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Amazon is a behemoth of e-commerce. In 2017, the online retail giant generated $17 billion in third-party seller commission on its marketplace alone. If you have your own website, this doesn’t mean you can’t sell on Amazon.com, too. In fact, selling on Amazon could help you reach new customers and increase your sales — as long as you know how to do it correctly. Selling on an external website and your own site simultaneously can be confusing for new sellers. How do you manage inventory? Which product photos are best for each channel? How do you link all three sites so that products show up in the same cart or account across all platforms? There are also some drawbacks to selling on multiple websites at once. To get started with selling on both your site and Amazon, follow these tips from Mentor Selling (a company dedicated to helping sellers succeed).
Manage Your Inventory
Sometimes products sell better on one site than the other. If you have inventory that’s not moving as well on your own website, you might want to pull it and focus on Amazon. You can also use Amazon’s promotional rules to your advantage. For example, if you want to sell a new product but it’s not allowed on Amazon yet (like food), you can sell used products that are allowed. Related: 7 Ways to Increase Your Product Sales To manage your inventory, you can either use a third-party inventory management app or integrate your e-commerce platforms. If you want to use Amazon’s Seller Central, you can control your inventory by using their inventory management tools. If you use your own website, you can connect your site to your Seller Central account to sync inventory. Related: The Ultimate Guide to Selecting the Right Inventory Management Software
Add Product Labels
First, you’ll want to add product labels to each item. Amazon requires that sellers provide product details, such as product labels, in order to list products. If you’re listing the item on your own website, you can add labels in your e-commerce platform. For Amazon, you’ll need to add the product details in Seller Central. This includes information such as the product type, brand, size, material, and color. You can also add any major defects, repairs, or alterations. Related: How to Write Product Labels That Sell
Use High-Res Images
Amazon product images are king. With Amazon’s Buy-Box algorithm, product images have become one of the biggest indicators of whether a customer will buy a product or not. You can use Google Images or another resource to find high-quality images that don’t break copyright rules. Be sure to use different angles, show the product in use, and zoom in on small details such as materials and stitching. Related: How to Photograph Products to Sell Them Like Amazon If you’re selling on your own website, you can upload your product photos there. Your e-commerce platform might have this ability, or you can use a plugin or software plug-in. For Amazon, you’ll need to use Amazon’s Seller Central platform. You can use Amazon’s product photo guidelines to create high-quality images. Amazon can also host your images for you.
Link Accounts and Platforms
Once you’re selling on a platform, linking these accounts together will help you manage all three channels. For example, you can use Amazon’s Seller Central platform to manage all your inventory, sales, and customer service. This can make things easier for you, especially if you’re juggling multiple platforms. Related: How to Create an Amazon Seller Account in 2019 You can link your e-commerce platform and Seller Central account together by logging into your seller account and entering the login information for your e-commerce platform. You can also link your website with Seller Central. You can do this by adding your website’s URL to your Amazon seller profile and linking your Seller Central account to your website. Your website’s URL will appear on your Amazon product listings.
Pros and Cons of Selling on Amazon AND Your Own Website
The thing to remember is that you don’t have to do everything, but it’s probably a good idea to try and do a bit of everything. Amazon has a ton of traffic and a lot of people visit the site, especially during the holiday shopping season. That said, you shouldn’t rely on one platform if you can help it. Even if you’re making a lot of sales on Amazon, it’s a good idea to have your own website as well. Related: How to Get Started with E-commerce in 2019 Having your own website lets you control your brand and messaging. It also allows you to diversify your product offerings and sell more than just what’s allowed on Amazon. You can also create content and add value to your customers on your own website, and you can use your website as a way to drive traffic back to Amazon. Related: 12 Things You Should Be Doing to Sell Online.
Conclusion
Amazon is a behemoth of e-commerce. In 2017, the online retail giant generated $17 billion in third-party seller commission on its marketplace alone. If you have your own website, this doesn’t mean you can’t sell on Amazon.com, too. In fact, selling on Amazon could help you reach new customers and increase your sales — as long as you know how to do it correctly. This means managing your inventory, using high-quality images, linking your accounts and platforms, and using product labels. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. With Amazon’s huge user base and ever-increasing marketing budget, it’s a great way to reach new customers and increase sales.