Selling products on Amazon: How to successfully place your offers on the marketplace
Shopping, uploading, selling? It’s not that simple. To really succeed in selling products on Amazon and to either build a lucrative side income or even achieve certain financial freedoms, a lot of knowledge, preparation, and perseverance is required. Nevertheless, even though the competitive pressure on the popular trading platform is enormous, getting started can still be worthwhile.
Products that sell well on Amazon must first be researched and evaluated. Relying on one’s gut feeling is often not a good guide—especially when there is not much experience with selling on Amazon. In our beginner’s guide, you will learn briefly and concisely which steps you must take before, during, and after listing your first product offers in Amazon Seller Central. At many points, we refer to additional articles if you need in-depth information on a topic.
Advantages and challenges of Amazon as a sales platform
Amazon is the largest e-commerce platform in the world and offers sellers a unique opportunity to reach millions of potential customers. Whether as a side income, main business, or a way to build your own brand, entering the Amazon marketplace can be lucrative. The emphasis here is on “can”—because especially the high competitive pressure also brings some challenges that should only be met with appropriate preparation.
The advantages of selling on Amazon are obvious:
Sellers must expect these risks when they want to sell products on Amazon:
Product quality & customer service: Poor reviews can significantly impact sales and profits. Therefore, sellers should familiarize themselves in advance with the important KPIs.
Create an Amazon seller account
Registering as a professional seller on Amazon is quite straightforward, but there are some important decisions to make. In this blog article about the Amazon seller account, we have already explained the individual steps. Therefore, we will summarize the most important points here.
Individual vs. Professional Seller Account
The company offers two types of seller accounts to sell products on the Amazon platform:
Required Information
During the registration process, Amazon asks for some information, including:
After entering the information, Amazon usually verifies your identity and the accuracy of the data within a few days.
Fulfillment by Amazon vs. Fulfillment by Merchant
During the registration process, Amazon may also ask for your preferred fulfillment method for selling products on the platform. Additionally, the type of logistics you choose affects internal processes, profit margins, and more. You can choose between Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM) and Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
With the FBA model, Amazon takes care of all relevant fulfillment steps, including storage, packaging, shipping, and customer service. The seller only needs to send the products they want to sell on Amazon to one of the e-commerce giant’s fulfillment centers.
Advantages of FBA:
Disadvantages of FBA:
→ Suitable for: scalable, automated sales, high sales volumes, lightweight & fast-moving products; beginners and sellers without their own logistics
For detailed information, please see here: Amazon FBA – What is it?
FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant)
In this model, sellers handle their logistics themselves or outsource it to an external logistics partner that is not Amazon.
Advantages of FBM:
Disadvantages of FBM:
Suitable for: customized products; expensive or bulky goods that should not be stored in Amazon warehouses; sellers who have already built their own logistics.
For detailed information, please see here: Amazon FBM – What is that?
Finding the right products
Sure, anyone who wants to sell products on Amazon must also find, purchase, etc. these products. However, especially the first step is much more difficult than it sounds. The choice of product significantly affects the success of your business. As a beginner with little experience, one should first orient oneself to certain criteria before becoming more experimental.
Criteria of a successful product
Not every product is suitable for sale on Amazon. Therefore, pay attention to the following characteristics.
Tips for product research
But where can you find such products that you can sell well on Amazon? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to generate promising product ideas. First of all, it is advisable to observe the Amazon Best Seller Rank (BSR) of various product categories over a longer period. The items listed there sell exceptionally well. Poor reviews also indicate potential for improvement. But be careful – the bestsellers also have their pitfalls.
Google Trends and specific product research tools can also provide further information about a specific product, such as data on search volume, sales figures, and competition. It is often worthwhile to keep an eye on international marketplaces (especially Amazon UK & US), as trends often build up and announce themselves there before they also spill over to the German marketplace. This also applies to other trading platforms, such as Alibaba, eBay, or Etsy.
In any case, a thorough market analysis is required before a product idea should be implemented.
List and optimize products correctly
No matter how good the product itself is, without an optimized product detail page, no one will find your offer, let alone buy it. Even a highly demanded product sells poorly if the product page appears unprofessional or unattractive. A perfect product listing consists of several components, all aimed at increasing visibility and maximizing the conversion rate:
In the following, we will take a closer look at the individual aspects. You will also receive further information here on how to sell products on Amazon through good SEO: Search Engine Optimization for Amazon Sellers.
Product title
The structure for an optimal title is as follows:
Brand name + main keyword + key features (size, material, color, set contents)
To illustrate better, an example: A poor title would be “High-quality stainless steel drinking bottle,” as it correctly describes the product but does not mention any important features or a purpose. A better option is: “StayHydrated® Stainless Steel Drinking Bottle 1L – Insulated Thermos Bottle for Sports & Outdoor – BPA-free.” Here, the most important keywords are placed at the beginning so that they are also visible on mobile devices.
Bullet points
The bullet points should provide the buyer with all important information and benefits at a glance. Ensure that each point contains a clear added value, is structured, and is easy to read. Emotional triggers can also be incorporated here if appropriate.
Poor: “Our bottle is made of stainless steel and keeps drinks warm for a long time.”
Better: “24h hot & 12h cold – Double-walled insulation for perfectly tempered drinks”
Product description
Now it’s about describing the product in detail, bringing it to life, describing its functions, and telling a story. Actively address which problems of the customer are solved by the product, and use an easily understandable language, paragraphs, bullet points, etc.
