Enabling Values-Based Buying

With 56% of consumers starting their product journey at Amazon, it’s undeniably the best platform for reaching a massive audience. However, this sheer volume also makes it incredibly challenging for sellers to cut through the noise and get noticed in such a competitive marketplace.

Thankfully, Amazon badges, such as Best Seller, Amazon’s Choice, Climate Pledge Friendly and other certification marks, have emerged as powerful tools that can boost both trust and differentiation for sellers.

For example, a study by Cone Communications shows 86% of consumers believe businesses must take a leading role in addressing environmental and social issues, and Climate Pledge Friendly badges provide a clear way for brands to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and quality. For sellers, earning these badges can significantly enhance product visibility, build consumer confidence, and unlock new market opportunities.

If you’re looking to stand out in a crowded marketplace, understanding how to leverage these Amazon badges is crucial. In our comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through how to obtain these certifications and use them to gain a competitive edge. From increasing sales to expanding your market reach, badges could be the key to your brand’s long-term success.

Most Popular Amazon Seller Badges and How to Earn Them

Three of the most sought-after and impactful badges on the marketplace are “Amazon’s Choice,” “Best Seller,” and “Climate Pledge Friendly” badges.

‘Amazon’s Choice’ Badge

With a global search volume of 800 for “what does amazon choice mean,” it’s clear that many users are curious about this badge. Amazon’s Choice is typically awarded to products that are well-priced, highly-rated, and available to ship immediately.

This badge is Amazon’s way of recommending a product in a specific category or for a particular search query. On Amazon’s search results page, the badge may show up as “Overall Pick.” The badge also appears in product detail pages.

Qualifications

• Relevance: Your product needs to closely match the keywords entered by customers. Optimized listings with clear titles, descriptions, and bullet points help improve keyword relevance.
• Positive Reviews: Products that have a high number of positive reviews and good overall ratings (generally above 4 stars) are more likely to be chosen.
• Prime Availability: Products that are available through Amazon Prime tend to be favored because of the fast and free shipping option.‍
• Low Return Rate: Items with fewer returns due to quality or functionality issues are prioritized by Amazon’s algorithm.

Tips to Earn Amazon’s Choice Badge

• Optimize Keywords: Conduct thorough keyword research and update your listing to ensure it’s targeting the most relevant and high-traffic search terms.
• Encourage Positive Reviews: Offer excellent customer service, quality products, and follow up with customers for reviews. Consider automating customer review requests with SellerTools by Carbon6 to constantly generate reviews.
• Utilize Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Opting for FBA can increase your chances since Prime shipping is favored by the algorithm.‍
• Monitor Product Returns: Ensure your product is high quality and accurately described to avoid returns, which can harm your chances of earning the badge.

‘Best Seller’ Badge

The “Best Seller” badge, with a global search volume of 450, is another highly coveted badge. It's awarded to products that have the highest sales in their respective categories. This badge updates hourly, reflecting real-time sales data.

Both these badges can significantly increase a product’s visibility and credibility, potentially leading to higher conversion rates.

Qualifications

• Sales Volume: The primary factor for this badge is the number of sales compared to competitors in the same category. Higher sales lead to a higher ranking.
• Sales Velocity: How quickly your product is selling over a short period matters. The badge is dynamic and can shift between different products based on their real-time sales.‍
• Category Placement: Choosing the right category for your product is crucial. If your product is in an overly competitive category, it may be harder to reach the top. Alternatively, picking a more niche category might improve your chances.

