Back in 2012, I made my first purchase on Amazon. I remember it was a guide book for potty training my 2 year old. And the very next day, a Sunday at that, the book was at my doorstep. I was completely fascinated with Amazon from a consumer point of view. How were they able to deliver my order so fast? How did the make the checkout experience so easy? I would talk non stop to my husband about how great Amazon was. He told me that I could sell my brand on their platform.
My existing brand at the time had a very high price point that would not have been best for the Amazon platform so I decided to start a new brand & launch it on Amazon. I decided to start a brand new business with 3 young kids and pregnant with my 4th. To top it all off, we just moved to Los Angeles from the midwest. With kids in tow, I launched a new brand and within the next 18 months, I was upward $90k/month from Amazon sales alone. In this article, I'm going to show you just how I did it.
Below, I give you my formula...
(screenshot: 1 month of my sales from Amazon)
Focus on Building a Brand NOT a Product
While I originally started with just one product idea, I began to write down several products that could complement that product. Amazon really caters to brands and will help you sell your whole collection of products which is ultimately your brand.
Decide on an Audience and Serve Them
I conducted research on the internet to see if there was a nice size audience for the products that I planned to sell. While, I initially started with one product idea, I quickly began to think of other products the same audience can benefit from. I thought of 8-10 great additional products that I can introduce to my audience (aka customers) after they would purchase product.
Source a Manufacturer to Produce Product
I went to Alibaba to find a manufacturer and asked them if they could produce in large quantities my product. I sourced a manufacturer that could make changes to differentiate my product from others. An example would be to have a basic hat but ask your supplier to create a pocket to put your credit card or key inside.
Create a Niche
I knew selling on Amazon I would face hundreds of other listings that could be similar to my product. I decided to carve out a new opportunity for customers among the crowded marketplace. Let's take an example of a simple hat again. My niche could be a "Sports Training Hat" instead of just a basic hat. This hat is designed for people who train and it absorbs sweat a lot better than a regular hat. Now, I stand out among all the sea of people searching for "hats".
Packaging that Sells
People buy based off feeling. What do people feel when they see my product? Can they feel it and how they will look from my packaging. I focused and researched everything from the color to font of packaging to get my audience excited to purchase. Keep in mind that you have to have a good product. Packaging does not take the place of a crappy product.
Rinse and Repeat
Once my first product gained momentum, I rolled out my second product that complemented the first product. Amazon is so good with creating a great customer buying experience that my launch of my second product increased sales of my first. Their platform will show a frequently bought together which makes it easier for one customer to purchase several of my products at once. Example below:
Allow Amazon to Handle Things
Amazon has a beautiful thing called FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon). It is where I ship my products directly to Amazon at Amazon's step discounted rate and they will ship to each individual customer, handle any customer service issues, any returns and exchanges, payment processing, advertising. It truly is a beautiful thing. It allows me to work on my business and not in my business.
Does this work for others?
Yes! I want to use this blog to share my entrepreneurial journey and influence people to take the leap of faith to start or pivot their existing business in areas that have great opportunities. I started coaching a client last March to the present. She was making little to no sales last January. We worked on this strategy I just shared with you on her business and she has experienced a 1,376% increase in her business compared to last year. She gave me permission to use her current sales as an example of her growth. She made over $71,000 within 30 days. This strategy is not rocket science, it is simply implementing the knowledge. Follow my Instagram page @ginalosangeles as I will be sharing more about my life which includes my entrepreneurial journey.
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About the Writer (Gina) I'm a serial entrepreneur with a passion to help others to identify their gifts and share with the world. I have been an entrepreneur for 12 years focusing in the beauty industry specializing in optimizing DTC and online channels such as Amazon. I have a mastermind that focuses on creating true wealth. Wealth has nothing to do with money but everything to do with providing extreme value to yourself and others. The money will always attract to people who add value to the world. My mastermind concentrates on generational wealth, influential/community wealth, mental wealth and relational wealth. Go here to read more on my wealth mastermind and to see if we are in open enrollment. You can follow me on Instagram & Facebook @GinaLosAngeles