Amazon A+ Content Mistakes That Hurt Conversions , And How to Fix Every One
A+ Content can lift your conversion rate by up to 20%. Done wrong, it actively costs you sales. Here are the 8 mistakes we see most often , and exactly what to do instead.
Amazon’s AI reads your A+ to answer shopper questions
⚠️
A+ Content is a conversion project , not a design project
The most common mistake sellers and agencies make is starting with graphics and treating copy as an afterthought. Beautiful A+ Content that repeats your bullet points and tells the wrong story converts worse than no A+ Content at all.
A+ Content is one of the most powerful conversion tools available to Brand Registered Amazon sellers , and one of the most misused. We audit Amazon accounts every week at Shark Labs Global and A+ Content is almost always either missing, outdated, or doing the wrong job entirely. Sellers treat it as something to tick off a launch checklist. The brands that win treat it as a sales page , one that has to earn every pixel of space it takes up. This guide covers the eight mistakes that consistently cost sellers conversions, with a clear fix for each one.
3–10%Conversion lift from Basic A+ done correctly
20%Conversion lift from Premium A+ with full modules
FreeBasic A+ costs nothing with Brand Registry
8Mistakes covered in this guide
📖 What A+ Content Is , and What It Is Not
A+ Content sits below the bullet points on your product detail page. It is only available to sellers with active Amazon Brand Registry. It replaces the plain text product description with visual modules , images, text, comparison charts, brand stories, and videos.
Two tiers available
Basic A+ , Free with Brand Registry
Up to 7 modules. Text and image combinations, comparison charts, brand story. Boosts conversion by 3 to 10% according to Amazon’s own data.
Premium A+ , Available to qualifying sellers
Larger image modules, interactive hotspots, video carousels, Q&A modules. Amazon reports up to 20% conversion lift versus basic listings.
💡 Important: A+ Content does not directly boost keyword ranking by adding indexed text. Its power is conversion , turning page visitors into buyers. Better conversion rate feeds back into ranking through improved sales velocity. The indirect SEO benefit is real but secondary.
📊 Where A+ Content appears on your listing
amazon.com/dp/YOURPRODUCTASIN
🔁 Mistake 1: Repeating Your Bullet Points
This is the most common A+ mistake we see. The seller writes strong bullet points, then copies the same information into the A+ modules. The buyer has already read , or skipped , those bullets. Repeating them in A+ adds no new value and wastes the most powerful visual real estate on your listing.
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What to do instead
❌ A+ that repeats bullets
Bullet: “Double-wall insulation keeps drinks cold for 24 hours” → A+ module: “STAYS COLD FOR 24 HOURS , Our double-wall insulation keeps your drink cold all day.”
✅ A+ that adds new value
A+ module: “Picture this , it’s 4pm. Your water is still cold. Not because you remembered to refill. Because you didn’t need to.” , Emotional benefit, lifestyle angle, different from anything in the bullets.
✅ What to put in A+ instead
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Brand story and values , why you made this product, what problem you personally solved
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Lifestyle context , show the product being used in real life, not just described
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Objection handling , address the question your buyer is most likely asking before they click away
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Product family comparisons , help buyers choose the right variant or size from your catalogue
📄 Mistake 2: Walls of Text
A+ Content is a visual channel. If a buyer wanted to read dense paragraphs, they would have read your description. Long blocks of text in A+ modules push buyers away rather than pulling them in.
02
The text limit rule
Keep copy under 100 words per module. Every module should lead with an image or visual , the text supports it, not the other way around. Short, punchy copy works far better than paragraphs of description.
❌ Text-heavy module
“Our premium stainless steel water bottle is crafted from the highest quality 18/8 grade stainless steel, featuring a double-wall vacuum insulation design that maintains your beverage temperature for an extended period, making it the ideal companion for various activities including hiking, gym workouts, office use, and travel…” [continues for 3 more sentences]
✅ Visual-led module
[Full-width lifestyle image of hiker at summit, cold drink in hand] Headline: “Still cold. Still going.” Subtext: “18/8 steel. 24-hour insulation. Wherever you are.” , Then move to the next module.
📦 Amazon Listing Optimisation
Is your A+ Content costing you conversions instead of lifting them?
Our Amazon account management service includes a full A+ Content audit and rebuild , structured around conversion, not just visual design.
Listing features tells the buyer what a product has. Communicating benefits tells them what it does for their life. Most A+ Content we audit reads like a product manual, not a sales page.
03
Feature vs benefit , every time
❌ Feature Copy
✅ Benefit Copy
“18-hour battery life”
“All-day power. Never hunt for a charger.”
“300D Oxford nylon construction”
“Built to take whatever you throw at it , and keep going.”
