Listing your products on Walmart.com is one thing, but increasing discoverability and visibility is where the heavy lifting comes in. Here’s the success story of the KFC Firelog and what Walmart Marketplace seller Enviro-Log, Inc. did to boost product visibility.
Listing your products on Walmart.com is a foundation of your long-term success, but increasing product discoverability and visibility is where the heavy lifting comes in. Experienced Marketplace sellers develop various SEO strategies to get their listings in front of millions of Walmart customers. Generally, those strategies start delivering results over time; as the sales history is established, the products’ rankings improve. But what if you sell in seasonal categories and are looking to maximize sales in a short period of time? And what if you sell unique products that shoppers may not be actively searching for?
Well, if this sounds relevant, continue reading as we share a success story of the KFC Firelog and outline key tactics implemented by the Walmart Marketplace seller â Enviro-Log, Inc. â to boost product visibility.
Introducing the aroma of Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe to Walmart.com customers
The KFC 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog from Enviro-Log, Inc. is surely a novelty product that is made available only once a year. Over the holiday season, you can fill your home with the warmth of a fire that spreads the mouth-watering aroma of Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe. In 2018 the product sold out in less than 24 hours, and in 2019 it became available on Walmart.com for the first time. Listed in late November, there was not much time to ramp up the item in search rankings. There was also a risk that Walmart customers simply would not be aware of product availability on the site. Not surprisingly, customer reviews only confirmed that assumption:
Yet KFC Firelog listings performed right off the bat with over 515 million impressions in just a few days, and sold out thousands of units in just over 24 hours. How did they do this? Here are a few strategies they employed on the Walmart Marketplace.
Offer fast and free delivery
KFC Firelog orders offered nationwide 2-day delivery through the fulfillment provider Deliverr. Many customers saw this product as a fun idea for gift exchange games with co-workers and friends, and generally there are a lot of last-minute gift orders. Being on Walmart’s TwoDay delivery program ensured that homes could order their firelogs for the holidays with plenty of time to spare.
Choosing the right partner was a very important consideration when planning the 2019 promotion and sale of the 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog we created for KFC,â said Ross McRoy, President of Enviro-Log, Inc. âWith its 2-day delivery program and first-class support team, Walmart Marketplace was the obvious choice and provided us with the confidence to not only meet our goal, but also significantly increase our sales target.
Why is 2-day delivery so important?
The Walmart TwoDay delivery program is built on the basis that customers today expect no less than excellence. That’s why all sellers on this program enjoy:
Visibility
Having 2-day shipping tags on your listings means shoppers who filter for fast shipping will see your products, instead of competitors who don’t offer the same delivery standards.
Search prominence
Being on Walmart TwoDay helps ensure reliable fulfillment and a seamless customer experience, so it contributes to how well your listing will rank in search.
Conversions
Ultimately, shoppers expect 2-day delivery or faster, and the conversions prove it. If you aren’t offering this service, you risk falling behind your competitors.
Content still matters
It pays to invest time and money in developing quality item page content that will continue driving more business for you over time. Your listing must make it as easy as possible for shoppers to find, understand, and convert. That means following a few best practices, such as:
⢠Using a specific and descriptive product name
⢠Using rich media and high-quality images
⢠Highlighting your key features
⢠Using keywords in your product description
⢠Partnering with Content Solution providers to develop enhanced item page content
⢠Providing as many attributes as possible for your listings
The KFC Firelog item page checked all those boxes and really stood out with quality content, including product imagery, video, and detailed product description, leaving no customers’ questions unanswered.
Have a marketing strategy in place
If you want to bring your game to the next level and make your novelty product go viral, then having a marketing strategy in place is crucial. In partnership with Enviro-Logâs and KFCâs/Yum! Brandsâ marketing teams, a multi-channel campaign was developed to support the KFC Firelog launch. The media reacted positively, and with thousands of news articles and social media posts, the traffic to the item page skyrocketed within hours.
Offer the best customer experience
Everything that KFC Firelog seller Enviro-Log Inc. did was a masterclass in seamless customer experience, from clear listings to reliable, fast delivery. This example shows Walmart.com sellers that it may not necessarily take multiple listings, advanced advertising, or a longstanding account to be successful in eCommerce.
âChoosing the right partner was a very important consideration when planning the 2019 promotion and sale of the 11 Herbs & Spices Firelog we created for KFC,â said Ross McRoy, President of Enviro-Log, Inc. âWith its 2-Day delivery program and first-class support team, Walmart Marketplace was the obvious choice and provided us with the confidence to not only meet our goal, but also significantly increase our sales target.â
