How To Sell Stuff On Amazon: Savvy Guide To Earn $1000/Mo.

Making money on Amazon isn’t impossible for a small business- if you learn how to do it right.

Amazon is one of the largest marketplaces in the world, and it offers a great opportunity for sellers to reach a wide audience with their products.

But you need to learn how to sell stuff on Amazon before diving head-first into the unknown!

In this blog post, I’ll take you through the process of setting up your seller account to optimizing your listings and every step in between.

Key Takeaways

Discover profitable things to sell online and business ideas on Amazon.
Create an optimized product listing with competitive prices, delivery options, and customer outreach strategies.
Leverage other selling sites such as Shopify, Etsy, Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist for additional sales opportunities.

8 Steps For How To Sell Stuff On Amazon

If you’re new to the world of e-commerce, you might be wondering how to start selling on Amazon.

Don’t worry. That’s why I’m here to offer some tips and tricks on how to get started.

Here are steps for planning what to sell and how to sell on Amazon:

1. Decide on Products To Sell

The first step of getting into e-commerce is deciding what products to offer in your store and getting some business ideas flowing.

Coming up with product ideas might seem a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry; I have some tips to help you.

Start by researching the market to understand what products are popular and why. You’re looking for items with steady market demand but with less competition.

It’s also good to focus on products that you’re passionate about and have some knowledge of to make selling more enjoyable and successful.

To make your research a bit easier, you can use tools like Jungle Scout. It helps you identify products in demand and gives you insights into market trends.

2. Check Out Dropshipping & Business Ideas

Once you know what products you want to sell, it’s time to think about how to sell them.

You can create your own products, buy and resell products (retail arbitrage), etc.

A popular approach Amazon sellers use is drop shipping, where you sell products directly from the supplier without holding any inventory.

The supplier takes care of shipping products when a product sells, and all you do is provide the shop and link for consumers to get to.

It’s a great way to sell popular products without a huge investment or needing storage space at home.

As any business idea does, dropshipping comes with its own challenges, like depending on your supplier to fulfill orders on time or low inventory issues.

But you can learn from the best to avoid the pitfalls of dropshipping by taking the free Drop Ship Lifestyle training!

3. Figure Out A Selling Strategy

Now that you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to sell on Amazon and how you want to sell it, it’s time to craft a selling plan.

Your strategy should be based on the products you’ve chosen to sell, your target audience, and the level of competition in your niche.

Think about pricing and marketing, and provide customer service to help you reach customers and provide the best experience for them.

Maybe it’s creating engaging social media content and showing how your products work, demonstrating why someone needs it, and a link to your shop so they can get it themselves.

Your strategy should also involve SEO- aka optimizing your text so it pops up when people look for it.

Optimizing your product listing and product detail page with relevant keywords and high-quality images can help improve product visibility and drive traffic to your store.

4. Create Your Seller Account & Add Products

Since you have your business idea and selling strategy, it’s time to create your Amazon seller account.

Go to the Amazon Seller Central homepage and follow the prompts. You fill out information about your business, including tax information and bank account details.

If you plan to use Amazon Fulfillment, you must also send your products to Amazon’s warehouse.

Follow the instructions to create your shipping plan and send your products to the designated warehouse.

You’ll need to pick out your Amazon plan that you will use to sell products. Amazon offers two primary plans for sellers:

Individual sellers

If you plan to sell a limited number of items each month, the Individual plan might be the right Amazon seller account for you.

It doesn’t have a monthly subscription fee; instead, there is a fee of $0.99 for each item you sell on Amazon.

It comes with fixed shipping rates for all products sold, which might not be the most cost-effective option for your ecommerce business.

Professional plan

On the other hand, if you anticipate selling 40+ items per month, the Professional plan would be the plan you want to choose.

It has a monthly subscription fee of $39.99 but has tools and more help to sell your items.

Unlike the Individual plan, this plan offers the following benefits:

No additional fee per item sold, reducing overall selling costs for large inventories
More control over shipping rates
Ability to offer a wider range of shipping options to customers

Add Your Products To Amazon

This step is crucial; you’ll want to get it right to attract a steady stream of customers. Here’s how to get your product listed the right way:

Create a detailed product listing highlighting the unique product features and why customers use it/want it.
Use high-quality images and videos that clearly show what you’re offering.
Give precise descriptions on the product detail page for size, usage, weights, and more.
Optimize product listings with relevant keywords to enhance visibility in Amazon’s search results, making your products more appealing to potential customers.

5. Reach Customers

To successfully start selling on Amazon, you must ensure potential customers see and are drawn to your product pages.

You can leverage Amazon’s advertising tools, like Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands, to give your products the spotlight they deserve.

