What do customers want from a product they find on Amazon? That’s easy. Customers want quality products. 

It doesn’t matter how good your marketing campaigns are or the number of conversions you make. If word gets out that you sell bad or defective products, the damage to your reputation will stifle your growth.

That is why today we’re going to discuss the importance of quality products and how you can ensure you deliver quality products to your customers. 

The Importance of Quality 

The key to Amazon’s success throughout the years has always been the accessibility of quality products. It’s no secret. No amount of SEO optimization or marketing is going to prevent customers from becoming disgruntled with a low-quality product.

The first impression a customer has of your product can make or break your business. Making it a good one is essential for building customer loyalty. This means you’ll need good reviews, quality listing, and, most importantly, a good product.

Quality listings are easily built. However, good reviews and a good product depend on each other.

Quality products lead to good reviews, good reviews drive sales, and that feeds back on itself. Therefore, quality products are the first step on the road to growth and success. It’s almost deceptively simple.

So, how do you ensure quality? The answer is a strong quality assurance program.

What is a Quality Assurance Program? 

In essence, a quality assurance program is a systemic approach to maintaining product quality. This means establishing standards and outlines that dictate product expectations. Which ensures that defective or low-quality products never end up in the hands of your customers.

It is important to note here that quality assurance does not equate to quality control. Whereas quality control is a reactive solution to finding defects in a product, quality assurance is systemic and proactive in preventing defects in the first place.

The shape and form of these programs can vary wildly depending on business size and industry. However, they share the same principles. 

How to Establish a Quality Assurance Program 

No matter the size of your business, the goal of a product is to provide value to the customer.

You will need to establish procedures that ensure the successful management of products, and meet any industry standards and end-user needs. A quality assurance plan does this by reducing errors in production and highlighting what needs improving.

So, let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to establish an effective quality assurance program. 

Define Quality Objectives

The first step is to define your product goals. These goals need to be clear and measurable.

Additionally, these goals must align with your customers. Determine what they expect from your products, and compare how your products measure up to those expectations. If they fall below these expectations, your product will fail the customers and your business.

For more on learning about the needs of your target customers, check out our guide on learning about your audience using your ideal customer’s avatar.

Establish Roles and Responsibilities 

This step is highly dependent on your business size. Regardless, consider these responsibilities carefully when endeavoring to provide quality products to your customers.

Big companies have entire teams dedicated to quality assurance, but as a small business, you may find it to recognize what responsibilities you wish to take on yourself or delegate them to someone you trust.

Establishing rules that everyone understands, or that you hold yourself to, helps create a clear view of your product standards.  

Implement the Plan 

Once you define goals and roles, it’s time to apply them. Begin the process of running products through your program accordingly to the objectives we discussed in the first step.

From there, it is a matter of modifying the plan to meet your needs. 

Examine and Adjust 

It’s not enough to establish a plan. You need to iterate and improve.

Is the plan achieving the intended results? What is falling through the cracks? How can you adjust the plan to better meet expectations?

Always keep these questions in mind in addition to the original goal of your quality assurance plan. Over time, you will create an efficient and thorough system that keeps poor products damaging your reputation. 

Need Help Marketing on Amazon? 

No matter what you’re selling on Amazon, it better meets customer expectations. If it doesn’t, that will reflect in your reviews. Bad products mean bad reviews mean damage to your whole Amazon Marketplace.

That’s why you should always keep quality in mind. Which can seem like a daunting task when you consider the myriad of other challenges to an Amazon Seller.

Contact us today for help managing your Amazon Marketplace and getting the edge you need to compete. We help with everything from education to the total handling of your Amazon profile. Free yourself to work on the parts of the business that are important to you. 

Are your products up to customer expectations?