Wondering how to sell on Amazon? The first step is to sync Amazon and Shopify. Shopify is an official Amazon partner, allowing entrepreneurs like you to sell your products on the platform. You can use Amazon as an additional sales channel to grow your revenue.
In this article, you’ll learn how to start selling on Amazon. We’ll discuss the benefits of listing your own products on this marketplace, share a few tricks to help you maximize sales, and debunk some myths about selling on Amazon for beginners.
Why you should sell on Amazon
1. It’s the biggest online sales channel
Amazon is the biggest online sales channel for an online retailer. With nearly two million active Amazon sellers, the site is a powerhouse.
Shoppers will find bestselling items on Amazon first. No wonder 89% of them say they are more likely to buy items from Amazon than from other ecommerce sites. The massive ecommerce store carries millions of products in various categories.
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Don’t be discouraged by the amount of competition you might face. It’s better to be where your customers are by starting an Amazon business. Don’t let your competition take all of your potential sales.
2. Amazon is a trusted brand
Amazon is a recognized and trusted brand. It was founded in 1994. Thus, it has nearly 30 years of relationship and trust building under its belt. If your store lacks brand recognition because it’s relatively new, customers may feel safer buying from Amazon than your store.
By selling products on Amazon through your own store, you can build a great brand image and reputation. Over time, the customers who consistently buy from you may eventually start buying directly from your store.
3. Many people have an account
As mentioned earlier, Amazon has millions of active users. In the US, there are currently 150 million Amazon Prime subscribers. The average Amazon Prime user spends $1,400 a year on Amazon products alone.
Thus, when it comes to ecommerce, Amazon has a huge chunk of market share in the industry. Those with Amazon Prime accounts will likely search on Amazon for items they want, since they have special perks as a member.
It’s important to be where your customers are. If your primary audience is in the US, then selling products on Amazon is worthwhile.
4. Minimal fee
One of the perks of selling on Amazon is that there aren’t any listing fees unless selling as an individual rather than a merchant account. You can add as many products to your Amazon store as your heart desires. With an Amazon Pro Merchant account, you’ll be required to pay $39.99 a month and a percentage of your sale. If you sell a lot of items on Amazon, the selling fee seems minimal.
5. Proven success model
Many of those who sell stuff on Amazon have achieved big payouts on the platform. About 0.3% of Amazon sellers make over $100 million in sales on Amazon alone, with 0.6% making more than $50 million. The number may seem small, but $100 million is a lot of money for a brand to make off only one sales channel. Notably, 51% of Amazon sellers make more than $100,000 in sales each year, so odds are definitely in your favor. With consistent effort and the right selling price, you too can be an Amazon success story.
3 myths of selling on Amazon
1. Amazon’s marketplace is too crowded
While there are thousands of third-party sellers on Amazon, there’s still room for a business like yours to make money.
Even if you can’t compete on price, it’s still possible for a potential Amazon customer to choose your product over a competitor or even a supplier.
Don’t add barriers. Even if you only make an additional $10,000 in revenue from selling items on Amazon, that’s still more than you would have had by avoiding it.
2. You can set it and forget it
Oftentimes, entrepreneurs think marketplaces will result in people finding your products on their own. You need to be proactive about generating sales, especially in the beginning.
Start by adding high-quality images and descriptions to your product detail page. Include relevant details that customers would find helpful, such as shipping options or return policies. You can also add customer reviews and include a "customer questions and answers" section to improve the shopper’s experience.
Once you’ve generated a few sales and received positive reviews, you’ll be more likely to be found organically and get the Amazon Buy Box, which is an Add to Cart section that enables customers to make quick purchases.
3. New products can’t get organic traffic
New products can get organic traffic if your product listings are well optimized.
This means writing an optimized product title, using the right keywords in the description, and adding high-quality images that are in line with Amazon’s terms of service.
Getting these things right will improve your visibility in Amazon search results. And that means more organic traffic for your products.
How to become an Amazon seller in 8 steps
1. Choose what to sell on Amazon
The first step in learning how to sell on Amazon is figuring out what to sell. To get product ideas, you can use a tool like Helium 10 for inspiration.
The tool suggests thousands of items in different categories. Check out the products listed to get ideas for what you can sell on the Amazon marketplace.
2. Meet the company’s requirements
To become an Amazon seller, you need to ensure you meet all requirements and that your products aren’t restricted.
Niches like baby products, books, pet supplies, and toys and games are good considerations for starting an Amazon business. But restricted products like hoverboards, explosives, and weapons are a no-go for the ecommerce company.
3. Create a professional seller account
If you currently run a Shopify store, you’ll likely need a professional Amazon account.
Go to Amazon Seller Central and sign up for the individual or professional selling plan.
In the individual plan, every time you sell a product, a 99¢ fee gets added. With a professional plan, you pay a $39.99 monthly subscription and a few category-related fees with a professional seller account.
To register, go to Amazon Seller Central and provide your name, email, and password.
Next, you’ll need to share your business details.
Then, you’ll provide Amazon with your business’s billing, tax, and product information.
4. Apply for category approval
When working through the process of selling on Amazon, you’ll need to apply for category approval. Some categories require approval from Amazon before they can be added.
Popular categories such as Clothing & Accessories, Shoes, Handbags & Sunglasses, and Jewelry require approval before selling.
5. Connect your Amazon account to your Shopify account
After receiving Amazon approval, connect your Amazon seller account to your Shopify account. On the left navigation of the Shopify dashboard, look for the + button beside Sales Channels and click on it.
A pop-up will appear with Amazon listed first. Click Add Channel.
Next, click Connect to Amazon.
