How to Sell on Amazon FBA in 2024: The Ultimate Guide by Amazing.com

Have you ever seen a product when browsing Amazon and said, “Hey, wait a minute – I could sell that”? Many of us have been there. Why should other sellers be the ones to rake in all the profits when you could pad your bottom line yourself by selling on Amazon?

You may be saying, “I don’t have any e-commerce experience. Can I still do it?” Indeed, you can, and we’re going to show you exactly how. 

You’ll learn how to select the right products, which fulfillment option suits you best, how to get positive sentiment, and how to market your burgeoning e-commerce business to achieve more growth. 

Table of Contents for How to Sell on Amazon

1. Introduction to Selling Products on Amazon 
2. The Best Way to Start Selling on Amazon: Step-by-Step Guide
3. How to Market and Sell Your Product on Amazon
4. Customer Service and Reviews
5. How to Sell Books on Amazon (Even If You’re Not a Writer)
6. Selling on Amazon Without Inventory 
7. How to Sell Products on Amazon Internationally
8. Selling on Amazon from Outside the USA 
9. Monitoring and Scaling Your Amazon FBA Business
10. When and How Do You Get Paid?
11. Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
12. Conclusion: Aspire to Grow on Amazon 
13. FAQs

Introduction to Selling Products on Amazon

So, are you ready to realize your e-commerce aspirations? Don't miss the considerations ahead. 

Why Sell on Amazon?

Now, this may seem like a rhetorical question. The obvious answer is more money, right?

But here’s the kicker: there are plenty more benefits to selling on Amazon than that. Just take a look.

Trusted Platform

July 5th, 1994 was the day Jeff Bezos created Amazon in a Bellevue, Washington garage. Why this random factoid? It proves that Amazon has decades of experience. There is arguably no better-known e-commerce platform than this. They’re at the top of their game. 

Amazon transcends generations and countries, offering worldwide services. That kind of sterling reputation is hard to come by, but it’s one Amazon has maintained unwaveringly for decades now. 

When people discover a seller on Amazon, there’s an inherent trust built in. After all, if the seller was unsavory, then why would Amazon allow them on the platform?

Exactly. 

Access to a Huge Audience 

2024 data has found that 180.1 million people subscribe to Amazon Prime in the United States alone. That doesn’t account for the audiences that aren’t subscribed to Prime, as well as those outside of the US.

All of that is to say that Amazon has a ginormous audience. While sure, your products might not appeal to everyone, the audience you curate could be massive. That gives you plenty of opportunities to win more conversions and sales. 

No Need for Inventory

Usually, part of running a successful e-commerce business is having a warehouse to stock your supply (well, unless you’re dropshipping, but we digress). 

However, when you’re just starting, obtaining the space and capital for a warehouse seems impossible. 

You want to know one of the best parts of choosing Amazon for your online selling needs? You don’t need a warehouse!

Amazon has fulfillment centers galore. There are more than 185 of them around the world, including 100 in the US alone. Surely, there’s an Amazon fulfillment center in your backyard or close to it.

You can send Amazon all of your products (in bulk, if you want to), and they’ll take care of the rest. Yes, that’s right, Amazon will hold onto your inventory for you.

But wait, it gets better. When a customer places an order, the Amazon fulfillment center will pick it, pack it, and ship it, too. 

When deciding on how to sell on Amazon, the logistics of warehousing, picking, packaging, and shipping are some of the hardest parts of the process. Amazon makes it easy! 

International Options 

As a multi-billion-dollar company, Amazon always seeks new ways to grow. That’s part of why the company has expanded into international waters. You could achieve new business goals by growing your audience in other countries, as Amazon gives you the keys to that kingdom. 

Overview of Selling Plans  

Have we whetted your e-commerce appetite yet? Then let’s dig a little deeper into Amazon’s selling plans so you can select the right one for you. 

