Marketplace Pulse reported recently that only about 15% of new sellers on Amazon UK make it into the top 10,000 sellers inside 12 months. And of the top 10,000 sellers, almost 70% were already in the top 10,000 a year ago, so it’s clear to see that it can be difficult to break into the top echelon of Amazon success.
Does this mean that if you’re the owner of a new business, or you’re trying to grow your business, that you shouldn’t try Amazon, or that you should be resigned to not reaching the top 10,000 though? We don’t think so, although we would strongly advise not relying on Amazon for your whole business, for many reasons. But in order to make the greatest success of your Amazon business, you need more than just hard work and perseverance, you’re going to need to consider your Amazon strategy carefully.
It’s obvious why Amazon customers return time and time again; they’re the same reasons that many of us use Amazon ourselves! Fast delivery, easy price comparison, convenience and trust – as a customer, you know if there’s a problem with a seller, Amazon customer service will sort it quickly and easily. And we know sellers love Amazon too – in spite of the horror stories and the rules & fees which can be hard to make sense of, the potential to reach so many customers is a powerful draw. When you combine that with channel integrations with multichannel software such as Linnworks, and tools such as AMZ Peak to help optimise listings, Amazon (and eBay) is usually one of the first channels sellers consider when they’re starting out.
As a new seller, or if you’re looking to refresh your Amazon strategy, you’re also going to want to consider whether you’re only going to sell in your own country, or whether you want to go global – there’s never been a better time to sell internationally through Amazon, and with Amazon Australia launching recently, the potential to sell worldwide very quickly is huge.
On the back of that decision, you’re going to want to decide whether you’re going to sell your products by Merchant Fulfillment, Fulfilled by Amazon or Seller Fulfilled Prime. There’s advantages and disadvantages to all of these, and we recommend looking into these carefully before you make your choice. We’re happy to guide you – we understand what works best for different types of business.
If you’ve been selling on eBay, you’ll almost certainly know about eBay Stores. But did you know Amazon Stores now exist too? Much like eBay Stores, Amazon Stores allow you to create single and multi-page stores that showcase your brand and product selection, and help you build repeat custom. If you’re looking to create an outstanding omnichannel experience for your customers, and ultimately want your customers to find you on your brand website, we definitely recommend not skipping this step.
If you’re selling your own products, or have registered trademarks, you’re likely to want to consider Amazon Brand Registry. Registering with Amazon Brand Registry provides access to seller tools to help you manage your intellectual property, and gives you increased authority over product listings with your brand name.
Finally, you might also want to consider Amazon Marketing Services; it’s free to register, and Amazon then provide access to paid services to help promote your products. Again, consider these carefully – maybe you’ll choose to use Amazon Marketing Services for just some of your key products. We can advise you about how best to utilise Amazon Marketing Services, so if you’re not sure where to start, give us a call.
These are just a few things for you to consider when you’re looking at your Amazon strategy though, it’s not a complete guide – for example, if your listings aren’t great, or you’re not making use of tools such as AMZ Peak, you’re going to miss sales. So, if you’re short on time to consider all of these, or are new to eCommerce, get in touch – we can examine your Amazon strategy with you and make recommendations tailored to your business, to help realise your potential by using Amazon’s reputation. Call us today on 0208 090 4547 or email us on [email protected] to get started.
