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According to an Amazon SEO consultant, processing FBA reimbursements on your seller account is just a tiny part of your entire Amazon business operation. However, to get your full profit down to the last cent, an Amazon reimbursement service might be necessary.

Running a business is anything but easy. Time and dedication are the keys to success. But, when most business aspects get overwhelming, you might not be able to handle things such as auditing your finances, creating a case, and submitting a claim to Amazon Seller Central for reimbursement.

Sometimes, you won’t even be sure if Amazon will approve it or if you will ever get your hard-earned money back. When the going gets tough, Amazon reimbursement service providers can spring into action. But will an Amazon reimbursement provider suit your case better, or will a fully automated Amazon reimbursement software serve your needs best? 

Read on, and we'll help you decide.

Troubled Amazon Sellers’ Options for Hassle-Free Amazon Reimbursement

If you are running a 5- or even 6-figure Amazon store, we are confident that many of your business aspects—like customer returns and support, order fulfillment, and marketing—are outsourced. That means you do not do all these yourself. You have employees or independent contractors doing these things for you so you can focus on running your business.

So why do many Amazon FBA sellers spend at most 12 hours each month hunting down any refunds? That is more than an entire workday spent just looking for errors in your Amazon seller account and reporting them to the system.

Considering how time-consuming it can be, hiring a professional Amazon reimbursement service or using an Amazon reimbursement software is a wise decision. Let’s discover the factors each option excels at to determine which best suits your needs as an Amazon seller.

Option 1: Amazon Reimbursement Service Provider

Similar to hiring a digital marketing team to create effective ads for your brand, a professional Amazon reimbursement service typically involves hiring a team of experts to handle various reimbursement issues—like damaged inventory, incorrect FBA fees or charges, and more—on your behalf. 

They will analyze your Amazon transactions, identify potential issues, and submit reimbursement requests to Amazon for you, saving you the effort. This option can be convenient if you don't have the time or expertise to handle the Amazon FBA reimbursement process yourself.

Here are a couple of reasons why hiring a professional Amazon reimbursement team is beneficial:

• They are experts at what they do, allowing you to rely entirely on the quality of their service. Why so? Because they have hours of experience on the platform and in-depth knowledge of Amazon’s policies, allowing them to solve your reimbursement issues without breaking a sweat.
• They can scan your FBA account going back at least 12 months, and you can pay them by hours spent. Now, that saves you a couple of hours which can be dedicated to more critical money-making duties.
• They can manually submit reimbursement requests to Amazon. Submitting requests and claims is an essential requirement of Amazon, and they try to avoid automated claims. This one is not an easy task. Any discrepancies will put the whole thing in the dumpster.

Now, if you are on a tight budget, you might find it expensive or unnecessary to hire an Amazon reimbursement service provider. But if you decide to, you better have a strategy to get the most out of their services, so they get paid only for doing the most important tasks you need help with.

Option 2: Amazon Reimbursement Software

On the other hand, people looking for a more straightforward, cost-effective, and hands-on approach to reimbursement issues may opt to use another type of Amazon reimbursement assistance: refund and reimbursement software.

Some FBA sellers who are pressed for time may choose a refunds manager like Refund Genie or other do-it-yourself software. Using such services definitely saves you time since almost all of the process is automated. 

More and more Amazon sellers are opting for automated reimbursement software solutions. Why? The software has the following features that can make the reimbursement process a breeze:

• Automatically analyzes your Amazon transactions and identifies instances where you may be owed money.
• Helps you save time performing tedious tasks such as finding missing reimbursements, submitting refund claims, and keeping track of errors.
• Helps cut down the time spent on processing a claim on Amazon. 
• Potentially finds errors that cannot be seen easily with even the sharpest human eye.
• Provides detailed reports on your Amazon transactions and reimbursements, helping you identify trends and make more informed business decisions.
• Helps you stay up-to-date with Amazon policies and ensures that your reimbursement requests comply with Amazon's guidelines.

However, like all things, these automated reimbursement software have their fair share of drawbacks. 

The downside of using software is that it is not 100% foolproof. Although the software can speed up the process, there are times when it can inaccurately identify reimbursement issues, leading to significant losses for the seller.

There are also certain matters in the reimbursement process that are best handled with a human touch, such as drafting reimbursement claims and filling out inventory forms.

It’s still best to carefully and regularly review the reimbursement claims generated by the software to prevent these unfortunate scenarios.

Let Professionals Handle Your Amazon FBA Refunds and Reimbursements

Both reimbursement services and software are incredibly effective and valuable tools that can assist troubled Amazon sellers throughout the reimbursement journey. Deciding which to use ultimately boils down to your business’s demands.

Knowing the exact needs of your business is the most important factor to consider when choosing which Amazon reimbursement service is perfect for you and your seller account. Do you have more time to go through the entire reimbursement process yourself, or would you rather have someone else do it on your behalf?

Of course, if we have to pick and recommend one, it is to get a trusted and expert Amazon reimbursement service provider like Seller Interactive that can create accurate reports and get Amazon to refund the profit that is rightfully yours.

Do you need help with your Amazon reimbursements and other refund issues? Schedule a consultation with a respectable Amazon account manager from our team and recover your Amazon FBA refunds today!

With over 310 million active user accounts, Amazon's influence on online shoppers and business owners worldwide is unquestionable. 

Amazon’s success depends on several critical factors that propelled the ecommerce giant to the top of the online shopping arena and made it into the world’s leading online retailer.

So, how does Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO, and his team of over 1,500,000 professionals continue to do it? Let’s return to Amazon’s humble beginnings, discover several important Amazon key success factors, and learn how to incorporate these values into your business strategy.

The Origin and Evolution of Amazon

Before becoming one of the largest ecommerce platforms in the world, Amazon started as a mere online bookstore during its early days in 1995. Because of the ever-present global demand for literature, Bezos believed that selling books was the most efficient and effective way to establish a solid footing in the digital world. 

One of Amazon’s early promises to its audience (to deliver books to readers no matter where they may be) became its most significant edge against its competition. Because of this, Bezos’ motto, “Get big fast,” foreshadowed the platform’s future exponential growth. 

Still, while the platform initially focused on selling and shipping books to its readers, Amazon’s founder never settled on just the literary realm. Bezos and Amazon’s management team were determined to turn the platform into a store that could sell anything and everything.

With this mission in mind, Amazon expanded its scope from literary to music and video in 1998. It continued widening its range by opening up other product categories like toys, electronic devices, video games, and more the following year.

As newer technological advancements were launched and implemented, Amazon promptly adapted to these changes and seamlessly evolved with the rest of the world, allowing the platform to release innovative products and services that catered to their customer base’s ever-changing needs.

For instance, the ecommerce giant introduced their handy e-reader Kindle in 2007 amidst the rise of ebooks. Additionally, as the world slowly transitioned into using streaming services, Amazon followed suit by enhancing its already-present services like Amazon Music and launching new products like the Amazon Fire TV.

This Amazon strategy paid off over the years. The ecommerce giant has garnered several awards for its impressive innovation and quick and prompt customer service, especially in addressing and resolving issues. 

With this, it has employed an effective marketing scheme. It tapped into the right media channels, used well-thought-out business models, and executed strategies that built a robust foundation for the company while earning the admiration and loyalty of its customers. 

Why Is Amazon So Successful? 3 Amazon Key Success Factors

Returning to Amazon’s early days will undoubtedly inspire any aspiring business owner. However, learning about the platform’s history doesn’t end with appreciating what Amazon has brought to the ecommerce table. 

What can we learn from the Amazon success story? How did its founder catapult the marketplace into success in such a short period, and how has Amazon maintained its top position despite the cutthroat competition in the digital world?

Focus on Customer Satisfaction

Perhaps the cornerstone behind Amazon’s success is its dedication to continually improving customer experience and aiming for optimum customer satisfaction. In fact, the platform focuses on a principle called “customer obsession,” placing its audience at the center of all its operations.

Way back in the days when Amazon sold nothing more than books, the company had already prioritized providing optimal customer service. In addition to building an influential customer-centric business culture, the firm developed tools to ensure a pleasurable and convenient buying experience.

Amazon's customer-centric approach has led to its development of advanced customer metrics. These aspects allow the platform's administration and sellers to gauge customer satisfaction. The information serves as their basis for creating and implementing future tactics to improve their operations further. 

Overall, these strategies inform sellers of their brand's performance in meeting customers' expectations. Amazon gauges these essential aspects through the following measures: 

• Late Shipment Rate (LSR): The sellers' ability to fulfill orders is determined based on the confirmation received after shipping the products.
• Order Defect Rate (ODR): The ODR determines the amount of negative feedback a product receives from dissatisfied buyers. 
• Return Dissatisfaction Rate (RDR): The RDR presents valuable information that tells how satisfied customers are and the manner in which returns are processed. 

Eagerness To Expand and Innovate

Another essential value in Amazon’s success story is its constant initiative and desire to expand its scope. This principle stems from its customer-centric approach, wanting to satisfy the evolving demands of its customer base and present an optimum customer experience. 

Amazon was able to branch out from its original focus on books, and diversify what it could offer to its customers.

The platform's passion for innovation aligns with its desire for expansion. As mentioned, despite the constant changes in today’s world with the advancement of technology and social media, Amazon remains one of the most used ecommerce platforms because of its adaptability.