Individual

As the name implies, the Individual plan is recommended for solo sellers eager to get a foot in the door with Amazon. You only pay $0.99 for each item you sell, which isn’t bad.

You can add your products under any of the standard Amazon categories, which are as follows:

• Luggage and travel accessories

• Health and personal care

• Sports

• Baby

• Electronics 

• Jewelry 

• Shoes and clothing

• Fine art

• Outdoors

• Photo and camera

• Collectible coins

• Amazon Kindle

• Amazon device accessories

• Pet supplies 

• Arts, crafts, and sewing

• Home appliances

• Toys

• Books

• Beauty

• Home and Kitchen

The individual seller plan makes the most sense if you plan on selling 40 items or fewer. Even at the $0.99 fee per item sold, the Professional plan becomes cheaper for any volume of items over 40. 

Professional 

The other Amazon seller plan is the Professional plan. This is cost-effective if your selling order volume exceeds 40 items. You’ll pay $39.99 per month as a subscription fee, but you don’t have to pay each time you sell a product. 

But wait, that’s not all. The Professional plan also unlocks additional categories for you to use when selling on Amazon, including:

• Watches

• Blu-ray, DVD, and video

• Sports collectibles

• Professional services

• Scientific and Industrial 

• Gourmet, food, and grocery 

• Fine art

• Fine Jewelry 

• Fashion Jewelry

• Collectible coins

• B2B products

• Automotive accessories and parts 

Let’s compare the pricing according to the number of items sold between the Individual and Professional plans, shall we?

The Best Way to Start Selling on Amazon: Step-by-Step Guide

Okay, so you selected a type of seller account. Kudos to you, but that’s only the beginning. The next step in how to sell on Amazon is to create a seller account and set up your Seller Central account. 

Don’t worry – we’ll explain everything so you can do it correctly. 

Creating Your Seller Account

Do you already have an Amazon account? Well, you’re in luck. You can use your customer account information to join its Seller Central platform. 

Of course, if you’d rather use an entirely separate email to register, such as a business email address, you can do that too. 

Visit the Sell on Amazon website here, then click either the Log In or Sign Up buttons. If you log in, you’ll be asked to supply your username and password. 

If you create an account, you’ll have to input your first and last name, email address, and a unique password that’s six characters or more. Then, type the password again and click Next.

Required Information for Account Creation

Amazon will ask you to provide additional business information when creating your account, including:

• Your personal or business telephone number.

• Your registered business address is associated with your business license.

• Your Company Registration Number, which you should have received after successfully registering your business.

• Your full business name.

• Your business type, including charitable, private, or public. You can select “None, I am an individual” if yours isn’t a business but a solo seller account. 

• Business location, specifically, your country of operation. 

You also need to provide information about yourself, like:

• First, middle, and last name

• Residential address

• Country of birth

• Date of birth

• Country of citizenship

Also, you will have to input your credit card information and banking info. Amazon accepts many types of credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, JCB, Discover, Diners Club, and American Express.

Even better, the card doesn’t have to be under your business name or your personal name. You could use a spouse or family member’s card, no problem. 

You don’t need a US-based bank account to sell on Amazon, either. Amazon offers a Currency Converter to ensure you get paid in your currency, although it doesn’t support all regions and countries as of yet. 

Now, there are only a few more required steps. Amazon will ask about your products and e-commerce store, including your brand or manufacturer status, business certifications, and product codes. 

To wrap up your account registration, Amazon requires you to upload proof of your residential business address and government-issued identification. The proof of residential business should be from within the most recent 180 days. 

Amazon takes its verifications seriously. That’s why you can either have a video call with an Amazon associate, during which you’ll show the above documents, or upload a photo of yourself holding the government ID. 

Configuring Your Seller Central Account 

And with that, you’re only one step away from selling on Amazon: configuring your new Seller Central account. 

Basically, you should check the following criteria to ensure it’s accurate, then update it as needed:

• User permissions (if your store is set to private, you won’t get very many sales!)

