Newbie Importing and Selling on Amazon

[Arguin]

Better question is: Is there a reason you are skipping Amazon?

I would love to since FBA is awesome and there are more buyers and listing is easier but I'm located in Belgium which does not have a Amazon store. I could sell on the German,Uk or French one but my french or german is not good enough to handle questions. I think that's important on amazon no?

Also if you're just starting out with little capital like me I heard it's better to go ebay first since Amazon is more low price orientated with big volume buyers while on ebay you can compete on shipping, information, product pics, etc. What's your view on this?

 

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[JAJT]

You can use FBA with Amazon.com regardless of where you live.

I'm in Canada and have inventory in the USA Amazon fulfillment centers. Actually at this moment I hold zero Canadian inventory.

Also worth noting that the German Amazon is the second largest Amazon store, second to the USA of course. I would absolutely get in there if you can. I'm even considering it.

 

[Dicky Dee]

You can use FBA with Amazon.com regardless of where you live.

I'm in Canada and have inventory in the USA Amazon fulfillment centers. Actually at this moment I hold zero Canadian inventory.

Also worth noting that the German Amazon is the second largest Amazon store, second to the USA of course. I would absolutely get in there if you can. I'm even considering it.

Any idea what are the top 5 amazon and ebay markets? I tried googling but there were various results that didnt match.

 

[evlttwin]

Ben, have you tried buying high PR back links to your Amazon sales page on fiverr yet?

 

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[Deleted2BB3x9]

Ben, have you tried buying high PR back links to your Amazon sales page on fiverr yet?

I have not. What would be the benefits?

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Got 3 sales today.

Starting to get serious about PPC...

I'm going to gather a bit more data, then i'll start A/B testing some ads.

 

[James Fake]

Ben, have you tried buying high PR back links to your Amazon sales page on fiverr yet?

I have. Not good results.. I wrote deeper into this but going to release the article a bit later.

 

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[evlttwin]

I have. Not good results.. I wrote deeper into this but going to release the article a bit later.

Post a link to it here. I'm interested.

 

[evlttwin]

I have not. What would be the benefits?

I'm not the SEO guy but I've heard that it can get you more organic traffic. A mix of follow and no follow links from a 5 star rated guy on fiverr was getting some buzz.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

I'm not the SEO guy but I've heard that it can get you more organic traffic. A mix of follow and no follow links from a 5 star rated guy on fiverr was getting some buzz.

Buying links from fiverr is probably spam.

 

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[Deleted2BB3x9]

Just finished designing my landing page.
Seriously took me like 4 hours to integrate it with shopify.

My plan is to start running facebook ads to drive traffic to my landing page. I also need to start blogging more.

Once people are in my email funnel i'll be sending them relevant content and educating them about the benefits of my products, then send them a coupon to hopefully seal the deal. Nothing too complicated planned yet.

Also, I just switched over to aweber but had some problems importing my list since I had to send a confirmation email and nobody opted in. So i'm back at zero. I'm kinda glad this happened though since now I can make sure everyone receives the right emails on my autoresponder.

Summary of what's happened so far:
-Sold my 6 samples
-Gave away 20 products as promotion on instagram
-Got 8 reviews on amazon (so far) from that promotion, with more on the way.
-Sold another 10 products in the span of a week after the promotion
-Have approximately 600 fans on facebook and 5500 on instagram
-Currently targeting long tail keywords on amazon and adwords
-Got quickbooks

All in all, things are finally starting to shape up.

 

[JAJT]

Any idea what are the top 5 amazon and ebay markets? I tried googling but there were various results that didnt match.

Here's a nice little infographic I found that includes their sources for these number at the bottom.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

So quite a bit has happened in the last few days...

Have been getting a bunch of sales. I have 23 units left in stock and have been selling about 1 a day with the occasional 2.

Rank is now on the top of the 2nd page for 2nd subcategory.

I also sent out the rest of my products. I need to wait until the 10th to get paid though.

Facebook ads and google ads have been stopped in the meantime.

So I decided to read some books on content marketing, social media and funnels. I took some notes. It really helped me understand the process and I'm ready to move forward now.

Now i'm working on my blog and my autoresponder.

I rewrote my first blog post, it's just under 1000 words now. It was like 250 before. My reason for rewriting it is because I want to start off my blog with some solid valuable content.

I also added an opt-in form to the bottom of the post.

I'd like to start with 4 in depth blog posts. For SEO, moving my prospects through my funnel, and establishing credibility.

My plan for my autoresponder is to send 10 emails. Each spaced a week apart.

1st week: Intro
2nd: Content
3rd: Content
4th: Content
5th: Content
6th: Survey
7th: Content about product
8th: Content about product
9th: Content about product
10th: Coupon

Haven't started driving traffic to my landing page yet but I will once I have money in my account and my autoresponder is complete.

Anyway, I kind of wrote this for myself so I can plan things out but I'm sure other people can benefit.

My goals moving forward are:

-Finish writing blog posts and emails by the 10th
-Make enough sales to buy more inventory before chinese new year

 

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[Deleted2BB3x9]

Any tips on my process would be appreciated.

