Everything You Need to Know to Sell on Amazon FBA in 2023
Amazon FBA is a great option for both new and experienced entrepreneurs online to market their products to customers. FBA is a shorthand for Fulfillment by Amazon. It is as simple as sending your product into the Amazon warehouse to store them. When you’ve made a sale, Amazon takes care of sending your goods directly to the customers. They also handle customer support.
It’s a sounding like a straightforward and simple installation. Amazon in fact is the most popular internet retailer within the U.S. earning 314 billion in 2021 on its own. But there’s more to the story than what is seen on the surface. Making a profit selling on Amazon FBA involves understanding the advantages and disadvantages of the platform , and also the best way to differentiate yourself from an ocean of competition.
The Basics of Amazon FBA
Fulfillment via Amazon (FBA) is an Amazon service that assists Amazon sellers organize, package and ship their merchandise directly to their customers. Sellers can utilize Amazon warehouses to serve as extensions of storage facilities where they can store their items until they are they’re sold. Amazon provides sellers with access to a myriad of benefits , such as Prime 2-day delivery that allows sellers to help them rapidly expand their business.
It’s simple to begin selling on Amazon. When you’ve already got a product you want to sell, you just need to register for an account with a seller account, advertise your products to the people you want to reach and then process each order that is placed. Amazon will take care of this so that you can concentrate on marketing and creating your brand.
Amazon Business Models
There are five methods to sell your product and earn money through Amazon. The most lucrative and scalable one is creating your own brand (private Label).
- Private Label
It involves making your own brand and product. It’s a unique product as you’re the sole person with that name. The merchandise of influencers is a part of this category.
- Wholesale
If you don’t wish to establish your own brand, you can purchase other brands’ merchandise in bulk for a lower price, sell them at a markup on Amazon.
- Reselling
If you’re a pro at finding bargains, then you can purchase these items at a discount and make a profit by selling them.
- Dropshipping
Dropshipping involves purchasing directly from the manufacturers, who then handle the fulfillment directly to your customers.
- Handmade
Amazon also sells items made by hand. These are items that you design or make by yourself. That means that you are the maker of your item.
Selling Private Label Products on Amazon FBA:
Selling Private Label on Amazon is the most lucrative and sustainable business model for you are looking to sell through Amazon FBA. It’s also the most popular method that is used for Amazon FBA seller.
Before you can begin it is necessary to:
- Conduct thorough research on the product. Find items that are in high demand and low-cost items.
- Find the correct manufacturer or supplier to develop your product at a reasonable price. They can also direct deliver your products directly to the Amazon warehouses.
- Design an Amazon listing and then build the reputation of your product.
- Make your mark on Amazon’s millions of listings by promoting your product.
- Keep track of your sales and inventory and build your brand.
The main focus of this model of business is analysis and advertising. Amazon manages the fulfillment and warehousing. Your company is responsible for manufacturing. Your job is to discover an effective product and then market it with aplomb.
Amazon FBA vs Amazon FBM
Amazon Sellers can choose between two options to fulfil orders made through the Amazon shop: (1) FBA and (2) FBM. FBM means Fulfilled By Merchant. Sellers manage the inventory packaging, sorting and shipping of the orders. Apart from research on products and sales, the sellers are accountable to ensure that items arrive in good working order by their customers.
- Your company or supplier delivers the goods through Amazon’s warehouses for fulfillment. Amazon accepts them and manages the storage and inventory. They’re committed to safeguarding your possessions. If they break something they will pay the entire retail cost.
- If a customer places an order through your shop, Amazon processes the order. They choose the item and then pack it into an Amazon box, and then ship it directly to the buyer.
- Amazon handles customer service , such as tracking, shipping notifications reviews, product returns.
The process of fulfillment is often a major headache. Handling customer service issues that involve the tracking of shipments or returns is never a pleasurable experience. If you can delegate these operations to a trusted partner such as Amazon you are free to use your time to concentrate on business-building strategies such as marketing.
Finding the Right Products to Sell on Amazon FBA
The secret to success in an Amazon FBA business is having the correct product. They should be in high demand items that are low-competition that means that a lot of customers are looking for it and only a handful vendors are offering it.
What are the best ways to find these products? It is essential to invest your time and effort into extensive study of the product. It is not a good idea to sell a product only because you are a fan. You must rely on facts to make choices.