• Login settings 

• Notification preferences (so you never miss a piece of the action)

• Returns and shipping settings

• Business and payment information

• Public seller profile 

Are you a brand owner with rights to your brand? Amazon offers its Brand Registry program, which it recommends for eligible sellers who are just starting their own e-commerce stores. 

Amazon Brand Registry connects your brand to your products, so you should set it up before you begin listing any products. 

While optional, the Amazon Brand Registry offers a handful of perks that make it worth your while. Here’s what you can access as a member:

• Assistance, from guides to tips lists, FAQs, and other educational resources to help you maximize your usage of the Brand Registry. 

• An Impact Dashboard that helps you discover bad listings and get them removed, keeping your brand unblemished. 

• Neutral patent evaluations if you ever get into a patent dispute and don’t necessarily want to go to court to get it settled. Amazon has third-party evaluators who operate neutrally and can assess whether copyright laws have been violated. 

• Brand Registry support specialist access in case of policy violations, listing problems, or even technical difficulties. 

• The option to report a violation, such as design rights, patent, copyright, and trademark violations as they happen.

• Access to automated protection. Amazon will feed your intellectual property information through its machine-learning algorithm to ensure your products stay safe automatically. 

Finding a Product to Sell for Beginners

So, what should you sell on Amazon? This is a question beginners can easily spend weeks or even months pondering. 

After all, part of how to sell on Amazon successfully hinges on selecting the right product. 

Here’s the deal: your products should be in a niche that’s popular enough to attract buyers, but not so popular that it’s oversaturated. 

These strategies will help you find that sweet spot.

Market Research Tools and Strategies

You must know what the market out there is like, as that’s the only way to determine if there’s any demand for your product specialty. 

And if there isn’t? It’ll be time to pivot. 

Here are some of our most recommended tactics and tools for your market research. 

Amazon Best Sellers

Amazon conveniently lists all its best sellers according to department (i.e., category). You don’t even need to leave Amazon’s website for these insights. 

The information updates regularly, so you can be sure that, as you compare products, you’re looking at up-to-date numbers. 

Thinking of selling overseas on Amazon? Don’t miss the International Best Sellers list. It will be instrumental in helping you make smart choices on what to sell in a new market. 

Product Opportunity Explorer

Another tool under the Amazon umbrella is the Product Opportunity Explorer. You need a Seller Account to access it, but it’s free. 

As a name like ‘Product Opportunity Explorer’ suggests, you can find all sorts of insights into the best products to focus on. 

For example, you can review your audience's behavior to determine what kinds of products might interest them.

Amazon will recommend product opportunities that could be viable for your niche or industry, allowing you to grow your e-commerce business without spending too much money. 

Zoof   

Zoof is an excellent e-commerce tool to have on your side. It uses the power of AI to help you achieve more store-related goals. For instance, you can run a niche analysis to find new opportunities, or you can check your rank in real-time with RankSpy.

More so, Zoof has a keyword processor and Amazon keyword finder so you can break into the specific market you want. 

Sourcing Methods

You know what you’re going to sell, but how are you going to put it into the hands of eager consumers? 

It’s time to select a sourcing method. Let’s review all your options. 

Dropshipping

First, you’ve got dropshipping, a hugely popular strategy for e-commerce store owners. In 2024, the market is projected to reach $301 billion, with Asia-Pacific dominating the dropshipping world. 

So, what is dropshipping? It’s an e-commerce model where you work with a dropshipper for order fulfillment. You stock items on your Amazon store, and when a customer purchases something, you let the dropshipper know.

They’re the ones managing a warehouse with all your stock, not you. The dropshipper will also handle the responsibilities of picking, packing, and shipping the order. You only have to let the customer know the order has shipped, then wait for it to arrive. 

Wholesale

Wholesaling is another distribution method that involves wholesalers, distributors, and retailers. 

