Amazon registration – get help to get started

Setting up products on Amazon and managing the associated processes can feel daunting at first. At WeMarket, we’ve dedicated ourselves to “cracking the code” to succeed with selling on Amazon. We are constantly expanding our expertise on the Amazon platform. Selling on Amazon is a complex process, which is why we set aside time every week to keep our knowledge up to date and stay informed about the latest changes Amazon introduces, ensuring we are always on top of the various processes.

Amazon is a bit like Google. It works best if you follow their rules and guidelines – otherwise you risk having your products suspended. This would mean you cannot sell your products for a period of time, which can become costly if you do not comply with the rules.

There are therefore a number of factors to consider and be aware of when preparing your products for sale on Amazon. Let’s take a look at some of them.

• Is Amazon right for you?
• How should you sell on Amazon?
• Which Amazon platforms should you sell on?
• How does Amazon differ from other similar platforms?
• Which products sell best on Amazon?
• What does it cost to be on Amazon?
• How much can you earn on Amazon?
• Ready to get started – what do you do?
• Amazon in Danish?
• Get help to get started

Is Amazon right for you?

The first thing you need to consider is whether Amazon is the right platform for you. Selling on Amazon requires both insight and patience. Insight, because you need to learn Amazon’s rules and guidelines. Patience, because there are no shortcuts to quick sales. As a new and unknown seller, it often takes several months to establish your first sales. In addition, consider the following aspects:

• Support. If you use Amazon UK, for example, be prepared for all support to be provided in English and in writing. You cannot call Amazon – you can only submit written support cases through their system. Occasionally, they may call you to clarify your query, but it is up to them to decide whether to do so. Their responses are usually quite prompt, but often somewhat vague. However, you can search their help sections and find excellent videos on YouTube that explain various aspects in detail.
• Time. Be prepared to spend a significant amount of time on Amazon-related tasks. If you manage everything yourself, there are many articles and videos to watch to understand how the platform works. Even if you outsource some areas, there are still many things you will need to manage independently.
• New tasks and routines. You will need to adapt to doing things differently from what you are used to. You must follow Amazon’s way of working, not your own. Amazon is not like other platforms. Their focus is on customer satisfaction, ensuring customers can buy quality products. As a result, Amazon places high demands on you as a seller. These requirements are designed to satisfy customers – not sellers.

How should you sell on Amazon?

You can sell products in three different ways:

• Merchant Fulfilled: You sell and fulfil orders yourself through Seller Central. You handle customer service, returns, and order management, etc. Open to everyone.
• Fulfilled by Amazon – also known as FBA: Amazon sells and fulfils orders for you through Seller Central. Amazon is responsible for customer service, returns, and order management, etc. Open to everyone.
• Vendor Central: Amazon handles wholesale/B2B sales for you via Vendor Central. You can also sell B2B through Seller Central, but Vendor Central gives you access to a range of advanced B2B features. Requires an invitation, which is easier if you have a recognised brand.

There are pros and cons to each option. For example, if you use FBA, you must send your products to an Amazon warehouse, following strict guidelines for packaging and shipping. In return, Amazon handles sales, packing, and delivery, allowing you to focus on other areas.

Feel free to contact WeMarket for advice on which options best suit your business.

Which Amazon platforms should you sell on?

In Europe, Amazon operates marketplaces in the UK, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany. Amazon is also available in Japan and the USA. If you wish to sell on multiple platforms, you need to be able to manage translations for the various languages. Since product titles and descriptions are often continuously optimised, coordinating with translators becomes more complex the more languages you manage. The user interface on Amazon is visually consistent across all platforms, but products are managed separately on each one. However, it is possible to update generic information across country platforms.

How does Amazon differ from other similar platforms?

The main differences between platforms lie in their strategic structure. eBay, for example, sells almost everything at low prices and handles used goods well. However, eBay does not manage returns as Amazon does. Amazon charges higher fees but provides a more secure selling platform. For some, the choice of platform is almost a matter of preference. Some people simply do not like Amazon, just as not everyone is fond of Microsoft. To determine which platforms are best for you, be ready to test your product sales across different platforms. Alternatively, you can start with Amazon and compare your sales there with those on your own webshop.

