Very few Amazon FBA sellers find success right out of the gate.
More often than not, the road to Amazon prosperity is a bumpy one; full of mistakes, solutions, do-overs, and compromises.
Botched shipping, shady suppliers, low-quality products, I could write a screenplay about all the blunders I’ve made in my six years on Amazon FBA, but unfortunately don’t have a light year to spare.
Instead, I’ve compiled a short list of some of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a seasoned Amazon entrepreneur.
So here’s a list of little-known misjudgments that even the most skilled sellers make.
Assuming You “Know the Market”
I spent 10 minutes searching for some of the wackiest products I could find on Amazon. Here’s what I found (links are attached to prove these products exist).
- Picolas Cage Pillow (A pillow with a pic of Nicolas Cage photoshopped onto a pickel)
- Lochness Monster Cookie Cutter
- Ranch Soda
- A Chicken Ramen Hoodie
Now I would never purchase such items, and quite frankly can’t think of why anyone would. I’m astonished there’s a market for these.
And that’s the point.
A common mistake that both new and experienced sellers make is playing it safe by sticking to niches and products they can relate to, or are knowledgeable about.
Now, this certainly has its advantages. I’ve discussed passion-based products on my YouTube channel countless times.
But don’t fall into the trap of assuming you understand everything there is to know about a market.
A case in point is the Lochness monster cookie cutter.
My immediate assumption is that die-hard fans of the mythical creature would quickly purchase a t-shirt, jewelry, a statue, or even a stuffed animal. I’d imagine these would be easy products to sell within the niche.
But I would never make the connection they’d want a cookie cutter.
So what’s the takeaway?
Minimizing assumptions will take you far on Amazon FBA.
Taking a Break Around the Holidays
Let me share a little yuletide story.
In January 2021 an acquaintance of mine decided he’d hop on the Amazon FBA train. He figured he’d test the waters by selling a seasonal item.
The plan was to sell source holiday ornaments and launch his product in the autumn of the same year.
With his marketing campaign, he assumed his highest sales volume would be in the months leading up to the holiday season, and made plans for a 3-week digital detox starting on the Christmas holiday itself.
After what he considered a successful first product run, he unplugged and escaped on December 25th, not paying attention to his Amazon seller account.
He, unfortunately, failed to realize a couple of things:
- Seasonal decorations are hot ticket items after the holiday season (folks assume they’re marked down, even if they’re not)
- Sales from holiday gift cards can skyrocket the first few weeks after December 25th.
So what happened?
In short, he ran out of product and never made arrangements with his supplier to re-stock.
In addition to missing out on thousands in sales, he also got his account docked, which made it more difficult to sell and scale in the future.
And the moral of the story?
The end of the year isn’t ideal for ignoring your Amazon store. But on a larger note, just don’t neglect your Amazon account period (especially a successful one that’s paying the bills).
Not Using Amazon Reports
Amazon seller central is chaulked full of countless reports.
While I believe a few of these can be skipped over, there’s a lot of valuable information in others.
Don’t forget to leverage this information to your advantage.
I dive deep into the matter on this YouTube tutorial.
Dismissing Negative Feedback
When sales are up and you’re hitting numbers it’s easy to overlook customer feedback.
Especially negative customer feedback.
After all, you’ve got glowing reviews, and the majority of customers are 100% satisfied with your product.
So why waste time messaging these complainers, right?
Plus it’s one more annoying thing to add to the to-do list.
Well first, Amazon doesn’t take too kindly to bad customer service.
But more importantly, use negative feedback to fix customer issues and make more money! In return, you’ll receive better reviews and higher sales
The better you understand your customer, the more profit you’ll churn on Amazon.
Not Taking Action
You’ll make tough business choices no matter where you’re at on your Amazon FBA journey. There’s no escaping this.
So how do you prepare for them?
Maybe binge-watch YouTube videos, spend hours scrolling Amazon for new ideas, and boast to friends about this guy on TikTok who made a million-selling cinnamon-roll-shaped body pillow and how you’re going to do the same…
…Point is, the ultimate pitfall is not taking action.
Whether that means just sticking to the same niches, not scaling in your current niches, failing to improve your listing, or just not registering a seller central account. You’ve got to always have the ball rolling in this business.
It’s true, Amazon requires constant attention. Odds are that you’re going to hit hurdles that you don’t feel like jumping over.
But don’t let these hold you back. Take action! Hard work equals profits, and this is what separates successful sellers from unsuccessful ones.
Not Reading Amazon’s News and Updates
There’s an often overlooked tab on your seller central account labeled “News”.
It’s updated nearly every day, and for countless years, I never read it.
Until I learned its value.
Amazon is constantly changing its platform; adding new guidelines, changing fees, and establishing new regulatory measures.
At a certain point, I began to realize that keeping up with these changes was crucial to performing well on the platform.
And as much as I hate reading boring updates, I began to leverage relevant information to steer business decisions.
I highly recommend doing the same, as this will help you avoid situations where missed Amazon updates have significant impacts on your bottom line.
Undervaluing A+ Content
“My product’s selling fine, I don’t want to bother with A+ content. It’s just more time and overhead.”
Sure. I get it. I hear this all the time.
But with A+ content, your products could be selling even better.
A+ content’s bells and whistles have a massive impact on sales and make it more difficult for competition to creep in. Yes, it’s more work and higher costs, but it’s one of the best ways to make your product stand out against others in the niche.
A lazy listing will be eaten alive.
I break down the steps to getting A+ content, including brand registery in my YouTube tutorial here.
Staying In Your Sourcing Lane
Don’t make the mistake of always buying from the same supplier.
This is a crucial mishap that’s easily avoidable.
Purchasing in bulk from overseas suppliers can be daunting. So what happens to sellers when they find and trust a good manufacturer?
Some tend to only buy from that one supplier, and as a result, are limited to selling only what the supplier can manufacture.
This severely limits one’s ability to scale, create new products, and expand into other niches.
Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and spend some quality time apart from your trusted supplier.
After all…it’s just business.
Failure to Invest in Yourself
As an Amazon seller, you’re a business owner. And unless you’ve hired help, you’re the CEO, the CTO, and the COO. You’re in charge of marketing, sales, finances, and operations.
And guess who your business’s most valuable asset is?
You!
Therefore it’s up to you to make wise business decisions to grow your Amazon business and give you the best possible return on investment without high-priced blunders.
There’s plenty of free material online, but don’t underestimate the value of paid resources to streamline your Amazon FBA journey.
Why? Because there’s lots of room for error in this business.
Mistakes in the Amazon world are often costly, and sometimes irreversible. Errors can put your reputation on the line, and even get your account permanently suspended. They can be a catastrophic blow to your finances and ego.
There’s plenty of help out there when you need it.
When it comes to paid resources such as subscriptions, coursework, or hiring a personal FBA coach, make certain to perform your due diligence.
I recommend reading reviews, scheduling a call, and talking to a real person before signing up to a paid program. Gimmicks undoubtedly exist, so make sure your homework’s done prior to making a decision.
Are you ready to start your Amazon FBA journey, avoid mistakes, and save money at the same time?
Learn how my Amazon Wealth Accelator has helped many others do just that!
