As an ecommerce retailer, selling on Amazon makes a lot of sense. After all, Amazon is the largest online retailer, meaning that the demand for your products could be substantial, provided that you know how to strategically market your goods to your audience. 

Amazon Seller Central is a powerful resource, but it can be a bit of a challenge to master. On top of that, you’ll have to deal with costs and fees, which add up surprisingly fast. Fortunately, partnering with an Amazon seller consultant in an agency or wholesale capacity can help your brand take the headache out of on-platform marketing and third-party logistics. They can take care of Amazon shipping, Amazon returns, Amazon seller management, and more, helping you focus on other key aspects of growing your business.

Keep reading to learn the Amazon Seller Central tips and tricks that will help you make the most out of your marketplace strategy.

First-Party vs. Third-Party Selling

Before we dive too far into Seller Central, it’s important to understand the differences between Amazon Vendor Central vs. Seller Central, or 1P vs. 3P selling. The two primary ways of using Amazon to sell products are via first or third-party logistics. As an Amazon first party seller, you sell items in bulk directly to Amazon via the Vendor Central platform. Then, Amazon sells those products at a markup to the consumer and leverages their own marketing and advertising tactics. When you sell via Vendor Central, Amazon will control retail pricing and all aspects of getting the product to your customer’s doorstep.

The second option is third-party selling, which is what brands and vendors do through the Seller Central platform. Instead of selling directly to Amazon, you sell to your customers directly. Amazon marketplace sellers have more control over your marketplace inventory, branding, advertising, pricing, and customer service issues. You will have access to more logistics and fulfillment options (including Amazon FBA, FBM, dropshipping, etc.) as well as quick payment terms, so you are paid as soon as you make a sale.

Seller Central Account Creation

Since you're probably selling your products through Amazon already, we won't dive too deep into the account setup process. Fortunately, Amazon Seller Central makes it easy for brands to get started on the platform. Here’s the info you need to create an account:

• Business name
• Contact information
• Real name and address
• Shipping locations
• Bank account
• Company logo
• An About Us section
• Return and refund policies (if needed)

Creating an account is just the first step, though—the trick is leveraging the platform to increase sales on Amazon. While Amazon does most of the work to connect you to customers, there are many opportunities to build your bottom line. More on that in the next section.

Amazon Seller Central Strategies

Fulfillment & Logistics

When you are selling via Seller Central, you have various shipping options available to ship items directly to your customers. Whether you’re shipping from your warehouse or leveraging e-commerce dropshipping businesses, the best way to go is to use Amazon FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). With FBA, you pay Amazon to store, pack, and ship the items for you. In some situations, FBA is better (especially if you want to be an Amazon Prime Seller), although you'll have to crunch the numbers to see how it affects your margins.

Marketing & Advertising

You need to promote your products if you want them to sell well. You can do this through the use of Amazon SEO services and other Amazon marketing strategies. Utilizing the right keywords, A+ Content, Store branding, and advertising can drive more traffic to your product pages and convert customers at a much higher rate. If you're not sure where to start, enlisting the help of an Amazon marketing agency can optimize your listings to drive traffic and maximize conversion.

Customer Engagement & Reviews

All Amazon products have reviews, but some of them (more than you would think) are paid. While it's easier to buy positive reviews, it's completely against Amazon’s guidelines. To stay compliant, solicit authentic feedback from your customers. Savvy consumers can tell the difference, and they'll appreciate honest reviews from real people. Doing this can help boost your profile and Amazon search rankings, and increase your sales numbers.

Amazon Seller Account Issues

Being a third-party seller on Amazon isn't a cut-and-dry situation. While the company makes it relatively easy to sell on its platform, there are many variables to consider. Unfortunately, lots of brands don't plan accordingly, so they run into various Amazon seller problems. Let's break down some of the most common Amazon Seller account issues that users can experience.

• Lost Profitability
  Often, brands pay too much attention to their top-level sales without focusing on their bottom line. When this happens, it's very easy to wind up losing money overall. So, even if you have tons of orders coming in, how much are you really making on each transaction? One primary reason why sellers can't stay profitable is that they don't account for "hidden" Amazon fees. Other key reasons include not having a solid grasp on your inventory forecasting and a lack of Amazon advertising strategy expertise.
• Unoptimized Listings
  Although Amazon isn't technically a search engine, you should treat it as such. You should focus on SEO tactics and Amazon listing optimization services for all of your listings. These strategies include using the right keywords, analyzing customer behavior, and answering product queries.
• Unresolved Cases with Amazon Seller Support
  Wondering how to contact Seller Support directly? Read these tips.

Amazon Seller Management Services

At first, it may seem easy to be a third-party vendor on Amazon. Many small and medium-sized businesses discover (and as you may have learned), however, that there's a vast difference between making products and selling them. You may have the best items on the platform, but you'll lose to the competition if you don't know how to sell them.

Working with Amazon Seller management services can make it so much easier to succeed. What kinds of elements can a management agency help with? Let's take a look at the biggest ones:

• Ecommerce Storage Management
  How are you storing your products for delivery? What is the most cost-effective way for your business to sell/ship goods sold on Amazon? Are longer FBA processing times causing stock issues?
  
  The more products you sell, the more complicated your ecommerce warehouse management process becomes. Partnering with a company that can take the stress out of inventory management via an Amazon wholesale seller can help you maximize your margin and avoid stockouts, returns, and negative reviews.
• Ecommerce Product Marketing
  How are you promoting your brand and product line? Once people see what you have to offer, are they buying right away, or do you have a substantial bounce rate? Marketing on Amazon is more than just telling people what you sell—you have to show how your products can solve specific issues and provide value for your customers, while also telling the story of your brand. 
  
  Another issue is the stiff competition among ecommerce brands and Amazon sellers. SupplyKick can help your business stand out from the rest (take a look at how we’ve done this in our Brand Marketing Lookbook). SupplyKick’s approach to brand marketing has resulted in a 2x increase in conversion on Amazon for select partners.
• Third-Party Logistics (3PL)
  If you're not using Amazon FBA, you have to handle shipping, returns, and inventory management yourself. SupplyKick makes this side of your operations easier with streamlined processes. We've worked with dozens of third-party sellers, so we know what to expect with logistical problems and hiccups. Instead of having to deal with these Amazon supply chain management issues, you can rely on our experience and expertise to boost your bottom line and strengthen your operational efficiency.

At SupplyKick, we work with you to maximize your marketplace profitability and sales potential. Contact our team to find out how we can help take the headaches out of selling on Amazon Seller Central.