Which products sell best on Amazon?

There is intense competition on Amazon. The more generic your products, the harder it is to sell them. As with Google, niche products tend to be easier to sell than generic items like clothing, shoes, and electronics, as it is easier to optimise product titles and descriptions. With niche products, you are more likely to create unique content not used by many other sellers. That said, you can still succeed with generic products – it simply requires more effort. For instance, if you sell clothing under your own brand, you will have better opportunities to market your products and stand out from the competition.

What does it cost to be on Amazon?

There is no simple answer to this. Amazon takes its share of the profits – as much as they believe they can. You can find examples of what it costs to sell on Amazon here. As the calculations show, it can be difficult to get a complete overview of the total costs involved.

How much can you earn on Amazon?

Your earnings on Amazon depend on a variety of factors. If you sell through FBA, where Amazon sells and fulfils your orders, your profit will depend on your ability to negotiate favourable terms with Amazon. They will always try to take as large a share as possible, and your task is to negotiate so you retain as much of the profit as possible.

Ready to get started – what do you do?

If you have decided to sell on Amazon, your first step is to create an account on Seller Central. You will need to provide basic details such as your company name and registration number. These details must also be verified, which requires submitting a copy of the contact person’s passport and a bill confirming your company’s address.

Product listing on Amazon

Next, you will need to list your products, whether you are selling directly or using Amazon FBA. Products can be added manually or uploaded in bulk using templates provided by Amazon. The required product information depends on the items you wish to sell. Each product must be assigned to a category, and each category has specific fields to complete.

Listing products manually gives you greater control over the information you provide, which can be beneficial during a trial period if you want to start with a few products to gain experience with the process.

If you have many products to list, it is best to automate the process using Amazon’s templates for bulk uploads. In our experience, these templates often need some adjustment to work optimally. We are happy to assist you with this process, as it can seem overwhelming without expert support.

In addition to titles and descriptions, images are crucial on Amazon. Ideally, you should have as many images as possible, showing each product from multiple angles. For each angle, you should also have images in all available colours or sizes, which can add up to a significant number of images to produce.

Your products are listed – what next?

Once your products are listed, it is time to start selling. Sales are the most important factor for Amazon, as they earn money by selling your products. Unlike Google, which mainly sells adverts based on searches, the more you sell, the greater the opportunities Amazon gives you to sell even more. If you are not making sales, it is also harder to gain visibility. For example, you cannot simply advertise products with no sales history, as Amazon prefers to show users products that are already selling well and are therefore relevant.

It is, therefore, essential to optimise wherever possible – improve your product descriptions, add new images, check your stock levels, and so on.

Stock synchronisation

If you are selling the same products through multiple channels, such as both your own webshop and Amazon, it is vital to keep your stock levels accurate. If your Amazon stock does not match your actual inventory, you will be penalised by Amazon. Accumulating too many penalties can lead to your products being suspended. If you indicate you have 10 units in stock, you must be able to fulfil 10 orders as soon as they come in.

Certain webshop systems can integrate with Amazon so that stock levels are updated automatically across all platforms whenever a sale is made. WeMarket can advise you on the best way to handle this with your current systems.

Reviews on Amazon

What we in Denmark call “anmeldelser” are known as reviews on Amazon. Along with sales, reviews are highly valued. Products without reviews will struggle to appear at the top of Amazon’s listings. Products with many (positive) reviews will see higher sales. It is, therefore, important to encourage your customers to leave a review of the products they purchase, as this will increase your chances of making future sales.

How do you price products on Amazon?

Amazon wants its users to get the best possible deal. If your products are more expensive than your competitors’, your product will rank lower. It can be beneficial to experiment with lowering prices, and even set very low prices on selected products to stimulate sales, even if it means making a loss on those items to get things moving.

Offering discounted prices is often effective. Displaying a previous price with a strikethrough followed by a lower price not only signals a special offer but must also remain competitive compared to other sellers.