13 Feb Amazon FBA Private Label

Amazon is not less than a saviour for sellers wanting to put their products on online platforms and sell them through these platforms to their valuable customers. FBA (Fulfilment by Amazon) services provided by Amazon allow these sellers to get their products stored in the warehouses of Amazon and letting Amazon executives take care of the rest.

Through FBA, Amazon would list your products on their website and application, take orders from customers wanting to purchase your products and getting them delivered to them right at their doorsteps. Additionally, Amazon would also provide exclusive customer care services to your buyers regarding your products sold to them.

This has led to a variety of sellers using the FBA services offered by Amazon and many of them are also selling imported products to their sellers using FBA. However, if you are getting your products shipped from another country, you need to make sure your products match the specific and strict standards set by Amazon.

Product Sourcing

Whether you are selling the products manufactured in your own country or are getting them shipped from overseas to Amazon FBA, the most important aspect to consider is that of sourcing your products. You need to make sure that the products you will be dealing in belong to a certain quality and meet the requirements of your customers.

Owing to the increase in diversity and competition in the market, there is an array of options available to you in order to source your products to sell them using Amazon FBA. It is therefore advisable to spend enough time brainstorming and scouting the market you are dealing in (especially for international trading) to choose the best source for your products.

There are many routes and channels a seller can follow for sourcing their products. One such highly popular route in the market is that of dealing in Private Label Products.

What Do You Mean By Private Label Products?

Private Label Products are the products which are produced by a certain entity or manufacturing organisation but sold by the seller under their own label. Here, the seller acquires the product that is manufactured by someone they are not affiliated with and put their brand label on these products before selling them.

Amazon Essentials, Mainstays by Target and Great Value Brand by Walmart are some common examples of Private Label Products. Though a majority of these commodities are physical products, Private Label can also be attached to various services such as providing insurance services, website domains or any freelance work done by freelancers under the name of the company they work for.

Guidelines For Undertaking Private Label Through Amazon FBA

If you are starting out as a new seller in the market, sourcing private label products is an ideal option to go for. This is because if you choose this route, you will not have to face the hassles of handling the production of the products and would come into the picture only once your products are produced and made available to you. You can also undertake optimum private label through Amazon FBA. This platform would help you sourcing the best products and would facilitate all the activities starting from labelling your products effectively to ultimately storing them efficiently in Amazon FBA warehouses.

If you are one such seller wanting to explore the field of FBA label sourcing, here is a step-by-step guide to Amazon FBA Private Label that would help you in following a wholesome route to source your products using Amazon FBA through the process of private labelling:

Start Working On Product Ideas

The first baby step that you need to take in order to source your products using private label is that of thinking of an effective product idea. Sit down and brainstorm with your team to think of the products you can market and sell on the online shopping platform. It is always advisable to have an open mind and to not settle on your first thoughts. First thoughts are never the breakthrough ideas you get and are extremely generic. Dig deeper and give several thoughts to come up with unique and suitable ideas for the products you want to deal in.

You need to make several considerations in order to have the most effective product idea. If you are already functioning in the market, make an assessment of what your customers prefer and expect from your brand. If you are new, clearly define the market you want to cater and think of a product accordingly. Also, scan through the popular online shopping platforms and see what kinds of products make it to the “trending” list.

There are two major ways of approaching FBA private label sourcing. One way is to deal in the products that are highly in demand with the customers pertaining to the platform you want to sell your products on, and the other way is to see what products are rarely available of the concerned platform or are not in the market at all. Depending on the way you are choosing, come up with suitable products ideas and set a solid base for your product sourcing!

Ascertain Key Attributes of Your Products

Once you have a decent idea related to the kind of products you want to sell in the market, it is important to clearly define the attributes you want the products to have. This will give you a final clear picture of the products you want to deal in and you can then shift your attention to the complicated market environment you are venturing into.

Though there are no restrictions on the kind of products you can choose to source as far as they fall under the purview of the law, it is advisable for your products to have the following attributes if you are new in the market and are finding your footing to grow your business:

• All-year Availability

It is highly advisable to deal with products that are available in the market for the entire year. Never start your business with seasonal products such as Christmas lights, winter wear etc as they do not ensure a steady flow of income all year long. As a new business, you will not be very popular in the market and would need revenue that is generated repeatedly throughout the year.

• Small and Light

Always make sure you start your new business by sourcing products which are lightweight and smaller in size. This would help you in saving a considerable amount of money in obtaining them from your manufacturer or supplier and in getting them shipped to Amazon warehouses using FBA. Smaller and lighter products are also easy for being inspected, making sure they meet the Amazon standards for being shipped.

• Products Low On Legal Certification

It is not advisable to deal in the products that require certain legal paperwork or certification especially if it is a new business you are starting. Make sure you only source the products that can be easily accessed and more importantly, easily shipped without making many legal considerations

• Products With Simple Attributes

It is generally not fruitful to start your business by sourcing products that are complicated, such as electronic and computer products. Choosing simpler products will ensure higher safety pertaining to logistics and would also make product inspection easier. Also, choosing simpler products would save you from the stress of handling customer and/or supplier issues arising out of technical specificities, which you as a seller as expected to know like the back of your hand!

