How to start selling on Amazon

Selling on Amazon can be a great way to reach a large audience and increase your sales. However, starting to sell on Amazon can be overwhelming and confusing. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of how to start selling on Amazon and setting up your company, choosing the right selling strategy, selecting a product, creating a listing, and promoting your product. We will also mention the services provided by PrimeLine Amazon Marketing Laboratory that can help you with the process.

1. Setting up a company

Before you start selling on Amazon, you need to set up a company. This can be a local company or an LLC in the USA. Having an LLC in the USA has its pros and cons. On one hand, it provides personal liability protection and can make it easier to raise capital. On the other hand, it can be more expensive and may require additional paperwork. If you are located in Europe, setting up a local company can be a better option as it may be cheaper and have fewer requirements.

If you are planning to expand your business to the USA and don’t know how to set up an LLC company, you can choose PrimeLine’s Expansion to USA service. By following these steps and utilizing the services offered by PrimeLine Amazon Marketing Laboratory, you can increase your chances of success on Amazon.

2. Selling FBM or FBA

When starting to sell on Amazon, you need to choose between selling FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant) or FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon). FBM means that you will handle the shipping and handling of the product yourself, while FBA means that you will store your product in an Amazon fulfillment center and Amazon will handle the shipping. FBA has its pros and cons. On one hand, it can increase your sales and provide faster shipping times. On the other hand, it can be more expensive and may require a VAT ID if you want to store your products in an Amazon fulfillment center in Europe outside of your home country.

Obtaining a VAT ID in another European country to store your products in an Amazon fulfillment center is relatively straightforward. If you need assistance, you can schedule a marketing consultation with me and I will guide you through the process of obtaining a foreign VAT ID.

3. Choosing a product

When choosing a product to sell on Amazon, it’s important to base your decision on customer demand. Don’t decide based on your feelings. Instead, take your time and use free and paid software to find out what products are in high demand. Websites like Jungle Scout and Helium 10 can help you with this.

Another approach is to research the top-selling products in a specific category, and consider whether a similar product would also be in demand.

Regardless of which approach you to choose, it’s essential to take a closer look at the competition in your category or keyword market, the number of reviews for your competitor’s products, and the typical price range for products in your category. By understanding the competitive landscape, you can better position your product for success on Amazon and make more informed decisions about pricing and marketing strategies.

To be sure that you are making the right decision, you can even set up a marketing consultation with me and I will show you how to easily find profitable products.

4. Finding a manufacturer or producing the product yourself

If you don’t want to produce the product yourself, you can find a manufacturer. Websites like Alibaba and ThomasNet can help you with this. If you want to produce the product yourself, for example, candles, there are resources available to help you with that as well.

If you’re looking for help finding the right manufacturer for your product, you can consider using my Product Development service. This service can help you identify the best manufacturers for your product based on factors such as cost, quality, and lead time, and guide you through the process of selecting and working with a manufacturer to bring your product to market.

5. Creating an Amazon Seller Central

Once you have your company set up and your product selected, you need to create an Amazon account and verify your identity. This is a simple process that can be done online here.

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6. Creating a product listing

Creating a listing on Amazon Seller Central is an essential step in getting your product in front of potential customers. A well-crafted listing can make all the difference in terms of visibility, sales, and customer engagement.

The first step in creating a listing on Amazon is to log in to your Seller Central account. Once you’re logged in, you’ll see a button labeled “Add a Product” on the homepage. Clicking this button will take you to the “Add a Product” page, where you’ll be prompted to enter information about your product, including its title, description, and price.

When entering information about your product, it’s important to be as detailed as possible. This will help potential customers find your product when they search for items that match your product’s characteristics. Be sure to include important keywords in your title and description, as these will be used by Amazon’s search algorithm to match your product with relevant search queries.

Product Pictures

One of the first things to consider when adding images to your product listing is the number of images that you can include. Amazon allows you to upload up to 9 images per product, so be sure to take advantage of this by including multiple images from different angles. This will give potential customers a better sense of what your product looks like and can help increase the likelihood of a sale.

The title picture is the most important picture in the listing, it should be a product on a white background and should be a clear and detailed image of your product. The other pictures must show what your product is helping with, why the customer should buy it, and why your product is unique. These pictures should also include basic information such as dimensions and weight. Additionally, it’s a good idea to include images that show the product in use, as this can help customers visualize how they might use the product themselves.

Product description

When crafting your text, it’s important to keep it short and clear, as this will make it more likely that potential customers will read it and understand what your product is about. There is software available such as Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Amazon’s own A9 algorithm that can help you identify the most relevant keywords for your product straight in the search bar.

The title of your listing is the most important place to include keywords, as it’s the first thing that customers will see when they come across your product. However, be careful not to overfill the title with keywords, as this can make it difficult to read and may also negatively impact your search ranking. The same applies to the descriptions and bullet points, include keywords but make sure it doesn’t affect the readability.

Another way to make your text more effective is by using natural language processing (NLP) models like ChatGPT to generate compelling and engaging text for your listing. This can help to ensure that your text is well-written, easy to understand, and effectively highlights the key features and benefits of your product.

If you’re in need of assistance with creating an effective and engaging listing for your product on Amazon, you can consider using my Product Listing and SEO service. This service can help you optimize your product listing by providing guidance on creating high-quality images, crafting compelling text, and including relevant keywords that will help your product rank well in search results.

7. Sending product to Amazon fulfillment center

If you are selling FBA, you need to send your product to an Amazon fulfillment center. This is a simple process that can be done online.

8. Start selling and make your listing active

Once your product is in the fulfillment center, you can start selling and make your listing active. This means that it will be visible to potential customers on Amazon.

9. Promoting your products

To increase your sales, it’s important to promote your product. One way to do this is by making advertisements based on keywords that are important for your product. There are many strategies for advertising on Amazon, including using automatic and manual campaigns. Additionally, promoting your product on social media platforms like TikTok can also be effective, as advertising on Amazon can be expensive. PrimeLine Amazon Marketing Laboratory offers various services such as Amazon PPC optimization, sponsored product ads, and sponsored brand ads to help you with this.