Amazon FBA (Fulfilment By Amazon) allows you to leverage Amazon's huge fulfilment network and global customer base to sell your products. With FBA, you send your products to Amazon's warehouses, and they pick, pack and deliver the items when a sale is made. This hassle-free approach has made FBA a go-to route for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to launch and grow an ecommerce brand.
If you’re based in the UK and keen to give FBA Amazon UK a try, this beginner's guide covers everything you need to know to get started.
Research Viable Product Ideas
Before trying to sell anything on Amazon FBA, first identify viable products that could sell well on the platform. Dedicate time to thoroughly researching the Amazon UK marketplace, assessing factors like:
- Demand - Use tools like Jungle Scout to analyse search volume and sales potential for keywords and product categories.
- Competition - How many other sellers offer the same or similar items? Can you differentiate?
- Profitability - Estimate potential ROI based on costs to source, ship and sell the products.
Once you’ve identified promising opportunities, order product samples from suppliers to evaluate quality. Only sell products you would be proud to put your own brand or name on.
Set Up Your Amazon Seller Central Account
All Amazon FBA sellers need an Amazon Seller Central account. This allows you to list products, manage inventory and orders, communicate with buyers, access sales reports and more.
When setting up your account, you’ll need to provide information like your business name, address, contact details and banking information for pay-outs. Take time filling this out accurately to avoid problems later.
Prepare Your Inventory
Before shipping stock to Amazon, each unit must be prepped and labelled to FBA requirements. This includes sticking FNSKUs labels which allow Amazon to identify and track your products.
Many new FBA sellers opt to have their shipments prepped by an Amazon FBA prep centre and labelling company. Outsourcing preparation to an FBA prep service UK removes hassle and avoids costly mistakes when you’re still learning the processes. Popular Amazon prep centre UK companies handle labelling, packaging, bundling and shipping your products to the right Amazon fulfilment centres (FCs) so items are stocked ready for sale.
List Your Products
With inventory received and processed at Amazon’s FCs, it’s time to create listings on the Amazon Marketplace.
Professional product listings are vital for converting browser traffic into sales. Your listings should include:
- Informative titles and detailed descriptions to inform customers
- High quality product images and lifestyle photos that align with Amazon requirements
- Accurate details like dimensions, materials used and origin country
- Competitive pricing based on profit goals and what the market will bear
As you build up product reviews, consider launching enhanced brand storefronts to further customise listings and create a more premium buyer experience.
Monitor Performance
Amazon FBA significantly simplifies order fulfilment but selling success still requires effort. Make marketplace analysis and performance monitoring part of your regular routine.
Keep a close watch on key metrics like units sold, Buy Box percentage, keyword rankings and inventory levels using Seller Central reports.
Be ready to make ongoing optimisations to listings and pricing. Rapidly address issues like negative product reviews or low stock levels that could impact sales.
Following this beginner’s guide will get your Amazon FBA business off the ground. As processes become familiar, consider expanding your product catalogue to scale the business further. With the right preparation and effort, FBA selling can become a highly profitable ecommerce income stream.