Last year, Amazon had nearly 2 million individual sellers using the platform to sell their goods. That number is predicted to continue rising this year as more people take advantage of Amazon’s many perks.
If you’re thinking of starting or expanding your e-commerce business, you’ve probably thought about platforms to take advantage of. While platforms like Etsy are great for crafts and eBay is great for collector’s items, Amazon is the perfect catch-all for, well, everything else.
Why is it beneficial to become an Amazon individual seller? Why are you better off using Amazon to sell your goods than a built-from-scratch e-commerce website?
Read on for five compelling reasons to join the ranks of other Amazon sellers in 2022.
1. You Don’t Have to Invest Much to Get Started
Building an e-commerce website can cost quite a bit of money. Even if you use the most basic website-building tools, you’ll have to cough up some dough for sales-enabling plug-ins. Plus, money is time in any business, and you’re not going to start making any money until you have a functional website–which can take weeks to perfect.
Amazon’s basic seller tier doesn’t come with a subscription price. Instead, you’ll pay a small fee per listing that won’t cut into your budget until you start making sales. If you choose to become a “Professional Seller,” which comes with tons of worthwhile perks, you’ll pay $39.99 per month.
The bottom line, here, is that you don’t have to worry about unaffordable overhead costs to get started. If you want to keep things simple and budget-friendly, opt for the free seller platform that will only take a small percentage of your profits.
2. Amazon Comes With a Built-In Market That’s Constantly Growing
We don’t need to tell you what Amazon is because you already know. In fact, most people who shop online are more than aware of Amazon. They use it on a regular basis.
In 2021, Amazon reportedly had over 300 million active shoppers. More than 90% of Americans who shopped online bought at least one item from Amazon. The truth is that as Amazon grows, we’re finding that smaller platforms can’t compete.
As you build your e-commerce business, you’re going to be utilizing tools like SEO to improve your online traffic. Doing so within Amazon’s platform has an even higher success rate because so many consumers are going straight to Amazon to look for products and goods.
3. Amazon Can Boost Your Reputation as a Seller
Amazon isn’t without faults; no e-commerce website is. However, there’s a reason that so many people turn to Amazon for their online shopping needs.
Amazon has a great reputation with consumers because they find, time and time again, that they can trust the platform. For example, Amazon makes it easy to report missing, damaged, and even stolen items. They offer refunds quickly and with minimal hassle.
This efficient service isn’t only for Amazon’s own products. They offer these same services to Amazon individual sellers, as well. By taking advantage of the system Amazon has already perfected, you can boost your business’s reputation without working through years of trial and error.
4. Amazon Offers Great Fulfillment to Individual Sellers
How can you take advantage of Amazon’s efficient system? Sign up for FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) and you won’t just benefit from Amazon’s beloved return policy. You’ll also benefit from their speedy order fulfillment.
When you sign up for FBA, you can store your entire inventory in Amazon warehouses. This solves the issue of renting commercial storage space as you focus on expanding and perfecting your inventory. It also solves the issue of packing your inventory for shipment.
With FBA, Amazon is also in charge of processing your orders and having them sent around the nation–and even the globe. The best part is that customers aren’t the only ones who can get a refund for damaged or missing items. If something goes awry with your inventory, whether in the warehouse or in transit, you can file for a refund so that your bottom line never takes a hit.
5. There Are Tons of Ways to Improve the Way You Sell on Amazon
Maybe you’re thinking that this all sounds a little too easy. You’re an entrepreneur, someone who likes a challenge and wants to find room to grow. Won’t Amazon make the online sales process so streamlined that you hardly have to lift a finger?
If that’s how you want to run your business, the answer is yes. However, there are always ways to improve the way you run your business through Amazon.
To get an idea of how you can improve, take a look at the habits of Amazon sellers who make tons of money through Amazon sales. These sellers aren’t just sitting around waiting for their products to sell themselves. They’re looking for ways to improve their products, offer competitive, pricing, and boost customer relations.
Amazon might fulfill the last leg of your product’s journey, but it’s up to you to entice customers to buy your products. There are always ways to expand your business as an Amazon individual seller, meaning that you’ll never stagnate if you don’t want to.
Are You Ready to Become an Amazon Individual Seller?
If you’re ready to throw your hat into the ring of e-commerce in 2022, we urge you to consider becoming an Amazon individual seller. Combine your incredible products and entrepreneurial spirit with the many benefits of working with an e-commerce giant. You’re bound to start turning a profit in no time.
Looking for more tips and tricks to take your business ideas and turn them into a reality? Take a look at our business content for industry news, entrepreneurial tips, and guides to everything from customer service to marketing.