Amazon’s massive customer base gives sellers access to millions of potential buyers. With fulfillment options like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), sellers can have Amazon handle storage, shipping, and customer service for their products, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of their business. It has a relatively low barrier to entry compared to other e-commerce platforms, making it easier for small companies and individuals to start selling.
Selling on Amazon can help diversify a seller’s sales channels, reducing dependence on other marketplace or their own website. Amazon handles payments and provides a secure and reliable payment system for sellers and buyers. Overall, selling on Amazon offers a valuable opportunity for businesses and individuals to reach a large audience, streamline fulfillment, and grow their brand.
How to set up your Amazon Seller account?
- Go to the Amazon Services website: Open a web browser and go to the Amazon Services website at https://services.amazon.com.
- Click the “Sign Up” button: On the Amazon Services home page, click the “Sign Up” button to begin the process of creating a seller account.
- Choose your account type: Select the type of seller account you would like to create. There are two options: Professional and Individual.
- Enter your account information: Fill out the required information, including your name, address, and tax identification number.
- Set up payment information: Enter your payment information, including your bank account and billing information.
- Complete identity verification: Amazon will ask you to verify your identity by providing a phone number. They will call you and provide a verification code that you will enter on the website.
- Complete the onboarding process: Complete the remaining steps of the onboarding process, including setting up your product listings, shipping methods, and payment processing.
- Start selling: Once you have completed the onboarding process, you can start selling your products on Amazon.
Finding the Right Products to Sell on Amazon
By following these steps, you can find good products to sell on Amazon and increase your chances of success as an Amazon seller.
- Research the market: Before starting to sell on Amazon, it’s important to do your research. Look at the categories of products that are popular on the platform and the best-selling items in each category.
- Identify your niche: Determine the type of products you want to sell based on your interests, skills, and expertise. Consider choosing a niche with a large demand but not too many competitors.
- Analyze product demand: Look at the product demand and sales trends on Amazon to see what items are selling well.
- Check product profitability: Make sure the products you are considering have a good profit margin after accounting for all the costs involved, including the cost of goods, shipping, and Amazon’s fees.
- Assess product competition: Look at the competition for the products you are considering. Make sure there is enough demand to justify the level of competition, and also consider if there are any unique selling points that will set your product apart from the competition.
- Look for product opportunities: Consider products with a high demand but low supply or products that have recently trended or are seasonal.
- Validate product ideas: Before investing in inventory, validate your product ideas by testing the market. You can use tools like Amazon’s advertising platform to run a sponsored product campaign or start a small test order to gauge demand.
Creating a Product Listing on Amazon
- Log in to your Amazon Seller Central account: Go to the Amazon Services website and log in to your seller account.
- Click on “Inventory” and then “Add a Product”: On the Amazon Seller Central home page, click on “Inventory” and then “Add a Product.”
- Choose the product category: Select the category that best fits the product you want to list.
- Enter the product details: Enter the product details, including the product title, brand, manufacturer, and model number.
- Add product images: Upload high-quality images of your product from different angles. This is an essential aspect of your listing, as customers use these images to evaluate the product.
- Set the price: Determine the price for your product based on market demand, competition, and your profit margins.
- Fill in the product description: Write a detailed and informative product description highlighting the product’s key features and benefits.
- Add product information: Enter additional information such as dimensions, weight, and package dimensions.
- Select fulfillment method: Choose the fulfillment method for your product, either Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).
- Submit the product for review: After you have completed all the required information, submit your product for review. Amazon will review the product to make sure it complies with their guidelines.
Once approved, your product will be listed on Amazon and available for customers to purchase. Keep in mind that you should regularly monitor your listings and make updates as needed to keep them relevant and up-to-date.
Making Product Listing Retail-Ready on Amazon
- Optimize your product title: Use a clear and concise product title that accurately describes the product and includes relevant keywords.
- When a customer visits your product page, the first thing they see is the title. Therefore, it’s crucial to optimize it to attract potential shoppers. The title should succinctly describe the product you’re selling and its key features.
It’s best to avoid explaining what the product does in the title. Instead, reserve this information for the product description. - Additionally, don’t stuff too many keywords into the title. This can result in lengthy and awkward-looking titles that are confusing to shoppers and may harm sales.
- A poorly written title can have a negative impact on both the customer experience and your organic rankings. Remember that Amazon’s A9 algorithm uses the product title to determine its relevance. So, a weak title can hurt your visibility and sales.
- Include high-quality images: Provide clear, high-quality images of the product from multiple angles. Photos should show the product in use and highlight any key features.
- The quality of your product images is crucial to attracting potential buyers and driving sales. In online shopping, pictures serve as a primary factor for customers, who cannot physically touch the product, to judge its worth.
- An astonishing 67% of online shoppers consider product images as a decisive factor when making a purchase. Well-crafted images have the power to appeal to the senses, evoke emotions, and reinforce your brand identity.
