The shelves of Wal-Mart, Target, Macy’s, Kohls, etc. are packed with rugged, high-quality American-made products sold to consumers at the best possible prices.
Just kidding.
The products are sourced cheaply from overseas and sold for insane markups in the American marketplace and elsewhere. Hence why literally everything you buy is tagged Made in China, or Made in Indonesia.
What most people don’t understand is that you can run the exact same business model from the comfort of home, without a physical store, using Amazon’s automated fulfillment system.
It’s called Amazon FBA, or fulfillment by Amazon.
There are endless video tutorials explaining step-by-step how this works, setting up your account, etc., but how do you actually make money using Amazon FBA?
Here are some lesser known tips I’ve learned over the past six years selling on the platform.
Make sure to check out my other resources, as well as My YouTube channel for in-depth instructions and topic deep dives.
Wait 1 Year
I recently heard an entrepreneurial quote that I’m compelled to share. It went something like this:
“Most people would be rich if they’d just wait a year.”
In other words, there are no get-rich-quick schemes, but the right investment can have massive impacts on your finances if you’re willing to wait it out.
Between product research, finding suppliers, ordering samples, shipping, launching, etc., serious FBA sellers should bank on between 6 months and a year to start seeing sales.
I don’t sugarcoat the fact that there’s a lot of upfront work with Amazon FBA, especially if you’re taking the extra steps to become trademarked and brand-registered (which I recommend).
And the truth is a lot of factors are simply out of a sellers’ control; shipping times, account suspensions, dealing with customer service, and headaches from the revolving door of Amazon policy changes, just to start.
So I’ll be shamelessly cliche here, patience is key in this game if you expect to succeed.
Take a Marketing Crash Course
The goal of any Amazon FBA business is to get as many eyes as possible on your listing.
Or in other words, you’re marketing your product!
Your success will hinge on your launch, PPC ad campaigns, social media presence, etc., as well as your digital marketing efforts.
I go into more detail on marketing trends here, but my advice is to soak up some market-related content to get into the advertising headspace.
I was surprised to learn how nuanced it all is.
For example, the color of your packaging, loading speed of your website, your listing’s photo quality, and the font on a TikTok, can all impact engagement and ultimately sales.
Even if you plan on outsourcing, taking the time to educate yourself on the topic will help weed through overpriced agencies, and inexperienced freelancers, and just generally give you a better eye for quality marketing.
Don’t Rely on AI
Listen, I completely agree with the “work smarter, not harder” mentality.
Hell, I literally have AI bots in my team meetings.
But don’t think AI is going to automate your Amazon journey for you.
Your product listing, photography, product research, content creation, etc. can all be supplemented by AI, but don’t count on it to do the bulk of the heavy lifting.
Use it! But use it with caution, and make sure you’re reading all relevant guidelines, as Amazon is notorious for suspending accounts that don’t adhere to them.
Niche Down
What does it mean to niche down?
Niching-down is the idea of focusing on one specific category, rather than selling in a broad market.
For example, a niche might be Corgi Themed Dog Socks instead of a broader category like Dog Socks
But doesn’t it sound counterintuitive to sell to a smaller audience?
Think of it this way. In a niche market segment, you’re catering to a very specific group of consumers. This means you’ll have less competition, so you can charge a premium for your product.
Finding untapped niche-markets is like striking gold in the Amazon world.
And the cool thing is, new niche markets are constantly emerging and evolving (meaning it’s never too late to start selling).
For example, The pickleball craze of 2019-2021 birthed countless niche markets and investment opportunities around the sport.
I like using Google Trends, along with Helium 10 to keep an eye on emerging trends and niches.
Don’t Cheap Out on Content
Let’s roast this product listing’s photo, shall we?
- The hook is miraculously attached below the frame’s lip, defying physics
- Cat is clearly photoshopped (let’s be honest, the whole thing is)
- Feet are as big as the cat
- The young lady’s somehow sitting on the floor with perfect 90 degree posture
- Um…?
The point is, your content matters.
Remember, people shop with their eyes. So in regards to your listing’s photography, video content, website, and any social media presence, the devil’s in the details.
Take your time on your content. Spend the extra cash. It’ll be worth it in the end.
Sell Your Amazon Business
Let’s say you start an Amazon business, churn a lil’ profit, but ultimately decide it’s not for you.
Great news!
You can sell good-standing Amazon FBA businesses for crazy profits from sites like Empireflippers.com.
In this YouTube video, I detail how some sellers are flipping Amazon accounts for 40-50X their worth, and they’re not even generating that much revenue.
It’s reassuring, in my opinion, to know the business isn’t a life-long dedication.
Get a Mentor
A Reddit post caught my attention the other day that sums up perfectly why a strong mentorship or course is recommended for a successful Amazon FBA journey.
Afterall, would there be a Karate Kid without Mr. Miyagi? Harry Potter without Prof. Dumbledore?
The point is, a little guidance goes a long way.
Here’s the post that outlines why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. Credit to the Redditor below!
Are You Ready to Start Selling on Amazon?
My Amazon Winners Academy (AWA) mentorship guides you through the entire Amazon FBA process and provides a community of support with others on the exact same journey.
You’ll get hands-on support from experienced sellers with your same goals and aspirations.
AWA gives you a much-needed safeguard from costly mistakes, dead ends, and failed product investments to efficiently reach your passive income goals.
So whether it’s solving issues with your Seller Central account, creative approaches to product research, scaling to new markets and niches, validating product ideas, customer service issues, and more, we’ve got you covered.
Learn more about it here.