Researching products is a lengthy process. If you rush it, you could be enticed to take rash decisions that you’ll regret later.
The Amazon marketing tools are special Amazon advertising tools which can search the Amazon database to help you locate these popular and low-cost products. These tools can be used to help you through your research of products and the making decisions.
Profitable, High-Demand, Low-Competition Products
In conducting product research there are three factors you should take into consideration: profit, demand and competition.
A — Profitability
Your aim as the Amazon seller should be to become profitable. This may sound like common sense but it’s difficult to remember when you are in a market that is competitive and begin to exhaust all methods to sell.
Profitability is essentially revenue less expenses. The expenses should always be less than the income to earn an adequate profit. It is possible to use Amazon Profitability Calculators to determine the amount of profits you’re earning.
To determine quickly whether an item is likely to be profitable, it is best to apply what is known as the “rule of 3s”. This is a rule that states that the cost of selling a product will be split into 3 equal components:
- Costs for landing
- Platform charges
- Profits for you
If the selling price for your product is $27, your profit is expected to be $9. If it is less than that, it’s not a profitable option to explore.
Amazon items, in general can be purchased for between $20-$70. Find products that sell in this price range. It’s not advised to sell items priced below $20 because it’s possible that you won’t have enough money left after you have paid all expenses. Also, it’s not recommended to sell items that are priced above $70 as consumers are less likely buy expensive products from unknown brand names.
In the case of cost there are three types that you must be aware of.
- Landed Costs
The total cost that you pay for shipping your items through Amazon’s fulfillment centers. It covers:
- Costs of inventory
- Fees for inspection (if there are any)
- Shipping
- Duties (if there are any)
- Amazon Fees
Amazon is a company that charges users fees to use their platform. These include:
- The Referral Fee or Commission Fee is charged for each product sold. Typically, it’s 15%.
- Selling Plan Fee per month for $39.99 (professional Amazon sellers) or per unit at $0.99 (Amazon individual sellers who sell smaller than forty each month).
- Fees for fulfillment are charged to cover the costs of picking and sorting, packaging, and shipping. It is based on the item’s dimensions and weight.
- Storage fees are charged per month or for an extended period.
- Other business charges and expenses
Keep in mind that the products you’ve listed on Amazon and placed the items in their warehouses, you’ll still be responsible to market your product and driving visitors into the Amazon listing on the internet. It all depends on the budget you have it will cost you that can eat into your earnings.
When you’re looking for the ideal products to offer on Amazon take into consideration how much you could sell them at and what costs associated with selling them. Analyzing a product’s financial viability can help you make most appropriate choices and spare your from regret in the future.
It isn’t enough to have a product be profitable. It is also important to look for ones that are trending and are in high demand.
B — Demand
Sales of products are a key indicator of the demand for a particular product. When searching for a product to purchase, look at something that can address the needs of a buyer. Does the product satisfy the needs of a client? Does it meet that need or to solve an issue?
Also, make sure to check the information to ensure you’re answering these questions with a clear mind.
C — Competition
When conducting product research it is important to know the number of similar products that already exist, and how well they’re assessed. This will allow you to determine whether there’s space on the marketplace for fresh competitor.
It’s good because it shows that there’s a need for a particular product. Beware of too much competition, however. It is difficult to stand out in a market is already saturated.
Fool-Proof Products to Sell on Amazon
These are Amazon’s top 10 categories that are the most popular for Amazon products with the percentage of sellers that are listed on them:
- Home & Kitchen — 32%
- Beauty & Personal Care — 23%
- Toys & Games — 20%
- Clothing, Shoes & Jewelry — 18%
- Health, Household & Baby Care — 17%
- Sports & Outdoors — 16%
- Arts, Crafts & Sewing — 15%
- Books — 15%
- Kitchen & Dining- 14%
- Baby — 14%
Concentrate in the top 10 areas and ensure that the product you choose to offer isn’t a product that is overly saturated.
Getting Started on Product Research
Your aim is to identify lucrative product opportunities that are backed by demand and a manageable amount of competition. These filters can help you find those.
Your product should be on the same level or higher than that available. Do not reinvent the wheel. Simply create opportunities to be noticed.
An easy method to determine improvements in products would be to look up the reviews of customers. Find the common issue and then work on improving the product. You can also buy competitor products and discover ways you can enhance them.