- It’s crucial to ensure that your product photography is well-lit and professionally done. Utilize the full space allotted by Amazon for adding product photos to your listing to showcase your products in the best light possible.
- Provide a detailed product description: Write a detailed product description that includes all the relevant information about the product, such as features, benefits, and specifications.
- While the product description may not have as much impact as bullet points and titles, it’s still crucial for showcasing your brand’s values and story. This is your chance to highlight your customer’s pain points and how your product can offer a solution.
- Approach the product description as a story, rather than a formal document. Create a compelling description that resonates with the buyer’s emotions and feelings.
- Utilize bullet points: Use bullet points to highlight the key features and benefits of the product. This makes it easier for customers to understand what the product offers quickly.
- Bullet points have been introduced to make reading easier for the reader. They allow for quick skimming, minimizing the time needed to digest the information. Furthermore, they can lead to higher sales and conversion rates.
- For product listings, bullet points should summarize the product’s benefits in an abbreviated, easy-to-read format. Their prominent placement ensures that they are easily noticeable. When used properly, bullet points can significantly increase your product’s discoverability.
- The goal is to make scanning a specific product more efficient and focused on the reader’s pain points. Using bullet points, we can prevent potential shoppers from getting overwhelmed with excessive technical data or detailed information.
- When potential buyers examine your bullet points, they should immediately understand what you’re selling and the product’s benefits. This section should be convincing enough to encourage the shopper to make a purchase and feel confident that your product is significantly better than similar products.
- Utilize Amazon’s enhanced content: Use Amazon’s enhanced content options, such as A+ Content and Amazon’s Product Description, to create a more engaging and informative listing.
- As part of the Amazon Retail Readiness Checklist, it’s essential not to overlook the importance of Enhanced Content. Amazon states that this feature can increase conversion rates by 8-20%.
- Both vendors and sellers have access to this valuable option, which allows for customization to meet the seller’s needs.
- Enhanced Brand Content offers an opportunity for sellers to provide a positive customer experience by answering common questions and facilitating informed purchasing decisions.
- With Enhanced Brand Content, sellers can utilize high-definition images, clear text placement, highlight bullet points, include comparison charts, and much more.
- Use customer reviews: Encourage customers to leave reviews by providing great customer service and high-quality products.
- Amazon’s Vine program is a review program designed to help Amazon customers make informed purchasing decisions. The program invites a select group of trusted and high-volume reviewers to receive products in exchange for an honest and detailed review.
- Vine reviewers are selected based on the quality and helpfulness of their previous reviews, and are considered to be among the most influential and trusted reviewers on Amazon. The reviews generated by Vine reviewers are labeled as “Vine Voice” reviews, and are prominently displayed on product pages to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.
- For sellers, having products reviewed by Vine reviewers can be beneficial as it can increase product visibility and credibility. However, it’s important to note that Amazon’s Vine program is invitation-only and not all sellers will be able to participate. Additionally, Amazon has strict policies in place to ensure that Vine reviews are honest and unbiased, and any violation of these policies can result in suspension or termination from the program.
By following these steps, you can make your product listing retail-ready on Amazon, increase your visibility, and attract more customers. Keep in mind that you should regularly review and update your listing to ensure it remains relevant and effective.
Rules to Selling on Amazon
When selling on Amazon, you must follow the company’s policies and guidelines to ensure a positive customer experience and maintain a successful selling account. Here are some of the most essential rules you need to follow:
- Listing policy: Ensure your product listings are accurate and complete and follow Amazon’s product listing guidelines.
- Prohibited products: Do not list any products that are prohibited by Amazon, such as hazardous materials, illegal items, or counterfeit goods.
- Intellectual property: Do not list products that infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, such as copyrighted or trademarked items.
- Pricing policy: Set prices that are competitive and in line with similar products in the market. Do not engage in price manipulation or participate in resale price maintenance.
- Fulfillment policy: Choose a fulfillment method (Fulfillment by Amazon or Fulfillment by Merchant) that meets Amazon’s requirements and follow the company’s fulfillment policies.
- Customer service: Provide prompt and effective customer service to ensure a positive customer experience. Respond to customer inquiries and resolve any issues promptly.
- Feedback and reviews: Encourage customers to leave feedback and reviews, but do not manipulate or misuse the feedback and review system.
- Advertising policy: Follow Amazon’s advertising policies when promoting your products, including the use of keywords, sponsored ads, and other marketing activities.
- Tax policy: Comply with Amazon’s tax policy by accurately reporting and remitting taxes on sales made through the platform.
By following these rules and Amazon’s policies, you can sell successfully on the platform and maintain a positive relationship with customers. You can contact Amazon’s customer support for assistance if you have any questions or concerns.
Pidapi is a team of specialists who breathe, sleep, and dream about Amazon. With Amazon’s complex landscape and the increase in competition, we can help to manage and grow your brand on Amazon’s marketplaces. Contact us to learn how we can help you.