You’d sell your stock in large supplies to a wholesaler, who pays a discounted price for buying in bulk. Then, the wholesaler sells the products to retailers. 

Your e-commerce brand benefits because your products are exposed to new audiences, and the wholesaler also benefits, as they increase the retail sales price to make money. 

Private Label

Amazon allows its sellers to explore private labels for some products. These specialty products are made by third parties and then sold under familiar names. 

AmazonFresh, Happy Belly, Amazon Essentials, Wickedly Prime, Revly, and Amazing Baby are all examples of private labels. 

The private label retailers compete with other name brands but tend to win a lot of sales due to one factor: 

Private label products are sold cheaper.

Of course, it should result in more sales for your e-commerce store overall, and certainly a steady supply of customers.  

Custom Manufacturing 

This fulfillment method takes everything from the above e-commerce models and mashes them together into something that works for your Amazon storefront. 

If you decide to opt for a custom commerce model, you need to put thought, attention, research, and care into the form of fulfillment you create to drive success.  

Considerations for Quality, Price, and Supplier Reliability 

How to choose the right sourcing method for your new e-commerce store?

The first factor to bear in mind is quality. Well, product quality, that is. 

With wholesaling, you have complete control over what you hand to the wholesaler and what will eventually land on store shelves (or online). With private labels, there’s less of that product control, which is something to keep in mind.

Price is another huge factor, of course. Wholesaling and dropshipping are very cost-effective for an e-commerce brand, whereas private label products are more efficiently priced for the consumer. 

You might be wondering, what about supplier reliability? Wholesaling, dropshipping, and private label sourcing all offer various degrees of hands-off fulfillment. 

That puts less of the responsibility on you, but what if something goes wrong?

For example, if you work with a dropshipper and a customer’s order is late, there’s not a whole lot you can do to help them. You can nudge your dropshipper to push the order along, but that’s about as much say as you have.

This may be one of those times when a custom combination suits your e-commerce brand best. 

Fulfillment Options 

As an Amazon seller, you can use their fulfillment services. You can also rely on merchant fulfillment as part of Amazon.  

Let’s put Amazon FBA and FBM head-to-head to see which comes out on top.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) vs. Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM)

Fulfillment by Amazon is an Amazon customer fulfillment suite that you can use alone or combined with FBM, while Fulfillment by Merchant is self-order fulfillment, which can save money and time. 

Fulfillment by Merchant has many more advantages, such as:

• Faster refunds and returns thanks to Amazon’s built-in FBM tools.

• The option to pack and ship specialty, bulk, temperature-sensitive, or weighty products yourself. 

• Reliable shipping speeds of a day or two through Seller Fulfilled Prime and Premium Shipping programs by Amazon.

• Access to Veego, an inventory management tool, that you can use for buying shipping labels and automating your inventory. 

• Amazon Buy Shipping is included, which means you can get cheaper shipping rates versus using standard shippers like USPS or FedEx. Amazon even offers to cover refund expenses if a customer complains that their package never arrived. 

• Custom fulfillment options and the freedom to choose your transit times, handling times, capacity limits, and shipping rates. 

However, be advised that you’re not eligible for Prime shipping right out of the gate with Fulfillment by Merchant. 

Are you ready to compare that to Fulfillment by Amazon? Let’s take a look, starting with the benefits:

• Fulfillment by Amazon cuts out a lot of the work you don’t often want to do, like returns management and customer inquiries. This frees up more of your time to put into product creation. 

• Access to all of Amazon’s national and international fulfillment centers so you can expand your audience. 

• Order fulfillment with reliable shipping speeds that today’s consumers have come to expect when using Amazon, ensuring you meet their expectations. 

• Even steeper reduced costs using Fulfillment by Amazon for shipping versus Fulfillment by Merchant, 70 percent versus 31 percent. 

That said, the sales tax when using FBA differs from state to state, which can create confusion if your inventory warehouse follows one set of sales tax rules and your state another. 