This constant adaptability allowed Amazon to identify opportunities and release products and services that could cater to its audience’s needs. 

Dedication to Excellence

Most of all, Amazon continues to excel in its realm because of its commitment to operational excellence. Rather than stagnating, Amazon never fails to look for ways to continuously enhance its systems and develop new features that can help customers and sellers on the platform.

For instance, Amazon introduced A+ Content in 2008 to improve product listing readability for shoppers and to help sellers effectively share and introduce their product’s features to potential customers.

Additionally, it continually launches new features like the Manage Your Experiments tool for sellers who wish to A/B test and optimize their product listings, and constantly updates these features to enhance their functionality. 

Final Thoughts

Amazon’s influence and power in the digital realm would not be possible without its solid guiding principles and strong brand values. In its humble dedication to serving customers and developing its systems according to their needs, the ecommerce platform is able to cement itself as a trusted and dominant force in the industry.

Hopefully, with Amazon’s keys to success in mind, you can also develop efficient business strategies to propel your brand forward. Do you want to unlock the secrets to boost your business and bring your brand to success on Amazon? Get in touch with one of Seller Interactive’s expert Amazon account managers today.

The new coronavirus strain has wreaked havoc to the world, adversely impacting economies and prompting consumers to reconsider their buying habits. This change explains why top selling items on Amazon may differ from those of the previous months. With this, it is essential to note that not all countries are following the same trends. Hence, it means that the same top-selling product online in the UK may not be exactly alike as that in Germany or the US.  That is why it is recommended to have an Amazon product listing optimization service in your Amazon campaign.

To clue you in on the latest online shopping trends amid the on-going crisis, go over these marked developments based on the top three most in-demand products to date:

1. Grocery items and other Home Basics are the best selling products online. In Italy, the demand for these goods rose to 47% Meanwhile, in the US, Grocery and Gourmet Food items increased by 26%. In comparison, Germany had a 34% rise.
2. Survival products include items that people associate with carrying out or enhancing measures to prevent getting infected by the virus. These goods are the second most in-demand products nowadays. Included in this category are Health and Household(+13%) in the US and Health and Personal Care (+19%) in Germany. In Italy, the demand for related products under the subcategory Health and Safety products dramatically rose to 98%.
3. Backyard Improvement Products takes up the third spot. With most people confined to their homes, it seems that the safest places for enjoying outdoor activities are no farther than one's own yard. This fact may explain why the need for items under the Patio, Lawn, & Garden category has surged by 44% in Italy and 35% in Germany. In the US, the increase reached 9%. 

Besides these top three categories, other categories have also experienced a surge in demand. Here are some details about them. 

• With more people working remotely, laptops' sales peaked. In the UK, some companies have even resorted to bulk buying. They did it to ensure their firms' continuous operation regardless of the current scenario. 
• At-home fitness and sports equipment have become even more popular with gyms temporarily closed due to the COVID 19 outbreak. The same rise in demand applies to indoor equipment under the Sports & Outdoors category, which can accommodate one user or necessities limited contact. 

Want to know how to keep your online store thriving despite tough times? Seek advice from an Amazon account managing expert. Inquire with Jayce by emailing him at [email protected] today.

The COVID-19 pandemic undeniably shook the world to its core and adversely impacted millions of lives and industries. Unsurprisingly, among those affected are Amazon sellers and business owners. Fortunately, a fulfillment method, Amazon FBM or Fulfillment by Merchants, managed to save several troubled sellers’ days during the height of the pandemic. 

How was the fulfillment process able to salvage thousands of Amazon stores amidst the effects of COVID-19? Let’s unveil the benefits of switching to the FBM model and learn how it can help your Amazon business during an unprecedented crisis. 

An Overview of Amazon Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

To get a glimpse of the challenges faced by some Amazon sellers during the pandemic, watch our interview with Stephen Somers, co-founder of Marketplace SuperHeroes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CtqsDflvT0

Most people worldwide were forced to stay home due to lockdowns amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As a result, online shopping became the norm, and naturally, digital activity in e-commerce platforms like Amazon skyrocketed like crazy. 

This adverse result led Amazon sales to spike, leading to bigger and stronger competition among sellers. 

For this reason, many sellers tried various methods to keep their stores afloat, such as regularly optimizing their product listings and engaging in PPC strategies.   

However, these practices in the marketplace policies weren’t fruitful enough. 

Most third-party and Amazon FBA sellers had to scramble for band-aid solutions to their problems. In addition, the customer-centric company accordingly adjusted its systems to accommodate the shoppers' demands.

• Due to the pressing need for medical supplies and household products, the retail giant released an urgent moratorium detailing the barring of non-essential goods from being stocked in Amazon’s warehouses from March 17 until April 5, 2020.
• The marketplace released a statement on September 2, 2020, announcing that FBA sellers who fail to go through with their exact shipping details may have their selling privileges revoked and their accounts suspended. 

Unfortunately, the latter statement was released late as the policy was effective starting August 25. This mishap caused hundreds of unaware sellers to be wrongly penalized and get untimely account suspensions.

Plenty of FBA businesses took the brunt of these sudden policy changes. FBA account holders whose brands don’t carry medical or household goods had limited inventory in Amazon’s fulfillment centers, halting their operations and causing their sales to suffer. 

The good news is there’s another option for troubled FBA sellers!

Amazon offers the merchant fulfilled network (MFN), also called FBM. Creating an FBM account helped sellers succeed in dodging the dreaded COVID-19 impact on their business. Let’s discuss more about that in the subsequent sections.

Into Amazon’s Fulfillment Network: The Basics of Being an Amazon FBM Seller

Of course, before we can discuss how FBM managed to save thousands of Amazon businesses amidst the pandemic, it’s only right to understand the nature of the fulfillment method and explore its key concepts.

As the name indicates, FBM takes full responsibility for managing inventory, shipping their products, and handling customer support. They do all these sans an Amazon Prime badge. FBM is the way to go if your line-up does not carry many products.

Amazon gives FBM sellers two options for their shipping settings: Individual or Professional Plans. 

• FBM business owners who wish to follow Amazon's shipping settings and rates can use the Individual Plan.
• FBM sellers using the Professional Plan can adjust the shipping rates and charges and customize shipping templates to match their preferences.

🧐 Alternatively, FBM sellers can also use Amazon buy shipping services to help with shipping labels and tracking orders.

Review the advantages and disadvantages below to better understand how an FBM account can work for you.

Pros	Cons
Choose your delivery partners and network, reducing shipping charges significantly. You have more control over your shipping cost and inventories. It does not require a 300-order trial phase in Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP). FBM sellers have a chance to avoid probable losses resulting from any changes in Amazon's policies. Spare paperwork and concentrate on managing your business.	You get fewer chances of winning the "Buy Box," especially if you have many competitors. Your customers cannot take advantage of Amazon Prime privileges. You miss out on capturing the interest of Prime members who only shop from SFP sellers or are uncomfortable shouldering additional shipping costs.

FBA vs. FBM

How different is Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) from Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), and which fulfillment process is better? It all boils down to how your products are managed and shipped. Let’s highlight their differences by comparing their pros and cons below.

Not sure which one to choose? Or are you considering both? Here’s our quick expert advice to help you decide which fulfillment method suits your business. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/It2GKVYQPg8

How can Amazon FBM safeguard your Amazon business during a crisis?

After knowing the differences between these two fulfillment methods, it’s time to learn how FBM became a safety net for third-party sellers on Amazon during the pandemic and can aid businesses during future crises.

According to JungleScout’s comprehensive report on Amazon transactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40% of Amazon sellers switched their fulfillment processes from FBA to FBM partially or entirely during that time. 

An FBM account helped companies and entrepreneurs stay afloat during pressing times like the COVID-19 pandemic despite lower profit margins. Here are a few types of unexpected crises and how FBM may be a safe option for your Amazon business.

Type of Crisis	What FBM Can Do
Organizational (e.g., workplace violations in Amazon FBA warehouses)	Shipment operations remain unaffected when Amazon changes its policies for its FBA warehouses.
Personnel (e.g., theft or lost items in FBA warehouses)	Overseeing all of your storage and shipping operations helps you avoid such issues.
Natural (e.g., FBA policy changes during a pandemic, destruction due to natural disasters)	FBM sellers won’t experience any shortages in product inventory. Shipment operations will continue to run smoothly.
Financial (e.g., recession, economic crash, inflation)	An FBM account maintains control over shipping and inventory costs, providing cost savings during financial crises.

What’s more, instead of simply using either one of the fulfillment methods, it’s best to be flexible and have both FBA and FBM. By doing so, you won’t have to stop store operations when one fulfillment method is affected during a crisis.

In a Nutshell

Switching to an FBM account may save your business from the negative effects of crises like the COVID-19 pandemic on online retailing. During the lockdowns, Amazon's FBA fulfillment centers restricted storage for non-essential items, causing difficulties for many FBA sellers to deliver products on time. 

To address these challenges, some sellers swiftly switched to the FBM method.

However, it’s still best to contemplate the consequences before making a decision. Analyze your business's inventory and sales reports thoroughly.

