Are Private Label Research Tools Worth it?

9 replies
  • ECOMMERCE
  • |
I'm currently using merchant words(free) + BSR as a barometer of sales volume between different product opportunities.

For all non-affiliates/resellers, what kind of value do products such as AMZ tracker, Jungle Scout and merchant words bring to your research activities?

How accurate were they when you verified your own listings?
#amz tracker #jungle scout #label #private #research #tools #worth
  • Profile picture of the author ZanyZebra
    Originally Posted by WillBegin View Post

    I'm currently using merchant words(free) + BSR as a barometer of sales volume between different product opportunities.

    For all non-affiliates/resellers, what kind of value do products such as AMZ tracker, Jungle Scout and merchant words bring to your research activities?

    How accurate were they when you verified your own listings?
    I've found many of the tools are sometimes inaccurate.

    I own a very successful own-brand ecommerce business and have used a number of tools in the past. Nowadays I don't use any.

    For example, to find the best keywords, instead of using a tool, I now simply use the amazon autosuggest for keywords. I then run amazon ad campaigns with them and then amazon themselves will directly tell me which keywords are the most valuable. They will also show me keywords that are being used to purchase and that I have not thought of before.

    Over time i've created a six figure a month business doing this (and much more, of course).

    I found that the data from the tools you talk of, if taken literally, can be misleading. For example on Merchant Words (one of the better tools) I found that it can sometimes be significantly out.

    If you are using BSR figures make sure to use the original amazon BSR rankings (most tools simply pull this info straight from amazon in any case).

    Also, other tools only perform functions that you can mostly perform yourself. They may save a little time, but not much.

    Having said all of that, I know a number of people who use the tools and who say they find them useful.

    Hope this helps. Good luck with your venture.
    Signature
    Want Straight Answers About ASM? (Amazing Selling Machine). Go To:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/ASMEntrepreneurs/
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10225816].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author AMZseo
    Hey Will,
    AMZ Tracker founder here.

    All of these tools are definitely specifically for sellers with their own brand, never resellers or affiliates. Each of the tools you listed has a good use in their own way (and I use them all).

    - Merchant Words: This is for getting Amazon keyword volume data. It's 100% theoretical (Amazon keeps this info private), but it can be used as a good base for figuring out the best keywords to go for. Personally I now just use the Google keyword planner and Term Explorer for this type of stuff, as it's updated far more regularly than Merchant Words. Also, the real purpose is just choosing the biggest keywords and focusing on those. Either way, it can definitely be helpful.

    JungleScout - This is really good for getting sales estimations quickly, as well as looking at the competition real quick. I personally use this, and I recommend it as well. It can save time when doing research.

    AMZ Tracker - The main purpose of AMZ Tracker is to actually RANK your products in Amazon and improve sales, but it also has some research tools built in. There is a keyword tool to generate all of the Amazon keyword suggestions, and there is also a "sales tracker", where for (many products) you can track the actual sales, instead of estimations. The actual tracking is more time consuming than the estimations (from Jungle Scout), so the two tools work well together.

    Hope that helps!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10227418].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author WillBegin
      Thanks for the responses both very helpful.

      I'll stick with my current method for the time being. As a beginner I've found it useful to go into listings for the BSR, its gives me a chance to assess other factors such as the quality of the titles, keywords, product descriptions,photos etc. After PL I might revisit this area, although Zany's Amazon PPC method seems best.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10230042].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author ZanyZebra
        [DELETED]
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10230051].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author oldmannriver
          I think ZanyZebra has laid out some helpful suggestions for doing product research.

          I am in the early stages of PL at the moment, and have invested in two products to facilitate the process, Merchant Words ($9/month, just google for "merchant words discount" so you don't pay $30/month) and Jungle Scout ($147 one time fee), in addition to referencing Google's Keyword Display tool and Google Trends.

          I think one of the most important things to consider when weighing the options and tackling the large list of to-do's is what your time is worth. And as many are also juggling this as a side hustle, or just trying to get something up as an experiment, speed is a priority. "Take action", as Scott Voelker like to say. While I was clicking through on each listing and entering BSRs and reviews for a variety of sellers and products, I have found Jungle Scout a huge time saver that has already paid itself back based on time saved. Take those product ideas and run them through Merchant Words and Keyword Planner/Trends, and it helps crystallize what products are potentially opportunities. And then AMZTracker sounds like a good complement as well, though have not had any experience with the product yet.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10245703].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author gange10
            Originally Posted by oldmannriver View Post

            I think ZanyZebra has laid out some helpful suggestions for doing product research.

            I am in the early stages of PL at the moment, and have invested in two products to facilitate the process, Merchant Words ($9/month, just google for "merchant words discount" so you don't pay $30/month) and Jungle Scout ($147 one time fee), in addition to referencing Google's Keyword Display tool and Google Trends.

            I think one of the most important things to consider when weighing the options and tackling the large list of to-do's is what your time is worth. And as many are also juggling this as a side hustle, or just trying to get something up as an experiment, speed is a priority. "Take action", as Scott Voelker like to say. While I was clicking through on each listing and entering BSRs and reviews for a variety of sellers and products, I have found Jungle Scout a huge time saver that has already paid itself back based on time saved. Take those product ideas and run them through Merchant Words and Keyword Planner/Trends, and it helps crystallize what products are potentially opportunities. And then AMZTracker sounds like a good complement as well, though have not had any experience with the product yet.

            Great words "just do it"

            AMZ tracker is quite simply amazing and a must for ANY business.

            David
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10245720].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Key Seek
            Originally Posted by oldmannriver View Post

            I think ZanyZebra has laid out some helpful suggestions for doing product research.

            I am in the early stages of PL at the moment, and have invested in two products to facilitate the process, Merchant Words ($9/month, just google for "merchant words discount" so you don't pay $30/month) and Jungle Scout ($147 one time fee), in addition to referencing Google's Keyword Display tool and Google Trends.

            I think one of the most important things to consider when weighing the options and tackling the large list of to-do's is what your time is worth. And as many are also juggling this as a side hustle, or just trying to get something up as an experiment, speed is a priority. "Take action", as Scott Voelker like to say. While I was clicking through on each listing and entering BSRs and reviews for a variety of sellers and products, I have found Jungle Scout a huge time saver that has already paid itself back based on time saved. Take those product ideas and run them through Merchant Words and Keyword Planner/Trends, and it helps crystallize what products are potentially opportunities. And then AMZTracker sounds like a good complement as well, though have not had any experience with the product yet.


            Thank you! Going to jump on Merchant Words
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10407997].message }}
            • Profile picture of the author bopyd
              To add one more thought to the thread we are using Hubspot for keyword research. The price point is of course higher than some of the other options mentioned, but you have to consider you are getting a suite of tools not just a keyword tool.

              I find that Hubspot works well, but as an ContentMarketing/SEO guru you still need to have a good understanging of your markets, or their likely search language and behavior. The tool itself is not a silver bullet.

              If you have a good understanding of your taget market, then using Hubspot can really be helpful.
              {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[10415584].message }}

Trending Topics