 

[cautiouscapy]

I would love to since FBA is awesome and there are more buyers and listing is easier but I'm located in Belgium which does not have a Amazon store. I could sell on the German,Uk or French one but my french or german is not good enough to handle questions. I think that's important on amazon no?

@Arguin - stop making excuses and just do it ;-) and find out how it goes.
Start on Amazon.co.uk.
I speak minimal French in addition to my native English (I am English). I've got one item that sells well on Amazon UK, I've had the listing and my product leaflet translated into French, Spanish, German and Italian on Fiverr - always by mother-tongue speakers. I'm going for it on "Amazon.eu" (shorthand for .de, .it, .fr, .es) very soon. It will all be fulfilled by Amazon from the UK.

Granted my product is simple and I've had no questions about it on Amazon.co.uk, so I don't anticipate many questions. I can usually understand what Google translate gives me from these languages, and if I need to reply in good [insert language], I will a) go back to the Fiverr translators and b) compile an FAQ in the particular languages and add to the listing in the relevant country.

Maybe you could find people via your friends etc who would swap the odd German and French translation for Flemish and English translation?

[by the way, where do Flemish/Dutch speakers shop online? I'd love to know...]

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Got my first refund...

I think I know the reason why, it's probably since my brand name currently isn't on the item. I can't afford to label my product so I need to use my manufacturer's brand.

Disappointing but it's part of the process. No negative review though so that's good.

 

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[Arguin]

@Arguin - stop making excuses and just do it ;-) and find out how it goes.
Start on Amazon.co.uk.
....

[by the way, where do Flemish/Dutch speakers shop online? I'd love to know...]

Since I figured out ebay really sucks here in Belgium, I will go for Amazon and FBA. Since shipping is expensive to Germany I can only make it work if I can sent a lot of +15eur selling priced items in full box of 20kg. Before I can do that I have to travel to Germany first because I need to have a German bank account
Do you know if you need a tax id (and be registered as a company) to sell on amazon or can you sell as a private person as well?

To answer your question. Well Belgian shoppers and E-commerce are really behind if you compared it with Holland and other countries. It has always been like that. I think it's because taxes and prices are always higher in Belgium than neighbor countries and starting a business in Belgium is expensive. Shipping prices are also a problem.
I discovered that ebay is really dead in Belgium too. Most flemish people shop in e-commerce website's in Holland or Germany. Zalando is popular and Coolblue for electronics for example. The walloons shop in e-commerce website's in France.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Since I figured out ebay really sucks here in Belgium, I will go for Amazon and FBA. Since shipping is expensive to Germany I can only make it work if I can sent a lot of +15eur selling priced items in full box of 20kg. Before I can do that I have to travel to Germany first because I need to have a German bank account
Do you know if you need a tax id (and be registered as a company) to sell on amazon or can you sell as a private person as well?

Not sure if you need a German bank account to sell in Germany, but I sell in the US and don't require a US bank account... I'm in Canada. Also i'm listed as a company but started off as an individual.

 

[cautiouscapy]

@Arguin as BusinessBen says, you can start selling as an individual; certainly on Amazon.co.uk.

This is what I did, I'm just going through the upgrade process to be a business on Amazon.

I only need at UK bank account to sell to the rest of the EU via Amazon.

[I think that German business regulations and company registration are/is a lot more difficult/expensive than in the UK. If it comes to it you can form a Ltd UK company, it's really not difficult for EU citizens - but I don't know the process...but I did talk to some Germans who were going to form a UK company as it was so much less red tape.]

 

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[Arguin]

I found this on amazon.uk's site

Important Notice for International Sellers
If you are registering from a country which is outside of the UK, be aware that local laws and restrictions apply when you start selling on Amazon.co.uk or other EU Marketplaces. In addition to our Amazon Services Europe Business Solutions Agreement you must read and adhere to our International Seller Rules. To name a few for selling on Amazon.co.uk:

• Meet customer expectations: provide customer service in English during local business hours, state the ‘shipping from’ country, allow longer lead times when you ship remotely, list your product sales price in British Pounds and include all applicable taxes such as VAT and any customs duties, ability to provide VAT invoices in English, provide a UK address for customer returns or offer free return shipments.
• Adhere to all applicable local laws, e.g. product compliance and labelling requirements, and intellectual property rights.
• Never import goods in the name of Amazon or show Amazon as declarant, importer of record or consignee.
• It is a criminal offence to place on the market or supply in the UK an electrical appliance which is not fitted with either (i) a UK 3-pin plug, or (ii) a non-UK plug permanently fitted with a UK safety approved conversion plug. See more information here.
  
  -->
• You must adhere to any local tax requirements. Selling in or exporting to a country might trigger local tax obligations. Be aware of Intrastat reporting requirements for intra-EU shipments. When using our Fulfilment by Amazon program you will need to provide us with a valid VAT registration number issued by one of the European Union countries.
• To be paid, you need to provide a bank account in a country supported by Amazon.co.uk. Currently, Amazon supports bank accounts in Australia (AUD), Canada (CAD), Eurozone (EUR), Hong Kong (HKD), India (INR), New Zealand (NZD), United Kingdom (GBP) and United States (USD). The Eurozone includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain <--
  
  If I am not mistaken I can use my Belgian bank account however I don't understand how you can sell as a individual. It says you do need to give a VAT registration number... thus that would mean I will need to start a company here in Belgium (which is way to expensive if you calculate all the costs and taxes) correct?
  Maybe only people from the uk can sell as an individual? If that is the case don't you need to pay taxes on your profits or something?