To help you better see the bigger picture without losing sight of the nitty-gritty, consult with a certified account manager specializing in Amazon. Their expertise provides a realistic view of the consequences and a more comprehensive understanding of your situation.

Overcome Any Crisis and Thrive on Amazon With Seller Interactive!

Depending on the circumstances, the account manager may advise you to stay with FBA, use FBM, combine both methods, or switch to an SFP account. Regardless, working with an Amazon seller account expert will always benefit your business. Their expertise will guide you to make intelligent decisions and help your business flourish. Not yet connected to an account manager? Do not miss out on the benefits of working with an Amazon specialist. Inquire with Seller Interactive by booking a call today.

The entire process of carrying inventory and shipping products can get troublesome. This is not surprising given all the details you need to process—not to mention the workforce required—to ensure that every process goes smoothly. Thankfully, you can always resort to various fulfillment options, one of which is what our Amazon dropshipping guide will explore.

Is dropshipping on Amazon a suitable business model for your eCommerce store? Let’s find out.

How Does Dropshipping Work?

Before going into detail about how the process works on Amazon, it’s crucial to understand what dropshipping is and how it operates. What does it mean when online sellers drop ship their products?

Typically, the seller works as a one-person team in an online business setting. They are responsible for creating their products, communicating with their customers, managing their item inventory, handling transactions and order fulfillment, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

The process seems simple enough, but it can become complicated, challenging, and tiresome once the orders start rushing in. This is where the dropshipping business model comes in.

When you dropship your products, you can sell them without being responsible for carrying them or shipping them to your customers. 

There are drop shipping firms you can tap at the ready. They all specialize in rendering the same service, but each firm's rates may vary accordingly. Meanwhile, your duty as a seller is to fulfill those orders by communicating with the preferred third-party provider. 

To better understand how this process can work to your advantage, take note of the following details:

• As a retail fulfillment technique, dropshipping relieves sellers of the hassles of maintaining stock. Sellers using this model buy products from a third party responsible for sending them to the customer's location.
• The third party is either a wholesaler or manufacturer. It takes charge of stocking, handling, and shipping the goods. 
• The seller is the middleman, taking charge of the entire transaction process and ensuring that your provider delivers the required goods to your customers on time.

The Pros and Cons of Dropshipping Your eCommerce Store

Starting a business via the dropshipping model does not require investing vast amounts of money. But do not let this fact mislead you into thinking the whole process is a walk in the park. Like every other procedure, it has its own merits and challenges.

The Pros

No need to lose sleep over inventory issues

Inventory management involves balancing stock to ensure you always have enough to cover demands but not too much that you lose money. With dropshipping, all these issues are on your supplier's shoulders. This means less risk and less work involved. And to top it off, you do not have to worry about building or finding warehouses and hiring people to operate them.

Freedom to choose various products

Aside from trouble-free inventory, dropshipping gives sellers flexibility regarding product selection. Unlike traditional selling models wherein you must stock up on several items without guarantee of selling all of them, dropshipping allows sellers to list products from various suppliers without needing upfront inventory investment. 

This flexibility enables you to adapt quickly to market trends, test different product categories, and easily add or remove products from your online store based on customer demand or preferences.

Avoid investing large sums of money.

Most of your business expenses go to the price of goods, advertising, and the website. Aside from not having to spend on building or leasing warehouses, you do not have to buy products in advance. You only buy them when your customers order them.

Hassle-free product testing

With an opportunity to test products, you will have no trouble running advertisements on any of your offerings. You will be able to determine which one converts best. Should some of them become unpopular with your customers, you can take them out without worries. 

Having no inventory to manage means you do not have to lose much money when taking out a low-performing product. You only have to spend on advertising. So, the next time you want to buy an inventory, you already have a good grasp of the kinds or types of products that would yield more profits. With this, you will also know the ideal number of SKUs you should have.

The Cons

Less money invested, fewer returns expected.

If you think you will profit more from dropshipping because you do not have to manage an Amazon store or stock your inventory, think again. A significant portion of every unit you sell still goes to your supplier.

Low overhead but high competition

The fact that you do not have to invest in production or storage translates to low overhead expenses. It would have been great if you were the first or only one to develop this idea. Unfortunately, dropshipping is not a novel concept.

Many Amazon sellers like you may have been practicing it for quite some time now. Worse, your supplier may also be supplying them with the same products!

You have no hand in quality control.

Once you communicate the details of each order to your supplier, they will take charge of sending it to your customers. Therefore, you do not get to inspect each unit before shipping.

Suppose your customers are satisfied, perfect. Otherwise, you will have to field complaints and inquiries and process everything communicating back and forth between your customers and suppliers.

But dissatisfied customers ranting about purchases that failed to meet expectations is not the only issue you will deal with. Delayed shipment is another problem. Being on the frontline, you are responsible for communicating with the customer and following up with your supplier.

Possible Legal Issues

Suppose you aren’t careful and keen enough to choose your dropshipping supplier. In that case, you may encounter serious legal problems that can damage your brand reputation and ultimately put a stop to your business venture.

Legal issues associated with dropshipping may include intellectual property infringement, product liability, and unauthorized sales. To avoid such issues, hiring reliable suppliers or manufacturers and constantly communicating with them is best.

Amazon Dropshipping Guide: The Essential Details

Amazon dropshipping is the only method dropshippers can use to sell products on the platform. The marketplace has explicitly mentioned in its policy that it does not allow sellers to buy products from and ship them through another online retailer. 

Read on for an overview of how this process can work in your favor.

What to Keep In Mind When Dropshipping on Amazon

So, you’ve opened your Amazon seller account, complied with the Amazon seller agreement, and are ready to partake in the dropshipping agenda on the platform. What's next?

First, you must follow these rules to ensure legal dropshipping practices. This may also help you become recognized as one of the best dropshippers for Amazon. 

1. Buy goods from dropshipping suppliers and manufacturers ONLY, NOT from other retailers.
2. See that only your information appears on the external packaging, invoice, and packing slip of every product you send to customers, not the third party's.

How Does an Amazon Dropshipping Business Model Work?

Before you can get an answer to the question, “Is Amazon dropshipping profitable?” you need to know how to go about the whole process first. After learning and mastering the steps, you can start contemplating profitability and find the best Amazon dropshipping products.

Best Practices to Excel in Amazon Dropshipping

Your journey to mastering dropshipping on the online marketplace must not stop at knowing the basics of the business model. If you’ve decided that dropshipping suits your business, you must also learn and master techniques for successful Amazon dropshipping. 

Hire a reliable dropshipping manufacturer.

The most crucial aspect of any dropshipping scheme is the product. The success of your drop shipping business all boils down to how the product meets the needs and expectations of the customers. As a result, it’s essential to find a trustworthy dropshipping supplier who maintains open communication and can guarantee the delivery of high-quality products. 

To give you a brief overview, here are some essential qualities to look for when choosing an Amazon dropshipping manufacturer:

• Produces quality and tested products
• Offers fair per-order prices
• Provides fast and timely shipping
• Has previously worked with other Amazon sellers
• Provides customer service support
• Has sufficient expertise in the industry 

Constantly communicate with your supplier.

This next tip should go without saying for every online entrepreneur, but sometimes, we may need a little reminding. The success of a dropshipping model relies heavily on the communication between the seller and the supplier. Without clear and effective communication, running a dropshipping operation is challenging.

Open communication between the two parties will allow the seller to address product issues and customer concerns easily and instantly. For instance, by constantly communicating with your manufacturer, you will know what items are available and in stock. This includes immediately relaying customer feedback to your manufacturer.

Optimize your product listing.

Once your product's quality is secured, the next step is to ensure your target market sees your product. All your efforts in finding an excellent dropshipping supplier and product will go down the drain if nobody knows what you sell.

An excellent way to ensure product visibility is to optimize your product listing. Optimization includes placing relevant keywords in the title and description. Use relevant key phrases in them so your products will pop up when interested buyers search for similar products.

Monitor your performance.

Constantly tracking how your product and sales are faring is important in identifying areas of improvement. But performance tracking isn’t solely about sales, conversions, and leads. It also involves analyzing the product’s ranking and good and bad reviews to refine your offerings, address customer concerns, and continuously improve to meet market demands.

This Is Just the Beginning

Now that you have learned the nitty-gritty details of dropshipping on Amazon, you’re well on your way to building a path to success! With the tips we’ve laid out above, we hope your dropshipping journey will be smooth sailing. 

Still find the whole Amazon dropshipping agenda confusing? Let the professionals help you!Succeed as an Amazon seller through the expert assistance of our account managers. Feel free to inquire about our account management services via our free consultation today.

In the ever-evolving world of ecommerce, aspiring and seasoned sellers are constantly looking for opportunities to maximize their profits. If you’re torn between the popular Amazon FBA vs. dropshipping ecommerce business model, you’re in the right place!

In this guide, we will compare Amazon FBA and dropshipping to help you determine which will work best for your Amazon business.

Amazon FBA at a Glance

Fulfillment by Amazon (Amazon FBA) is a program that allows sellers to outsource order fulfillment to Amazon. 

If you sign up for Amazon FBA, your products will be sent to an Amazon warehouse, where they will handle the entire fulfillment process, from picking, packing, and shipping customer orders. In return, sellers pay Amazon for fulfillment and storage fees.

