Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Updated Search Features: More Efficient Item Lookup
- Enhanced Sales Reports: A Clearer View of Your Performance
- Managing Potential Duplicate Listings
- Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Suggestions
- Critical API Updates: Act by August 26
- Awareness of Phishing Scams
- Understanding and Managing Cookies on Walmart.com
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
Picture this: You are a diligent Walmart Marketplace seller, examining the latest analytics, optimizing your listings, and seeking every edge to enhance your sales performance. In this fast-paced, ever-evolving digital marketplace, staying informed about the latest updates and features can make or break your business. This blog post will guide you through the critical July 2024 updates to Walmart Marketplace, providing you with the insights needed to leverage these changes effectively. By understanding these updates, you'll improve your workflow, enhance item visibility, and, ultimately, boost your sales.
Updated Search Features: More Efficient Item Lookup
Walmart Marketplace has significantly streamlined the search functionality on the Items page for SKU and Item Name. Previously, searching for items required precise input, but now, results can be achieved with just two characters, and capitalization is no longer a factor. This improvement not only saves time but increases accuracy in finding specific items quickly.
Why This Matters: Effortless search translates to efficient inventory management. Sellers can now locate items faster, which is particularly useful for businesses with extensive inventories. This update also reduces the chances of errors due to mistyped SKU codes or item names.
Enhanced Sales Reports: A Clearer View of Your Performance
The Account Sales and Item Sales reports have been revamped to provide more user-friendly visualizations and the ability to view multiple metrics simultaneously. These changes are complemented by additional customization options that allow sellers to tailor reports to their specific needs.
Key Benefits:
- Improved Visualizations: Better graph and chart representations make data interpretation faster and clearer.
- Simultaneous Metrics: Viewing various performance indicators at once offers a more comprehensive understanding of sales trends.
- Customization Options: Tailored reports mean that sellers can focus on the metrics that matter most to their business.
Managing Potential Duplicate Listings
Ensuring that your listings are unique is crucial to maintaining good standing on the platform. Walmart has introduced a more streamlined approach to handling potential duplicate listings. Sellers can now receive notifications for flagged items and review these within 30 days via the Seller Center.
Steps to Manage Duplicates:
- Enable Notifications: Go to the Settings tab under Notifications in Seller Center.
- Review Listings: Check the Pending Review section or follow an email link to assess items.
- Action: Either merge duplicates or confirm that items are unique.
Staying on top of potential duplicates not only adheres to Walmart’s policy but also prevents any interruptions to your listing's transactability.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Suggestions
Walmart has integrated SEM suggestions into the Success Hub. This feature provides item recommendations specifically tailored for external SEM campaigns on platforms like Google and Bing.
Advantages:
- Targeted Campaigns: By using Walmart’s suggestions, your SEM efforts are more likely to reach the right audience.
- Time Efficiency: Saves time that would otherwise be spent manually researching which items to promote.
For sellers keen on maximizing their external marketing efforts, this integration is a substantial asset.
Critical API Updates: Act by August 26
To help sellers avoid duplicate listings, Walmart has updated its Items and Disputes APIs. Sellers must update their API integrations by August 26, 2024. Failure to comply will result in the unpublished status of duplicate listings, adhering to Walmart's Duplicates Listings Policy.
Immediate Actions Required:
- Update Integrations: Ensure your API is aligned with the new updates to maintain the functionality of your item listings.
- Compliance: Validate that all mechanisms are in place to prevent duplicate listings and subsequent penalties.
Awareness of Phishing Scams
There is an ongoing phishing scam targeting Walmart Marketplace sellers via emails from the domain @walmartcustomersupport.com. Sellers should disregard and not respond to these emails to protect their personal and business information.
Protective Measures:
- Email Vigilance: Only respond to emails from verified Walmart domains.
- Report Suspicious Activity: Use the appropriate channels to notify Walmart of any phishing attempts.
Understanding and Managing Cookies on Walmart.com
A brief insight into how Walmart manages cookies on its website is essential for both user experience and compliance. Cookies are small text files that identify your computer and web browser to enhance website functionality and personalize user experience.
Types of Cookies Used:
- Strictly Necessary/Essential Cookies: Required for basic website operations, such as browsing and security.
- Performance Cookies: Help in counting website visitors and ensuring online services work effectively.
- Functional Cookies: Remember user preferences to customize site usage.
- Targeting/Advertising Cookies: Collect information about user activities to provide personalized marketing.
Managing Your Cookies: Sellers have the option to manage cookie preferences, although some restrictions might impact overall site functionality.
Conclusion
Staying ahead in the competitive world of Walmart Marketplace requires being attuned to the latest updates and features. The improvements in search functionalities, sales reporting, management of duplicate listings, and SEM suggestions provide Walmart sellers with new tools to sharpen their competitive edge. Additionally, addressing critical API updates and being aware of phishing scams ensure your operations remain smooth and secure.
By integrating these updates into your daily workflow, you can enhance efficiency, make informed decisions, and ultimately grow your business. Remember, in the dynamic landscape of e-commerce, continuous learning and adaptation are keys to sustained success.
FAQ
Q: How can I enable notifications for duplicate listings? A: Go to the Seller Center, select Notifications in the top navigation, then click on the Settings tab to enable notifications.
Q: What’s the deadline to update the API integrations? A: Sellers need to update their Items and Disputes API integrations by August 26, 2024.
Q: How do I identify a phishing email? A: Check the sender's domain. Legitimate Walmart communications will not come from @walmartcustomersupport.com.
Q: Can I customize my sales reports? A: Yes, the revamped reports offer a range of customization options to suit your specific needs.
