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To help you get started selling on Amazon, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide with basic tips for getting your product or brand up and running.
The “how to sell on amazon for free” is a guide that teaches you how to sell on Amazon. The article will teach you the steps of selling on Amazon.
Learning how to sell on Amazon might seem to be a daunting and ambitious task. However, there are simply a few basic steps to selling on the ecommerce site.
You’ll need to first learn about the product limits and seller fees, then set up a seller account and start creating product listings. Following that, you’ll have to deal with inventory and order fulfillment. Finally, since Amazon is such a competitive market, you should monitor the success of your shop.
Step 1: Understand Amazon’s Product Restrictions & Fees
As part of learning how to sell on Amazon, get familiar with the platform’s product limits and costs. Knowing these requirements can aid you in developing a sales plan and deciding which items to market. Some may be lucrative and in high demand, but the taxes and restrictions that come with them might result in extra work and/or expenses, which is something to keep in mind.
Product Restrictions on Amazon
Certain regulations apply to products sold on Amazon. Amazon maintains a comprehensive list of banned items, although it is not exhaustive. If you have any issues concerning product restrictions, you should see an attorney.
The following are subject to additional rules:
Fees for Amazon Sellers
Fees for Amazon Sellers include account and product fees. Account fees, or seller plans, come in two subscription levels—$0 and $39.99 per month.
The typical seller pays 15% of the product’s selling price in product or referral fees, which vary from 6% to 45 percent. You’ll also need to complete and ship your orders, which might cost a lot of money depending on the goods and the fulfillment method you choose.
Interested to know how much it costs to sell on Amazon? Read our in-depth guide to Fees for Amazon Sellers.
Step 2: Create an account with Amazon as a seller.
Before you can sell things on Amazon, you must first register as an Amazon seller. Subscribing to one of two seller plans is required for registration.
- Select a Seller Strategy
- Create an Amazon Seller Account by filling out the form below.
Individual and Professional selling strategies are available on Amazon.
Professional accounts offer significantly more capabilities than Individual accounts, but they cost $39.99 per month.
Individual accounts are free for the first month, however 99 cents every item sold is charged. Additional selling costs are included in both programs in addition to the per-product listing price.
The following are some of the features of each Amazon seller plan:
*If your product is in the “Buy Box,” it implies that when shoppers click the “Add to Cart” button on a product listing offered by several vendors, Amazon will instantly sell it.
Individual Seller plans are perfect for low-volume merchants that sell less than 40 goods each month, as well as growing shops that are still figuring out what to offer. It’s also an excellent option if you don’t intend on advertising or using sophisticated selling techniques.
Meanwhile, if you sell 40+ units per month, use advertising in your selling approach, and want to qualify for top placement on product description pages, a Professional seller plan is advised. It’s also famous for its use of sophisticated selling tools that help high-volume vendors, such as APIs and reports.
You’ll need to join up for a Professional Seller plan if you want to sell items in restricted categories.
Because of the sales-boosting tools you receive with a Professional account, most vendors choose it. However, you may always start with a Personal account and upgrade later.
An Individual plan, for example, may get you started with minimum charges if you’re simply dipping your toe into Amazon via retail arbitrage (purchasing merchandise from other sellers at a discount and reselling it for a profit). The Professional plan, on the other hand, is the best from the start if you’re investing in wholesale or private label items.
After you’ve chosen a seller plan, you’ll need to create a seller account. You may either use your Amazon consumer account or establish a new seller account using your company’s email address.
Prepare the following information to present during the registration process:
- Numbers for your bank account and routing numbers for your bank
- Credit card that may be charged
- National identification card issued by the government
- Information about taxes
- Number to call
Register at Seller Central, then follow the directions to create a seller account.
When you sign up for a Seller account, the criteria that will be requested of you are determined by your company type.
You’ll have access to your Seller Central Dashboard and be able to start listing goods to sell on Amazon after you’ve completed these steps.