Benefits of Amazon FBA

Aside from Amazon handling the fulfillment process for sellers who have signed up for the program, their products also become eligible for Amazon Prime’s free two-day shipping. When a store offers low to no shipping costs, it attracts customers to purchase.

Check out more significant advantages of enrolling in the Amazon FBA program:

Higher Profit Margins

Like wholesaling, you can scale your business with Amazon FBA. This method offers specialized fulfillment services such as FBA Export, Multi-Channel Fulfillment, Amazon Global Logistics, and more without new investments in capital or staffing. This helps Amazon FBA sellers save on expenses and gain a high profit margin. 

Exposure to an Extensive Customer Base

Unlike the dropshipping model (where you can only focus on several customers at a time), FBA exposes you to a huge customer base. Enrolling in Amazon FBA allows your listings to be displayed with the Prime logo. You can sell more specifically to millions of Prime members with high purchasing power.

Dedicated Customer Service

Say goodbye to fielding customer inquiries, complaints, and other customer service issues. With FBA, Amazon will handle customer service and will coordinate with your customers on your behalf. This gives Amazon sellers more time to focus on their online store instead of spending it on customer service tasks.

Drawbacks of Amazon FBA

While Amazon FBA offers great benefits for sellers, it also has its own set of limitations:

FBA Cost

Compared to Amazon dropshipping, selling on Amazon FBA needs an upfront investment. You’ll pay Amazon FBA fees, including your chosen selling plan, referral, and fulfillment fees.

Storage Fees

It’s good that you don’t have to invest in a warehouse for your inventory after sending them to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. However, if your products do not sell, paying long-term storage fees could hurt your business even more, especially if you’re a newbie seller.

Tips to Succeed in Amazon FBA

Whether you’re a newbie in growing your business or a seasoned seller, here are some tips to help you succeed in FBA:

• Manage excess FBA inventory regularly to save on costs.
• Regularly check your Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score to avoid overage fees and limits on sending more inventory.
• Use Inventory Age tools to understand how much inventory you hold and how long they’ve been in Amazon fulfillment centers.
• Include pricing and condition information to keep your product listings active.

An Overview of Amazon Dropshipping 

Amazon dropshipping is another business model where you sell your product on Amazon and ship customer orders yourself. You’ll need a minimal upfront investment as you still have to pay Amazon selling fees.

In dropshipping, you can sell retail or branded products purchased from a dropshipping supplier. It’s also important to note that you will be identified as the seller on external packaging, invoices, and packaging labels, not your supplier or manufacturer.

Benefits of Dropshipping on Amazon

The key advantage of dropshipping on Amazon lies in its simplicity. It has made it easier for dropshippers to enter the ecommerce industry. Plus, the dropshipping business model doesn’t limit sellers with physical constraints such as warehouse space or manufacturing capacity.

Aside from that, dropshipping also offers the following benefits to sellers:

More Affordable Startup Costs

Unlike wholesaling and other business models, you do not need an inventory to start selling under the dropshipping model. Your dropshipping suppliers handle the inventory management. They will also be responsible for shipping the products to your customers. 

For every product you sell, a portion of your proceeds goes to the amount you paid for the product plus the shipping cost, if any.

Fast and Easy Business Set-up

The fact that you no longer have to deal with inventory and storage already relieves you of more than half the burden of setting up your online business. You only have to find a reliable supplier. After that, you must prepare your dropshipping store and devise an effective marketing strategy for your launch.

Hands-Off Operation Privilege

You will never run out of options when it comes to apps and plugins that will help you run your business. There are several dropshipping tools and software that you can use at any time. All these technological devices combined allow you to run a fully automated online business.

Drawbacks of Amazon Dropshipping

Dropshipping attracts aspiring sellers primarily because it offers low startup expenses. However, it also has disadvantages that you should also consider:

Higher Competition

Amazon dropshipping faces higher competition than Amazon FBA because it requires lower upfront investment and is more accessible to a larger number of sellers. This results in a crowded marketplace. 

Amazon FBA, on the other hand, involves a higher upfront investment and more complex logistics, which limits the number of sellers who participate. 

Lack of Quality Control

As the products you sell will be shipped directly from the manufacturer or supplier, you won’t have control over the product’s quality. If you want to ensure the products you’ll sell are high quality, order samples from your supplier before working with them. 

Customer Service Issues

Dropshipping allows you to do things on your own business. However, customer service management will be more challenging. As a seller, you are directly responsible for handling customer inquiries and issues, whereas if you’re enrolled in Amazon FBA, Amazon takes care of customer service aspects.

Strategies to Succeed on Amazon Dropshipping

Success as a dropshipper is not as elusive as beginner Amazon sellers might think. Although it comes with its own challenges, you can still earn a decent profit, which you can use to expand your business. 

As a dropshipper, you can employ a few strategies to help boost your sales while providing total customer satisfaction. Among them are:

• Work with a respectable supplier with a proven track record of excellent customer service. Ask questions about their inventory management, how they ship orders and payment terms.
• Actively request feedback from your customers to help improve your seller feedback ratings.
• Use the hybrid approach, which entails stocking your best-selling products on Amazon FBA.
• Comply with the seller agreement and Amazon’s dropshipping policy.

Make Your Amazon Business Successful With Seller Interactive

After comparing Amazon FBA with dropshipping, we hope we have helped you find a better fulfillment model for your business.

If you would still like to explore Amazon FBA rather than dropshipping, let Seller Interactive help! Our team can provide great assistance to you through our various Amazon services and help you streamline the processes of Amazon FBA selling.
Reach out, and let’s get down to business!

Knowing how to ship to Amazon FBA is crucial as an Amazon seller. But sending FBA shipments to Amazon shouldn’t be hard. That’s where the Send to Amazon workflow comes in: the whole process may get problematic without using Send to Amazon, but if you know how to do it, the shipping process is actually quite simple.

Find out the whats and hows of Amazon FBA shipping in this article.

Benefits of Using the Send to Amazon Workflow

Replenishing your FBA inventory becomes easy when you use the Send to Amazon service. This is a shipment creation workflow for sellers utilizing the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.

This lets you tick off items in your Amazon FBA shipment checklist quickly, letting you manage FBA shipments with ease. Specifically, this workflow will let you process the transport of your goods to any Amazon Fulfillment Center easily.

Check out these benefits of using Send to Amazon for Amazon FBA sellers.

You Can Make Reusable Packing Templates

With Send to Amazon, you can save and reuse shipping details such as box content information, box dimensions, and labeling details for shipments of single Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) boxes. 

Once you’ve made a template, you can use it repeatedly, so you no longer have to fill out the details every time.

You Can Send the Package via Your Chosen Carrier

You can choose from two shipping methods: Small Parcel Delivery or Less Than Truckload delivery using pallets. You can also choose an Amazon-partnered carrier for lower shipping rates. The Send to Amazon workflow includes the purchase and printing of shipping labels.

Reduces the Need To Repack

Send to Amazon allows you to pack your box and update quantities as you pack. You can also finalize box content information before confirming the shipment destination. This minimizes the need for you to repack during the placement stage.

How To Access the Send to Amazon Workflow

So, how do you ship inventory to Amazon without the hassle? Access Send to Amazon via this easy-to-follow step-by-step process below.

1. Log in to your Amazon seller account on Seller Central.
2. Hover over Inventory, then click FBA Inventory.
3. Go to the top menu, choose Shipments, and click Send to Amazon.
4. You will then be directed to the Send to Amazon page.

How To Create Shipments With the Send to Amazon Workflow

Once you click on Send to Amazon, you must start completing the Amazon shipping process details. Do it in a snap by following these simple steps.

1. Select the inventory you want to send.

The first step to creating a shipping plan is to choose the FBA inventory you want to send. Here are the details you’ll need:

• Choose the address where your shipment will be coming from.
• Type in the packing details for each box you intend to send to Amazon FBA warehouses.
• Verify the correctness of the information you have just typed in by clicking Confirm before clicking Continue.

If you choose to pack individual units, you’ll have to enter the packing details separately. Decide if you’ll fit everything in one box or need multiple boxes.

2. Confirm shipping.

Confirming your shipping details is the next stage of creating a shipping plan on Amazon. If you don’t know what these details are yet, see the following:

• Shipping Date: Choose the date when your products will be shipped out. If your shipment date turns out to be different from that which you have typed in while confirming the details of your shipment, inform Amazon about it. After letting them know that the products are en route, give them tracking IDs for your shipment. This way, they can be ready ahead of time to receive them. To share the IDs:

1. Proceed to the shipping queue and look for every shipment ID.
2. Choose the shipment and locate the Track Shipment tab.
3. After finding the tab, type in the IDs.

• Shipping Method: You can choose from Small Parcel Delivery (SPD) or Less Than Truckload (LTT). SPD is best for small shipments such as those in individual boxes. LTT, on the other hand, is recommended for large shipments, such as those packed onto pallets.
• Delivery Window: This is the 14-day date range that you expect your shipment to arrive at Amazon’s Fulfillment Center.
• Shipping Service/Carrier: Choose between an Amazon-partnered carrier or a non-partnered carrier. Amazon’s partnered carriers are often more affordable than non-partnered ones. Plus, it’s hassle-free, as your payment will be processed directly through your Amazon balance.