Undertake Thorough Market Research

You cannot enter the market you want to function in without understanding it in and out. Before you source your products, undertake extensive market research as it will considerably help you especially if you are a new seller wanting to get established.

You will have a specific target market within the universe in which you set to perform your activities. Analyse the trends going on in the market, in general as well as specifically pertaining to your product. Also, make an assessment of the major players in the market (your competitors) and see what marketing practices they are following.

As you will be working on a digital platform, it is important to be well-versed with the popular digital trends in the market as well. Stay updated with the latest technology being used on various online platforms. Check out the latest memes being created and circulated across the internet. Also, scout all social media platforms to understand the trends and products popular amongst your existing and potential customers browsing the internet every single day. Once you have all this information, you will automatically feel confident enough to survive in the market, no matter what challenges it throws on you!

Scout For Your Suppliers

Once you have carried out sufficient research regarding the market you will be functioning in, start with the research pertaining to the suppliers available in that market. It is important to get the right suppliers to help you in FBA label sourcing as they are the ones you would potentially work with on a periodic basis for a period that may stretch for years.

Firstly, it is important to ascertain whether your suppliers and your manufacturers are the same. There are cases when a product is manufactured and supplied to sellers by the same entity and when a product is manufactured by an entity and sold to suppliers separately. Both these cases have their own pros and cons and it is important for you to know what you are getting into.

Also, it is even more important to carry on the research pertaining to your suppliers if your suppliers reside in a foreign country. You are likely to have little knowledge about how their market functions and if the person you are getting into a business relationship with is authentic. It is always advisable to pay personal visit to the concerned country and meet your potential suppliers in order to obtain relevant clarity and assurance.

Make Decisions Regarding Your Product Specifications

Once you have zeroed in on an ideal supplier, it is time to shift you attention back to the product you are dealing in. This is the time when you will have to make important decisions in finalising your product specifications such as its design, logo and packaging.

No matter how well your product functions and how beneficial it is for your customers, a lot will depend on what the customers see before they buy it. Especially in the case of online shopping, majority of customer actions depend on the way your product looks on their respective screens and it is therefore your responsibility to make it look as aesthetic as possible!

Keeping in mind you are making use of FBA Private Label services, you will have to take immense care in choosing the most effective specifications for your products. There may be several other brands available on Amazon that are selling products exactly similar to that of yours. It then becomes your task of making your products and your brand stand out by using a unique and catchy logo and designing your products in a way that are most suitable for your customers.

Packaging your products is probably the most important aspect to be considered here because it is this parameter that would play the most important role in helping the products get shipped from overseas. Efficient packaging increases the chances of your products matching the standards set by Amazon.

Getting Your Fulfilment Strategy In Place

Once you are done with deciding the logo, design and packaging of your products, it is time to make them available to your final customers. This process of fulfilment is very important while undertaking imports because majority of your expenses and complications would arise in taking care of the logistics.

As you will be taking help of Amazon FBA Private Label for sourcing your products, Amazon will make sure that your products are store in the best conditions in their warehouses and are efficiently delivered to your customers as and when they place their orders. Amazon would also make your products available to their Prime members without charging you extra, which can get your products delivered to them in a couple of days along with getting free delivery.

However, you will have to make certain extra considerations if you are importing your products from a foreign country to FBA Amazon warehouses. Hire an efficient agency that would cater to all your needs, right from sourcing your product to facilitating adequate inspection and shipment of the same. Once your products reach the concerned Amazon warehouse, consider all your issues sorted!

Get Your Products Listed On Amazon

Now that you have your products designed, manufactures and shipped effectively to Amazon warehouses waited to be delivered, you should focus on getting them listed on the platform of Amazon. This is as good as charting out a marketing campaign and designing appropriate ads for your products. Come up with a uniquely identifiable and catchy name for your products that would help them stand out in the sea of similar products on the platform.

Also, have sufficient pictures clicked of the concerned product from every suitable angle in order to give your customers a complete idea as to what they are signing up to purchase. As mentioned earlier, the inclination of your customers towards buying your products depends largely on what they see on their screens. Always make sure your customers get what they see.

It is also important to list all the details regarding the features of your products and guidelines to use them if the listed products are complicated for the customers to use. Highlight the key features that are likely to draw the customers in and add your product to their carts. Finally, decide on the ideal section where your products will appear in the database of Amazon. Along with making these considerations, assign certain specific keywords to your products listed on the website/application, helping the search engines get you your potential customers.

Optimising Your Product Listings

Never make the mistake of thinking that your work as a seller is completed once you source your product using FBA Label Sourcing and get it listed on the platform of Amazon. You need to make regular updates in your listings in order to keep your customers notified about any changes you are making in the products or in the prices you are charging.

It is also advisable to optimise your listings by advertising them across various digital platforms using sponsored ads. Keep a track of your customers’ activities and make sure they never forget about the services you provide and the products you offer. Make the most of efficient digital marketing practices to increase your customer base and to get more and more people to visit your product listings while browsing the internet. However, it is never advisable to always have an “in your face” approach to advertising. Be smart and subtle in the way your approach your customers.