Fulfillment by Amazon can also be expensive, especially if you're charged fees for storing items in a warehouse for too long. 

And on that note, it’s good to get familiar with the fees you’ll face as an FBA member. Amazon has low-price and standard FBA prices for non-apparel and apparel, with costs that vary depending on the time of the year and the shipping rate. 

These tables will break it all down for you, beginning with non-apparel items at standard FBA pricing:

Alternatively, these are the low-price Fulfillment by Amazon fees for non-apparel items:

If you’re one of millions of Amazon sellers specializing in apparel, the Fulfillment by Amazon fees below will show you what to expect:

Let’s take a look at the low-cost Fulfillment by Amazon plan pricing for apparel sales:

If you use FBA for inventory, you’ll pay monthly storage costs. And how expensive are these? Well, Amazon charges you according to your daily average volume in cubic feet and seasonally.

The fee from January to September through March 30th, 2024 is $0.87 per cubic foot for standard-sized items and $0.56 per cubic foot for oversized items. 

Between October and December, the costs are $2.40 per cubic foot for standard-sized items and $1.40 per cubic foot for oversized items.

From April 1st, 2024 onward, the fees between January and September for standard-sized items are $0.78 per cubic foot and $0.56 per cubic foot for oversized items. 

Then, from October to December, standard-sized items are $2.40 per cubic foot and oversized items are $1.40 per cubic foot.

Managing Inventory 

Few things can halt your growing e-commerce business in its tracks faster than stockouts. You don’t want to have to issue your customers an apology about delayed or canceled orders. 

These pointers for controlling inventory can help: 

• Invest in inventory management software: Inventory management tools exist for you to simplify your supply chain. You can always feel connected to your warehouses, even if you operate on the other side of the world. As a seller, Amazon offers you free access to Veeqo, its inventory management tool. 

• Use instant alerts and notifications: With the power of Veeqo , you’ll find it easy to stay in the loop when new orders come through. You can receive browser extension notifications so you’re always ready to get a customer’s order out on time. 

• Check-in with your suppliers regularly: Supplier communication is the cornerstone of a successful e-commerce business. You should share clear, open communication, where both parties feel fine admitting to mistakes as they arise. 

• Be ready for the unexpected: While inventory management software helps you prevent overstocks and stockouts, you never know when the supply chain can experience disruptions. You need to be ready for those times, creating a backup plan you can deploy when needed. 

• Use inventory data to make smarter future decisions: Veeqo is also handy for future-proofing. As you begin accumulating analytics related to your eCommerce business, Veeqo can forecast where your e-commerce business might go next. You can decide on products that should satisfy consumer demand. 

How to Market and Sell Your Product on Amazon

Amazon will have 9 million sellers in 2024. How can you possibly stand out from all the competition? You need to know how to market yourself.

Promoting Your Products

Are you nervous about building an advertising budget? Perhaps you feel stuck on where to start your marketing? Amazon has you covered with Amazon Advertising. 

Let’s look at the three types and when to use them. 

Sponsored Products

Amazon’s Sponsored Products use a cost-per-click, or CPC, ad structure. 

In other words, you pay Amazon each time someone clicks on your ad, although it’s usually a low fee. 

Still mulling over your options? Let’s talk about the benefits of Sponsored Products:

• Amazon can select target keywords for you, or you can choose your own keywords to target. 

• Budgets and bids are entirely in your hands, which will help you keep your advertising affordable. 

• Your ads appear on the Amazon mobile app and mobile and desktop devices. 

Sponsored Brands

We’re not finished yet. You might also consider Amazon Sponsored Brands. 

Under this form of advertising, you’d create video and static creatives that complement Posts, Brand Stores, and Brand Follows. 

Sponsored Brands appear on the homepage, on product detail pages, in the middle of search results, and at the top or bottom of search results. You can upload custom images, videos, or store spotlights depending on which placement you choose.

