Online selling can be an adventure. It can also be lucrative, especially if you’re selling on Amazon. The American multinational tech company maintains more than 300 million active customer accounts, and more than 1.9 million selling partners globally.
What’s more: Amazon Business, the B2B e-commerce platform, covers more than a million customer accounts internationally, more than 150 sellers, and in excess of $10 billion in annual international sales.
Trade is alive and well on Amazon. But sellers cannot be guaranteed success. Read on to discover ways to improve Amazon selling for your business — and how partnering with Brandon can boost you.
What is Amazon Selling?
Imagine a strip mall that includes everything from Fortune 500 companies to artisans selling handmade products. In Amazon Selling, each has its opportunity to tap into the hundreds of millions of consumers who look for just the thing on Amazon every day.
There are five ways to sell on the Amazon platform. Sellers typically see the most profit and scalability by creating their own brand, known as a private label. Employing various tactics, including Amazon seller advertising, can increase reach and profits for any selling method you choose.
Private label
You make your own product under your brand and sell it to another company, which markets and sells it under its own name on Amazon. This includes influencer merchandise.
Wholesale
On the other end of the spectrum, you can buy other brands’ products in bulk and at a discounted price. You profit by selling them at a markup on Amazon, so you won’t need to brand products or build awareness or loyalty. This means less effort and time spent developing and launching updated products.
Reselling
Have a knack for bargains? Work your magic, then resell those finds on Amazon for profit.
Dropshipping
This involves buying from manufacturers, who fulfill orders for your customers.
Handmade
Craftspeople can sell anything they create. They manufacture, sell, and ship their products.
Why is Amazon selling significant in 2023?
Amazon continues to grow — creating a profitable platform for sellers. Add to that its extensive customer base and outstanding customer care, and it’s a smart choice for business ventures of all sizes. Customer journeys are improving, too. Artificial intelligence, Big Data, and robotics improve sellers’ efficiency and competitiveness.
Tips for selling on Amazon
A desire to dip into Amazon selling isn’t an automatic ticket to a full-time gig. Many successful entrepreneurs sell in this marketplace as a side job. The better you understand Amazon selling, and research what is selling, the more you can see your bottom line rising.
1. Test the waters
Start product research with the Amazon Best Sellers list, which indicates the 100 most popular items. It’s updated hourly and reveals every product’s Best Seller Rank. This will help you determine demand.
Pro tip
Research all departments by entering product keywords into the Amazon search bar. Check the product listing’s Product Information section, locate the BSR, and take notes.
2. Use A+ content to your advantage
A+ content is an integrated feature Amazon describes as “a tool to describe your product features … by including a unique story, enhanced images, and text placements.” It can create the optimal buyer experience.
Pro tip
You must be Amazon brand-registered to use A+ content. Or, join managed selling programs, such as Amazon Launchpad. If you’re eligible, check out this list of suggestions for boosting your listings to the top.
3. Tinker with your listings
Make it a project: Change things up a bit on existing listings, especially if expectations aren’t met or sales have dwindled. It’s easy to try something different for a better result.
Pro tip
How are your product images looking? Is your listing content tight and bright? Simple tweaks can yield quick results. To learn more about A/B testing on Amazon and other tips to improve your sales, check out our tactics blog.
4. Optimize for SEO
Amazon is a search engine, after all. Did you know that 49% of product searches start here? A rise in ranking can put you on the first page of results — and increase your success if you’re already there.
Pro tip
Consider bullet lists for product features and benefits. Check out Amazon’s suggested and related item categories for more ideas. Make sure your items are high sellers for the greatest profit, whether you offer five or 50.
5. Consider Amazon FBA
A majority of Amazon sellers use FBA — fulfilled by Amazon — to sell. With FBA, you outsource order fulfillment to Amazon. Amazon Prime offers free two-day shipping. Amazon picks, packs, and ships orders through a worldwide network of fulfillment centers. The service also covers customer care and returns.
Pro tip
These features come at a price. Fulfillment fees can pile up and drain profit margins. Base your decision on your business evaluation, or turn to The Brandon Agency for expert guidance on this and all Amazon Selling.
Partner with Brandon to boost your Amazon Selling
There’s hardly any doubt about Amazon Selling’s potential for growing your business. New Amazon sellers can make as much as $800,000 annually. But the road to success has many lessons to be learned along the way.
Brandon has a team of experts who’ve been there, and know how to ramp up online sales. We bring experience and data-driven solutions to your business endeavors. Let’s work together to optimize your website and create a strategy to energize your marketing efforts. Contact us today.
Nick McNeill
Interactive Director
Nick uses his talents in computer science and graphic design to grow the online presence of brands such as Santee Cooper, Southern Tide, frogg toggs, Farmers Telephone Cooperative and Blue Force Gear. A serial marathon runner, his steely determination shines through every brand he grows. As lead user interface designer of the GuestDesk software suite for online hotel reservations, he watched it explode from $1 million in reservations to over $400 million annually.