How to Setting up an Amazon Seller Account

Table of Contents

1. Account Setup
2. Product Research
3. Listing Creation
4. Inventory Management
5. Fulfillment Options
6. Branding & A+ Content
7. Amazon Advertising
8. Monitoring & Analytics

1. Account Setup

In this phase, you'll establish the groundwork by setting up your Amazon Seller Account. You'll choose between an Individual or Professional account based on your projected sales and feature needs. The key elements involve completing registration forms, verifying your email, and configuring payment and shipping options.

Getting an error during setup? Many new sellers get an error saying "Account Verification Failed" during setup. This is often due to mismatching information between what's on your ID and what you enter.

Solution: Make sure all details match perfectly, and try again. Missing a comma, spacing issues, capital vs. lowercase letters - it needs to match. 

2. Product Research

This section focuses on market research to identify viable products to sell on Amazon. Tools like Amazon's Best Sellers list, keyword planners, and competitor analysis are commonly used.

Common Issue: Sellers often find themselves in highly competitive markets leading to low sales.

Solution: Use tools ahead of time to assess market saturation and demand: Jungle Scout and Merchant Words are two services that can help. It's a good idea to validate your product ideas through market data, although with the right branding & marketing, even saturated, competitive markets can be an opportunity.

3. Listing Creation

In this section, you’ll learn how to create compelling listings with high-quality photos, an optimized title, and bullet points. Detailed product descriptions and smart keyword usage are crucial for visibility.

Common Issue: Listing rejected due to missing or incorrect details.

Solution: Amazon is unforgiving when it comes to completing their forms, be it a product listing form, an application, even support tickets. Oftentimes, you see an error, but there is no obvious remedy. Need help figuring it out? Feel free to reach out.
 

4. Inventory Management

This section outlines how to keep track of your stock levels, sales trends, and order fulfillment status. Amazon provides an Inventory Management dashboard for this purpose.

Common Issue: Running out of stock or overstocking items.

Solution: Amazon's Inventory Management tools help to keep an eye on stock levels and allow you to set restock alerts. Inventory & forecasting is hard, and it's oftentimes an art more than science. 

5. Fulfillment Options

This section deals with order fulfillment. You can either choose to fulfill orders yourself (FBM) or use Amazon’s FBA services.

Common Issue: High shipping and handling costs with FBM.

Solution: Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to see if switching to FBA would be more profitable.

6. Branding & A+ Content

After you’ve enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry, this section will guide you through creating a branded storefront and A+ Content with richer media elements like videos and comparison charts.

Common Issue: A+ Content not displaying as intended.

Solution: Make sure all media files meet Amazon's size and format guidelines. A single pixel difference is all it takes to kick back an error, or a size (MB) error, or an issue with the file name.

7. Amazon Advertising

This section explores Amazon's various advertising options like Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Amazon DSP to drive traffic to your listings.

Common Issue: Low ROI on advertising spend.

Solution: Regularly review and adjust your ad campaigns based on performance metrics.

8. Monitoring & Analytics

The final section focuses on the use of analytics tools within Amazon Seller Central to monitor key performance metrics like sales, customer reviews, and advertising performance.

Common Issue: Inconsistent sales data.

Solution: Use Amazon’s reporting tools to get a clearer picture and troubleshoot any inconsistencies.