7 Steps to Success: Unlocking the Secrets of Amazon Seller Central

Amazon Seller Central

TechsPlace | Many online sellers can attest that the secret to being a successful Amazon seller is learning all the ropes about Amazon Seller Central. However, mind you that it is not an easy road to take. You will need all the knowledge, resources, tools, and patience to master it.

The good news is that we will help you master the biggest e-commerce platform in the world. Check out our step by step guide to unlocking the secrets to success in selling on Amazon.

1. Set up an account

Step number one is always to set up your Seller Central account. The sales from all your products, even from various brands, should all come from a single account.

The Need For Multiple Accounts

According to e-commerce experts, the need for multiple Seller Central accounts will only come up if you are to start selling on different continents worldwide. Why? It is because Amazon has a central platform for North America and Europe, which means that if you are to sell within Canada, Mexico, and the United States, you only need one account for North America. This scenario goes the same when selling in Spain, Germany, Italy, France, and the UK. You only need one European Seller Central account to get profit. If you are to sell in countries that support the Amazon platform, such as Japan or India, you need separate accounts.

Fees

Going for a Professional Amazon Seller account means that you have to gather sales of more than 40 items each month. A Professional account will cost you $39.99 monthly. If you are a start-up business and are still unsure how many sales you can do per month, you might want to consider going for an Amazon Individual account, which only requires you to pay a small amount for each item you sold.

Additionally, if you registered under the FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) program, you can use the FBA calculator to know which fees you need to pay and how much profit you can gain.

How to Register

Complete all the requirements to set up an Amazon Seller Central account, including your business name, contact details, and financial information. It is also best to fill out the About Seller portion of your profile, where you can tell your customers pertinent information about your business, including your goals and company vision. Also, make sure not to skip out completing the return and refund policies, which are crucial in this line of business.

2. Verify through a Two-step Authentication

Recently, Amazon released a more secure way to keep your accounts protected from online theft and fraud. It is through a two-step authentication process. It means that you should input another unique security code instead of just keying-in your password.

Typically, the first verification layer is your password. The next layer could be a:

  • Voice call: You will receive a call from Amazon, and the code will be read to you by an automated code reader.
  • Text Message: A message will be sent to your registered mobile number containing a unique code that you need to input before entering your account.
  • Authenticator App: Amazon is integrated with various authenticator apps, such as Google Authenticator, Authy, etc. These apps can generate unique codes, which will allow you to sign in to your Seller Central account.

Remember, we mean business here. Therefore, security is critical as you certainly would not want hackers meddling into your hard-earned money. Right?

3. Give access to your team

Team Meeting

Your team can either be office-based or working remotely as virtual assistants (VAs). All of which function under one common goal, vision, and mission – that is for business success. All are equally essential, which means it is a must to grant them access to your Amazon seller account.

Here is a quick how-to that can help you with this task.

  1. You (account owner/ manager) should complete the account’s details through the Amazon Checkout Registration process.
  2. Once done, you can input the people who can access your account and what limitations they can have while accessing the Seller account.
  3. New users will receive an email from the account manager.
  4. The new user needs to click the link via the invite email, which will direct them to a page with the next instructions to follow.
  5. An Amazon web page will instruct the new user to sign in with an Amazon account or create one if they don’t have yet. He or she must log-in using the Seller account.
  6. The new user will be given a confirmation code that the account manager must verify.
  7. Once the manager confirms the log-in through the code, the new user can access the business account on the Amazon Seller Central page.

4. Maximize the use of business metrics

business metrics

What’s best with Seller Central is that it can provide you an insight into your business metrics. You can view critical information on how your business is fairing from conversion rate to sales reports to the number of product viewers.

You can view your business metrics via the Amazon Central REPORTS tab, which you can find on the main menu. Under the REPORTS tab are seven options:

  • Payments
  • Amazon Selling Coach
  • Business Reports
  • Fulfillment
  • Advertising (PPC) Reports
  • Return Reports
  • Tax Document Library

5. Utilize your product information.

Online marketplaces like Amazon allow sellers to put in as much detail as possible to make their products known to the customers. It will be a smart move for you if you maximize it for your benefit.

Below are two relevant tips that you can try to optimize the use of your product information detail.

  • Make sure to use all the available fields provided by Amazon. Typically, you have five feature slots, which you can place some basic introduction and a detailed narrative for your item. Ensure to optimize the use of keywords so that customers can search for your products easily.
  • Upload high-quality and appealing images to represent your product.

6. Find ways to obtain support

Amazon Seller Central can sometimes confuse, leading to frustration to online sellers, especially to new users. However, sometimes getting in touch with Amazon’s seller support can be just as bad.

But do not worry! Amazon set up a dedicated HELP button where you can browse through useful information, such as articles and guidelines to get you going. You can access the HELP in the upper right-hand corner in your screen.

An alternative would be to find a solution through your preferred search engine, such as Google, to check similar problems and what others did to fix the issue.

Technical Issues

If the concern you need to raise is of technical characteristics, such as glitches and bugs, the best option is to contact the Amazon Seller support team. The HELP button, as described above, will also provide you alternative ways to get the support that you need. It can also show the record of all your support tickets for monitoring.

Standard contact options that you can try are the following.

  • Call-back Feature: When you request for this feature, you will receive a call from an Amazon support representative on the number that you provided on the request.
  • Messaging Feature: This is an alternative if you cannot chat while on the phone. However, please take note that it takes time before you can receive a response via this option.
  • Live Chat: If you access your Amazon Seller Central account via a mobile device, you can try the live chat option. An agent will answer your concerns and will guide you every step of the way.
  • Email: You can always leave an email for your concern, and Amazon will get back to you. Take note that, as the messaging feature, it might take some time before you can get a response.

Keep in mind that thousands (or maybe millions) of people are logged-in in Amazon’s system. When you are speaking with a representative, be patient, and describe your concern well.

7. Provide utmost support to your customers

Customers are the bloodline of your business. When customers keep rushing in to order your products, your business is alive and kicking! And sometimes, customers also have their concerns.

When you are an Amazon FBA seller, you do not need to fret on the fulfillment of your goods and customer support, including returns and refunds. But what if you are on an FBM program? Nevertheless, whatever program you are under, keeping good customer support can always boost your business.

Takeaway Thought

The seven tips above will be your key in unlocking the secrets of Amazon Seller Central. However, take note that your journey must not stop there. Always strive to learn more about this platform. Never stop finding ways to find potential opportunities to help you and your team reach your business goals. Moreover, utilize available seller tools in the market, such as repricers and analytics tools. They can be your partner to be more competitive in the evolving business world, which is now leaning towards e-commerce.