Amazon sales & FBA without secrets: 5 tips for rapid business growth

Competition among marketplace retailers is growing almost daily: not only are the platforms themselves multiplying but so is the number of people who trade on them.

There is no need to elaborate on how tough the competition is and how difficult it is to break through - especially on the largest platform of its kind, Amazon.

Selling on Amazon has huge potential, but it also comes with many restrictions. In today's post, we'll show you how to get around them - while still achieving significant growth and a real return on your investment. Read the text and learn how to start selling smartly (even private label products) with our Amazon selling tips right now!

Amazon sellers & online business: a perfect duo

Let's start with the definitely good news: of course, the competition is not sleeping, but generally speaking, most Amazon sellers are doing better than well.

To put the situation into perspective, it is worth taking a look at the data cited by the SimmilarWeb portal:

As you can see, the revenue figures alone are impressive and speak for themselves. What is more, the year-on-year trend is upward - so there is a bright future ahead for both the marketplace and the retailers - as long as they follow the company's policy and implement a well-thought-out sales and... storage strategy.

What's more, there is one special day of the year when sales increase even more: the famous Amazon Prime Day. As the data cited by the portal itself shows, during this day in the 2021 edition (for 2022 there are no statistics yet) on June 21 Amazon units sold rose 167% - from 33.5 million up to 89.4 million. What more can be said - so let's do our homework and get ready for another sales peak in the coming June ;)

But which products are worth targeting? Take a look at the chart below prepared by the aforementioned SimmilarWeb we strongly suggest betting on:

• clothing and accessories,
• kitchen appliances;
• and electronics.

Advice for every Amazon seller: a handy guide

Being successful on Amazon is undoubtedly a challenge - but that does not mean it cannot be achieved. What's more, it's within the reach not only of a select few but... everyone who works hard to achieve it.

At this point, it is worth pointing out that there is such a thing as Amazon Marketing Services, which is a certain set of marketing possibilities offered by the marketplace itself. These include Sponsored Products, Headline Search Ads (now called Amazon Sponsored Brands), and Amazon Display Ads. In today's article, however, we will focus on tips beyond these tools.

If you put your trust in the following strategies and act regularly and thoughtfully, we foresee a bright sales future for you.

1. The power of external traffic

Sales on Amazon based on promotions from outside Amazon...? Why not! Remember that not all of your target group who would like to buy your product are regular visitors to the marketplace in question. However, you can reach them through other communication channels, such as Amazon:

• Facebook;
• Instagram;
• Tik Tok;
• E-mail marketing;
• Blogs;
• or influencers operating in the virtual space.

We also believe that you are aware of the importance of competitive prices - if you use external sales channels, it is worthwhile to enrich them with an additional purchase incentive in the form of a dedicated single-use promo code for use on your first purchase.

2. A crucial role of relevant keywords

Even with the most sophisticated marketing strategy followed by ideas for new successful campaigns and the most high-end products enriched with more than the competitive selling price, omitting reliable keyword research is a definite mistake that is virtually impossible to rectify.

In theory, it is not mandatory to define and add keywords. However, practice tells us otherwise: if you do not define them properly in advance, you do not give customers the chance to find your offer in the clutter of other sellers.

More figuratively, the keywords on virtually every marketplace are a sieve whose task is to reject products that are not interesting to the customer. Thus, your choice of keywords has a significant impact on your position in the Amazon ranking and determines when (and if) you will appear in the product listings. Search terms are the king and their proper selection leads directly to successfull Amazon business.

But how to get there? When it comes to keywords on Amazon, there are several steps you can follow:

• we believe that the person who knows best the product you are selling is you.... you. As a start to finding the right description, try to verbalize the features of your offer. What words would you use to describe it properly? You can write them down in an association map and then make a selection;
• Once you've completed this step, it's time to lean into Amazon's auto-complete. See what keyword suggestions the platform itself gives you - these are the phrases most frequently searched for in a given context by shoppers themselves. Below you will find this tactic shown using the example of the phrase "keyboard":

We know that search volume can be dizzying - which is why it is worth moving on to the next point.