“BPA-free Tritan plastic”
“Safe for your kids. No chemicals. Just clean water.”
“Adjustable strap with quick-release buckle”
“On and off in seconds. Exactly when you need it.”
✅ The reframe rule
✓
For every feature you want to mention, ask: “So what? What does this mean for the buyer’s life?” The answer to that question is your benefit copy.
🖼️ Mistake 4: Low Quality or Off-Brand Visuals
Your A+ images are the first thing a buyer sees when they scroll below the fold. Pixelated images, inconsistent fonts, clashing colours, and stock photos signal one thing immediately: this brand is not professional. And unprofessional brands do not get trust. No trust means no sale.
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Image standards that convert
✓
Minimum 970px wide , Amazon’s recommended width for A+ images. Anything smaller looks blurry on desktop screens.
✓
Consistent visual language , same fonts, same colour palette, same photo style across every module. A buyer should feel like they’re moving through one cohesive brand experience, not a collage.
✓
No stock photos of generic people , buyers see through it immediately. Real product photography and genuine lifestyle shots build more trust than any posed stock image.
✓
Check every image on mobile after publishing , not in the preview tool, on an actual phone. Text overlays often become too small to read on mobile screens even when they look fine on desktop.
📊 Mistake 5: Skipping the Comparison Chart
The comparison chart module is the single highest-converting element available in Basic A+ Content , and roughly half the sellers we audit have not built one. It does two jobs at once: it helps the buyer choose the right product from your catalogue, and it visually demonstrates that you have a full product line worth trusting.
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How to build a comparison chart that converts
📊 What a good comparison chart looks like
A+ Content , product comparison module
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Highlight the recommended option with a “Best Seller” or “Most Popular” badge on the column for your highest-margin product , buyers naturally gravitate toward the highlighted choice.
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Keep rows to 4 to 6 comparison points , the ones that actually drive the buying decision, not every specification you can think of.
📦 Amazon Solutions
Need a full A+ rebuild across your catalogue?
Our Amazon solutions team builds A+ Content from strategy through to module design , focused on conversion, not just aesthetics. We also include comparison charts, mobile testing, and PPC alignment as standard.
More than 60% of Amazon shoppers browse on a phone. A+ Content modules that look clean on a desktop can become unreadable on mobile , text overlays shrink, images crop awkwardly, and multi-column layouts collapse in unexpected ways.
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Mobile A+ checklist
✓
Open your published A+ on a real phone , not Amazon’s preview tool. Browse it as a first-time buyer would. If anything is hard to read, confusing, or requires pinching to zoom, fix it.
✓
Avoid text overlays on complex backgrounds , these become unreadable on small screens. White or solid colour backgrounds for any text module are safer for mobile readability.
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Use left-image-right-text or full-width modules when in doubt , these reflow better on mobile than multi-column grid layouts.
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Keep headline text at minimum 18pt equivalent in your design , on mobile at 970px image width scaled down, text that looks fine at 14pt on desktop becomes illegible.
📢 Mistake 7: Not Aligning A+ With Your PPC Strategy
This is the mistake most guides on A+ Content miss entirely. Your A+ modules and your PPC campaigns need to tell the same story. When they do not, buyers experience a disconnect , and disconnects kill conversion.
If your PPC campaigns are running Sponsored Products ads targeting “insulated water bottle for hiking,” your A+ Content should be reinforcing the outdoor, active lifestyle angle. If a buyer clicks that ad and lands on A+ Content built around office hydration, they feel like they’re on the wrong product , and they leave.
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How to align A+ with your PPC campaigns
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List your top 3 to 5 converting PPC keywords for each product. What search intent do they represent? What type of buyer typed those words?
2
Build your A+ Content around that buyer’s world. If they searched for “gym water bottle leakproof,” your A+ hero image should show someone at the gym, not in a mountain stream.
3
If you sell to multiple buyer types, use different modules for different audiences , outdoor module, office module, gift module , rather than trying to speak to everyone in every image.
✓
Update A+ when you pivot your PPC strategy. If you shift from outdoor keywords to gifting keywords for Q4, your A+ should shift too.
“We worked with a brand selling a product at $100 less than their primary competitor , essentially the same item. The competitor was winning on A+ Content alone. Better objection handling. Better lifestyle imagery. A cleaner comparison chart. That is what was worth $100 to the buyer.”
, Shark Labs Global, Amazon Account Team
🗓️ Mistake 8: Stale A+ Content That Was Never Updated
A+ Content published two years ago is not neutral , it can actively hurt conversion if it no longer reflects your product positioning, your current customer understanding, or the competitive landscape in your category.
