You’ve completed all of your imagination, consumer research, and product sourcing. You’ve even prepared a sophisticated business strategy. Now that you’ve decided to join other entrepreneurs on the Amazon marketplace, you’re wondering how to configure your seller account and get operational.

Although setting up your seller account might be frightening, especially if it’s your first venture into an online business, it’s relatively straightforward. As long as you have all of the components in order, you’ll be up and running as soon as possible.

It’s crucial to spend time getting your business ready for consumers. After having your account set up, you can start adding products and operating your business.

This article will keep you updated about all you need to know about how to make an Amazon seller account.

How To Start An Amazon Business

What’s impressive about Amazon is that it doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all approach to starting a business. There are various ways to prosper in the marketplace, from the business model you adopt to the items you offer.

Nevertheless, irrespective of the business model or product you pick, the processes to get fully operational on Amazon are similar. So, how do you start your Amazon business?

1.   Select The Business Model You Want

You can pick various business models when you want to start your eCommerce business via Amazon. They include:

Private Label

It is a practice by which a shop renames or rebrands a commodity that has already been created under their brand or label.

• Advantage: Because the items are made offsite, there is no need for a supply network. Additionally, annexing your brand to your products is very simple.
• Disadvantage: Products may not meet your clients’ requirements, and if your purchasing quantities are small, the manufacturing may not be adjusted.

Wholesale

It is the act of acquiring discounted products in large quantities and selling them as a single unit in a retail market.

• Advantage: Profit margins are simpler to achieve on bulk products. Online retailers can get bulk commodities from certain firms and warehouses.
• Disadvantage: It’s tough to sell bulk products when there is already a market. If you don’t get the market right, you might end up with a bunch of extra stock.

Retail Arbitrage

Arbitrage is locating low-cost or discounted items in physical stores (or eCommerce platforms) and reselling them online.

• Advantage: If there is a demand for the products you choose, you can make a lot of money.
• Disadvantage: Sometimes, sourcing the products is a significant challenge.

Dropshipping

A business model in which an Amazon seller doesn’t really stock their products and instead informs the supplier or manufacturer about their client’s orders.

• Advantage: You will never worry about storage and delivery services.
• Disadvantage: You’re responsible for any defective merchandise.

Handmade

It’s a business model where individuals handcraft their products and sell them on Amazon. Such products include jewelry, home decoration, accessories, etc.

• Advantage: You can use Amazon’s client base to advertise your items and create a market for them. This model is highly effective if you have unique goods that would typically need much promotion and commitment elsewhere other than Amazon.
• Disadvantage: Handcrafting goods may be time-consuming and expensive. When there is low market demand for handcrafted products, sales are sluggish.

2.   Pick Your Preferred Fulfillment Method

Fulfillment is acquiring items, processing orders, and distributing them to consumers. The procedure begins when a consumer places an order and ends when the order is delivered.

There are two types of fulfillment methods:

1. Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
2. Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM).

Fulfillment is both strategies have advantages and disadvantages, therefore scrutinize them to decide on the perfect one for your business. You may also choose to use both in fulfilling your order if you know how to handle both at once.

3.   Think About the Product You Want to Sell

You may begin your Amazon business if you have an item, such as handmade products. However, you still have to walk through this stage to ensure that the products have enough demand on Amazon.

You can use a service like Jungle Scout to assist you in locating products to offer which are in great demand even if you have few competitors.

4.   Begin Sourcing Your Product

Product sourcing is the act of establishing the source of the product you want to offer to the market. For instance, if you’re dealing with private labels, you may use Alibaba or Jungle Scout’s supplier database to help you locate a manufacturer to produce your goods.

5.   Create Your Product Listing

A product list contains comprehensive information on the items and services that a firm manufactures or offers, for instance, the product’s name, price per unit, and a distinctive product number.

It may also contain information on inventory levels, including whether the item is currently in stock and the number of units ordered before.

After you’ve created your listing, you can start growing your Amazon sales.

How to Create a Seller Account on Amazon

After you’ve decided on the type of product you want to sell on Amazon, you’ll be required to handle the seller registration process as follows;

1.   Go to Amazon’s Official Website

Visit Amazon’s online webpage, https://services.amazon.com.

2.   Click on “Learn More.”

Once you’ve clicked “learn more,” select “Compare selling plans” from the “Pricing” menu. It will lead you to a site where you can compare the distinctions between a private and a professional seller account.

Remember, when you select the orange ‘Sign up’ option, the system will direct you to the professional seller registration page.

On the other hand, the ‘See pricing’ option explains the differences between private and professional accounts and lets you pick what you’ll need.

3.   Select Between an Individual or Professional Seller Account

You have two choices on Amazon’s seller plans: individual or professional.

If you want to sell above 40 products each month, you’ll need to sign up for a professional program. The plan will help you generate more cash even if you’re marketing as a hobbyist and not as a professional.

Choose the individual plan option to operate on a small scale (less than 40 items monthly).

Unfortunately, if you pick the individual plan option, your items will not qualify for the Buy Box, and you’ll not market your items on Amazon.

4.   Enter Your Email and Select ‘Create a New Account’

After you’ve selected your preferred selling strategy, you’ll be required to provide your email address and the password for your account.