Spend at least 2–4 weeks to observing trends in the product and performance, so that you are sure it’s not an accident or an exaggerated figure due to a one-time purchase.
A warning. When you are deciding which products that you can sell through Amazon beware for “black hat” behavior such as offering counterfeit or fake products. Be mindful of trademarks and patents when creating your product. Be aware of Amazon’s limitations and certification requirements for specific product categories.
When deciding an item to market take into consideration the how easy it is to source as well as shipping and importation. If you are making private labeling products, they should require only minor modifications (such as a logo or printing out the packaging).
It should be lightweight and simple to ship, but strong enough to withstand the harsh conditions of shipping. If you import from a different nation (a typical scenario for FBA sellers) Be conscious of importation fees and rules. Freight forwarders can aid you in this.
Watch the below video to know What to Sell On Amazon in 2022? Learn How to Do Product Research On Amazon | Advanced FBA Guide
Finding the right suppliers to manufacture your product
Finding suppliers might appear daunting initially But in recent times it’s become simple. In fact, contacting and working with multinational manufacturers is easy with the advancements in technology and communication.
This is the step-by-step procedure for finding your top Amazon products.
1. Conduct research and contrast the different providers.
There are many producers around the world that create nearly anything you can think of. Choose those that create the best quality products for the lowest cost. Amazon customers demand quality products regardless of whether they are looking for bargains.
There are websites such as Alibaba.com that can display products you could sell as well as their makers. Additionally, you can collaborate with sourcing agents that can assist you in finding top quality products from any nation.
Qualities of a Good Supplier:
In the search for a supplier with someone who has these qualities:
- It’s easy to reach them.
- High-quality products are created.
- Has proven experience
- Prices fairly
Find a company which responds in an acceptable timeframe as well as is simple to contact. Check out how quickly (or it is slow) you get a response to the initial inquiry for an estimate.
Mass-scale factories produce products of low quality. Beware of these factories. You can purchase the goods for less, but you risk losing your business in the short term due to poor reviews from customers. Make sure to choose reputable suppliers. They may be expensive, but you will not be shocked by how good their goods.
It is ideal to choose a facility which has been in operation for at least 3 years, producing the items that you have chosen. This indicates their experience and capacity to meet your order.
Make sure you choose a manufacturer with a fair and reasonable price. You shouldn’t choose factories that are too expensive or those that are priced too low as this might indicate quality issues.
2. Request for quotations from suppliers
Make a list of 5–10 suppliers and contact each one individually. Let them know about the product you’re considering and ask them for a quote for how much it will be to make your items with the modifications they suggest. If you’re on Alibaba.com You can send your request for quote to many suppliers at once.
Check out how fast your suppliers react. This is a sign of the ease of conducting business with them.
Step 3: Request product samples.
Once you have quotes you can narrow your selection of vendors. You should consider costs as well as the speed of communication.
You can request samples from any of these providers. The most common samples range from $50 to $150 and are sent via air. The importance of samples is that they permit you to personally testify to a company’s quality of work.
Product sampling lets you test the product prior to shipping them to Amazon and begin to be sold. Make sure that your requirements are met and that the product functions as expected. If you’re not happy Don’t be afraid to request changes.
There may be a change cost, but it’s better to be completely satisfied rather than regretting. As a seller, you need to trust your product before you sign up your first customer.
Packaging and Branding
To help your products stand out more, you should consider the packaging they come in and their overall appearance. Amazon offers an Amazon box to protect your product prior to shipping. It can to make a product more unique and expensive by providing it with packaging.
The packaging design you choose should be in place when you get samples from suppliers. They may provide details about the size of your box prior to time and you are able to allow your graphic designer to alter the layout of the design. You can forward this information to your suppliers, so that the packaging will be included in the product sample.
Step 4: Decide on one supplier and place the order.
After you’ve analyzed all the options, you need to select which one to choose. In this stage you’ll need to have thought about the characteristics that make up the best supplier and then picked the most suitable one from that.
Inform the supplier that you’ve chosen to go ahead with the purchase. Start by placing your initial order quantity and determine pricing conditions. Set the invoice in writing and then wait for the goods to be manufactured. It typically takes between 2 and 6 weeks to make orders.
During this time, you should communicate regularly with your supplier and request for regular updates.
Step 5: Ship the products to Amazon warehouses.