Product images
Customers cannot touch your product, which is why images must answer all questions and build trust. Therefore, nothing beats high-resolution, professional images that show the product from various perspectives. Close-up shots are just as important as application images.
Infographics with the key benefits and product videos also help to give the buyer the best possible impression of the product. Remember that the main image must have a white background.
A+ Content
A+ Content is perfectly suited to incorporate additional illustrations or videos. The more realistically and better you present your product, the better the customer knows what to expect, and the fewer returns you will have to deal with.
Here you will find a detailed blog post on all important aspects: A+ Content: Templates and Best Practices.
Use prices strategically
The price of a product is a crucial factor in how successfully you can sell your products on Amazon, as it significantly influences the profit of the Buy Box and the ranking of a product listing. Additionally, customers compare prices directly with the competition, and even small differences can determine whether an offer is purchased or not. At the same time, the price must be set in a way that allows for a healthy profit margin.
The final price is important, but when calculating, it is crucial to consider all cost factors. These include, for example, production and purchasing costs, storage, sales commissions, and possibly FBA fees, as well as a proportion of office rent and personnel costs. Which items to consider is very individual, but only if you account for all expenses can you ultimately operate profitably.
Overview of dynamic pricing strategies
Typically, all professional marketplace sellers now use a repricing tool. Manual price adjustment is hardly manageable even with very small assortments, as too many factors play a role. And with millions of price changes per day, adequate market observation by a human is simply impossible.
Dynamic price optimization is therefore standard on Amazon. The software keeps an eye on all relevant factors and responds to market changes quickly and precisely, without losing sight of the user’s margins. The fact is that an AI-powered repricer boosts sales just as it maximizes profit margins.
With the SELLERLOGIC Repricer for Amazon, you enjoy many advantages.
To get a better impression of the many possibilities, you should read this blog article: The Push Strategy – Promoting Growth Despite a Limited Budget: Here’s How.
Effectively market products
Through targeted marketing, you can increase the visibility of your product, reach more customers, and sustainably boost your sales. Without appropriate sales promotion, it is difficult to sell new products on Amazon due to the high competitive pressure.
Amazon PPC (Pay-per-Click)
Amazon offers various advertising formats that allow you to promote your product specifically. These ads appear in search results or on product pages and help gain more visibility.
These types of Amazon PPC ads, which are also suitable for beginners, include:
It is no coincidence that there are agencies and service providers that specialize in Amazon Advertising. If you have questions, it is always advisable to consult professionals rather than wasting money unnecessarily. It is important in any case, …
Discount promotions, coupons, and lightning deals
Discount promotions are an effective method to temporarily boost sales, increase visibility, and attract new customers. Amazon offers various ways to create such incentives.
Through coupons, customers receive an immediate discount on the product price. These are visible on the product page. Time-limited special offers (lightning deals) are also visible there. Discount promotions for bulk orders are also possible and are especially common in the Amazon B2B business. In addition, there are exclusive special prices for Prime subscribers, such as during Prime Day.
However, discounts should not be applied arbitrarily, but strategically. This is especially the case when launching new products, during seasonal events like Black Friday or Christmas, to reduce inventory, or to boost sales at certain times of the day.
Manage reviews and customer service
Good reviews and professional customer service are crucial for long-term success on Amazon. Positive reviews increase visibility, improve the trust of potential buyers, and enhance the conversion rate. At the same time, poor customer service or a high number of negative reviews can lead to customers dropping off or your seller account being restricted.
Why are reviews on Amazon so important?
Amazon reviews are one of the most important factors in the purchasing decision. Many customers read reviews before adding a product to their cart. Products with a high number of positive reviews generally sell better and have a better ranking in Amazon’s search results.
To successfully sell products on Amazon, reviews are essential. However, Amazon has strict guidelines for soliciting reviews. Direct incentives such as discounts or gifts in exchange for reviews are prohibited and can lead to the suspension of the seller account. Nevertheless, there are legal and effective ways to obtain more reviews, such as through the Vine program.
We have already dealt with this topic in detail in another text. There you will find the 6 best tips on how to generate more reviews on Amazon.
Conclusion
Many dream of selling products on Amazon and building a lucrative business. It is true: Selling on Amazon offers great opportunities. However, it also requires strategic planning, thorough market analysis, and continuous optimization. Successful sellers understand the mechanisms of the platform, rely on data-driven decisions, and use smart tools for automation. Those who engage intensively with product research, listing optimization, pricing, and marketing strategies can stand out from the competition in the long run and build a profitable business.
Amazon is not a self-starter – but with the right know-how and a well-thought-out strategy, the potential of the marketplace can be fully leveraged.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two selling plans: As an individual seller, you pay €0.99 per sold item, while the professional plan costs a flat €39 per month. In addition, both plans have sales commissions that vary by product category, but usually range between seven and 15 percent of the sale price.
Yes, with the individual seller plan, you can sell without a business. However, this is usually easier to implement on other platforms such as classifieds.
Yes, but regular selling is usually considered commercial.
No, there are monthly fees as well as sales commissions.
1. Create a seller account.
2. Choose a selling plan.
3. Create a product listing.
4. Set the price & optimize the offer.
5. Handle sales & shipping.
Products with high demand, low competition, and good margins – e.g. trending items, niche products, or private labels – are particularly suitable.
Electronics, household goods, beauty, fitness, toys, and seasonal items – trending products can be found, for example, on the Amazon bestseller pages.
Image credits (unless otherwise stated): © weedezign – stock.adobe.com