What is the purpose of Seller Central? Seller Central is a website where Amazon sellers (like you) may keep track of their sales. You may also add new goods, manage inventory, alter price, connect with customers, and contact seller support.
Step 3: Make a list of your products.
Amazon sellers have two options for producing product listings: adding their products to existing product listings or creating new ones.
Still trying to figure out what to sell? There are many options for finding successful things to market.
The majority of vendors pursue conventional business formats, such as selling their own items or reselling bulk goods. Some, on the other hand, go beyond typical methods and use print-on-demand services, private labeling, dropshipping, and other methods to find items.
Ideal Amazon items are in-demand, but also lightweight, durable, and long-lasting. Read our guide to the greatest Amazon items to sell.
Adding things to existing listings is by far the most straightforward option, and it’s how the majority of newcomers get their feet wet on Amazon. So here’s where we’ll start:
Add Your Product to an Existing Listing Manually
You’ve undoubtedly observed that many Amazon goods have several vendors, as seen below:
A product listing with several vendors as an example
The second and third vendors in the above list added their products to this already existing product listing. Because of the present rivalry, it may seem to be a waste of time; nevertheless, bear in mind that the majority of vendors only have a few things in stock. As other listings sell out, yours will be the only one left—and the one that customers purchase.
To make your listing the top selection, you may cut its price, give free delivery, or utilize FBA (described below).
Your Seller Central Dashboard allows you to manually add your goods to an existing listing. You may do so by following the steps listed below:
Simply use the product name, Amazon product ID, or item SKU to find the item. On the following screen, you’ll notice whether it’s already for sale on Amazon.
Select “Sell yours” from the drop-down menu.
Fill in a few details on this page to add your item to Amazon. Asterisks (*) indicate required fields; others are optional.
“Save and finish” should be selected. You now have a live Amazon listing that is ready to sale.
Create a New Product Listing by Hand
Professional Amazon sellers may build whole new product listings for things that haven’t yet been sold on the platform. It takes longer to create new listings than it does to add goods to an existing one. It does, however, enable you to use keyword research, product photos, and extensive item descriptions to build a high-quality listing that sells.
It’s important to remember that not all product categories are available to all merchants. Some product categories need a Professional seller account, while others require permission before being sold. There are certain items that third-party vendors are unable to sell.
You’ll need the following information to create a new product listing:
- To define the precise item you’re selling, use a product identifier such as GTIN, UPC, ISBN, or EAN. In Amazon’s listing criteria, you may learn more about which identifiers are important to your product listing.
- An SKU is a product identifier that you generate to keep track of your inventory.
- Price, product condition, quantity available, and delivery choices are all included in the offer.
- Name, brand, category, description, and photos of the product
- Keywords & search phrases: Useful terms to aid customers in finding your goods.
You must also complete your product detail page. You’ve probably seen one if you’ve ever shopped on Amazon.com. Customers may discover all of the important information regarding an item on the product detail pages.
- Title: no more than 200 characters, with the first letter of each word capitalized.
- To improve listing quality, use images with a resolution of 500 x 500 pixels or 1,000 x 1,000 pixels.
- Colors, smells, and sizes may all be changed.
- Bullet points in product descriptions are short, detailed words that emphasize significant features and advantages.
- Customers may add to their basket or “Buy Now” using the highlighted deal (“Buy Box”) on a detail page.
- Other offers: When the same product is offered by numerous merchants, the pricing, delivery choices, and so on vary.
- Keywords in your product description increase the likelihood that consumers will locate your item.
Use a Bulk Upload or Product Feed Tool to manage your product listings.
If you’re a Professional seller, you may also create many product listings at once by utilizing a spreadsheet to submit all of your product data.
You may also link your items to Amazon directly if you sell on your own website or intend to do so in the future. The following is a breakdown of how both of these choices work:
- Making Use of a Spreadsheet
- Taking Advantage of Product Feeds
Using a bulk CSV upload, you may add your product to current listings and generate new ones. To do so, create an Amazon product data file in Excel or comparable software, save it as a CSV file, and then upload it to your Amazon Seller Central dashboard.