After manufacturing is complete and the product is ready to ship your goods on Amazon. The majority of manufacturers provide directly shipping services to Amazon. When working with manufacturers from abroad and you’ll need an expediter to help in facilitating international shipping.
Before your items reach Amazon Perform an inspection to verify that the products you have manufactured conform to the specified specifications. The product you receive should be identical to the sample product that was agreed upon.
While your product is being developed, it’s time to get your product ready for debut on Amazon.
Listing and Launching Products on Amazon
Listings are the way that customers discover your items on Amazon. The listing of your products is an extremely important and crucial measure to make sure that you are successful with your product. Make it clear and your customers will be able to find you quickly. If you do it wrong, your items may not show up on search results for your products.
- Use the appropriate keywords.
Keywords play an important aspect of any listing. You can utilize Amazon keyword research tool specifically designed for Amazon listings to identify the list of keywords your product can be ranked for. Prior to creating your listing you should have these keywords in place.
- Select the specific categories of your product and subcategories.
Utilizing the right categories can increase awareness of your product. Try to make sure you match your product as precisely possible to appropriate categories. You may also look up your competitors to find out the categories they’re in.
- Buy UPC barcodes.
Amazon requires all of its products to be equipped with Universal Product Codes (UPC). These are available at the GS1 and add them to the Product ID section when you build your listing.
- Create a keyword-rich, but not a keyword-stuffed product name.
When creating product and listing names, try to make it as descriptive as is possible with the appropriate keywords. It is important to ensure that the title flows naturally and isn’t filled by random words. It should be simple to read and contain as many characters as are permitted.
- Highlight benefits and features in the description of the product.
Make sure you use the description of your product to discuss the functions and advantages that your item offers. Avoid long winding descriptions. Make sure to focus on the most important aspects and make use of bullet points if required to make the text simple and easy to comprehend. Be honest and don’t overstate. Utilize keywords naturally throughout your description of the product.
It is possible to write serious or humorous product descriptions based on the product you’re selling. If it’s a product, describe in detail how the tool functions, what issues it addresses, the materials it’s made from as well as other information that will allow the purchaser to choose. If it’s a toy provide a fun description that allows the user to visualize what fun it will provide.
Make sure to include pertinent information about your products within the description of your product. Your aim is to assist buyers decide if it’s the best product for them, and not let them guess what the product you sell is.
- Images of high quality can be uploaded for your product listings.
A majority of buyers purchase on smartphones. They glance at pictures before reading the product’s description. Your photos must be appealing enough to draw their focus.
You are able to take yourself photos, but it’s best to hire an experienced photographer. In addition to standard product images which show different angles of the product, you should also take photographs of your lifestyle. These are pictures that demonstrate how to utilize the product. It allows customers to envision how they might utilize the product.
Make sure your images are simple and clear. Mobile devices are less imposing than desktops, so any tiny elements in a photo might not be noticed.
Be sure to follow Amazon’s photography rules to ensure that your images are not rejected. For instance, you must have your primary product image taken against a white background, with no watermarks or zooming. The resolution should be at least 1000px by 500px and 85percent of the frame has to comprise from the item. Amazon permits nine images that can be posted.
- Use product videos if you can.
Brand-registered accounts are able to upload video clips of products. They are a great method to capture the attention of your clients and boost the rate of conversion.
You can also utilize tools for optimizing your Amazon listing to assist you in creating high-quality product listings that have tested to produce sales consistently.
Getting Your First Sale Using Amazon PPC
The first sale might be difficult to obtain, but once you’ve got that first sale, everything else follows. There are numerous ways to make your first sale, however the most efficient and effective method is via Amazon PPC. or PPC.
Amazon PPC is a broad issue and we’ve prepared an thorough step-by-step guide to assist Amazon sellers to run profitable PPC campaigns. In simple terms, it’s an effective marketing strategy that requires the placing of bids in order to secure an advertisement space. The highest bidders are guaranteed their spots and are at the top of the search results. Advertisers pay only for the space when a person visits their site.
It is possible to use Amazon PPC Management Tool and Software to assist you in running highly-converting ads on PPC. The same guidelines for creating high-converting product listings can be applied to PPC advertisements. They should be using the appropriate keywords, quality images of the product pertinent details, and so on.
