Hiring a great Amazon Expert – 10 interview questions to ask

In the competitive world of e-commerce, hiring a skilled Amazon expert is crucial for businesses looking to thrive on the Amazon platform. Whether you are a dynamic marketing agency or a business owner, understanding the intricacies of Amazon marketing consultant interviews is paramount.

At GrowthBuddy, before shortlisting any candidates for an Amazon marketing or an e-commerce marketing role, we assess candidates by asking them to complete a live case-study to evaluate their analytical and technical skills.

However, if you’re short on time and are simply looking to evaluate candidates' knowledge and expertise in an interview format, we’ve got you covered. In this blog post, we will explore a series of interview questions designed to evaluate candidates' knowledge and expertise, along with strong and weak responses for each question.

Foundational level

What is Amazon's A9 algorithm, and why is it important for e-commerce sellers?

• Strong Response: The consultant explains that the A9 algorithm is Amazon's proprietary search and ranking algorithm, detailing how it affects product rankings through factors like product titles, descriptions, and customer reviews. They emphasise the importance of understanding and optimising for A9 to improve visibility and sales on Amazon.

• Weak Response: The candidate recognizes A9 as Amazon's algorithm but lacks depth in explaining its significance for e-commerce sellers.

Can you outline the key components of an effective Amazon product listing?

• Strong Response: The consultant provides a comprehensive breakdown of effective product listings, including a compelling product title, detailed descriptions, high-quality images, pricing information, and the use of A+ content for enhanced customer engagement.

• Weak Response: The candidate mentions the basic components of a product listing like titles and images but lacks a detailed understanding.

What are the primary goals of an Amazon PPC campaign, and how would you structure a basic PPC campaign for a new product?

• Strong Response: The consultant articulates the primary goals of Amazon PPC campaigns, such as increasing visibility and driving sales. They elaborate on the process, starting with keyword research, campaign setup for both automatic and manual targeting, budget allocation, and continuous monitoring and optimisation.

• Weak Response: The candidate acknowledges the goals of PPC campaigns but demonstrates limited knowledge of structuring and optimising such campaigns.

Intermediate level

How do you deal with competitive threats and price fluctuations on Amazon?

• Strong Response: The consultant outlines strategies like monitoring competitors, adjusting pricing strategies, considering repricing tools, and highlighting the importance of outstanding product listings and customer service to combat competitive threats.

• Weak Response: The candidate recognises the need to monitor competitors and product listings but lacks an understanding of effective implementation.

Describe your approach to Amazon SEO. How would you optimise a product's search visibility?

• Strong Response: The consultant describes a structured approach to Amazon SEO, involving thorough keyword research, optimisation of product titles, bullet points, and descriptions, and regular performance monitoring for necessary adjustments.

• Weak Response: The candidate provides a basic response, suggesting the inclusion of keywords in product titles and descriptions.

How do you handle negative product reviews and feedback on Amazon?

• Strong Response: The consultant understands the impact of negative reviews and outlines effective strategies for managing them, including professional responses, issue resolution, and proactive efforts to accumulate positive reviews.

• Weak Response: The candidate acknowledges the impact of negative reviews but lacks knowledge of effective handling.

Advance level

What are the key performance metrics you track for Amazon e-commerce success, and how do you use these metrics to drive improvements?

• Strong Response: The consultant lists essential metrics like conversion rate, click-through rate, ROAS, and sales velocity. They explain how these metrics inform data-driven decisions, strategy adjustments, and campaign optimisation.

• Weak Response: The candidate mentions some metrics but has limited experience in using them to influence decision-making.

Can you provide an example of a successful Amazon marketing campaign you've managed? What were the key strategies and results?

• Strong Response: The consultant shares a specific campaign's success story, highlighting strategies like optimised product listings, targeted PPC ads, and measurable results, including increased ROI. They emphasise factors influencing the campaign's success such as keyword optimisation, bidding strategies, and A/B testing of ad creatives.

• Weak Response: The candidate cannot provide specific examples or measurable results from past campaigns.

How do you stay updated with the ever-evolving Amazon marketplace and e-commerce industry trends?

• Strong Response: The consultant demonstrates a commitment to staying informed by reading industry blogs, attending webinars, and participating in online forums to remain current with evolving trends.

• Weak Response: The candidate expresses limited interest in keeping up with industry trends.

Imagine you're working with a client who is experiencing a sudden drop in their product rankings and sales on Amazon. They suspect that it's due to increased competition and changes in the A9 algorithm. How would you approach diagnosing the issue and developing a strategy to recover their rankings and sales?

• Strong Response: The consultant provides a structured approach, involving a comprehensive audit of product listings, analysis of historical sales data, monitoring of competitor strategies, and strategies encompassing keyword optimisation, content enhancement, pricing adjustments, Amazon PPC campaigns, and continuous performance monitoring.

• Weak Response: The candidate suggests vague adjustments like changing keywords or running ads, lacking a deep understanding of the problem's complexity and depth.