How to Run an Amazon Store
Amazon is one of the biggest sites worldwide. You don’t have to be on the customer end though - find out how to manage an Amazon shop here.
Your Guide to Amazon Shop Management
Amazon is the biggest online seller in the entire world. Billions of people use it daily! Due to its convenience and affordability, Amazon is part of everyday shopping in this modern century. From groceries to makeup, to computer parts - Amazon most likely has what you need. However, many people don’t realize that anyone can become a seller on Amazon. It’s relatively easy and can help you create a steady business for extra income.
What is an Amazon Store?
While most people are on the buyer side of Amazon’s shopping experience, many don’t realize that with Amazon you can become a seller through their website as well. For a small fee, Amazon helps you set up a store online, through their website, where you can connect with customers all over the world.
What’s the Benefit of Using an Amazon Store?
The idea of selling on Amazon can be intimidating for many people. With it being one of the biggest online platforms in the world, it can be hard to believe that your store has a place on Amazon’s website. Most people decide that it’s better to curate an entirely online website on their own instead of using Amazon, but if you struggle with technology, or you’re just getting your store off the ground, it can be even more intimidating and frustrating to create an entire online store on your own. There are many benefits to being an Amazon seller, especially when you’re just starting out selling online.
More Traffic
One of the benefits of Amazon being a super seller is that millions more customers can stumble onto your store, and have easier access to whatever you’re selling. The more reviews you get, the more noticeable you’ll be on Amazon’s website, and you’ll gain more traction and profits. When using Amazon as your primary storefront, you can gain new customers from around the world, not just from your own country.
Easier Shipping
If you were to open a store online by yourself, shipping can become overwhelming. You’re expected to pack all of your orders and ensure that they won’t get damaged while being shipped out, print out shipping labels, and then mail them by yourself. This can get frustrating and overwhelming fast, especially if your product becomes popular and starts selling fast. With Amazon, you can store your products at their warehouses, and Amazon workers will pack and ship the products for you. This makes becoming an online store extremely convenient.
How Do I Open an Amazon Store?
While Amazon Sellers is beginner-friendly, there are still a few rules and guidelines you have to be aware of before you open your store.
Choosing the Right Plan
When you become a seller on Amazon, you have to decide between two plans you have to pay for; Individual and Professional. The Professional plan is a fee of $40 per month. It gives you access to selling reports and works easily with other brands on Amazon. The Individual plan has you pay $0.99 for every item you pay. The general rule of thumb Amazon gives is that if you’re selling less than 40 items per month, the individual plan is better for you. If you’re just starting as a seller on Amazon, the individual plan would be a good place to start.
Consider Delivery Fees
With being an online seller, you of course have to consider how you’ll get your products to your clients by shipping. Amazon gives you two options through this. Either you can handle shipping and packaging yourself, or you can send your product to an Amazon warehouse, and Amazon employees will handle the shipping and packing for your store. Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA, is when Amazon handles most of the heavy lifting for your store. If you decide to use FBA, Amazon handles shipping and delivery, transactions, and all customer service inquiries. FBA makes handling an online store even easier, and the only thing to take into consideration is that Fulfillment by Amazon has a fee. The fee for FBA is completely different for each product, so it’s best to go to Amazon to find out what your product would fit under. Prices vary from a little under three dollars, to almost two hundred dollars depending on what you’re buying. If you’re just starting out, it may be better to handle the shipping and packaging yourself, and as your store grows, you can turn to Fulfillment to help you handle your growing business.
Collecting the Necessary Forms
With any business, you need to have proper paperwork and materials to get approved as an Amazon seller. Amazon asks for information before you start selling: a government ID, tax information, a working credit card, a bank account number, a routing number, and a phone number. This information is important to make sure your store is credible, and that you can earn a profit from your new store.
Amazon makes being an online seller easy, especially when it’s your first time, however, there can be some struggles when you’re first starting. It can be overwhelming collecting your tax and bank information, especially if you aren’t located primarily in the U.S. If you have an international phone number associated with your account, Amazon can recognize this and promote your store to people from the same country. If you’re trying to reach U.S. shoppers, this might make your experience as a seller more frustrating. While there’s little wiggle room with your taxes and government ID, it can be easy to find the U.S. phone number to use for verification on your Amazon store.
With Tardigrada.io, you can rent a phone number, starting at half an hour for two dollars. This can help you deal with the OTP verification that Amazon asks you to confirm before you start up your business.
Starting your own business online can be confusing and at times overwhelming. However, Amazon Sellers make it easy to manage an online business on your time and stop relying on a 9-5 as your primary source of cash. With a small investment in a Tardigrada phone number, you can have a U.S. store earn you money, wherever you are.