Once you’re able start running PPC campaigns as soon as you can. They can take time to perfect initially, and you’d be running automated campaigns. However, the more information you can gather on your customers and their needs in terms of what they are looking for, the more you can tailor your marketing campaigns to their requirements.
Improving Amazon Conversion Rate
You shouldn’t count on PPC advertisements for the rest of your life. At some point, you’ll need invest in other types of marketing, including the use of content as well as the influencer market that will drive customers to your site. Whatever methods you employ to attract customers to browse your ads, you’ll need to convert those views to purchase.
- Pricing your product correctly. As you begin making your name known it’s possible to set your prices a bit lower than your competition. Find that point where you’re cost-effective but still competitive. Keep in mind your “Rule of 3s” discussed in the past.
- Offer discount coupons for a short period of time. This attracts attention to your product due to the fact that Amazon puts up a bright orange coupon which draws customers and helps your page be noticed.
- Encourage customers to write reviews using “Request a Review” functionality. This will send an authorized Amazon email to those who have purchased within the last 30 days, asking them to leave reviews for the item. The majority of customers accept the emails sent by Amazon which is a name they trust.
- You could use inserts in your product as a unique way to ask for product reviews. Certain Amazon sellers include cards inside their packaging of products to express appreciation to customers for purchases and ask for reviews. The inserts aren’t illegal, however be aware of what you write to ensure you are not in violation of Amazon’s terms of service.
- Follow the fundamental guidelines to optimize your listing making use of the correct images, keywords, etc.
Watch the below video to know How to Increase Your Conversion Rate on Amazon? 10 Powerful Profitability Strategies That Work
Scaling Your Amazon FBA Business
You’ve got the right products that are stored within Amazon warehouses. Your product listings are optimized and your marketing plan is in full flow. Sales are rising, and orders are being processed. What’s next?
It’s the perfect time to expand your business and become part of the top 20 percent among Amazon sellers that earn $25,000 to $250,000 per month.
Here are the latest strategies to aid you in building a six-figure Amazon business.
1. Continuously optimize your listing and PPC campaigns.
Making sales on Amazon is a thriving business. You must regularly review your listings as well as PPC campaigns to ensure they’re relevant to the people you are targeting.
If there are questions from customers about your products, be sure to address the questions. Keep track of reviews by customers and especially those that recommend improvement to your product.
Make sure your advertisements are efficient. They must be consistently high-performing and able to meet the necessary sales. Eliminate keywords that are not performing well and make adjustments to your bids if required.
2 — Develop your brand
Put in the time and effort to create a brand image around your business. Set up social media accounts and invest in marketing on social media. Join a brand-registered, registered account on Amazon for access to more advanced marketing tools. You should have a professional-looking packaging.
The creation of a brand can create customer trust, which is an organic method to drive customers into the Amazon store. This can help your business cut the burden of ad spend.
3 — Increase your line of products
Continue to conduct research into new products and develop products that are a complement to your existing products. Through the creation of brand new items, you gain more trust in your niche and gain market share.
4 — Maintain an inventory that is balanced
Even if your items are kept at Amazon Warehouses, it is accountable for managing inventory. Find the ideal balance between maintaining a balanced inventory so that you do not have to run out of items, however, you shouldn’t stock up too much.
Keep in mind that there is a cost associated with over-inventory (storage charges and costs for inventory) and also potential sales lost due to out of stock. The ideal inventory range is between 3 and six months’ worth at any time (except the holidays).
5 — Employ an assistant virtual
Amazon FBA selling is a low-maintenance venture that’s inclined to handle everything on yourself. Certain tasks should be assigned to other people, such as an expert assistant. They include administrative tasks such as enhancing PPC campaigns, finding fresh products, reconciling shipment shipments as well as handling issues with listing listings and more.
If you can delegate these tasks you’ll be able to focus your efforts on other high-level and strategic tasks to propel your business expansion even further.
Final Thoughts
Amazon sellers make anywhere between $1000 and $250,000 per month. How do top sellers do it? Through taking benefit from Amazon’s FBA program.
In this article, we’ve discussed the steps required to begin with becoming starting as an Amazon FBA seller. With Amazon becoming a bigger E-commerce platform than previously, Amazon FBA selling remains an effective option for running an enterprise on the platform.
If you’ve ever wanted to become an Amazon FBA seller but hesitated to do it, now is the perfect moment to start your journey and move forward.