3. Print labels.

This is the last step to creating your Amazon FBA shipping plan. This process involves downloading the shipping labels for the boxes and pallets you will send.

• Verify your carrier and pallet shipment information.
• Print pallet and box labels.
• Apply two box labels on each side of the shipping box.

4. Bonus: Enter tracking details.

Did you choose a non-Amazon-partnered carrier for your shipment? Then, you must enter the tracking details before it arrives at Amazon’s Fulfillment Center. Note that if you choose a non-Amazon partnered carrier, the tracking details may not be available when you create an Amazon FBA shipping plan.

Ensure you get your freight forwarder’s tracking details and update them accordingly. A freight forwarder oversees the transport of your products.

How To Make a Packing Template

Before you start sending any SKU to Amazon, you need to make your packing templates. Providing Amazon with accurate box content information allows the platform to ship out your products quickly so your customers can receive them sooner. 

1. Click on the button that says Create Case Pack Template.

The packing template system automatically retains the info when you input the data (preparing the label and packing the SKU).

2. For every unit, type in the prep and labeling data.

If Amazon has stored the prep type data, you no longer have to type anything. The system fills it out immediately.

3. Classify your SKU’s required prep.

Do it without fuss by clicking on the button that will show you a drop-down menu. Next, choose the option that fits your SKU. Does your SKU need prep? If no, then click on No Prep Needed.

Otherwise, you must clarify with Amazon if you intend to take charge of the overall prepping for every unit.

4. Go back to the name field for the packing template, and title it accordingly.

Each SKU can have as many as three packing templates. Name every template for easy identification purposes. Review the details carefully to ensure that all fields are covered and correct.

5. Click Save.

Upon saving, you’ll immediately go back to the start page. You can now preview the details of the packing template you created by this time.

How To Print Box Labels

After knowing how to create packing templates, you also have to know how to print shipping labels. To do this, you have to:

1. Click on Create a Case Pack Template.
2. Fill in the packing details.
3. Click Save.
4. Click the pencil icon beside Packing Details to edit the existing case pack template.
5. After making your changes, click Save.
6. To delete a packing template, click Delete Packing Template.

How To Manage FBA Inventory

Aside from knowing how to prep, pack, and send shipments, it will also be helpful for Amazon sellers like you to know how to manage your Amazon FBA inventory. Fortunately, it’s easy to manage inventory with the Amazon FBA program.

Check out the step-by-step process below:

1. Select the menu icon in the top-left corner of your Amazon Seller Central account.
2. Hover over Inventory and choose the Manage FBA Inventory option.
3. On the Manage FBA Inventory page, you’ll see reports that can help you maintain a balanced inventory level, prevent long-term storage fees, and keep your most popular products in stock.

Final Thoughts

Amazon FBA is not a free service and comes with fulfillment fees on top of shipping costs. However, Amazon sellers may be eligible for reimbursement of shipping costs incurred if they use multi-fulfillment centers. 

They will also benefit from other incentives such as Amazon Prime Two-Day free shipping, dedicated customer service, and more. Above all, Amazon FBA makes the shipping process easier.

If you still need help shipping your products to Amazon’s Fulfillment Centers and all things on Amazon FBA, we’ve got you. Seller Interactive offers an Amazon Wholesale Partnership Program to help beginner sellers like you with the ins and outs of selling on Amazon, including inventory and logistics management.
Ready to create a hassle-free experience on Amazon FBA? Contact us today.

What is Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)? If you are a new FBA seller or just about to sign up for an Amazon seller account, do not be surprised if you find yourself torn between FBA or Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM). Each program has its benefits and specific downsides. Yet, Amazon FBA is still the better choice.

In this blog, we delve into the world of Amazon FBA and explore how the intricate workings of Amazon fulfillment centers pave the way for business growth, scalability, and customer reach. As we navigate through the key advantages of the FBA program, you'll discover the role of  Amazon fulfillment center's state-of-the-art system in this transformative business model.

What Is Amazon FBA?

Before the FBA program, Amazon sellers took full responsibility for delivering their goods to customers. Sellers handled all the processes, from packaging the products, picking a shipping partner, to rendering customer service. 

All the tasks combined required hard work and took quite a while to fulfill. They kept the sellers wholly preoccupied. Hence, they were left with barely enough time to attend to other equally important matters concerning their business. 

With Amazon FBA, these woes are history. The solution takes charge of all these tasks—picking, packing, shipping, and providing your customers with valuable service. Amazon does everything on behalf of the seller. After shipping your inventory to Amazon's fulfillment centers, its personnel will be entirely responsible for your products from that point onward. 

What Is the Cost of Having an Amazon FBA Business?

Amazon FBA costs money, but in exchange for this cost, Amazon stores your products in their vast fulfillment centers, handles the packaging and shipping process, and provides customer service. With a lot of tasks taken care of and the free time, you can now focus on other essential business responsibilities.

Broadly, the cost of using Amazon FBA can be divided into two main categories: storage and fulfillment fees.

Storage fees are charged for storing your products in Amazon's fulfillment centers. The cost depends on the amount of space your products take up. These inventory storage fees can vary depending on the time of year, with costs increasing during the peak holiday season (October-December).

Fulfillment fees cover the cost of picking, packing, shipping your products, handling customer service, and product returns. The size and weight of the product determine these fees.

Before jumping into being Amazon FBA sellers, it's a good idea to calculate potential Amazon FBA fees using Amazon's FBA calculator in your Amazon Seller Central account. This can help you understand whether these FBA services will be cost-effective for your specific business model and product range.

What Are the Benefits of Using Amazon FBA?

There are many benefits you can enjoy when you embrace the Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. Check out the list below to get you excited on the advantages you'll reap now that you are officially a BFA seller.

Access to Prime Customers

By using FBA, your products automatically become eligible for Amazon Prime, thus granting you access to millions of dedicated Prime customers who enjoy perks like fast and free shipping.

Trust and Credibility

Amazon has built significant trust with its customer base. By selling through the fulfillment service, you can leverage Amazon's strong reputation, enhancing the credibility of your business.

Efficient Logistics and Inventory Management

Dealing with inventory storage, packaging, shipping, returns, and customer service can be challenging. With Amazon's FBA program, you can free up your time and resources to focus on other areas like product selection and marketing as the mentioned tasks are all covered.

Potential for Increased Sales

Fulfillment by Amazon products often appear higher in search results and can be more appealing to customers due to Prime eligibility and Amazon's reliable customer service. This increased visibility can lead to an uptick in sales.

Global Market Reach

Amazon's extensive global network allows you to tap into international markets more quickly, extending your sales potential beyond local boundaries.

How Can Sellers List Products For or Delete From Fulfillment by Amazon?

Listing products on FBA is easy-peasy. There are processes involved depending on whether you want to change your product listings from another fulfillment method to FBA, list products for multi-channels, close a listing, or delete it.

Steps to Put Your Current Listing Under FBA

Step 1: Go to the Manage Inventory page.

Step 2: Choose the item(s) you want to change to FBA. Using the drop-down list, change the action on the selected item(s) to Change to Fulfilled by Amazon.

Step 3: On the List as FBA page, confirm the product details.Then, click List as FBA. Otherwise, if you have inventory and a shipping plan ready, click List as FBA and Send to Amazon.

Steps to Delete Your Current Listing

Step 1: Go to the Manage Inventory page.

Step 2: Choose the FBA item(s) you want to close. Using the drop-down list, change the action on the selected item(s) to Delete product and listing.

Step 3: A confirmation message will pop up. Click OK.

Take note that the change may take up to 15 minutes to take effect. Your status will become Inactive upon, and the product will no longer be sold on the platform. However, your inventory stays in the fulfillment center. To remove them, you have to turn in a Removal Order.

What Are the Different Products to Sell on FBA?

Are you looking for ways to enhance your existing strategy further? Then, consider these popularly used techniques for choosing the best products you can sell on the platform.

Private Label	Manufacture your product and brand it before selling it on Amazon. With this method, you have complete control over the details of your product.
Wholesale	Purchase branded products in bulk. Then, sell them on Amazon at a higher price.
Arbitrage	Scour physical retail outlets or even other marketplace platforms for any product you want to sell. After purchasing them, you can set a higher price for them when you sell them on Amazon.
Secondhand Books	Are you fond of hunting for good reads? Get used books from various types of sales (book sales, yard sales, etc.). Like Arbitrage and Wholesale, you can sell them at a higher value on Amazon.
Pre-loved Items	Aside from books, you can also sell pre-loved items on the platform.

Before you sell any used goods, research other similar products for sale, especially those that are also second-hand. Find out how much they cost. Take the time to review your competitors' offers to see if the quality is good or at par with your item. With this, you should also check and compare other pertinent details like shipping costs. 

Keep your price competitive. It is not about offering your product at a lower cost. It is about allowing your potential customers to carefully consider their benefits by providing a similar product of more or less the same quality but at a more affordable price.

What Are the Responsibilities of an Amazon FBA Seller?

Overall, by doing your part and cooperating well with Amazon, you can look forward to reaping considerable Amazon FBA income in the not-so-distant future. Amazon takes charge of most of the processes of selling your products. This advantage buys you more time to focus on the three most significant aspects of running your business.

