At this time of year I speak to a lot of brands who are thinking about adding a new sales channel, and Amazon is often the one they’re curious about.
What I hear time and time again is this:
“I want to get started… I just don’t know where to begin.”
And that makes complete sense.
Amazon doesn’t make the early stages very clear, and it can feel confusing before you’ve even created an account.
The good news is that most of the challenges people face at the beginning aren’t complicated. They’re just things no one tells you upfront. Knowing them early can save you time, stress and a lot of back-and-forth.
Here are a few examples.
Some categories need approval before you can list.
This isn’t always obvious at the start and can delay things if you’re hoping to go live quickly. The same goes for certain brand names, including your own.
You’ll need to decide how you want to fulfil orders.
FBA, fulfilling yourself, or a mix of both all have pros and cons. It’s worth thinking about early as it affects your costs, delivery times and your customers’ experience.
Your barcodes need to meet Amazon’s requirements.
You’ll already have barcodes in place, but Amazon is specific about what they accept and where they come from, so it’s something to double check before you start.
Brand Registry timing is worth planning.
You don’t have to wait to launch, but it helps to make sure your trademarks, packaging and brand details all align before you apply. It avoids unnecessary loops later.
Your images and product information might need adapting.
You’ll already have assets, but Amazon has its own rules around backgrounds, file types and formats. Often it’s just a case of tweaking what you have.
And finally, setup takes longer than most people expect.
Not because you’re doing anything wrong. Amazon simply asks for more information and steps than most other platforms.
None of this is meant to put you off.
Amazon can be a brilliant sales channel, especially when you know what’s coming. A little preparation goes a long way and makes everything feel far more manageable.
If you’re considering Amazon this year or next and want to understand what the setup would look like for your products, I’m always happy to talk things through.