Broaden your reach by tapping into various selling tools like:

Amazon ads
Amazon’s product advertising API
social media platforms

And here’s some Savvy Pro tips: 

Encourage your customers to leave reviews- especially with pictures and videos. It enhances your store’s visibility and strengthens your credibility among potential buyers.
Use social media to grow brand awareness and demonstrate your products to more potential buyers.
Consider having people test your products (yes, sometimes for free) and have them leave reviews on how they work.
And don’t ignore bad feedback! You might need to go back to the drawing board, pick a new product, or even show people how they’re using it wrong.

6. Pick Delivery Options

When delivering your products to customers, you have a few options.

One popular option is Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which allows you to:

Store your products in Amazon fulfillment centers (no storage at your house)
Have Amazon take care of packaging, shipping, and customer service on your behalf
Provide access to Amazon’s Prime shipping program

Alternatively, you can handle shipping and fulfillment, giving you more control over the process, but it may require more effort and more space for products.

7. See What Works & What’s Not Selling

If you want to land sales and keep the momentum going, it’s important to keep an eye on what’s working for your ecommerce store and what’s not.

Start by checking which items your customers buy the most. If some products sell less, dive into keyword research to optimize their listings or compare prices with competitors.

Remember, it’s not just about sales numbers. Enhancing the overall customer experience can make a world of difference.

Lastly, the online market is ever-evolving. Keeping up with the latest trends and adapting to your customers’ wants will help you stay ahead of the competition.

8. Revise & Grow Your Shop

Monitoring your sales performance is crucial for identifying what works and what doesn’t in your Amazon store.

Analyzing metrics like units sold, generated revenue, and customer reviews helps identify areas for enhancement and make data-driven decisions to optimize sales.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it- but if things aren’t selling, you need to plan better ways to market your products or try new products that better suit customer needs.

Tools like Amazon Seller Central can provide valuable insights, helping you understand how customers interact with your products and identify trends and patterns.

Amazon Selling Fees

Seller Plans

Amazon offers sellers two main plans:

Individual Plan: Suitable for selling 40 items or less monthly; charges $0.99 per sale
Professional Plan: Ideal for selling 40+ items monthly; priced at $39.99 per month; offers additional tools and features

Selling Fees

In addition to subscription fees, Amazon charges additional selling fees for each item sold:

Category Referral fees: Charged based on the product category; range from 8% to 45% of the item’s sale price
Additional fees: FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) (storage, shipping, etc.- see more below); rental fees; cataloging costs; administration fee on refunds
Optional services: Advertising; inventory/storage with shipping; premium account services

Comprehending the different selling fees and their applicability to your products aids in superior cost management and assured profitability of your Amazon venture.

FBA Fees

FBA allows you to streamline your shipping process and provide a better customer experience. Still, it’s important to consider and factor the associated costs into your overall business expenses.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) fees cover the costs of storage, packaging, shipping, and customer service for sellers using the service.

There are two main types of FBA fees:

Fulfillment: Size and weight of the product determines the fees you’re charged
Inventory Storage: Fees are determined by the storage space used in Amazon’s fulfillment centers

Shipping Costs

Shipping costs vary depending on your chosen delivery method and whether you use FBA or self-fulfillment:

With FBA, you take advantage of Amazon’s competitive shipping rates and Prime shipping program, which can help attract more buyers.
If you choose to handle shipping and fulfillment yourself, you cover the costs of packaging materials, postage, and any additional fees associated with your chosen shipping carrier.

Best Stuff To Sell

There are countless product categories to choose from when selling on Amazon, but some are more profitable for your Amazon business than others.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is a popular business model among Amazon sellers, as it allows them to:

Sell products without holding inventory
Require minimal initial investment
Experiment with different products and markets without investing in inventory
Has potential for high-profit margins

This low-risk model offers flexibility and the opportunity to test and scale your business without the upfront inventory management costs.

Not sure how to get started as a dropshipper? Drop Ship Lifestyle’s free training tells you the basics about getting started and picking good product ideas!

Printables

Selling printables is a profitable business idea that creates passive income for you with no physical inventory or high production costs.

Printables are things like planners, templates, or artwork that you can create digitally for others to download and then print at home. 

Creating and listing printables on Amazon requires designing the product and formatting it for digital download.

I recommend taking the free E-Printables workshop by Gold City Ventures to learn more about what kind of printables to design to make money selling them.

Home Decor

Home decor is one of Amazon’s most popular product categories, featuring wall art, decorative pillows, and lighting fixtures.

Items are consistently in high demand, making them a profitable option for Amazon sellers.

When selling home decor items, it’s important to keep up with current trends and offer stylish and functional products.

Kitchen Gadgets

Kitchen gadgets are high-demand products that make cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Popular kitchen gadgets include cooking utensils, small appliances, and innovative tools.

