Since 2000, selling on Amazon has been helping individuals and businesses increase sales and reach new customers, according to the company. More than 40% of Amazon’s total unit sales come from third-party selection – that could be you.
So you’re interested in getting started selling on Amazon. We’ve got the step-by-step guide to show you how to get started: from what to do before you register, to what to do after registration and beyond, and even how to sell on Amazon using FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon). Let’s get started!
You’ll need to take a few steps before registering as an Amazon online seller. These include deciding what you want to sell! There are two categories:
How to request approval: Use Amazon’s Contact us form to request approval.
More than 20 product categories, we’ll cover shortly, are open to all sellers, with at least 10 more available only to Professional Sellers. How do you know if you’re a Professional Seller or not? This is determined by your selling plan, which you can choose. The Professional plan gives you the opportunity to sell an unlimited number of products and pay a $39.99 monthly subscription fee. Individuals pay no monthly fees, but instead pay $0.99 per item sold. Both Professionals and Individuals pay other selling fees when an item sells. Which is right for you? Consult the table below:
Note the other fees mentioned – here’s a more detailed look:
Now, back to those selling categories! As you may recall, a few require Professional Seller status (which, again, you can choose for yourself upon signing up!) or approval by Amazon, which you can gain by filling out the company’s Contact Us form. The majority of categories are open to all sellers, though, and require no approval. Take a look at the list below; we’ve noted where items require no additional approval with “No”:
For more details on any of the above product categories and their required approvals, visit Amazon’s site.
Still not sure what you want to sell? Resources are out there that can help you decide. Fit Small Business offers the following list on where to start looking:
Now that you’ve chosen what to sell, time to register your account on Amazon’s Seller Central.
Once you have registered, Selling on Amazon is a simple four-step process.
Since you’re reading a packaging blog, we bet you know the importance of packing and shipping, especially in the realm of small e-commerce businesses. Whether you choose Fulfillment By Amazon or choose to pack and ship yourself, you want it to be done right.
First, Fulfillment By Amazon, or FBA: The FBA business model allows you to utilize Amazon’s existing distribution network and customer base. Amazon will warehouse your products, fulfill orders and even provide customer service so you don’t have to be hands-on with every aspect of the business. With FBA, all you need to do is ship the products to Amazon’s warehouse, and the company will take over from there. What this means for entrepreneurs is that you can act like a big corporation without the headache of actually being one.
The other option is to fulfill, pack, and ship orders yourself. Don’t worry, it’s not as daunting as it sounds – especially if you have the MINI PAK’R on your side! First things first, choose a shipping
method that best protects your products. Only then can you can look into reducing the expenses related to your shipping costs.
Some of the best things you can do to reduce shipping costs are to look for packaging that fits your products snugly and use a filler material to reduce impacts. For example, using an appropriately sized package can reduce costs in two ways: First, it reduces the amount of filler material that you’ll need to use inside of the shipments. Second, it reduces dimension-based shipping expenses.
For these reasons, you’ll want to stock a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles of boxes and mailers so that you can package each order properly. Here are a few of the most common types of packages you should consider adding to your warehouse:
Note that some of these options are available under flat-rate shipping models, so be sure to check available flat-rates on cardboard mailers and smaller boxes.
When it comes to filler materials, you’re already set with your MINI PAK’R. The wide variety of air cushions are not only easy, fast, and cost-effective, they’re also a guaranteed perfect fit for whatever you’re shipping, thanks to MINI PAK’R’s wide range of options.
Don’t forget, if you’re fulfilling an order on Amazon, you’ll need to check up on Amazon’s guidelines as well.
While it may seem daunting at first, selling on Amazon can be an easy way to get acquainted with e-commerce. Whether as a hobby or as a full-time job, many find selling on Amazon to be fulfilling and even fun. We hope you’ve found this guide to be a helpful introduction to the wide world of Amazon e-commerce!
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