10 A+ Content Mistakes That Kill Your Amazon Sales

A+ Content That Hurts More Than It Helps

Having A+ Content is better than not having it — almost always. But poorly executed A+ Content can actually damage your listing's performance. When customers encounter blurry images, unreadable text, or generic stock photos in your A+ section, it signals low quality and erodes trust. They may have been ready to buy, but bad A+ Content gives them a reason to hesitate.

After analyzing thousands of Amazon listings across dozens of categories, these are the 10 most common A+ Content mistakes that consistently kill conversions. Each one is fixable, and fixing even a few of them can measurably improve your listing performance.

Mistake 1: Tiny, Unreadable Text in Images

The problem: This is the number one conversion killer in A+ Content. Designers create beautiful infographics with detailed text that looks perfect on a 27-inch monitor — then Amazon serves it to a customer on a 6-inch phone screen where none of that text is readable.

Over 70% of Amazon shoppers browse on mobile devices. If your text is not readable at approximately 400 pixels wide (the typical mobile display width for A+ Content), the majority of your customers cannot engage with your message.

How to identify it: Open your A+ listing on your phone. Can you read every word without zooming or squinting? If not, your text is too small.

How to fix it:

• Minimum headline size: 48px at 970px canvas width
• Minimum body text size: 32px at 970px canvas width
• Eliminate any text below 24px — it will be invisible on mobile
• Reduce the amount of text per image (15-25 words maximum)
• Use Amazon's text input fields for detailed information instead of embedding text in images

For a comprehensive guide to designing for mobile, see our A+ Content mobile optimization guide.

Impact of fixing: Sellers who optimize text legibility typically see 5-8% conversion improvements on mobile traffic alone.

Mistake 2: Using Generic Stock Photos

The problem: Stock photos communicate one thing loud and clear: "This brand did not invest in their product presentation." Amazon shoppers are increasingly savvy at recognizing stock imagery — the perfectly diverse group of people smiling at a laptop, the woman joyfully eating a salad in a sunlit kitchen.

Stock photos fail because they do not show your actual product. They cannot demonstrate specific features, materials, or design details. They look exactly like a dozen other listings in your category, which eliminates any differentiation you might have.

How to identify it: Look at your A+ Content and ask: "Could a competitor use these exact same images for their listing?" If yes, they are too generic.

How to fix it:

• Invest in product-specific photography — even smartphone photography in good lighting is better than stock photos
• Show your actual product in real-world settings
• Feature close-ups of unique design elements, materials, and construction details
• If you must use lifestyle imagery, incorporate your actual product prominently into the scene

Budget-conscious alternative: AI-powered tools like zonfy generate product-specific A+ images from your actual product photos, providing unique imagery without the cost of a professional photo shoot.

Impact of fixing: Custom product imagery typically outperforms stock photos by 15-25% in conversion rate.

Mistake 3: Wrong Image Dimensions

The problem: Using images that do not match Amazon's exact pixel specifications results in either outright rejection (Amazon's upload system catches dimension mismatches) or, worse, images that display with white bars, stretching, or awkward cropping.

Even being off by a single pixel can cause rejection. And images designed at the wrong aspect ratio — even if they upload successfully — will look unprofessional because Amazon scales them to fit the module space.

How to identify it: Check every image against Amazon's specifications. See our complete A+ Content image sizes reference for every module dimension.

How to fix it:

• Start every design at the exact pixel dimensions for your chosen module
• Standard single image: 970 x 600 px
• Standard image & text overlay: 970 x 300 px
• Four-image quadrant: 220 x 220 px each
• Comparison chart: 150 x 150 px per cell
• Verify dimensions before export using your design tool's image size dialog

Impact of fixing: Eliminates rejection delays (saving 7+ business days per rejection cycle) and ensures professional display.

Mistake 4: No Mobile Optimization

The problem: We covered this in detail in our mobile optimization guide, but it is worth repeating as a standalone mistake because of how pervasive it is. Designing exclusively for desktop display means 70%+ of your customers are seeing a compromised version of your content.