Note: You may use one of Amazon’s category-specific templates. If you go this method, there may be a learning curve, but the time saved in the long run may be worth it.
Some ecommerce systems enable Amazon product feeds from your ecommerce shop, making it reasonably straightforward to add and manage product listings if you offer or intend to sell on your website. It also simplifies inventory and order administration. There are other methods available if you solely sell on Amazon and wish to better manage your listings.
If you’re taking this way, here are some top ecommerce platforms and listing management systems to consider:
Step 4: Manage Your Amazon Inventory
Because the platform can penalize your seller rating if you do not swiftly ship products marked as “in stock,” accurate inventory management is critical to your success on Amazon.
When it comes to inventory management, you have numerous options, similar to the ones discussed above for product listings. Whichever strategy you use, be consistent in your efforts to maintain a good Amazon seller rating.
As your Amazon products sell, Amazon automatically decreases your inventory count. If you just sell on Amazon, this should help you keep track of your sales. However, whether you offer the same merchandise on your website or in a physical shop, you’ll almost certainly need a different solution.
- Manually
- Using an Inventory Feed or a Bulk Upload
Within the inventory tab of your Seller Central dashboard, you may manually alter inventory levels.
You may make manual modifications to the Available units if you only sell a few things on Amazon, as demonstrated below. If you just sell a few items, this activity isn’t too time intensive.
In Seller Central, you may manually manage inventories.
You need a better solution than manual adjustments if you handle a large number of items, constantly repurchase products, or need to balance inventory between Amazon and another sales channel. Here are two of the most popular approaches:
Using an Excel Spreadsheet
Using a bulk upload, you may make inventory updates to any or all of your Amazon goods. To do so, create or edit your Amazon inventory file in a spreadsheet using Excel or comparable software, save it as a CSV file, and upload it to your Amazon Seller Central dashboard.
Ecommerce platforms and inventory management software are two options.
Your Amazon inventory is likewise managed and updated by the ecommerce platforms and listing management tools mentioned in the preceding section. You can manage inventory in the same manner you upload items to Amazon if you’re already using a program for that. If not, there are a variety of alternative Amazon seller tools available to assist you in managing inventory as your business grows.
Set up product delivery or fulfillment in Step 5.
You have three choices for shipping your items as an Amazon merchant. First, you may do it yourself, which is known as merchant fulfillment, by keeping your inventory and distributing items to clients. You may also utilize FBA to have Amazon package, label, and ship your items, or you can use a third-party fulfillment service.
Many newbies begin by mailing their own Amazon purchases. Furthermore, several well-known ecommerce vendors ship all Amazon purchases from their own warehouse. This is referred to as Fulfillment by Merchant, or FBM, by Amazon.
If you decide to take this way but have never shipped before, Amazon makes it rather simple to do so on a modest scale. From your Seller Central dashboard, you may print orders as well as US Postal and UPS shipping labels. You’ll need to have the following packaging items on hand:
- boxes for shipping
- Tape for packing
- Paper or bubble wrap may be used as a filler.
- A weighing scale for shipment
- Easy access to shippers for package pickup or a safe location for package drop-off
The Buy Shipping function on Amazon may help you save money on shipping labels. You can ship and confirm your orders, as well as monitor your shipments, using Amazon’s network of trusted delivery partners.
For most people, packing a few orders each week isn’t too taxing. However, it is critical to ship as soon as possible. As a result, vendors of all sizes choose the next choice.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) allows you to send your items to Amazon, and Amazon will stock, pack, and ship them for you. When customers buy things, Amazon takes payment and sends you available money every two weeks. Check out our in-depth look into FBA and how it works.
Of course, this comes with added FBA fees on top of your Fees for Amazon Sellers, but it also comes with many major sales-driving perks, including:
- Amazon Prime-eligible product listings: Amazon lists the majority of FBA goods as Prime-eligible products.
- Free two-day delivery for Prime customers: FBA qualifies your items for free two-day shipping for Prime customers.