Choosing the Best Products to Offer to Your Target Market

It requires intensive research to select the right goods to give your customers great value for their hard-earned money. There is no one way of picking the best selections. But if you want something your intended buyers will appreciate, know their needs.

Ensuring Your Inventory Is Well-Stocked

Amazon personnel will inform you immediately when your stock is running low. Therefore, you will have time to replenish it.

Employing Creative and Strategic Ways to Promote Your Offers

Positioning your products to increase visibility and brand awareness requires using suitable advertising methods. For this purpose, you can take advantage of Amazon advertising and Amazon Brand Protection. Like FBA, Amazon's product promotion solutions are streamlined to make the process easier and more efficient.

Partner With Seller Interactive

Fulfillment by Amazon service offers many benefits, such as efficient logistics and inventory management, access to prime customers, increased sales opportunities, and global market reach.

By being an Amazon FBA seller, one can focus on product selection, inventory management, and creative promotion strategies, allowing them to grow their business effectively.

If you need assistance getting started with FBA or managing your Amazon store, don't hesitate to contact us here at Seller Interactive. We have full account management services and more you can use to make your operations smooth, and your business succeed. Book a call today to discuss the details with you!

The best niches for Amazon FBA are not always found within broad categories. Whether you plan to expand your brand or launch your first online store on the platform, you should not overlook or underestimate the power of niches. 

If you’re still navigating how to do proper Amazon product listing optimization with niche selection in mind, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ll discuss the dos and don’ts when finding the best-selling niches on Amazon. Let’s dive in!

Why Finding Profitable Niches Matter

There is no single way to define a “niche” in Amazon. The term can apply to anything, be it a specific type of best-selling product on Amazon or a defined group of buyers.

But regardless of the interpretations and associations tied to the term, all of them share one thing in common: their small size. Niches are subgroups or subcategories of a much more significant facet. Despite their size, niches are hugely helpful to an online seller. 

Here are the reasons why:

1. Niches Have Low Competition

Niche products may not have as many sales as the broader categories, but they present better chances of making sales due to the fewer competitors. As a rule of thumb, the more specific an Amazon niche is, the low competition there will be.

2. They Present Customer Loyalty Opportunities

The best-selling niches focus on the needs of a specific group of customers. If you successfully meet their demands, you can instantly earn their loyalty. They will return the favor by endorsing your product through positive reviews or word-of-mouth recommendations. All in all, these opportunities help strengthen your brand’s influence.

3. Niches are Good Starting Points for New Sellers

You may find niche ideas more beneficial if you are a new Amazon seller. Focusing on niches during the early years of your Amazon business provides much-needed leverage for expanding to more significant categories in the not-so-distant future.

Where to Find Profitable Niches

Which niche products are suitable to sell on Amazon FBA? Before you can come up with the most profitable niches, you must first decide on the group you want to focus on. Delving into customers’ interests and behaviors is an excellent way to figure that out.

To access this data, you must conduct thorough product and keyword research. Knowing how customers think and interact with a product and other topics online gives you valuable insight into their interests. From here, you can begin generating niche ideas for Amazon FBA.

As you begin your deep online research, consider including the following resources:

1. Google

Check how your chosen niche currently performs using a tool called Google Trend. It is best to start your product research with a broad topic. The search engine will direct you to an extensive list of the most popular pages, offering valuable insight into what users find interesting.

2. Popular Communities Online

Access popular online forums and communities like Reddit and Quora to find a profitable Amazon niche. These communities are widely available across the internet, so they’re easily accessible. Explore niche communities and start your product research on your preferred community. This streamlines the entire process, making it more convenient and enjoyable.

Gauging the popularity of your niche ideas is quite easy. Just look at the top posts in these online communities and search for the list of hashtags. Ideally, look for target hashtags that contain posts between 50,000 and 500,000ts.

3. Amazon

Aside from finding profitable Amazon niches through Google Trends and online forums using relevant keywords, you can also find them on Amazon, your target selling platform. If you want to know how much people are usually willing to shell out for a particular niche, look no further than Amazon’s data.  

One option you can do to identify a high-demand product on the retail giant is to check out its Best Sellers.

Another option is to navigate Movers & Shakers. This section displays a popular product whose sales have considerably increased over the past 24 hours. 

Lastly, there is Big Data, which contains more extensive sets of information. Amazon’s algorithm takes these online behavioral details from browsers. It collates them, storing them for use in developing and enhancing its engine. Use this to unveil new and valuable insights helpful in maintaining costs, productivity, and competition.

Dos in Finding a Profitable Niche Product

The best-selling products on Amazon are always those that require frequent replenishment. Here are more qualities of a good niche product:

• A good niche product is not limited to any specific season or holiday. Customers consider them necessities that need to be used year-round or replenished regularly.
• Customers should have restricted access to the costs associated with the product. When potential Amazon shoppers have no idea about the average sales price, you can flexibly set your price based on a reasonable cost that can boost your profits.
• Try to pick a product no cheaper than $15 but not costlier than $200. Items with prices falling in this price range sell more. Those that sell under $15 may come across as cheap or of poor quality, while those higher than $200 aren’t affordable for many.
• Go for items that are not commonly found in brick-and-mortar stores.

Don’ts in Finding a Product Niche

Some goods are worthy of being categorized as best selling niches on Amazon, while others, despite their inherent qualities, may not be as profitable. They usually fall into specific categories. Below are the qualities of the product you should avoid as a niche idea:

• Delicate products that need warranties, like electrical and mechanical games and toys. Due to the sensitivity of these products, they tend to have the highest number of returns or complaints. Both consequences contribute to losses.
• Breakable items that are difficult to ship. As an Amazon seller, you must invest in sturdy packaging materials to ensure that products do not get damaged during transit. The downside is that these materials are not cheap and will add to the overall costs.
• Products sold in physical stores at more or less the same price or in large volumes by other sellers. Also, avoid selling items that are available on eBay. Otherwise, you may run into pricing issues.
• Branded products or those with trademarks and counterfeits. These types of products can get you in trouble with the law. As a reputable Amazon seller, selling counterfeit products should be a big no-no.

Examples of Best Niches for Amazon FBA

If you are not too keen on taking risks, why not sell products in niches that are high in demand? Competition may be tight. But if you are up for the challenge, success may not be as elusive as what other beginner Amazon sellers might think.

1. Physical Books

Try including books on your product ideas. We’re not referring to e-books or anything that can be read on a notebook or computer, but the timeless type complete with pages and a front-and-back cover. No matter how technology has progressed, still, nothing tops the satisfaction of holding an actual book and flipping through its pages.

2. Baby Essentials

The truth is, the world will never run out of babies and toddlers. With that fact comes the need to provide them necessities such as milk bottles, diapers, baby clothing, and more. These products are usually affordable, ship quickly, and are always in high demand.

3. Trinkets and Baubles

Jewelry has always sold like hotcakes, whatever shape and form. Competition can get fierce, though. This is why you need to advertise diligently using strategic marketing practices. You can also seek help from Amazon experts to help you on the marketing side of your niche products.

4. All Types of Wearable Workout Necessities

With more people jumping on the fitness bandwagon, workout wear will continue to be in demand. Ensure that the items you ship out to customers are new. There have been many complaints of used clothing sold by unscrupulous Amazon sellers.

Find the Best Niches for Amazon FBA With Seller Interactive!

Niche products are essential to Amazon sellers. The search for them can get tedious, but you can easily overcome this challenge by allocating enough time for product research. With the product ideas and tips we shared in this post, we hope to help you achieve a viral product launch.

A little effort and patience will eventually lead you to ideal niches with low competition and may yield a high profit margin in the long run. But if you want to save time on performing product research and optimizing your listings, we got your back!
Seller Interactive can help you work on your product listing optimization needs. Book a call today to get to know more about our services.

The world of luxury retail has long been associated with glitzy storefronts, personalized service, and a certain air of exclusivity. And with the convenience of online shopping, it's no surprise that Amazon has reached an agreement with luxury brands like Chanel, Dior, Gucci, and Yves Saint Laurent.

Amazon's "Luxury Stores" feature marked a significant milestone in its bid to become a dominant player in the luxury retail market. This initiative provides a curated shopping experience for high-end consumers, featuring established brands, the latest collections, and emerging collaborations.

However, not all luxury brands are present on Amazon. So why do some luxury brands hesitate to sell on the platform? Here are some answers.

• According to the heads of top premium brands, the marketplace's product control measures are insufficient. They say that their high standards and strict rules for ensuring the quality of their exclusive items. This exclusivity allows them to sell their products at steep prices.
• The most pressing problems confronting Amazon and luxury brands are counterfeiters. Many brands that have run into this problem before have already pulled out of the marketplace. They did so even if the platform was one of their primary sales channels.
• Many luxury stores that have yet to consider Amazon as their primary sales platform are large and stable. Their extensive company history and experience in business ventures allow them to turn to other channels.

The Benefits of Selling Luxury Brands on Amazon

Selling luxury brands on Amazon can be a lucrative opportunity for new brands looking to tap into the online retail market. Amazon's vast customer base and convenient purchasing options offer several significant benefits, including:

#1 Increased Reach and Exposure to a Global Customer Base

The broad customer base of Amazon, with over 300 million active users worldwide, provides luxury brands with a unique and unparalleled opportunity to expand their reach and tap into new markets. For customers who may not enjoy access to high-end department stores or exclusive boutiques in their area, Amazon's online retail platform can provide them with the convenience of accessing luxury brands in the comfort of their homes.