Symptoms of poor mobile optimization include:

• Text that requires zooming to read
• Comparison charts with columns so narrow that content is truncated
• Multi-image layouts where individual images are too small to convey meaning
• Content that requires excessive scrolling due to unnecessary module padding

How to fix it:

• Design at 400px width first, then scale up to 970px
• Test on actual mobile devices before submitting
• Simplify information density in every module
• Limit comparison charts to 3 columns maximum

Impact of fixing: Mobile-optimized A+ Content typically converts 10-20% better than non-optimized versions for mobile traffic.

Mistake 5: Too Much Text, Not Enough Visuals

The problem: A+ Content exists because visual content converts better than text. Yet many sellers fill their A+ modules with dense paragraphs of text, treating it like an extended product description rather than a visual showcase.

Amazon customers do not read A+ Content the way they read articles. They scan visually, pausing on images that catch their attention and reading only the headlines and key callouts. Walls of text get skipped entirely.

How to identify it: If your A+ Content has more words than images, you have too much text.

How to fix it:

• Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% visual content, 20% text
• Use images to communicate features and benefits instead of writing about them
• Limit text within images to headlines and 1-2 supporting points
• Use Amazon's text input fields sparingly and only for critical information
• Show the product benefit rather than describing it

Impact of fixing: Image-dominant A+ Content outperforms text-heavy versions by 20-30% in engagement metrics.

Mistake 6: Ignoring the Brand Story Module

The problem: Many sellers skip the Brand Story module or treat it as an afterthought. This is a missed opportunity. The Brand Story module appears at the top of your A+ section (above other modules) and persists across all your product listings. It is prime real estate for brand building.

In 2026, Amazon shoppers increasingly choose brands they trust over unknown sellers. A compelling Brand Story module differentiates you from white-label competitors and builds the trust that drives repeat purchases.

How to identify it: If you do not have a Brand Story module, or if yours contains generic corporate language without personality, it needs work.

How to fix it:

• Tell your genuine brand origin story — why you started, what problem you solve
• Use authentic imagery — founder photos, manufacturing process, sourcing locations
• Communicate your brand values and commitments (sustainability, quality, community)
• Include your full product line to enable cross-discovery
• Update it quarterly to keep it fresh

Impact of fixing: Listings with strong Brand Stories see 5-10% higher add-to-cart rates compared to those without.

Mistake 7: No Comparison Chart

The problem: Comparison charts are consistently one of the highest-converting A+ modules, yet many sellers do not include one. Without a comparison chart, you are forcing customers to open multiple browser tabs and do their own comparison — increasing the chance they find a competitor they prefer.

A well-designed comparison chart keeps the comparison within your brand ecosystem. It either compares your product variants (guiding customers to the right option) or positions your product against unnamed generic alternatives (highlighting your differentiators).

How to identify it: If your A+ Content does not include a comparison chart module, you are leaving one of the most powerful conversion tools on the table.

How to fix it:

• Compare 3-4 of your own product variants (size, model tier, or edition)
• Use clear feature rows with checkmarks and specifications
• Highlight the current product so customers know which one they are viewing
• Keep it simple — 5-7 comparison points maximum
• Never include competitor brand names (see our compliance guide)

Impact of fixing: Listings with comparison charts see 8-15% higher conversion rates than those without.

Mistake 8: Poor Image Quality

The problem: Blurry, pixelated, poorly lit, or visually inconsistent images undermine the professional impression your A+ Content should create. Image quality is the first signal customers use to judge product quality — if your images look cheap, customers assume your product is cheap.

Common image quality issues:

• Low-resolution images upscaled to meet dimension requirements
• Over-compressed JPEGs with visible artifacts
• Inconsistent lighting, color temperature, or styling across modules
• Product photos taken with a phone camera in poor lighting

How to identify it: View your A+ Content on a large screen and a phone. Look for pixels, blurriness, color inconsistencies, and visual artifacts.