Select the ‘Next’ button once you’re finished. It will direct you to another display panel where you’ll be asked to confirm the notice sent to the email address you submitted. This is a way of validating the email address you provided.

Keep an eye out for an email from Amazon, and be sure you click the link to authorize the notice.

5.   Choose your ‘Business location’ and ‘Business type.’

You must share the following when performing your seller registration process:

Address of your company: This is where your company is based. Amazon validates the address. Therefore, it must be correct.

Type of company: You’ll select your company structure from the below alternatives—the majority of which come under the category of “Privately-owned.”

• State-owned business
• Publicly-owned business
• Privately-owned business
• Charity
• None, I am an individual

Select “None, I am an individual” if you haven’t yet started a business. If you select this option, Amazon will ask you to provide your full name; first, middle, and last names.

6.   Enter Your Personal Information

You’ll be prompted to submit some personal information, including a form of identity, either your passport or driver’s license number.

Ensure your address is valid since you’ll receive a postcard with an activation code that you’ll have to input before using your account. You’ll also provide your phone number, which is also used for verification.

Once you’re done, scroll down the screen and select “Next.”

7.   Enter Your Billing Information

The next step is to give your billing details, including your active bank account and credit card number.

• Hit “I Understand” before continuing.
• You’ll be asked to verify your bank account on the following page.
• You’ll input your credit card information after you’ve confirmed your bank account information.

8.   Provide the Details of Your Products and Amazon Business.

Following the validation of your credit card details, you’ll answer some questions regarding your Amazon marketplace and the items you want to offer.

To go to the next step in the seller registration procedure, you’ll answer the following questions:

• What’s your Amazon store’s name?
• Does your product has a unique identifier (UPC) code?
• Do you have various certifications?
• Are the products you’re selling manufactured and branded by you,

When you select ‘Yes’ or ‘Some of the products,’ you will be asked if the branded items you plan to offer on Amazon have a trademark.

Once you’ve answered all inquiries, select the ‘Next’ option.

9.   Identity Verification

The next step is to confirm your identification by submitting your identification images, including your driver’s license or passport and a bank account statement.

Click Submit once you’ve finished uploading the documents.

Finally, once you’re done with the verification process, you’ll be prompted to validate the business address you submitted earlier.

After pressing the ‘Confirm’ option, a second screen will show if the address you give is accurate. The screen will inform you that you’ll get a postcard with a verification code at the address you provided.

After getting the postcard, input the code sent into the ‘Enter code’ section and selected ‘Next’ to complete the verification procedure.

After you’ve been validated, your seller account shall be created and active.

To be secure, you’re recommended to use two-factor authentication on your account; for high-security purposes. However, after your identification and company details have been validated, go to https://sellercentral.amazon.comto begin your Amazon eCommerce business.

How Much Will It Cost Me to Sell on Amazon?

Fortunately, you can begin selling on Amazon for free. Nevertheless, there are fees associated with purchasing inventory before selling it; if you want to employ the private label model. However, this isn’t costly.

Additionally, there will be some costs connected with your Amazon seller account, irrespective of the fulfillment option you choose.

The following are some of the Amazon fees you may pay:

• Referral fees: These are charges that Amazon collects as a commission for retailing on its marketplace. The costs differ per category, but it usually falls between 12% and 40%. The majority of items provide a 15% referral fee.
• Individual seller charge: Besides the referral fee, you’ll pay an additional $0.99 amount for every sale. However, sellers must pay this fee per item only if they have chosen an individual seller account.
• FBA program fees: If you utilize this Amazon program, you must pay for handling and shipping. For products weighing less than a pound, you’ll be charged about $3.00; as the products become heavier, the costs increases.
• Other Charges: When using Amazon FBA, you’ll be charged long-term inventory storage fees. If you’re dealing in media products, such as DVDs books, you’ll pay a media fee; you’ll also pay an advertising fee.

Other Essentials to Know Before Selling on Amazon

Below are other Amazon selling fundamentals to consider.

Amazon’s Best Sellers Rank (BSR)

Amazon classifies every item by awarding each one a Best Sellers Rank (BSR); the more famous the product (the higher demand), which increases the  BSR level.

Additionally, Amazon’s departments (parent categories) and sub-categories each use their hierarchy of BSRs.

Selling on Amazon Prime

Your items will score for Amazon Prime if you use Amazon’s FBA service and have sufficient inventory to distribute across its fulfillment center.

Selling Prime is essential for Amazon’s performance since it guarantees that your goods will be delivered to buyers in 2-3 days.

You’ll also obtain the “Amazon Prime” logo on your listing, implying that your goods will have a more significant possibility of a sale. Customers appreciate quick delivery.

You may still offer Prime as a Merchant Fulfilled Network vendor if you’re marketing on FBM. However, you must first subscribe to the Seller Fulfilled Prime scheme.

Wrap Up

Yes, you can sell on Amazon.  Big companies aren’t the only ones on the platform—it welcomes everyone.

Starting a business on Amazon might be intimidating.

Many entrepreneurs who are uncertain about its possibility start as individual sellers, but it’s free to use and helps sellers understand the marketplace before plunging in headfirst.

You only need an excellent product idea, create your seller account, and start earning.