And the best part? Sponsored Brands are designed to guide potential customers through the sales funnel faster. They’ll learn about your brand, discover your products, and purchase. 

Sponsored Display

You might be wondering – what are Amazon Sponsored Display ads? They’re available to agencies, vendors, and Amazon Brand Registry members. 

After registering for the ads, you can easily create a campaign on Amazon. Like the other ad options, you choose what you’re willing to spend, how you’ll optimize, and the type of ad. 

For instance, you can upload a video creative to showcase your product, or maybe an appealing static image creative to drive more conversions. After associating a product with the campaign and choosing your target market, you’re ready to launch.

Leveraging Amazon Deals and Coupons for Visibility

With Amazon Coupons and Deals, you can discount your products at just the right time—such as after launching your ad campaign—to increase conversions and sales. 

Driving External Traffic to Amazon

You should advertise your products outside of Amazon. Email marketing, social media, content marketing, and influencer marketing are all excellent options for converting your target market into regular buying customers. 

The key to building an audience? Share valuable content. 

Yes, it sounds easy, and it can be if you know what valuable content entails. It’s educational, informal, and even entertaining. 

Once you have an audience, you can turn around and begin promoting products that solve their pain points. That external traffic will begin flowing in. 

Customer Service and Reviews when Selling on Amazon

Have you noticed that the accounts on Amazon that rake in the most cash (and get the most promotion) have thousands or tens of thousands of reviews, all mostly positive?

That’s not by coincidence. According to social proof marketing software WiserNotify, sales pages generate 34 percent more sales if they include testimonials. 

Of course, not all reviews will be good. You can’t please everybody, but you do want a positive sentiment for your brand and its products overall. 

Let’s take a look at how that’s done.

Managing Customer Feedback

This is it. Your first bad review. 

Then another. And another.

You want to hide the reviews so you never have to read them again, but you can’t do that. 

Today’s consumers are too savvy. If they see a product has nothing but glowing reviews, it raises questions. 

Instead, the best way to handle negative reviews is head-on. Respond to them. Offer to make the situation right again. 

Every company has bad reviews. They’re inevitable. What’s most important is that you have enough positive reviews to outnumber the few negative comments.  

Responding to Customer Inquiries 

Part of maintaining a positive seller reputation is being timely. When customers have comments or questions, you can’t leave them on the back burner, or they’ll defect to your competitors. 

As your e-commerce store is beginning to bring in more money, now’s a good time to think about expanding your staff. 

Here’s why: you’ll need all the help you can get with managing reviews and inquiries. 

Turns out it’s not only the negative reviews that need attention. Customers appreciate it when you comment on their glowing sentiments as well. It’s a great way to build loyalty and trust. 

Prioritizing timely responses to their questions and comments keeps the relationship progressing forward on a positive note. 

How to Sell Books on Amazon (Even If You’re Not a Writer)

Amazon allows you to sell books of almost any kind, from children’s books to comic books, textbooks, and novels. 

You can sell in all sorts of formats, from eBooks to paperbacks and hardcovers.

Also, Amazon lets you list books’ varying conditions, with these being the accepted condition categories:

• Used – Acceptable

• Used – Good

• Used – Very Good

• Used – Like New

• New 

Selling on Amazon Without Inventory 

You can sell on Amazon, even if you have zero inventory. 

Let’s review your options.

Amazon Associates Program

Are you an affiliate marketer? 

By joining the Amazon Associates Program, you can earn money through Amazon without selling anything directly. Instead, you’d post about products you love, and then earn a commission when your audience buys. 

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing

In today’s digital age, you don’t need a warehouse or stock to sell books. Whether you’ve penned the next great American novel or a tell-all nonfiction autobiography, KDP lets you self-publish digitally. 

You can also issue your books in print. Amazon will take care of printing and shipping, so you don’t have to.

Print on Demand

No inventory, no problem!

Amazon Print on Demand allows you to customize apparel and other products as orders come through. You don’t need a warehouse, and you don’t need to worry about having too much stock because an item didn’t sell. 

