How to Sell on Amazon: The Ultimate Guide to Crushing It in Ecommerce

When people say “selling on Amazon is easy,” they either have a secret playbook or they’re being a bit too optimistic. Sure, the platform gives you access to millions of buyers, but standing out in a sea of sellers? That’s a whole different game.

The truth is, learning how to sell on Amazon takes more than just uploading a few product photos and calling it a day. From competitor research to pricing strategies, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. But don’t worry — we’re not here to scare you off. We’re here to hand you the keys to the e-commerce kingdom.

To make sure you’re getting the most practical advice, we sat down with Edita, one of the ecommerce Project Managers at TCF, who shared the inside scoop on how beginners can not just sell products on Amazon— but succeed there.

From essential first steps to expert-level strategies, this guide has everything you need to become a pro seller.

Let’s get you ready to crush it.

How to Sell on Amazon for Beginners

So, you’ve decided to become an Amazon seller? Congrats — you’ve already made one smart move. But before you dive in, you need a game plan. Selling on Amazon without preparation is like showing up to a marathon without sneakers — painful and not recommended.

With guidance from Edita, we’ve broken down the essential first steps to get you from “thinking about it” to “crushing it” on Amazon. Here’s exactly what you need to do.

1. Do Competitor Research (Don’t Skip It!)

Want to avoid launching a product only to find competitors selling it cheaper with better reviews? Competitor research is your shield.

How to do it right:

• Check Prices: Know your competitors’ prices. If you can’t match them, highlight unique features or better values.
• Study Listings: Analyze product images, descriptions, and features. Spot gaps to make your product stand out.
• Read Reviews: Check 1-star and 2-star reviews to identify common complaints and turn them into selling points.

2. Choose the Right Product Category

Your product’s category is its “home base” on Amazon. Pick the wrong one, and you risk getting buried in irrelevant search results.

How to do it right:

• Follow Competitors: List in the same category as best-sellers with similar products.
• Check Requirements: Some categories (like electronics) require certifications, so be prepared.
• Be Flexible: If you’re unsure, pick the closest fit and adjust later. Use Amazon’s “browse tree” to guide you.

3. Avoid Potential Risks and Blocking Points

Sometimes, sellers hit a wall when listing their products. This happens when Amazon requires extra approvals, certifications, or category restrictions. Plan for these potential blockers to avoid delays.

Potential Risks and Blocking Points:

• Category Restrictions: Certain categories (like electronics, supplements, or baby products) require approvals or documentation before listing.
• Compliance Requirements: Products like cosmetics, health items, or toys may need safety certifications or lab tests.
• Inventory Issues: Stockouts can result in losing the Buy Box, while overstocking may trigger long-term storage fees.
• Account Suspension: Policy violations (like fake reviews) can lead to account suspension or product deactivation.
• High Return Rates: Poor product quality or misleading descriptions may cause higher return rates, hurting profit margins and seller ratings.

By identifying and addressing these blockers early, you’ll avoid unnecessary delays and ensure a smooth product launch on Amazon.

4. Get GTIN/UPC Codes (Don’t Cut Corners!)

A GTIN/UPC is your product’s barcode on Amazon. Without it, you’re not getting listed.

How to do it right:

• Buy Official Codes: Get barcodes from GS1 — not random “cheap barcode” sites.
• Don’t Skip It: No GTIN/UPC = no listing.
• Accuracy Matters: If GTIN/UPC data doesn’t match your product, your listing gets flagged.

5. Create an Optimized Product Listing

Think of your product listing as your sales pitch. If it’s boring, buyers scroll past it. Make it stand out.

How to do it right:

• Title: Use clear, keyword-rich titles with product features (like “waterproof” or “organic”).
• Images: High-quality, multi-angle shots boost trust. Add lifestyle photos if possible.
• Bullet Points: Highlight 3-5 key benefits with short, punchy points.
• Description: Focus on the problem your product solves. Use SEO keywords naturally.
• A+ Content: If brand-registered, use A+ content for comparison charts and enhanced images.

12 Expert Tips for Selling on Amazon Like a Pro

Once you’ve mastered the basics of selling on Amazon, it’s time to level up. Becoming a successful Amazon seller requires more than just listing products — it’s about optimizing, advertising, and staying one step ahead of the competition. Here are the top expert strategies to help you grow from a beginner to a seasoned pro.

