Millions of independent businesses are using Amazon to promote and sell their products online. It makes sense, considering Amazon is the largest online retailer and consumers use it every day to find great deals and unique items. As a business, not selling through this platform could result in you losing out on an enormous amount of sales, and companies and individuals with seller’s accounts have all found it has helped boost their profits. If you are starting an independent business in retail, here are the 5 basic steps for you to set up an account on the Amazon Marketplace and how to make the most of it.

1. Business and Tax Information

To be able to sell on Amazon Marketplace, first, you will need to register your business details with them. This will include your business name, address, contact details, and the relevant registration documentation from the relevant government body (United States Patent and Trademark Office). You will also need to give them your business’s tax information and VAT registration number. Once this information has been verified by Amazon, you can start selling.

2. Product Listings

Once your account is verified the next step is to begin listing your products on Amazon. You can do this in the ‘Catalogue’ section and upload products. Make sure you’re inputting the price, post and packaging costs and product details (measurements, etc.) before you make them live on Amazon. You should also add the number of items per product to your inventory to better keep on top of your stock count. Plus, this will help customers know if an item is low or out of stock.

3. Advertising

You can advertise and promote your products with Amazon, and this can be done via your campaign manager (see ‘Advertising’ section on your account page). This will help to boost your products up to the results pages for better exposure. You can also create a multi-page store that will present your products more professionally and allow you to let customers know more about your brand. Essentially, a multi-page store is like having a mini-website for your business on Amazon. However, to use this tool, you must first register your brand with Amazon.

4. Check It Every Day

If you’re running an eCommerce business, you are likely to be doing this anyway, but you’d be surprised at how often you might forget to do this when trying to manage other business tasks. Of course, Amazon will email you notifying you of a sale, but it’s worth regularly checking your account to make sure your information on there is up to date and monitoring your sales and advertising campaigns. This will also allow you to notice the minute there is a problem with your account, such as it being deactivated. If for whatever reason you find your Amazon seller account deactivated, you can appeal this decision.

5. Keep on Top of Payments

You will need to pay a monthly fee to have an Amazon seller’s account, and if you want to keep your online store up and running on there, make sure you don’t miss a payment. They will give you time to pay this if a payment defaults, but if this isn’t resolved quickly, you will see your account suspended or deactivated. However, as we discussed, if you find yourself in this situation, fortunately, there are ways you can rectify it.

Follow these tips to set up your Amazon seller’s account and keep it running smoothly.