Tools

The Basics

Amazon has become the leader in online retail and has grabbed half of all product sales online. If you have a product brand you should be considering Amazon as one of your channels for retail. In some cases, Amazon might not be a good fit for your product (think high end, fashion, and exclusive brands) but for most brands it’s a great channel to tap into and one of the best ways to gain a foothold in the market.

We dive into how to get started on Amazon, what fulfillment options you have, and how to perform better and keep products shipping.

Getting Started

Category Ungating

One of the first hurdles to be able to sell on Amazon is becoming eligible to sell products in your category. For most items this is pretty straightforward as Amazon requires certification that your items are produced in good standing with reputable manufacturers. For some categories like Food and Beverage this can be more stringent as Amazon wants to limit their liability and only allow thoroughly vetted products to sell. Be prepared to have manufacturing invoices, PO’s and certifications ready to submit for your category.

Account & Item Setup

Account setup is straightforward and there are whole articles that can be written on using the Amazon Seller’s portal. One thing to note is your inventory and item setups as this is where your early days will be spent on the portal. You’ll want to make sure you have a thorough description of your product and look to enhanced brand content to spice up your page.

Product Pictures

Product shots can make or break items on Amazon and you’ll want to gather hero product images, multiple angles, and lifestyle images to use on your page. Check resolution and quality before posting and always show your main image in the best light to grab attention on the search page. Use your favorite top selling products as reference to make sure your images are as good or better than leading brands.

Which Fulfillment Strategy

One of the main decisions to make when setting up your Amazon account is how you will choose to ship and retail your products.

Seller Fulfilled

For those starting out and wanting to ship at very low cost and very low quantity, seller fulfilled is a great option to get your feet wet with Amazon selling. This option is for those who want to list their items on Amazon but every time an order comes in they box it up and ship it themselves at their own expense and only pay Amazon a seller’s fee. This option is also for those who wish to work with third party fulfillment companies as a potential strategy to lower cost or handle special shipping circumstances.

Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA is one of the most common and effective ways to selling on Amazon and will unlock the Prime badge for your items, in some cases boosting sales by up to 30%. Fulfilled by Amazon or FBA is a method of selling where each order comes in and is boxed and shipped by Amazon, and you pay all of the associated fees for doing so. This method requires much less labor than shipping it yourself but does come at a premium cost.

Amazon Vendor

Amazon Vendor is a retail program reserved for those brands usually doing more than a million in sales on the platform a year. Once you become an Amazon Vendor, Amazon will purchase products directly from you and sell it themselves, meaning you don’t have to pay any fees but your pricing to Amazon will be more of a wholesale price than an online retail price.