Amazon is undoubtedly among the largest online retail giants in the world. It has dominated this space for many years. Because of its success in the retail realm, many people are selling their products through Amazon. For beginners, the following tips will make it easier for you to sell products through this marketplace.
Here is our list of the top 9 things to help sellers increase their online sales through Amazon.
1. Optimize Product Details for Search
Amazon alone sells a total of over 12 million products. Consumers buy through searching for specific products, and once they find the product they are looking for, they compare it with other related products before making a final decision. However, most customers tend to pick products that appear at the top of search results. The challenge, therefore, for Amazon or aspiring Amazon sellers is to ensure their products appear on top of these searches.
Amazon applies product information that matches the searches of customers. So, you must provide accurate information as much as you can to match the words that customers search for. The most critical information includes the product title, search items, color, size, and product identifier. It is essential to know how to write Amazon product descriptions to be a serious Amazon seller.
2. Use Competitive Pricing
Most customers on Amazon look for budget products. As a seller, you must learn and understand your competitors and how you can list your products at competitive prices. If your products are not unique, be prepared to research the prices of products related to yours. Having your products sell at lower prices than your competitors help them appear at the top of customers’ search results, hence selling more.
Amazon offers a Match Low Price feature that helps a seller match the lowest prices. This tool helps you to set your preferences so that you can continually compete on prices.
3. Take Professional Product Images
When purchasing products online, it is critical that customers see what they are going to buy physically. The seller ought to have fresh, multiple photos of items they are selling. Photos taken using a cell phone a long time ago might not be as effective as photos taken using a modern camera.
Professional photos help in building trust with your esteemed customers. They will believe you are a professional seller, and they can count on you to deliver quality products that meet their needs.
Amazon has guidelines for product images that help you put quality and professional photos on their platform. For excellent images, you can read more about photography tips to make sure you give high-quality images.
4. Don’t Forget to Factor in Shipping Costs
Sometimes shipping can cost a lot of money. Consider what you might have to spend if you will be required to ship your products to get a clear picture of your potential profit. You can either ship by yourself or seek shipping services from shipping agents. You might be forced to sell your products at a lower price then charge a shipping fee later when sending your products to overseas customers.
5. Open An Amazon Seller Account
Once you are aware of what you are selling and how much you will sell your product, create an account on Amazon Marketplace. You may want to start an Individual Seller Account if you plan on being an occasional seller.
For sellers who want to sell more than 40 products every month, a Professional Seller Account will be the most ideal for them. Whether professional or individual account, it will direct you to your Seller Central dashboard, which will help you navigate the system.
6. Don’t Forget About Taxes
On profit made on selling your items on Amazon, you will need to pay income tax. No matter what kind of a seller you are, sales tax will be charged. The profit you make is relative to the income tax charged. When filing taxes, you will be asked if you have any additional income. It would be perfect if you answered with income tax.
Amazon collects all sales taxes, which it then passes to the respective government. However, it is up to you to remit the tax to your respective countries or states. Let Amazon know which state or country they should be charging tax for your items. Tax codes differ from one state to another.
7. Source for a Supplier
Having a product on Amazon is just half of what you require for your product to sell successfully. You need to know where you will be getting your items first. Without a manufacturer or supplier, you will not have anything to sell.
Looking for a supplier can be hard and time-consuming. You can get overseas suppliers from different countries, such as Alibaba in China, where you can get good products to sell.
8. Testing Your Product
Once you choose a supplier, you need to test the quality of your items. Get some products and test whether they perform the way the manufacturers say they perform. Because you want to sell quality products, it is good to get first-hand information for better reviews and more sales before you start selling any item.
9. Follow Up on Customer Reviews
Reviews are honest and independent opinions of different buyers on their experience with online products. Customer reviews help in increasing your products’ ratings and ranking on search results. Your potential customers heavily depend on customer reviews to determine product to buy or not to buy.
Most customers depend on reviews while choosing the perfect product. If your product is not getting reviews, you can opt to reach out to your customers to know whether your products met their expectations or not. You will also learn if your products are doing well and where you need to improve. You should appreciate both positive and critical reviews as not all customers can have
Takeaway
Before creating any business, it is good to learn and understand all processes and steps required from start to end. The above steps will help you grow your Amazon business. Selling through Amazon can be a great way of making money. Use the above tips properly, before you start selling on Amazon.