Tips to Earn Best Seller Badge

• Optimize Ads for High-Volume Keywords: Running ads with high-performing, relevant keywords helps your product appear in front of the right customers. Targeting high-traffic keywords related to your product ensures that your ads reach shoppers who are more likely to buy. Consider using Amazon’s search term reports or ad management platforms like PPC Entourage to identify keywords driving the most sales, and allocate more budget toward those keywords for sustained sales growth.
• Capitalize on Product Promotions: Running promotions alongside Amazon Ads can accelerate sales growth and improve your chances of getting the Best Seller badge. Lightning Deals and limited-time offers create urgency, encouraging shoppers to make quick purchase decisions.
• Run Sponsored Product Ads for Maximum Exposure: Sponsored Product Ads boost product visibility in search results and on product pages, increasing the chances of clicks and purchases. These ads appear at the top of Amazon’s search results, product detail pages, and related product listings, giving sellers prime real estate to capture consumer attention. Start with a broad match keyword strategy, then optimize to phrase and exact match as data accumulates to reduce costs while maintaining visibility.
• Use Sponsored Brands to Build Awareness: Sponsored Brands (formerly Headline Search Ads) let you showcase multiple products and your brand logo, helping you build brand recognition while driving traffic to your product listings or Storefront. These ads can capture customers' attention at the top of search results, particularly when launching new products or targeting competitive categories. Make sure to highlight product benefits, promotions, and reviews in your ad copy to create compelling reasons for customers to click.
• Leverage Sponsored Display Ads for Retargeting: Sponsored Display Ads allow you to retarget shoppers who have viewed your product or similar products, increasing the likelihood of repeat visits and conversions. This ad format helps maintain momentum in sales velocity, a key factor in achieving and retaining the Best Seller badge. Focus on retargeting shoppers who abandoned their cart or viewed the product but didn’t purchase. Offering a discount or promotion can boost conversion rates.‍
• Choose Categories Wisely: Make sure your product is listed in the most relevant category. Sometimes selecting a sub-category can increase your chances of winning the Best Seller badge.

Climate Pledge Friendly: Amazon’s Sustainability Initiative

With a notable global search volume of 2,500 for “climate pledge friendly” and 1,200 for “amazon sustainability,” it’s evident that eco-conscious shopping is a growing trend among Amazon users.

The Climate Pledge Friendly badge is part of Amazon’s commitment to sustainability. Products with this badge meet sustainability certifications that help preserve the natural world. Given the high search volume, featuring products with this badge could attract environmentally conscious consumers to your listings.

Why should sellers care about the CPF badge?

Acquiring the CPF certification can have a positive impact on a business, and the planet, such as:

Qualifications

• Sustainability Certifications: To qualify for this badge, your product must meet at least one of the 50+ third-party sustainability certifications recognized by Amazon. These include certifications like Fair Trade, Energy Star, and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).‍
• Amazon’s Compact by Design Certification: This is Amazon’s in-house certification. It’s awarded to products that have a more efficient design, reducing excess packaging and improving shipping efficiency. Products with this certification are automatically eligible for the Climate Pledge Friendly badge.

Tips to Earn the Climate Pledge Friendly Badge

• Seek Certifications: Review the list of approved certifications and apply for the ones relevant to your product. Certifications like Carbon Trust or Global Recycle Standard can be key differentiators.
• Optimize Packaging: Consider redesigning your product to be compact or reduce unnecessary packaging using Carbon6’s Product Resizer tool and Master Carton Calculator. This can help qualify your product for Amazon’s Compact by Design certification.‍
• Promote Your Sustainability Efforts: Once you earn the badge, make sure to highlight your sustainability initiatives in your marketing and product listings to attract eco-conscious customers.

Other Important Amazon Badges

While not as frequently searched, other badges still play crucial roles in the Amazon ecosystem:

Small Business Badge

With a search volume of 60 for "small business badge amazon," this badge helps shoppers identify and support small businesses on the platform.

The badge typically appears on the product detail page and in search results, making it easy for customers who prioritize supporting smaller brands to find products from these businesses.

Qualifications

To qualify for the Small Business Badge, you must meet Amazon’s definition of a small business, which typically includes:

• Being a brand or seller with fewer than a certain number of employees (often under 100).
• Having annual revenue below a specific threshold, often around $50 million.
• Being registered in Amazon’s small business programs or meeting certain other eligibility criteria (which may vary by region).

Tips to Earn the Small Business Badge

• Register for the Small Business Program: Sellers should ensure they are registered under Amazon’s small business programs. Participating in programs like the Small Business Academy, which provides training, resources, and mentoring, can increase the likelihood of earning the badge.
• Highlight Your Story: Sharing your small business’s story through Amazon’s Storefronts or other promotional features can help strengthen your brand’s connection with the badge, showing consumers the personal story behind your products.‍
• Optimize Listings: Optimize your listings for keywords like “small business,” particularly in niche categories where customers prioritize supporting small sellers.

Diversity and Inclusion Badges

Amazon offers various Diversity and Inclusion Badges to products from businesses that are minority-owned, women-owned, or military family-owned, among other diverse categories. These badges include labels like:

• Hispanic-Owned Business
• Black-Owned Business
• Women-Owned Business
• Military Family-Owned Business
• LGBTQIA-Owned Business
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander-Owned Business

The badges appear on product listings and in search results as “Small Business”, helping customers identify and support businesses from underrepresented or diverse backgrounds.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Diversity and Inclusion Badge, you must:

• Be certified by a recognized third-party organization (such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, or National LGBT Chamber of Commerce) based on the diversity category.
• Meet specific ownership and control criteria (such as having 51% ownership by individuals from the respective minority or underrepresented group).
• Provide Amazon with documentation to verify certification and ownership.