1. Drive External Traffic to Your Listings

If you think Amazon will drive traffic to your product for free, think again. If you want to stand out from competitors, you’ll need to bring in traffic from outside Amazon. By sending shoppers directly to your Amazon product page, you boost sales velocity, which increases your chances of earning a Best Seller badge.

How to do it right:

• Run Meta ads (Facebook & Instagram) that link directly to your Amazon page.
• Leverage influencer marketing to get creators to review and link to your Amazon products.
• Use email marketing to drive your existing customer base to your new Amazon listings.

Pro Tip: Drive external traffic during major shopping seasons like Black Friday, Prime Day, and Christmas. The boost in sales during these peak times increases your product’s visibility and can land you on the Best Seller list.

2. Use Essential Seller Tools

You can sell products on Amazon without tools — but it’s a lot like driving without GPS. The right tools can help you track competitors, research profitable products, and fine-tune your listings for maximum visibility.

Top tools every Amazon seller needs:

• Helium 10: All-in-one platform for product research, keyword optimization, listing optimization, and ad tracking.

• Keepa: A powerful tool to track product price history and sales trends.
• Jungle Scout: Best for discovering trending product ideas and calculating potential profitability.

They help you spot trends early, provide data-driven insights for ads, pricing, and listings, and automate tasks like price tracking, listing updates, and review analysis.

3. Nail Your Fulfillment Strategy

How you fulfill your orders (and how fast) can make or break your Amazon business. Most sellers use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), which lets Amazon handle shipping, customer service, and returns. But there are hidden fees to be aware of.

How to do it right:

• Ship full pallets, not half-pallets: Shipping in bulk reduces costs.
• Don’t overstock: If your products sit in Amazon’s warehouse too long, you’ll be charged long-term storage fees.
• Avoid destruction fees: If products don’t sell, Amazon charges you to “destroy” them. Sell them off with flash sales instead.
• Keep 30-90 days of inventory at Amazon: This reduces long-term storage fees.
• Forecast demand: Use sales history and seasonality data to avoid overstocking.

Pro Tip: If you’re worried about high fees, consider FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) for some products. This way, you control the fulfillment process and avoid extra storage fees.

4. Master the Buy Box (Win It, Keep It, Profit From It)

The Buy Box appears when multiple sellers are offering the same product (like branded items or popular goods). While many sellers might list the product, only one seller’s offer is featured in the Buy Box at a time — and since most shoppers click the big “Add to Cart” button without checking other sellers, winning the Buy Box is crucial for driving sales.

How to win the Buy Box:

• Price competitively: Use repricing tools like RepricerExpress to automatically adjust prices.
• Maintain high seller ratings: Aim for 4.7+ stars with fast customer support.
• Offer fast shipping: Use FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) for better shipping speed.
• Avoid stockouts: Running out of stock = immediate loss of the Buy Box. Use forecasting tools to stay ahead.

Pro Move: Use dynamic repricing tools like RepricerExpress or Aura to automatically adjust prices in real time, increasing your chances of maintaining the Buy Box.

5. Hack Amazon’s Algorithm (A9 Secrets You Need to Know)

Amazon’s A9 algorithm decides who sees your product and who doesn’t. It’s all about relevance and conversions. If you can feed the algorithm the right signals, you’ll get higher rankings, more visibility, and more sales.

How to hack the A9 algorithm:

• Keyword placement: Focus on getting your main keyword in the title, bullet points, and backend search terms.
• Sales velocity: The faster your sales increase, the more likely Amazon is to boost your visibility.
• Click-through rate (CTR): Use better product images and titles to increase CTR, since more clicks tell Amazon that your product is valuable.
• Conversion rate (CR): Make sure your product listing converts traffic into buyers. Higher CR = more algorithm love.

Pro Move: Use Amazon Brand Analytics to see which keywords your competitors rank for and use those terms in your own backend search fields.

6. Build an Off-Amazon Brand (Be More Than an Amazon Seller)

Sellers that rely 100% on Amazon are at Amazon’s mercy. If you want long-term success, build a brand that lives outside of Amazon, too. The goal? Get repeat buyers.

How to build an off-Amazon brand:

• Launch your own Shopify store: This gives you a safety net in case Amazon suspends your account.
• Build a community on social media: Engage with your audience, so they stay loyal to your brand (not just Amazon).
• Collect customer emails: Use package inserts to ask for emails in exchange for special offers.