• It's time to analyse your competitors' descriptions - you can easily view them by going to your product page. This displays sections such as "Customers who viewed this item, also viewed" and "Customers who viewed this item also bought" or "Compare with similar products".
  By reviewing the descriptions there, you can discover new inspirations for product title and more product detail page descriptions that are also compatible with your product.
• At the end of the battle for winning search results pages, use dedicated keyword search tools: both for short-tail and long-tail phrases. We recommend using, for example, Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, KeywordSpy, or AnswerThePublic. A fragment of a search with the latter tool for the phrase "keyboard" can be found in the image below:

3. Get the Buy Box

According to figures provided by Amazon itself, around 80 percent of sales are made through the much sought-after but mythical Buy Box. How to obtain it is the stuff of legends in the industry - there is no official way to achieve this award. The Buy Box, in simplest terms, is the highlighted box next to the offer description.

The product that it finds in the Buy Box is, in Amazon's opinion, the best offer of many, and is therefore given a kind of reward in the form of a place in the 'buy now' box. Offers from other retailers are listed much lower. This makes the battle to win the Boy Box worthwhile, and it really translates into the maximization of potential financial gain.

According to experts, however, there is a way to significantly increase the likelihood of winning a Buy Box. In order to do this, it is necessary to rely on the logistics model offered by the portal itself, i.e. Amazon FBA; to keep competitive price, ensure continuous availability of best-selling goods, provide shoppers with a wide range of shipping options, offer new (rather than used) products and to respond to customer inquiries within a maximum of 12 hours of their arrival.

4. Magic of social proof

More (positive) reviews mean a greater likelihood of success. Feedback from other users plays a key role in the decision-making process when choosing a retailer. Boost your online sales thanks to the magic of social proof.

Of course, you cannot force anyone to give you a valuable review. However, you can try to encourage buyers by using the "Request a Review" button or sending your email list a kind message to ask for product reviews and feedback - and leverage this way more sales.

5. Intelligent inventory management and its' influence on Amazon selling

Amazon's FBA business is the real proverbial hen that lays the golden eggs. This service simplifies (to some extent) the handling of logistical issues, allowing its customers to store goods in dedicated warehouses, pick, pack and ship. This way having an Amazon FBA seller account sounds more than profitable - however, this is not always the best way out of logistical challenges.

Amazon FBA business rules are quite strict and, despite appearances, it is not easy to meet them all. In fact, one of the most important amazon selling tips may also be to read all terms and conditions carefully several times - so as not to be unpleasantly surprised later.

Amazon has strict requirements for quantities, labelling, and timeframes - we know how difficult it is to manage all this on your own. So it's worth relying on a trusted fulfillment partner who can help you master this with the ability to store more goods allowing you to easily replenish your FBA stock.

What's more, by outsourcing logistics to real industry professionals, you won't have to struggle with Amazon's backlog. There are times in every ecommerce business when the products on offer are not selling fast enough - and are in danger of being disposed of by FBA, thus adding to the cost to the seller. Placing logistics in the hands of an external provider will allow storage rates to be contained.

Such decisions are even supported by specialist agencies dedicated to helping merchants sell on the Amazon marketplace. As one of them points out:

As Retime Agency, we focus on Amazon Sellers to boost their successful global sales, so we are always ready to cooperate with companies that follow and share similar approaches regarding supporting brands and manufacturers worldwide.

The first collaborative project with Linker Cloud came naturally. To enrich the scope of service we provide for our clients, we needed a reliable partner who will look after the logistics aspect and still deeply understands the marketplace seller's challenges.

That's why our choice was Linker Cloud as they have shown in practice how to simplify the whole fulfillment process ensuring cost optimization and efficient warehousing while maintaining FBA standards. But they also don't forget about these products which don't fit FBA requirements opening a new way of selling oversized parcels on global markets.

Pasi Bruun, Sales Director
Retime Agency

Summing up on Amazon sales: smart revenue growth

Let's be honest: running a prosperous Amazon store (and selling online in general) isn't a piece of cake. If you want to gain more revenue and generate sales you definitely need to do your homework, carefully analyze performance metrics, and implement Amazon's strategy in your everyday work.

However, it is definitely worth the effort: win the Buy Box, compare product prices, organize some product sales, bet on PPC campaigns, find the proper keyword tool and find yourself high on the product listings thanks to choosing the right keywords and adding them to product details. Multiple sellers say that all those activities increase sales velocity directly. We all know how much competition is nowadays on the market and how challenging selling on Amazon can be; that is why it is so important to become one of the successful sellers and stand out from the crowd placed on Amazon listings. Believe us: shopping online can be a pleasure, both for customers and sellers. The key to success is perseverance, attentive fulfillment of product data, and describing the key features of the offer on your Amazon account.

And if you need help with Amazon's logistics - we're here for you. Check out our dedicated FBA service and write to us today!