The 4 Biggest Misconceptions About Selling On Amazon Like it or not, it's the king of ecommerce. Here's how to win selling on Amazon.
By Nick Heethuis Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Selling and advertising successfully on Amazon takes time, energy and specific knowledge of Amazon's SEO and keyword system. Because of the complicated nature of selling on Amazon, there are plenty of misconceptions out there that can derail your sales strategy and leave you far behind your competitors. We'll dispel four of the most common misconceptions about selling on Amazon to help you get and stay on the right track.
1. Amazon is a passive "set it and forget it" sales channel
The biggest misconception about selling on Amazon is that you don't need an active and dynamic sales strategy. The reality is that the Amazon marketplace is constantly changing. With a sea of other sellers all competing to sell similar products to the same customer base, you'll need to remain competitive in order to stand out. This requires a thoughtful strategy that is precisely executed over a long period of time.
It's critical to continuously monitor the different category and marketplace trends as well as the trends of your competitors and respond accordingly. Make sure you're monitoring the effectiveness of your advertising strategy, as you'll just be burning cash otherwise. Keep an eye on your operational KPIs to keep your account performance from declining. If you sit back and take your eye off the ball, don't be surprised if you're left in the dust.
Related: Start a Side Hustle by Selling on Amazon
2. Success on Amazon happens fast
Employing any sales and advertising strategy takes time and continuous effort. If you expect the orders to start pouring in as soon as you set up Brand Registry or begin your first PPC campaign, then you'll be sorely disappointed. Success on Amazon takes time. The most successful brands on Amazon are the ones that execute a precise sales and advertising strategy over a long period of time.
Building reviews, ranking for keywords and fine-tuning your advertising strategy are all vital to boosting sales and growing your brand. But these things all take a long time. None of them happen right off the bat. However, if you're willing to be patient and to play an active role in managing these factors over a sustained period, you will see meaningful results. Your brand awareness will skyrocket, you'll earn customer trust, and you'll soar through the search results.
3. My brand doesn't need to advertise on Amazon
For better or for worse, Amazon is the king of ecommerce. It's the most competitive marketplace in the world, so succeeding without advertising on Amazon isn't really feasible. Advertising on Amazon was a luxury only a few years ago, but it has now become a necessity. The good news is that if you can navigate advertising on Amazon, then you'll be able to make this ecommerce giant work for you.
The most successful brands on Amazon give their brand a paid competitive advantage by using sophisticated PPC strategies that are constantly evolving with the marketplace. This means gathering information on the marketplace by running ads for sustained periods of time with specific bids, budgets and targeting options. Once you've let the ads run for long enough, you'll be able to determine the best bid for each keyword and create an optimal advertising strategy.
Related: Is Selling on Amazon Still a Profitable Business?
4. Amazon's search algorithm is the same as Google's
It's common to think of Google when optimizing SEO for your brand, as the company has established itself as a giant among search engines. But Google's search algorithm is not the same as Amazon's. That means your SEO strategy is going to be entirely different. To master SEO for Amazon, you need to understand what shoppers are searching for. This means doing research on category and competitor keywords, which are specific to searches on Amazon. This will help you reach more customers as they type in their searches to Amazon's search bar.
You'll also need to optimize your Amazon copywriting to be indexed for Amazon's algorithm. Your Amazon copywriting is the foundation of your listings, and when you invest in good copywriting, you can help your listing organically rank and index in Amazon's algorithm.
At the same time, you want copywriting that is going to be more than just a jumble of keywords. The best Amazon copywriting contains the right keywords while simultaneously appealing to shoppers and compelling them to purchase your product.
Successfully growing and scaling your brand on Amazon is achievable if you have the proper knowledge of how to operate in the marketplace. If you maintain an active sales strategy and don't fall prey to these misconceptions, you should be on track to sustainably grow your brand into a marketplace powerhouse.
Related: How to Earn More Money by Selling on Amazon FBA and Shopify