Pro Move: Use package inserts to encourage customers to visit your website or leave an honest review. You can ask for reviews, but you can’t offer incentives for positive reviews, as this violates Amazon’s policies.

7. Use Data-Driven Advertising (Not “Set It & Forget It”)

Most sellers waste ad budgets because they “set it and forget it.” Pro sellers, on the other hand, optimize ads constantly. They know which keywords work and which are burning cash.

How to optimize your ad strategy:

• Use negative keywords: This prevents your ads from showing up for irrelevant search queries.
• Test multiple ad types: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, and Sponsored Display all perform differently depending on the product.
• Pause underperforming keywords: If a keyword isn’t converting after 20-30 clicks, pause it.

Pro Move: Use Amazon’s Bulk Operations Tool to edit and optimize multiple ad campaigns at once, instead of one-by-one.

8. Get That Coveted “Amazon’s Choice” Badge

If you see “Amazon’s Choice” next to a product, it’s like a golden stamp of approval. But you can’t buy it — you have to earn it.

How to get it:

• Optimize for conversions: Higher conversion rates signal to Amazon that your product deserves the badge.
• Outperform your competitors: The “Amazon’s Choice” badge often goes to products with higher ratings and better sales velocity than similar products.
• Get positive reviews: Products with consistent 4.5+ star reviews have a better chance of earning the badge.

Pro Move: Launch with a blitz of traffic from outside sources (ads, social media) to boost your sales velocity. This tells Amazon your product is in demand.

9. Play the Long Game (Don’t Rely on Hacks)

Here’s the truth — there are no shortcuts to long-term success on Amazon. Pro sellers play the long game. They don’t chase overnight success or “hacks” that promise instant sales.

How to think long-term:

• Build a brand, not just a product: Successful sellers build customer loyalty, not just one-time sales.
• Focus on evergreen products: Avoid “fad products” that lose demand in 6 months.
• Use data for every decision: Base every decision (price changes, ad budgets, new product launches) on cold, hard data.

Pro Move: Automate your long-term strategy with tools like Forecastly to predict demand, avoid stockouts, and manage cash flow.

Conclusion

Learning how to sell products on Amazon is no walk in the park, but with the right strategy, it’s a journey well worth taking. From mastering the basics like competitor research and listing optimization to employing pro-level tactics like driving external traffic and dominating the Buy Box, success comes down to consistency, patience, and smart decision-making.

The key is to stay ahead of the competition by using tools, optimizing listings, and leveraging seasonal opportunities. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to scale, each step you take builds momentum toward becoming a top seller.

Remember, every top Amazon seller started from zero. With the strategies and insights from this guide, you have everything you need to go from beginner to pro. So, take action, keep learning, and stay adaptable. Your spot in the Amazon Best Seller ranks might be closer than you think.

Loading: your store in its prime era!

FAQ

1. Is it profitable to sell on Amazon?

Yes, selling on Amazon can be very profitable, but it depends on the products you sell, your strategy, and how well you manage costs. Sellers who focus on niche products, maintain competitive pricing, and use data-driven tools for optimization often see higher profits. That said, success isn’t instant. It requires smart decisions on product sourcing, advertising, and fulfillment.

2. What are the fees for selling on Amazon?

Selling on Amazon comes with several key fees:

• Referral Fees: 8% to 15% of each sale, depending on the product category.
• Fulfillment Fees: If you use FBA, you’ll pay for storage, packing, shipping, and customer service.
• Subscription Fee: $39.99/month for a Professional Plan or $0.99 per item with the Individual Plan.
• Storage Fees: Charges for warehouse storage, with extra fees for inventory stored over 365 days.
• Other Fees: Costs for removal orders, disposal fees, and promotions like Lightning Deals and Coupons.

3. What are the best-selling categories on Amazon?

The most profitable categories on Amazon include:

• Electronics & Accessories
• Home & Kitchen
• Health & Personal Care
• Beauty & Skincare
• Toys & Games

While these categories have high demand, they’re also highly competitive. For better margins, look for sub-niches within these categories where competition is lower but demand is still strong. Tools like Helium 10 and Jungle Scout can help you spot trending products and untapped opportunities.