This way, luxury brands can reach a global audience, including customers who may live in remote or underserved areas where physical luxury stores are few and far between. Amazon allows these high-end brands to build brand recognition, ultimately increasing their sales potential and profitability.

#2 Amazon’s Robust Customer Data and Analytics

The platform provides fashion and beauty brands easy access to customer data and analytics, allowing them to gain valuable insights into customer behavior, preferences, and purchase patterns. This is crucial for brands who want to optimize their product offerings and improve their ecommerce strategy.

Through analyzing customer data on Amazon, these brands can better understand their target audience and tailor their product offerings to meet their customers' needs and preferences. 

For instance, beauty brands can use Amazon's customer data to identify the most popular beauty products and trends, which can help their future product development and marketing efforts.

#3 Streamlined Supply Chain and Fulfillment Processes

Another benefit of selling luxury brands on Amazon is that it offers luxury retailers a streamlined supply chain and fulfillment process that can help ensure fast and reliable delivery to customers.

Leveraging Amazon's vast connections of fulfillment centers and logistics capabilities, luxury brands can reduce the costs and complexities of operating a physical shop while guaranteeing an exceptional customer experience.

Moreover, Amazon offers luxury brands access to a wide range of shipping options, including one-day and two-day delivery, and the ability to offer free shipping to Amazon Prime members. This will help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers can enjoy fast and reliable shipping without paying extra fees.

#4 Brand Protection

Luxury stores often face the challenge of counterfeit products and unauthorized sellers. Amazon has taken steps to address this issue by implementing stricter policies and procedures to protect brands and customers.

By selling on Amazon, luxury brands can benefit from the platform's brand protection measures, ensuring that their products are sold to legitimate customers and preventing counterfeits.

The Future of Emerging Luxury Fashion and Beauty Brands on Amazon

As Amazon continues to expand its presence in the luxury market, emerging fashion and beauty brands are presented with new opportunities for growth and success. In this context, it's worth exploring the future of these brands on Amazon's platform.

Trends

As we look ahead to the future of luxury brand sales on Amazon, two significant trends are poised to have a significant impact.

Firstly, the focus on customer experience is set to grow, with luxury brands seeking to deliver highly personalized services such as virtual styling consultations, personalized recommendations, and exclusive product offerings.

Secondly, there is a growing emphasis on sustainability and ethical fashion, with consumers increasingly concerned about the social and environmental impact of their purchases. As a result, luxury brands are integrating sustainable materials and ethical production practices into their products to cater to this evolving demand.

Predictions

The luxury ecommerce market is expected to grow in the coming years, with Amazon playing a significant role. According to a report by Bain & Company, the online luxury market expects a 180% growth between 2019 and 2025.

It is also safe for us to expect more luxury brands to partner with Amazon to reach a wider audience and increase their sales. 

Additionally, it is more likely for Amazon to search and invest in new technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence to enhance the online shopping experience for luxury customers.

Ultimately, one of the biggest challenges for luxury brands on Amazon in the coming years will be maintaining their brand image and exclusivity in a crowded and increasingly competitive online marketplace.

However, there are also opportunities for luxury brands to leverage new technologies and innovations to enhance the customer experience and differentiate themselves from other sellers.

Tips for Luxury Stores To Stay Ahead of the Curve on Amazon

For luxury brands looking to stay ahead of the curve and increase their items sold on Amazon, here are some tips to keep in mind.

• Maintain Brand Integrity: Luxury brands are built on a reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and exclusivity. It's essential to maintain that reputation on Amazon by ensuring that only authorized resellers sell your products and that they are presented in a way that absolutely reflects your brand's values and aesthetic.
• Leverage Customer Data: As mentioned, Amazon provides customer data that will help your brand analyze your customer's behavior and preferences, enabling you to create personalized products for them.
• Focus on Sustainability: As consumers become more conscious of their purchases' environmental and social impact, you need to prioritize sustainability and ethical production practices in your products.

The future of luxury shopping on Amazon presents both challenges and opportunities for luxury brands. Luxury brands will continue to expand their customer base and drive sales on the platform by embracing sustainable fashion and maintaining a solid brand identity.

Conclusion

Amazon’s entry into luxury retail was a game changer. Empowered by an extensive customer base and an intricate network of logistical prowess, Amazon finds itself ideally situated to emerge as a prominent contender in the domain of grandeur.

This has given customers the luxury of shopping for high-end merchandise with the convenience and accessibility of ecommerce.  Seeing how Amazon will shape the industry and redefine the luxury brand shopping experience will be interesting as the trend continues.

At Seller Interactive, we offer services that will help your brand expand its reach in the market. Our team of experts will be your partner in navigating the complexities of the luxury market and achieving the growth and success you're looking for. 

Book a call with us today, and let's discuss our strategies to set your brand up for success.

A downside of shopping online is product testing, leaving people unable to confirm if a product meets their expectations unless they buy it. They share opinions through reviews, which are powerful vehicles influencing potential buyers’ decisions. But how legit are these reviews? As a customer-focused seller, how can you check if Amazon reviews are fake or not?

There are different ways to handle fake reviews, from reporting them to having Amazon consulting experts back you up. However, the most crucial aspect is confirming whether the review is genuine. If proven legitimate, the customer's review might point out some flaws in your product that will help improve your brand in the long run.

Read on to find out how to spot fake reviews, earn honest feedback, and increase your chances of thriving in the Amazon marketplace.

The Dangers of Fraudulent Feedback

Despite the recent platform modifications with Amazon’s new algorithm (A10) implementation, the marketplace’s stance on customer feedback remains unchanged. Authentic and positive reviews are still a huge part of Amazon’s criteria for ranking product listings. 

Aside from being a ranking factor, reviews can also affect consumer decisions. They are social proof of how great your product or service is, coming directly from people who experienced them first-hand, and ultimately boosting your credibility as a seller.

For these reasons, getting multiple reviews and customer feedback is essential for your Amazon store and brand’s growth. In that case, you may think receiving as many positive reviews as possible, whether genuine or not, is the ideal way to climb to Amazon’s peak. How bad can a few fake reviews be anyway? 

The thing is, you should never underestimate the consequences of those few fake reviews.

It may be tempting to ignore or even buy fake reviews to improve your product ranking and attract customers, but there are plenty of reasons to refrain from engaging in such practices. Here are three of them. 

It’s obvious.

Gone are the days when shoppers mindlessly buy products without checking their credibility. Customers nowadays are smarter and will exert extra effort to check whether your product is worth their money. 

With that, they can easily spot fake reviews from a mile away. Sooner or later, your readers will catch on to the fact that you're buying fake Amazon reviews. When they do, they're not going to be happy. 

It’s dishonest.

More than just an effort to boost sales, buying fraudulent reviews is nothing more than lying to your potential customers. You're giving them a false impression of your product's quality. 

If you’re caught doing this deceptive action, customers are more likely to take their money to a seller they can rely on regarding products and services. Buying fake reviews on Amazon is a glaring insult to your actual customers, and you will lose their trust.

It’s expensive.

We're not talking about the cost of purchasing fake reviews, per se. Instead, it’s about the price you'll pay when caught by Amazon. You can save a few dollars by buying fake reviews in the short term. But in the long run, it will cost you more than it's worth. You never know; it might even cost you your Amazon business.

Buying fake reviews is a risky gamble. You put your entire business at risk once you start doing it. 

The retail giant has been actively cracking down on sellers using fake reviews, and if they catch wind of someone doing it, they could suspend their Amazon account and close the store for good. 

It would be a huge hassle for you, and you could lose access to your account and all of Amazon's resources.

I Spy a Fake Review: How to Spot Fake Amazon Reviews

The brief discussion above may have completely squashed any hint of desire in you to buy fake reviews for better product list rankings. Good!

Unfortunately, your battle against fraudulent reviews on the platform doesn’t end there. Plenty of competitors may want to bring you and your brand down using fake negative reviews. 

In that case, it’s crucial to come prepared and learn how to identify fake reviews. How can you tell legitimate reviews from fake ones?

Check the review’s content. 

The review typically discusses and details the actual experience of buying or using the product. Hence, the content of the review should say it all. If the reviewer is legitimate, they will comment on their experience using the product. They will enumerate facts, such as 

• how long it took the seller to ship the item, 
• how the product was packaged, and 
• how satisfied (or dissatisfied) they are about their purchase. 

Whether it is a positive or negative review, their feedback will be helpful. You can use it to learn what areas of your product, customer service, or marketing need improvement.

However, if the review is fake, it won’t have as much detail as described above. From the get-go, you can distinguish fake reviews from genuine ones because they refuse to elaborate on the customer’s experience. They won’t tell the seller how the product disappointed them, showing no intention of helping them improve. See the example below.

Keep your eyes peeled for verified purchases.

Amazon makes it easy to tell if the customers reviewing your product are legitimate buyers by screening through reviews and placing a verified purchase tag next to the reviewers’ names. 