 

[RoadTrip]

If I am not mistaken I can use my Belgian bank account however I don't understand how you can sell as a individual. It says you do need to give a VAT registration number... thus that would mean I will need to start a company here in Belgium (which is way to expensive if you calculate all the costs and taxes) correct?

It states that if you decide to use Amazon FBA services you need a VAT number. You could also decide to ship directly from Belgium or use an independent fulfillment company in the UK instead of using Amazon FBA.

Also, I don't know how difficult and expensive it's to open a business in Belgium, but here in the Netherlands it literally takes 20 min. and costs about 50 euros (eenmanszaak). Is it really that more expensive in Belgium?

 

[Arguin]

yeah it's ridiculous here. About 150 eur startup + 250 eur province & city tax + couple 100 euros for insurances + "sociale bijdragen" 200euro a month + accountant 100 a month etc... other expenses and then you get taxed a lot on your profit too. People tell me that if you earn less than 5000 EUR a month it's not even worth it... that why people don't start or try to do it without the government knowing it...

I can do a "zelfstandige in bijberoep" which is better but then I will need to find a job again for that for at least 25 hours a week...

I really like to do the fba, it's cheaper for me than sending with belgian post and gets you better ranked in amazon too. + you don't have lose time with packing and sending stuff.

 

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[samuraijack]

Hey Ben, awesome progress. Not sure if you mentioned it, but what was the process like for researching products? I too am looking to import products and sell on eBay/Amazon.

I've been scouring alibaba and other sites looking for products for two weeks and I just feel like it's a bit random (searching different categories etc...) and all the products I look at have multiple sellers and tons of listings so that I would never rank.

 

[The Grind]

Got my first refund...

I think I know the reason why, it's probably since my brand name currently isn't on the item. I can't afford to label my product so I need to use my manufacturer's brand.

Disappointing but it's part of the process. No negative review though so that's good.

What was the refund for?

I know you said you think you know why, but did the customer say anything or simply wanted a refund? Also, how do refund affect you? Does the customer have to ship the product back to you and then you refund them?

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

Hey Ben, awesome progress. Not sure if you mentioned it, but what was the process like for researching products? I too am looking to import products and sell on eBay/Amazon.

I've been scouring alibaba and other sites looking for products for two weeks and I just feel like it's a bit random (searching different categories etc...) and all the products I look at have multiple sellers and tons of listings so that I would never rank.

I mentioned it earlier on in the thread.

 

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[Deleted2BB3x9]

What was the refund for?

I know you said you think you know why, but did the customer say anything or simply wanted a refund? Also, how do refund affect you? Does the customer have to ship the product back to you and then you refund them?

I didn't get a reason. I just got an email from amazon with a notice of a refund. The amount was deducted from my existing amazon balance.

And yeah the customer ships it back to amazon, they handle all the returns. If the item is in good enough condition it can go right back into my inventory.

 

[Deleted2BB3x9]

I didn't get a reason. I just got an email from amazon with a notice of a refund. The amount was deducted from my existing amazon balance.

Now that I think about it I should email the customer and ask him what the reason for his return was...

And yeah the customer ships it back to amazon, they handle all the returns. If the item is in good enough condition it can go right back into my inventory.

 

[amp0193]

Love the thread Ben.

You and I started the import to Amazon game about the same time, and it sounds like we're about in the same place.


I love the energy, and your writing is fun to read. Keep at it man. I will be following your progress!

 

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[James Fake]

Time for Kabbage Ben!

 

[kadream]

Hi there,
I'm an SEO guy so I'll add my thinking to what I know will help your sales.

About the high PR fiverr gigs to Amazon : BAD idea 100% of the time in my long experience of them. Not because fiverr sucks but because Google is cleverer than a 5$ SEO strategy don't you think ? Haha. If you see improvement and think I'm wrong, that's because you have not YET been sanctioned.

But giving good links to your listing is a GOOD idea. How ? From your blog or blogs from your niches

1) from your blog : Only useful if you add way more content. 1000 words is nothing, add 5000 words and you will start having results. It could be boring if you speak about something you don't like but if you are interested in your product, let the flow come. Don't try to make perfect content, speak like you would to on the forum or to a friend about your ideas and tips. Add links to big trusted websites like wikipedia and your Amazon listing along the way (1 link for 200-300 words work well for me)
2) from others : Use your email or your phone, say to the owner how you think his work is good (only if it's true, don't contact bad websites owners), give value in any way like giving a link from your website to them before calling (this may be a reason to call), ask for link, even with affiliate amazon tag it could work for your SEO.

Amazon is really trusted by Google, I think SEO is even better on Amazon then on our websites. I may be wrong, I'll test it myself next months.

Keep up with good work and updates. Hope the best.