These items can be highly profitable to sell on Amazon, as they cater to a large audience of home cooks and food enthusiasts.

Kids Toys

Kids toys remain one of the best categories on Amazon to generate sales, especially during the holiday season.

As parents look for ways to keep their kids entertained, they shop for toys that engage them.

Popular toys that sell on Amazon include board games, puzzles, video game consoles, and building blocks.

Other Selling Sites

While Amazon is a powerful platform for selling online, other options exist for sellers, including third-party sellers.

Here are shops I’ve used to sell our blog products and other popular online selling platforms:

Shopify

Shopify is a popular ecommerce platform allowing you to create and manage an online store with ease.

It’s an excellent option for sellers who want more control over their store’s design and functionality and the ability to customize their product offerings and promotions.

Shopify serves businesses of all scales and varieties and makes selling online affordable for small business owners like you.

By choosing Shopify as an alternative or additional store on the side, you can reach a wider audience and diversify your sales channel.

Your Own Website

While it may take more effort to set up and maintain, a well-designed website can be a valuable sales channel and a powerful complement to your Amazon store.

Building your own website to sell products directly to customers offers several advantages, including more control over your own branding, product detail, pricing, and customer experience.

A professional, user-friendly website allows you to display your products, narrate your brand story, and interact more directly with your customers.

Additionally, having your own website on a web host like Bluehost allows you to set your own shipping and payment options, giving you greater flexibility in managing your business.

Etsy

Opening an Etsy store is ideal for sellers who create their own products or offer artisanal and creative items.

With a focus on craftsmanship and originality, Etsy allows you to reach a niche audience that values quality and uniqueness.

Combining Etsy with Amazon for selling allows you to broaden your customer base and present your products to a larger audience.

Plus, I have tons of Etsy shop ideas that you may want to consider if you’re interested in homemade products or vintage items!

eBay

eBay is a well-known online marketplace that allows users to buy and sell a wide range of new and used products.

With its auction-style format and consumer-to-consumer transactions, eBay offers a unique opportunity to sell online and reach a diverse audience.

I’ve mainly flipped flea market items and stuff we don’t use anymore, but that’s only one successful business idea for using eBay!

FAQs

Is Amazon a good site to sell money?

Absolutely! Amazon is a great site to make money.

The Amazon marketplace is a hub where you can sell everything from gourmet food to collectible coins to video games and consoles.

The beauty of starting an Amazon business is the sheer volume of customers you can reach. Your products are accessible to millions globally, right at their fingertips.

But that’s not all. Amazon also offers the Amazon Seller app, a handy tool for managing your business from your mobile device, wherever you are.

And remember, Seller Central gives you insights into your sales, returns, and customer feedback, helping you make informed decisions to steer your business in the right direction.

Can I sell stuff for free on Amazon?

No, unfortunately, you can’t sell items on Amazon for free. There are several different fees to sell your products on Amazon.

This includes subscription fees, selling fees, FBA fees, and shipping fees.

How much does it cost to sell on Amazon?

The cost of selling on Amazon depends on your Seller account and the fees you need to pay when your products sell.

Aside from the subscription fee, sellers may need to pay referral fees which vary depending on the product category.

You may also pay for Amazon FBA, which offers storage, order handling, and shipping for the Amazon Fulfillment Center.

Where else can I sell products online?

Amazon is certainly one of many platforms available for selling your products online. Some of the other popular options include eBay, Etsy, and Shopify.

However, each platform has unique pros and cons, so it’s essential to research and compare different options before deciding.

What makes a good seller?

A good Amazon seller understands customers’ needs and offers reasonably priced quality products.

They pay attention to product detail and make each product listing clear and attractive with accurate descriptions and good-quality photos.

Amazon sellers also provide excellent customer service, promptly responding to queries and addressing issues.

Moreover, they are always looking to improve by keeping an eye on market trends and adjusting their strategies to make more successful sales.

How do I reach more customers?

The key to reaching more customers on Amazon is to optimize your product listings using relevant keywords, bullet points, and descriptions that appeal to your target audience.

You can also utilize Amazon’s advertising platform, which allows you to create targeted campaigns to reach specific customer segments.

Additionally, creating social media accounts can boost sales. Real-life pictures and videos can show things off, how to use them, and prove they’re worth the time and money for buyers.

Final Thoughts

Selling on Amazon can be a profitable online business if done correctly, and these steps are your guide to creating your successful shop!

These steps can help you become a successful Amazon seller, from setting up an account to optimizing your listings to marketing on your social media sites.

You can sell things on Amazon with the right research and hard work and make a profit with the right planning.

So, if you want to make $1000 a month with sales, take my steps and tips to heart and get out there!