Stale A+ is more common than sellers realise. A brand launches, publishes A+, and never looks at it again. Meanwhile, the market evolves. Competitors raise their standards. The buyer’s language shifts. And the A+ Content sits there doing progressively worse work every month.
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When to review and update your A+ Content
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Every 6 months as a minimum. Review conversion rate trends. If it is declining with no other obvious cause, stale A+ is a strong candidate.
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After any product update or new variant launch. Your comparison chart needs updating. Your feature callouts may be wrong. Your hero image may no longer match what’s in the box.
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When competitors upgrade their listings. Browse page one for your main keyword. If competitor A+ has clearly improved, yours may now look dated in comparison.
✓
Use Amazon’s Manage Your Experiments to A/B test new A+ layouts against your existing ones. Run each test for at least 4 weeks before comparing results.
🚀 Product Launch and Ranking
Launching a new product? Build A+ Content into your launch strategy from day one.
Our Amazon product launch service includes conversion-focused A+ Content built alongside your listing, PPC strategy, and review plan , not added as an afterthought once you’ve already launched.
Run through this against every A+ listing in your catalogue. Every “no” is a conversion opportunity being left on the table.
Check
Why It Matters
Status
No bullet point repetition
A+ should add new angles, not restate what buyers already skipped
Check
Under 100 words per module
Visual channel , short punchy copy converts, long text repels
Check
Benefits not features
Buyers buy outcomes, not specifications
Check
Images at 970px minimum
Below this looks blurry on desktop
Check
Consistent visual brand
Inconsistent design signals unprofessionalism
Check
No stock photos
Buyers see through stock imagery , it reduces trust
Check
Comparison chart included
Highest converting single module in Basic A+
Check
Tested on real mobile device
60%+ of buyers are on mobile , preview tool is not enough
Check
Aligned with top PPC keywords
Disconnected A+ and PPC kills conversion silently
Check
Updated in last 6 months
Stale A+ actively hurts vs improved competitor listings
Check
Alt text written naturally
Stuffed alt text violates policy and hurts accessibility
Check
❓ Quick Questions
Do I need Brand Registry to access A+ Content?
Yes. A+ Content requires an active Amazon Brand Registry. You need a registered or pending trademark to enrol in Brand Registry. Without it, your product description remains plain text. If you are not yet Brand Registered, this should be a priority , Brand Registry also unlocks Vine, Brand Analytics, Sponsored Brands ads, and Brand Stores.
Does A+ Content help with Amazon SEO?
Not directly through keyword indexing , the text in A+ modules is generally not indexed by Amazon’s search algorithm the way your title and bullet points are. The SEO benefit is indirect: better A+ Content lifts conversion rate, which feeds into sales velocity, which is one of the strongest organic ranking signals. Better conversion also lowers your effective CPC in PPC campaigns over time.
Can Amazon’s Rufus AI read my A+ Content?
Yes. Rufus , Amazon’s AI shopping assistant , reads your entire product detail page including A+ Content when answering shopper questions. Well-structured A+ Content with clear, specific benefit statements and an FAQ module gives Rufus better material to work with when a buyer asks “which one should I get?” or “is this good for hiking?” This is a meaningful reason to keep A+ Content well-written and up to date.
What is Premium A+ and how do I get access?
Premium A+ (formerly A++ or Enhanced Brand Content Plus) is available to Brand Registered sellers who meet certain eligibility criteria , typically having a Brand Store published and an active Brand Registry account in good standing. Amazon has periodically made it available to broader groups of sellers. Check your A+ Content Manager in Seller Central to see whether Premium modules are available on your account.
How often should I update my A+ Content?
Review it at minimum every 6 months, and immediately after any product update, new variant launch, or significant shift in your PPC keyword strategy. Also audit it whenever you notice a sustained conversion rate decline with no other obvious cause. Use Amazon’s Manage Your Experiments to A/B test changes rather than replacing everything at once.
Should I use all available A+ modules?
Not necessarily. Every module should earn its place by communicating value, overcoming an objection, or helping the buyer make a decision. A tight 5-module A+ page with strong purpose beats a bloated 7-module page where three modules are filler. Cut anything that does not directly move a buyer closer to purchase.
Related topics
amazon a plus content best practicesa+ content mistakes amazonpremium a+ content amazon guideamazon brand registry a+ contentamazon a+ content comparison charta plus content mobile optimisationamazon rufus ai listingamazon a+ content conversion ratehow to write amazon a+ contentamazon listing optimisation checklist
Amazon A+ Content and Conversion Specialists · sharklabsglobal.com
We audit and rebuild A+ Content for Amazon brands every week. If your listings are getting traffic but not converting, your A+ Content is usually part of the problem. Book a free listing audit with our team →