This badge indicates that they actually bought the product using their Amazon account and validates the reviewer's comments about the item and the store’s services. 

Check out other reviews outside of Amazon.

By checking reviews off-site, you hit two birds with one stone. Not only are you educating yourself about the general public's perception of your product, but you are also verifying if the reviews posted on your page are credible or otherwise. 

Note that comparing the contents has nothing to do with how favorable or unfavorable the customer’s feedback is.

How to Get Honest Reviews for Your Product

More than ever, getting honest feedback about your Amazon products' performance is crucial. Good reviews serve as powerful endorsements. They can influence potential buyers to make a purchase. But so can bad reviews. How?

You can flip these reviews to your advantage by taking them constructively and as a point of reference for improvement. What’s more, bad reviews can open doors for more opportunities to communicate and interact with your customers.

Here are a few tips to help you get honest feedback about your Amazon products:

• Simply ask your customers. You can nudge your customers gently and remind them to comment about your product. You can ask them to leave a review under the Order Details page or via the Buyer-Seller messaging feature.
• Make it easy for reviewers to leave feedback. Ensure you’ve provided them clear instructions on leaving a review. Streamlining the process can increase the chances of your customers giving you feedback.
• Answer their reviews, negative or otherwise. Doing so shows shoppers that you are open to communication and actively listening to their needs. This further encourages them to voice their concerns.

Final Thoughts

Fake reviews are the bane of any Amazon seller’s existence. The issue remains rampant on the platform despite Amazon’s efforts to weed out such fraudulent reviews. Hence, it’s only right for Amazon sellers like you to be vigilant. 

You may use Amazon fake review checkers to do the tedious work for you, but acquiring the skill to distinguish between genuine and fake reviews on your own will benefit you in the long run. Seeking insights on the matter from Amazon professionals is another excellent option.

Succeed as an Amazon seller through the expert assistance of Seller Interactive’s account managers. Book a call today to get started.

Do you have a knack for capturing breathtaking photos? If you’re a photographer wanting to turn a simple hobby into a profitable and lucrative business venture, Amazon may be your door to success. Learning how to sell photography prints on Amazon is one fantastic opportunity.

With its extensive customer base and established infrastructure, Amazon provides a platform for artists and photographers to reach a global audience and gain profit for their creative works. 

Let's discuss selling photography prints on Amazon and discover how powerful images can be for your product listings. 

The Reality of Selling Photography on Amazon

The Amazon marketplace is the perfect haven for any seller and merchant, considering its almost 200 million monthly site visitors and customers worldwide. Its huge customer and seller base gives any aspiring Amazon business owner vast opportunities, no matter what types of products they sell.

While the numbers may seem convincing, a seller planning to build a photography brand on the platform may still be skeptical and ask, “how profitable will selling photography prints be on Amazon?”

Go to Amazon and type “photography prints” in your search bar. 

The search results will show you a quick overview of this product subcategory’s current state. You may notice that most of the resulting products come from sellers who mass-print or mass-produce photos.

While mass-producing isn’t inherently wrong, these sellers may give you the impression that the photos they sell aren’t their original work. They may have picked these images from highly accessible sites like Shutterstock or Pinterest instead.

The truth is selling your professional photography prints on Amazon is hardly a stroll through the park. 

This is especially true if you are unfamiliar with the platform and tools available for artists to explore.

For instance, you may open a regular Amazon seller account and sell your photos as prints, posters, photo books, or digital content like every other merchant on the e-commerce platform. But with the fierce and cutthroat competition, your stunning photo prints may easily get lost in a sea of similar-looking products.

Alternatively, you may prefer to launch your own website and sell there. However, unlike Amazon, which already boasts a large and established customer base, you’d have to build your target audience from the ground up and start from scratch by opening a new site.

So where does that leave hopeful photographers like you who simply wish to profit from their precious hobby and art?  

Amazon Photography Brand: How to Sell Photography Prints on Amazon

Fortunately, selling and establishing a brand on Amazon is still viable because the e-commerce giant sees these common artists’ and sellers’ struggles. 

How can photographers sell digital products or prints on Amazon? Here are three ways to try:

Through Amazon Handmade

With the Amazon seller population continuously skyrocketing, it’s inevitable for some to get buried in the competition. The e-commerce platform launched Amazon Handmade in 2015 to help struggling sellers and artists who wish to share and sell handmade crafts. 

Amazon Handmade was created exclusively to support artists and their small businesses, allowing them to shine and highlight their artistry. Handmade sellers and products are separated from the sea of the usual Amazon merchant crowd, giving them higher chances of gaining conversions and sales.

The Handmade category is among the least popular product groups on the platform; its sellers have one of the highest profit margins (more than 20%). 

This JungleScout report shows that while Handmade may not be as well-known as other product categories, it could only be attributed to its limited number of sellers.

Interested sellers must complete an artisan application process before opening an Amazon Handmade seller account. This application form intends to prove that the seller is a genuine handmade crafter or artist.

In the application process, sellers will be asked questions about the nature of their work, products (handmade, handcrafted, hand-altered, etc.), and their production process. 

They must also provide a portfolio showing photos of their work. Once approved, Handmade sellers can choose to sell the following items:

• Artwork*
• Baby accessories and products
• Beauty & Grooming
• Clothing & Accessories
• Handbags & Tote bags
• Home Decor
• Jewelry
• Kitchen & Dining
• Pet accessories and products
• Stationery & Party Supplies
• Toys & Games.

*Prints, Paintings, and Photographs fall under the Artwork subcategory. 

📦 Amazon also offers the FBA fulfillment service and Prime benefits for Handmade sellers to help with shipping processes and other transactions.

Through Amazon Merch on Demand

Besides Amazon Handmade, photographers can prosper through Amazon Merch on Demand. Instead of releasing a fixed printed product list featuring your photos or art, you can let your customers decide where to place them.

Your customers may want to see your photos printed on mugs, shirts, or elsewhere instead of just plain prints or posters. Rather than attaching your pictures on specific items independently, simply upload your professional images and let Amazon do the rest of the work on your behalf with Merch on Demand.

With Amazon Brand Registry

Before you start selling and displaying your professional photos to the world, it’s best to take certain measures to ensure your products and art are properly protected and credited.

Like artists who sell digital art, photographers must copyright their work and protect their intellectual property. Registering your products for brand protection is especially important as infringement cases on digital goods are rampant.

To ensure your products are protected, the e-commerce giant encourages regular and Handmade sellers to register their brands and products in the Amazon Brand Registry. 

With Amazon Brand Registry and Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU), you can easily track down third-party sellers who may be violating your intellectual property rights and immediately report such violations with Amazon’s brand protection tools. Sellers can also report merchants who file fraudulent infringement claims against their brands and products.

Which Product Images Sell on Amazon?

Since we’re already discussing photography, it’s only fitting to discuss what kind of product images your Amazon product listings should possess. With this knowledge, your products may attract customers and generate profit. 

While copy contributes considerably to your product listing’s success, you shouldn’t leave your product images out of the conversation. Humans are visual learners for the most part, so it shouldn’t be surprising how much influence an image can have on their purchasing decisions.

Saving Your Products with the Hero Shot

Before delving into selecting your product images, let's introduce a crucial term in the photography and marketing realms: the hero shot. Look at the word map below.

The hero shot is essential to any digital marketing campaign and online business; it should make your product look heroic. Its name comes from its role in capturing attention and driving sales by presenting your product in its best light.

Whenever potential customers drop by your page, the hero shot should give them the impression that your product provides the best solution for a specific problem they can identify with. Eventually, it must convince them to engage with your product. 

Some might wonder how to make this possible given Amazon's strict guidelines (i.e., only using a white background, the main image has to fill in 85% of the overall space, and no additional texts or graphics). Although strict and somewhat limiting, there is still room for creativity. There will always be a way to make your product stand out.

One technique you can employ is using the original color of your product's packaging. Please note that this is not the box where you store it but the actual product container with the label.

Example If you sell photo books for your prints, why restrict yourself to using dull colors like white, black, or grey for your cover art? Opt for red, orange, or any color to make your product pop in the search results. In doing so, you significantly help increase your click-through rate.

Highlighting Your Product's Purpose

The next important aspect is highlighting the product’s usefulness. You must show your customers why they should care about your product and its impact on their lives. 

Rather than just focusing on the cool features of the item in question, present how they will benefit your target buyers. Display pictures conveying usefulness to help them understand why they should pick your brand over the competition.

Example This principle applies to lifestyle images. Instead of showing attractive models holding your product, show how it can be used. Show how your product figures in your customers' lives. You can also add elements to the image that would associate your product with a lifestyle consistent with your brand. Here are more tips for incorporating lifestyle images in your Amazon product listings:

Final Thoughts

Being a photography-focused seller on Amazon is admittedly challenging. However, with the right tools and platforms, your photography brand has the potential to excel even in Amazon’s saturated market.

When selecting the right product image, remember that it should contribute to the overall goal of selling more products. Any element you include in your product images should be strategically selected and placed to create an image that meets this goal. Do you wish to start your Amazon career and sell ebooks, photos, and other products? Or do you simply want to learn more about using images to boost your product listing's ranking on Amazon’s search results? Find out through Seller Interactive’s free consultation by contacting us today.