Amazon will take care of the custom printing for you, and of course, they’re good for shipping. You just bring in the commissions on the sales. 

Dropshipping 

Your last option for selling on Amazon without inventory is through dropshipping. You’ll recall that the dropshipper orders the inventory, stocks the products, packs them, and ships them, giving you much less to do.  

How to Sell on Amazon Internationally

Do you have the itch to expand your sales repertoire and grow your e-commerce brand internationally? Amazon makes it easy with Global Selling. 

Now, you can sell in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas. 

And get this – you don’t even need to speak the language. 

Amazon has a Build International Listings tool, global supply chain providers, and the aforementioned Amazon Currency Converter so you can get paid in your chosen currency. 

Ready to get started? Follow these steps:

• Make a unified selling account between North America and the country you want to sell in.

• Choose which products to sell and where. 

• Fill out all listing, safety, compliance, regulations, and tax paperwork. 

• Upload your product listings, 

Selling on Amazon from Outside the USA 

Amazon lets you sell from anywhere, even if you aren’t based in the US. Features like currency support and global suppliers make it easy and attainable for you to grow your eCommerce store. 

Monitoring and Scaling Your Amazon FBA Business

You know how to sell on Amazon, and you’re doing quite well. Using realistic projections, you achieved a successful first period by your standards. 

Keeping your business on the right track requires vigilant monitoring. Also, it’s never too early to think about scaling up.

Now: how do you do that? Let’s explore. 

Analyzing Sales and Performance

You want to know how much you made, right? It’s all on your Seller Central dashboard. 

Amazon makes it easy to digest this information, as it’s presented in graph and chart format. 

Need more information? Click Reports, then select Business Reports from your main menu on Seller Central. That will take you to the Sales Dashboard, which expands your selling insights. 

You can download any of your sales reports from Seller Central or export them to share with others. 

Also, don’t miss Amazon’s Revenue Calculator. This tool predicts profitability and helps you determine how viable any product is, ideally before you begin selling it. 

After inputting some information, the Revenue Calculator will generate your net profits, costs, and fees when using FBA. 

All you need to know is your product title or ASIN, EAN, UPC, ISBN, or SKU. Select Search, choose the products you want to estimate (whether one or several), and then wait for the tool to produce data. 

Scaling Your Business 

Gearing up for growth is a good move if your eCommerce business has been on an upward trajectory for several months or longer. 

Let’s review some actionable strategies that are sure to help you expand:

• Adding onto your product line will keep you on the cutting edge in your industry. Amazon’s built-in tools, including the Revenue Calculator, can help you find products to target, as can its Product Opportunity Explorer. Also, use your audience feedback to help as well. 

• Increase your advertising and marketing, dedicating more capital toward it. This will help create awareness of your brand and draw more people to your online storefront. 

• You should also expand your supply chain by hiring additional staff to oversee warehouses. Being able to keep more stock will help you elevate your order volume. 

• Use Amazon’s Global Selling feature to expand to international waters, whether right across the pond or halfway across the world. You can get the currency support you need and use global fulfillment centers. 

When and How Do You Get Paid when Selling on Amazon?

So, how do you get paid on Amazon, and how often?

Once you receive payment for a customer’s order, the funds go into Amazon Pay, your payment account as a seller. 

Next, on whatever settlement date is scheduled, the funds will leave your Amazon Pay account and go into your bank account. 

Most of the time, it’s three to five business days between account settlement and ACH transfer, so you should have access to your money fast.

However, there’s one exception: If you change your bank account info or need to add to it, there’s an additional three-day hold on all disbursements from the day you make the change onward. 

Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

If being a seller on Amazon was easy, everyone would do it. Let’s look at two poignant issues that can stop your success in its tracks and how to overcome them. 

Dealing with Account Suspensions

Amazon doesn’t suspend sellers for no reason. They might have issues with your credit or gift card’s personal data, or perhaps they feel your recent activities or location are suspicious. 

