Is Amazon right for my business?

In short: If you sell a direct-to-consumer product that can be sent through the post, then normally I would say Amazon is for your business.

With over £12 billion being spent on the platform in 2020, Amazon is a phenomenal way of not only increasing your business's sales but also increasing your exposure from the nearly 600 million visits. In fact, I would argue that any business that sells and ships a product directly through a website should be on Amazon. However, Amazon doesn't work for all businesses. This is normally due to unoptimized content (this is a way of showing your product in a way that increases its ranking, impressions, and eventually sales), not creating ads (or having ads that aren't set up correctly), not having a brand store as well as loads of other great ways of increasing your businesses revenue and profitability.

Is my business too small for Amazon?

SMEs account for over 50% of Amazon's sales, so absolutely not! The great thing about Amazon is that it doesn't cost silly money to challenge normally unchallengeable competitors if you know what you are doing. In 2020, 1/14 SMEs on Amazon recorded sales of over £1 million for the first time in their history, and over 14,000 sellers reported sales of over £100,000 on Amazon. With returns like this not just being a possibility but for many a reality, you can see why we are passionate about launching and growing businesses on Amazon to allow them to reach their true potential. More information on Amazon's relationship with SMEs can be found in this report.

Is my product too big for Amazon?

Put it this way; if you can ship it, then no it isn't. However there is a size limit to products on FBA "you cannot send to FBA any product greater than 150 cm in length, weighs more than 30 kg or has a girth of more than 3 meters" (Amazon, 2022). This is normally not a problem for most businesses, but you can ship it yourself and still list it on Amazon... you can even sell mattresses!

Are there massive costs when selling on Amazon?

It is a misconception that selling on Amazon is too expensive for many brands. Many find that Amazon is much cheaper than normal sales (especially for smaller items). Equally, for many, it is too expensive and complicated to sell products on next-day delivery. You can also sell via FBM (where you ship it yourself) however some fees still apply. To work out Amazon's costs, have a look here.

Can I sell internationally on Amazon?

By far the biggest benefit of selling on Amazon is the ability to easily cross border sell. This does depend on the other countries' regulations, however, for most products, this is a very easy process and can be a phenomenal way of increasing your revenue on Amazon. This is done through Amazon's Global Selling Program. By entering into this, you are then capable of selling to 13 countries.

These countries include:

Europe:

• Amazon.de – Germany

• Amazon.co.uk – United Kingdom

• Amazon.fr – France

• Amazon.es – Spain

• Amazon.it – Italy

Asia:

• Amazon.in – India

• Amazon.co.jp – Japan

• Amazon.cn – China

• Amazon.com.au – Australia

North America:

• Amazon.com.mx – Mexico

• Amazon.ca – Canada

• Amazon.com – United States

• Amazon.com.br – Brazil

You will need a seller account for each country, however, you can get unified accounts (like for Europe) which gives you access to the European countries. This is definitely something I recommend to my clients.

What Products CAN'T I sell on Amazon?

Like every marketplace, there are products that you can't sell on Amazon. A lot of these are obvious, and luckily the list is relatively small. It is worth noting these restrictions change if you are shipping through FBA or fulfilling it yourself. For the full list from Amazon, click here.

The main items to be aware of are:

• Illegal items (obviously)

• Spirits with over 70% ABV

• Prescription medication

• Second-hand clothes

• Dangerous goods

Where Do I Start?

It all starts here. Just follow the instructions to create your account, and products... however, to really succeed you need to do much more than that. Amazon can be a minefield for even the most established brands, hence why I created this agency.

Want to know more? Book a free consultation here!