- Product listings with higher ranks: Amazon provides FBA merchants a leg up in the rankings.
- More Buy Box listings: When prices are tied for the coveted Buy Box, FBA vendors win the tie.
- When purchases are fulfilled through Amazon, buyers have faith that their deliveries will arrive on time.
- After-sale service: From queries to returns to refunds, FBA manages every customer contact for your purchases. Its customer support professionals are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via phone, email, or live chat.
Using an outsourced fulfillment firm is another option for removing fulfillment responsibilities from your plate. These companies, like FBA, store, pack, and ship your purchases for you. However, since you utilize a corporation of your choice, this strategy is considered a sort of FBM. You also don’t enjoy the above-mentioned sales-driving incentives since it’s not FBA.
The majority of fulfillment partners cater to mid-to-high-volume multichannel ecommerce businesses that sell on a variety of platforms, including websites and Amazon.
However, certain 3PL partners, such as ShipBob, do not need a minimum volume to get started. ShipBob facilitates development by providing rapid, two-day delivery and flexible resources. For a free quotation, contact the supplier.
Go to ShipBob.com.
Step 6: Keep an eye on your store’s performance.
You’ll need to understand how to track, evaluate, and promote the success of your business once it’s up and running.
Keep an eye on your store’s key metrics.
Amazon is a customer-focused marketplace that expects a lot from its merchants. It expects you to give a consistent and positive client experience at all times. These are the minimal critical metrics that you should be aware of while working with Amazon:
- Order defect rate (a measure of a seller’s customer service standards): < 1%
- Pre-fulfillment cancel rate (initiated by the seller before shipment): < 2.5%
- Late shipment rate (orders that ship after the expected date): < 4%
Anything outside of these parameters might result in a poor performance evaluation and have an impact on how high or low your product listings rank on Amazon.
In Seller Central, you may keep track of your performance goals. For its merchants, Amazon has compiled a list of recommended practices.
Acquire a steady stream of positive feedback from your customers.
In the Amazon buying experience, customer product reviews are crucial. They are beneficial to both merchants and consumers.
To prevent policy breaches, familiarize yourself with the correct and bad ways to generate more Amazon product reviews. The Seller University can teach you more.
Amazon’s Seller University is an online resource. It includes videos with step-by-step instructions, tutorials, and training to assist you in starting (and growing) your Amazon company.
Learn how to market yourself.
Sellers may use Amazon’s advertising services to reach and engage customers. You may use Seller Central to advertise in the following ways:
- Sponsored Products: These adverts for specific Amazon product listings assist increase product awareness and, as a result, sales. They may be seen on both the search results and product detail pages.
- Sponsored Brands: These advertisements appear in search results and include your logo, a personalized headline, and up to three of your items. They aid in the promotion of your brand and product line.
- Amazon Stores: Sellers may communicate their brand stories and product offers on these personalized, multi-page shopping landing sites.
Offer Coupons and Promotions
Customers are enticed to buy immediately because of promotions. In your Amazon shop, you may offer three sorts of promotions: money off, free delivery, and buy one, get one free. With digital coupons, you may also provide percentage or dollar-off reductions.
Conclusion
Amazon is a very accessible marketplace that welcomes all types of merchants, from one-time sellers selling a few things per month to power sellers moving thousands of goods per day. You know there are numerous methods to sell on Amazon now that you’ve learned how to sell on Amazon, but the competition is fierce—and it’s a demanding business.
Every Amazon product potential should be approached from a business standpoint. This takes into account the price of the things you sell as well as the time it takes to find products, produce listings, manage inventory, and dispatch orders. Once you’ve grasped the fundamentals, you’ll be able to make judgments that will help you balance efficiency, enhance net profits, and identify new methods to expand.
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The “how to sell on amazon in 6 easy steps” is a beginner’s guide that will help you understand the basics of selling on Amazon. The article covers everything from how to set up your account, what products are best for selling, and where to find them. Reference: where to buy products to sell on amazon fba.
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