How to fix it:

• Start with the highest-resolution source images possible
• Use JPEG quality 80% or higher when exporting
• Maintain consistent lighting, color palette, and style across all modules
• Invest in quality product photography — it is the foundation of everything else
• Use PNG format for images with text overlays (crisper text rendering than JPEG)

Impact of fixing: High-quality images can increase conversion rates by 15-30% compared to low-quality alternatives. This is one of the highest-impact changes you can make.

Mistake 9: Missing Trust Signals

The problem: Many sellers focus entirely on product features in their A+ Content and forget to include trust-building elements. In a marketplace where customers cannot physically inspect products, trust signals play a critical role in purchase decisions.

Trust signals include:

• Certifications and quality badges (UL, FCC, CE, FDA, USDA Organic, etc.)
• Manufacturing quality indicators (GMP, ISO, SQF)
• Third-party testing verification
• Ethical sourcing and sustainability commitments
• "Made in [Country]" indicators
• Dermatologist tested, cruelty-free, vegan certifications (for beauty)

How to identify it: If your A+ Content does not include at least one module dedicated to trust and credibility, it is missing.

How to fix it:

• Add a trust badge module with 4-8 relevant certifications
• Use clean, professional iconography with brief labels
• Only display certifications you actually hold (misrepresentation is a compliance violation)
• Position the trust module in the lower half of your A+ Content — after you have established desire, reinforce trust to close the sale

Impact of fixing: Trust signals increase conversion rates by 5-12%, with the highest impact on higher-priced products where the purchase risk is greater.

Mistake 10: No Clear Call to Action

The problem: Your A+ Content walks the customer through your product's features, benefits, and brand story — then just ends. There is no clear direction for what to do next. The customer is informed but not compelled.

Now, Amazon does not allow explicit "Buy Now" calls to action in A+ Content. And you cannot include links to external sites. But you can create visual and textual cues that guide the next step.

How to identify it: Does your A+ Content end with a module that feels conclusive and action-oriented, or does it just stop?

How to fix it:

• End with a compelling "Complete Your [Activity/Setup/Collection]" cross-sell module
• Use the Brand Story to drive customers to your Amazon Store for browsing
• Ensure the last module reinforces the primary purchase benefit — a final reminder of why this product is the right choice
• Create urgency through benefit-focused language ("Start experiencing [benefit] today")
• Guide customers back to the top of the listing where the Add to Cart button lives

Impact of fixing: A clear concluding module can improve add-to-cart rates by 3-7%.

The Cumulative Impact

Here is what makes these mistakes so costly: they compound. A listing with tiny text AND stock photos AND no comparison chart AND poor mobile optimization is not just 4x worse — it is exponentially worse because each mistake reinforces the others in eroding customer confidence.

The good news is that the fixes compound positively too. Addressing all 10 of these mistakes on a single listing can produce conversion improvements of 25-40% in aggregate — the difference between a listing that breaks even and one that is profitable.

Priority Order for Fixing

If you cannot address all 10 mistakes at once, prioritize in this order:

• Image quality — Foundation of everything else
• Text legibility / mobile optimization — Reaches 70%+ of your audience
• Comparison chart — Highest single-module conversion impact
• Stock photos replaced with product photos — Major trust and differentiation improvement
• Brand Story module — Cross-listing impact
• Trust signals — High impact on higher-priced products
• Reduce text density — Quick fix with meaningful impact
• Image dimensions — Eliminates rejection delays
• Call to action — Modest but meaningful lift
• Everything else — Incremental improvements

For a complete guide to creating high-performing A+ Content from scratch, see our step-by-step creation guide. And for the complete set of rules to follow, review the A+ Content compliance guidelines.

If you want to avoid most of these mistakes automatically, AI tools like zonfy generate A+ Content with proper dimensions, mobile-optimized text sizing, and structured module frameworks built in — a solid starting point that eliminates the most common errors before you even begin customizing.