Until you get your account freed, you can’t use it. 

Amazon suspensions sometimes last for only a few hours but can go on for several weeks. The suspensions aren’t permanent, but still. The time you spend suspended means lost money. 

Fortunately, Amazon allows you to appeal against the suspension with a Plan of Action or POA. 

In your letter, you should explain that you understand what occurred and why as well as what you’ll do to prevent the mistake from happening again. 

Rushed appeals will rarely change the minds of the powers that be at Amazon, meaning your account suspension will persist even longer. 

Take your time and triple-check that your appeal includes the required information. 

Handling Intellectual Property Issues

If you believe someone has stolen your IP, you can report the infringement to Amazon. Its Report Infringement form is available for both buyers and sellers.

In the future, consider signing up for Amazon Brand Registry if you haven’t already. Remember, you can add proactive protection to a registered or pending trademark and track potential violations on your Impact Dashboard. 

Conclusion: Aspire to Grow on Amazon 

Selling on Amazon can pad your earnings as a part-time gig or even become your full-time job. With millions of sellers on the platform and millions more customers, you can list products, advertise, sell, fulfill orders, and monitor sales and other metrics all on the Amazon platform.

You’ve now got the basics of how to sell on Amazon, but don’t miss these resources for furthering your knowledge:

• Seller Central support

• Seller Forums

• Seller Central help

• Amazon Selling Partner Blog

• Seller University 

What are your thoughts on this guide on how to sell on Amazon? Let us know in the comments below. 

FAQs

How much does a typical Amazon seller make?

The numbers vary, but many sellers pull in at least $1,000 a month in product sales. Roughly half of sellers on Amazon earn between $1,000 and $25,000 a month. 

How much does it cost to start selling on Amazon?

As an Amazon Individual seller, you pay only $0.99 for each item you sell, versus the Professional seller account, where you pay $39.99 per month. In addition to those fees, you also have marketing and advertising fees and potentially shipping and warehousing costs as well. 

Do Amazon sellers pay for shipping? 

FBA members don’t have to pay for shipping, but if you use FBM, the shipping costs come out of your pocket.  

What are the first steps to sell on Amazon in 2024?

To start selling on Amazon in 2024, you first need to create a seller account. Visit the Amazon Services website and select "Start Selling." You’ll need to provide your business information, including your name, email address, and bank account details for payments. Once your account is set up, you can choose between two selling plans: the Individual plan, which is suitable for casual sellers, and the Professional plan, which is better for serious Amazon sellers who plan to sell more than 40 items per month.

What is the difference between FBA and FBM?

FBA, or Fulfillment by Amazon, allows Amazon sellers to store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers. Amazon takes care of storage, packaging, and shipping. On the other hand, FBM, or Fulfilled by Merchant, means that the seller is responsible for storing, packing, and shipping their products directly to customers. Choosing between FBA and FBM depends on your business model and how much control you want over the fulfillment process.

How does Seller Central work?

Seller Central is the web interface that Amazon sellers use to manage their Amazon store. It provides a dashboard where you can manage orders, track sales, and access inventory and performance metrics. You can also create new product listings, run advertising campaigns, and view your earnings reports. Familiarizing yourself with Seller Central is crucial for effectively managing your Amazon business.

What are some tips for finding products to sell?

Finding the right products to sell on Amazon requires research. Start by exploring trending products in your niche using tools like Jungle Scout or Helium 10. Look for products with high demand and low competition. You can also consider selling private label products, which are items manufactured by a third party but branded with your own label. Additionally, check Amazon's Best Sellers list to identify popular items.

Is it necessary to take an Amazon FBA course?

While it is not strictly necessary to take an Amazon FBA course, it can be highly beneficial, especially for new Amazon sellers. These courses provide in-depth knowledge about the platform, including best practices for finding a product, listing products, and optimizing for search results.