Tips to Earn Diversity and Inclusion Badges

• Get Certified: Begin by obtaining certification from a recognized certifying body for your business type (e.g., Women’s Business Enterprise National Council for women-owned). These certifications are essential for Amazon to grant the badge.
• Register with Amazon: After receiving certification, register your business with Amazon’s Supplier Diversity Program or upload certification proof to your seller central account.‍
• Leverage Badges in Marketing: Use the badge to appeal to customers who prioritize shopping from diverse businesses. Incorporate the badge in product listings, social media, and other marketing channels to attract like-minded buyers.

Amazon Prime Badge

The Amazon Prime Badge is a prominent feature on Amazon product listings, signifying that the item is eligible for Amazon Prime benefits. This badge is crucial for both sellers and buyers, as it enhances visibility in search results and on product pages and improves the shopping experience.

Qualifications

• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Sellers must enroll their products in FBA, adhere to Amazon’s FBA policies, and maintain good inventory health and performance metrics to ensure continued Prime eligibility.
• Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP): Sellers using the Seller Fulfilled Prime program can also earn the Prime Badge. This program allows sellers to fulfill Prime orders from their own warehouses while still offering Prime benefits. Requirements may include:
  • Performance Standards: Sellers must meet strict performance criteria, including timely shipping and delivery, to qualify for SFP.
  • Trial Period: Sellers must complete a trial period to demonstrate their ability to handle Prime orders effectively.‍
  • Regional Fulfillment: Sellers need to be capable of fulfilling Prime orders in the regions they serve.

Tips for Earning the Amazon Prime Badge

• Maintain Inventory Levels: Use SoStocked to keep sufficient inventory levels to avoid stockouts, which can affect your Prime eligibility and sales.
• Meet Performance Metrics: For SFP sellers, ensure timely order processing, accurate shipping, and reliable delivery. Consider using efficient warehousing and shipping solutions to meet the stringent requirements of SFP.
• Track Key Metrics: Regularly monitor your performance metrics such as order defect rate, customer feedback, on-time delivery rate, among others. High performance is crucial for maintaining Prime eligibility.
• Address Issues Promptly: Resolve any performance issues quickly to avoid disruptions in your Prime status. If you’re managing a large product catalog across multiple marketplaces, consider teaming up with SellerAssist by Carbon6 to help you maintain a good account health by getting any problems related to policy compliance, product authenticity, customer feedback, listing suppression, and more effectively fixed.
• Provide Detailed Descriptions: Ensure that your product listings are complete and detailed, including high-quality images and clear descriptions. A well-optimized listing can improve visibility and attract more Prime members.‍
• Keep Up with Policy Changes: Regularly review Amazon’s policies and updates related to Prime eligibility. Staying informed will help you adapt to any changes that might affect your Prime Badge status.

Impact on Sellers and Buyers

Amazon badges, particularly those with high search volumes like Amazon’s Choice and Best Seller, can have a significant impact:

For Sellers

• Enhanced Visibility: These badges differentiate products, particularly in highly competitive categories. Badges attract attention from consumers who prefer to support small businesses, innovative startups, or companies with diverse ownership.
• Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): Badges like Best Seller, Amazon’s Choice, Climate Pledge Friendly or Small Business badges build immediate credibility with shoppers, which can lead to higher CTR and conversion rates. Products with an Amazon badge are perceived as more reliable and relevant.
• Access to Targeted Customers: For example, small business badges attract customers who actively seek to support smaller enterprises, while diversity badges appeal to those who prioritize inclusive and ethical shopping practices.‍
• Market Differentiation: The Climate Pledge Friendly badges, for example, set sellers apart from competitors by showcasing their commitment to sustainability, which can be a significant differentiator in crowded markets.

For Buyers

• Easier Decision-Making Process: Shoppers often use the badge to quickly identify recommended, highly-rated, or sustainable products, reducing decision fatigue. It signifies that the product is a popular and well-reviewed choice.
• Supports Diversity: Customers can easily identify and support businesses that are black-owned, women-owned, or LGBTQIA-owned, aligning their purchases with their values.‍
• Promotes Inclusive Shopping: The badges foster an inclusive shopping environment, helping consumers feel good about supporting diverse and underrepresented entrepreneurs.