Things To Know Before Selling Your Products on Amazon
Selling on Amazon can be a lucrative venture and provide the opportunity to connect with customers worldwide. But there are some important things you should know before selling your products on Amazon. Here are a few key tips for anyone getting started selling on Amazon.
Understand Amazon’s Fees
Listing on Amazon isn’t free: there is a range of fees for selling products on its platform, including an Amazon-specific fee and applicable taxes. Before you get started, it’s essential to understand these fees so you can plan to make a profit.
When you sign up as a seller, you select either an individual or a professional plan. Each plan centers around how many items you sell per month. You can change plans at any time to adapt to changes in your sales volume.
Research Your Potential Competitors
Researching your potential competitors is an important part of success in any business, but it is critical in the crowded Amazon marketplace. Having a good understanding of how your competitors are pricing their products and what features they offer can help you create strategies to differentiate yourself from them.
Register Your Product With GS1 and Get a Unique Barcode
What Is GS1?
GS1 is an international not-for-profit organization that provides unique identification numbers to products, called Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs). All products sold on Amazon must have a GTIN associated with them. Getting your product registered with GS1 and obtaining a barcode for it can help you keep track of your inventory.
How Do I Get a Barcode for My Product?
You can get a barcode by registering your product with GS1. You will need to provide basic information for each unique version of your product, such as its description and dimensions. Once you’ve registered, you can purchase a unique barcode for your product.
If you need to buy Amazon barcodes but find the process confusing or too time consuming, consider Buy a Barcode. We handle the entire process of registering your product with GS1 and obtain your product’s GTIN, necessary documentation, and even a free QR code for each of your products.
Select Appropriate Categories
Amazon customers search for items by category, which allows them to narrow their results to relevant items. Research and read Amazon’s guidelines for selecting categories before you start listing your items.
How Do I Pick a Category?
When selecting a category, try to think like a customer. Consider the type of product you’re selling and what words someone might use to search for it on Amazon. This can help you find the right categories for your items.
What Happens if I Pick the Wrong Category?
If you pick the wrong category, your product may not appear in search results. Choose carefully so customers can find your items. You can edit your categories if necessary or ask Amazon’s seller support services to do it for you.
Create Detailed and Accurate Descriptions
Detailed and accurate descriptions of your products are key to driving sales on Amazon. Focus on providing useful information about the features and benefits of the item.
Optimize Your Listings With Keywords
Doing keyword research and incorporating those words into your product descriptions can help drive more targeted traffic to your listings and increase sales.
Learn Amazon’s Photo Guidelines
Before uploading any photos to Amazon, make sure you read and understand Amazon’s guidelines for product photos. This will help ensure that your photos meet their standards and that your listings don’t get taken down.
How Many Photos Can I Use?
You can upload up to nine product photos for each listing. This will give customers the opportunity to get a good look at your products before making a purchase.
Use High-Quality Photos
Having good-quality photos of your products is essential for attracting customers to your listings on Amazon. Take clear, detailed photos of your products from multiple angles and include any relevant information about the product in the captions.
Quality images can make all the difference in setting yourself apart from the competition and driving sales. Professional photography is worth the investment to showcase your products in the best possible way. Be sure to include front and back views, dimensions, and photos for different color choices.
Use Amazon Advertising
Using Amazon Advertising can be an effective way to get more visibility for your products on the platform. You can pay to have Amazon promote your listings in search results or browse pages, allowing you to reach potential customers who might otherwise never see your products.
Amazon has strict advertising guidelines for sellers who wish to use its platform to promote their products. It’s important to familiarize yourself with and comply with these guidelines before you begin running ads.
Know Your Fulfillment Options
Amazon offers several different fulfillment options for sellers, including FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon), FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant), and Seller-Fulfilled Prime.
The FBA service allows you to store and ship your products from Amazon’s warehouses—for a fee, of course. Amazon handles order fulfillment, but sellers must watch their inventory carefully and make sure they replenish their products in Amazon’s warehouses regularly to ensure a consistent supply.
Fulfilled by Merchant means the seller will handle all storage, shipping, and customer service. Sellers of bulky or heavy products that don’t sell repeatedly or quickly tend to use FBM.
Another category of shipping is Seller Fulfilled Prime. This allows sellers to list their products under Amazon Prime. However, sellers must meet strict shipping requirements, use Amazon-approved delivery carriers, comply with Amazon’s return policy, and let Amazon handle customer service.
On top of those Seller Fulfilled Prime requirements, you must have a 99 percent on-time delivery record and a less than 1 percent order cancellation rate. You must meet all these standards on 200 orders within a 90-day trial period.
Test Before You List
Before listing a product on Amazon, test it thoroughly to ensure you are satisfied with the results. This allows you to iron out any wrinkles in the process before you ship to buyers, ensuring customers have a positive experience when purchasing from you.
Encourage Reviews
Reviews are an essential part of making sales on Amazon, so it’s important to encourage customers to leave reviews once they’ve purchased your product. This can help increase trust in your products and boost sales.
If you get a negative review, respond swiftly and courteously. Address the customer’s concerns and offer solutions that might change their attitude toward your products.
Stay Up to Date on Amazon Policies
As the Amazon marketplace evolves, it’s important to stay up to date on their policies so you don’t risk having your listings removed or getting suspended. Make sure you read the latest news and guidelines regularly so you are always compliant.
Use Unique, High-Quality Packaging
Investing in quality packaging helps make your brand stand out and provides a positive experience for customers. Think about how your product would look in an “unboxing” video: what’s inside Amazon’s shipping box? How will your logo and packaging look when the customer removes the bubble wrap and packing paper? Make sure your product will make a good impression when the customer opens the Amazon box.
These are just a few of the many things to know before selling your products on Amazon. If you take the time to learn about Amazon’s policies and plan ahead, you’ll be in a great position as you embark on your Amazon selling journey. Good luck!