6. Create listings for products
Under the sales channel, you’ll see Amazon listed. Click on it, then click the Create Listing button.
Next, click Select Product. There are two options to choose from. As a private label seller, you should click the lower option “This product is made by another brand.”
This will allow you to list your product on the marketplace. After finding the product you sell, click Select > Publish. Repeat the process for each item in your inventory.
7. Manage inventory
Effective inventory management is the key to success when selling products on Amazon. It’s crucial to keep your product inventory level healthy for your direct customers and those buying through the marketplace.
As you get orders on Amazon, your inventory levels will start to decrease, so make sure to update your stock to reflect the current product availability on your Amazon listing.
8. Send traffic to your Amazon store
The most important part in learning how to sell things on Amazon is knowing how to promote the items. Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
- Take advantage of every audience you own. For example, if you have an email list for your business that you’ve been building for a while, you can send that audience a link to your Amazon store. The upside to using your email traffic is that they’re already familiar with your brand. Loyal customers will likely also write positive reviews, which is what you’ll need to sell products on Amazon to people beyond your email list.
- Add your product links to Pinterest group boards. Most small brands don’t have a lot of social media followers. That’s why group boards are a great way to tap into a big audience. You can use a tool like PinGroupie to find relevant boards for your niche.
- Run Amazon ads. This is one of the best ways to gain traction on Amazon, especially if you don’t have an audience of your own. To get more visibility for your product, use a compelling image and copy for your ad.
How to sell on Amazon successfully: 5 tips
1. Treat your Amazon store like your actual shop
You won’t make six figures in sales on Amazon just because you uploaded products. You’ll need to treat it like your online store.
You’ll need to drive traffic to the Amazon product pages, either with Amazon ads or other methods. You’ll need to optimize product pages. You’ll need to get great reviews. You’ll need to offer great customer service.
In a nutshell, Your brand still has to live up to a great reputation, even if items are sold on Amazon.
2. Get online reviews early on
Focus on getting positive reviews early on. Go the extra mile for your customers when you sell on Amazon. Issue refunds quickly if a customer is upset. In the event that you get a negative review, communicate with the customer to try to have it removed.
You can also offer quick replacements and great service to keep your customers happy. After going above and beyond, many customers will change their review if asked. Most sellers have experienced that having a 95% rating has led to a better ranking in the Amazon search engine, allowing them to sell products on Amazon in higher quantities.
3. Focus on optimizing your product pages
When selling on Amazon, it’s important to optimize your product pages. You can use a tool like SellerApp to determine the estimated monthly search volume for keywords, as well as which categories they dominate in.
By choosing popular keywords, you can improve your chances of being found organically by customers. Also, you’ll want to consider which product categories your products would perform well in. Keyword tools can also help you identify what items to sell on Amazon.
4. Pay for Amazon ads
Paying for Amazon ads is optional and not essential for growing your Amazon presence. One of the perks is that you get access to Amazon’s search data, making selling on Amazon easier.
The cost per click is often fairly low on Amazon compared to other ad networks. Also, the product ad blends in with third-party seller products, making it likely that a customer will click on the product if it meets their needs.
5. Register as a professional seller
Having a professional seller account will save you money if you’re uploading countless products. As a professional, you can add as many products as you like. While Amazon charges selling fees, there are no fees for listing the items.
The more products you list on Amazon, the more likely you are to be found. Also, the more items you sell on Amazon, the more money you can potentially make. Product volume, especially on marketplaces, can be great for getting sales.
What is Amazon FBA, or Fulfilled by Amazon?
Amazon FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) is a service Amazon provides where Amazon carries your inventory and ships products to your customers on your behalf. Items that are fulfilled by Amazon are able to reach customers with faster shipping times.
When investigating how to sell products on Amazon, you’ll want to think about whether you want to ship products to customers yourself or have Amazon do it for you.
If you ship items yourself, you can save additional Amazon fees. However, Amazon has shipping guidelines you’ll still need to adhere to. If you don’t consistently deliver products within a reasonable time frame, you might eventually get booted off the platform.
By taking advantage of Amazon FBA, you’ll delegate the bulk of the logistics work to Amazon, meaning you’ll have one less responsibility to fulfill. Plus, you might be able to save on shipping costs since Amazon FBA sellers qualify for free shipping on orders over $49 for all items except books.
Note: Using Amazon FBA doesn’t exempt you from selling on other sales channels. In other words, you can continue selling on your online store, Instagram, Facebook, and other marketplaces like Walmart and eBay.
Start selling on Amazon today
Becoming an Amazon seller can help you earn additional income while also connecting you with customers you wouldn’t have had access to on your own.
In the beginning, your focus should be on getting product reviews so you can build social proof and trust. Take advantage of the email lists, social media followers, advertising services, and Amazon affiliates at your disposal.
In summary, here are the steps to start selling on Amazon:
- Choose your product niche.
- View eligibility requirements.
- Create a professional seller account.
- Apply for category approval.
- Connect your Amazon account to your Shopify account.
- Create listings for products.
- Manage your inventory.
- Send traffic to Amazon listings.
Is there anything else you’d like to learn about how to sell on Amazon? Let us know in the comments below!
How to sell on Amazon FAQ
How do I sell on Amazon for free?
Sign up as an individual seller. This saves you from the monthly fee associated with a professional Amazon seller account.
How do I sell on Amazon without buying products?
Register for Merch by Amazon. This is Amazon’s version of print on demand. You just design merchandise and earn every time a customer buys your product.
Is selling on Amazon profitable?
Selling on Amazon is still a great way to earn profits. According to JungleScout, more than half of all Amazon sellers make $1,000 to $25,000 per month, meaning you could make between $12,000 to $300,000 annually.
