Amazon has changed the way many retailers think about selling products. The online marketplace accounts for a significant portion of global online sales each year, which make it a distinct force to be reckoned with, as well as a vital selling tool every merchant needs to consider.

Although there are numerous reasons for retailers to run their own online store, there is no denying that selling on Amazon has numerous advantages. Some of those perks include:

• Reach:

  Have you ever heard of an online shopper who isn’t at least familiar with Amazon? Chances are slim. According to data from comScore, Amazon sites are some of the most popular digital destinations on the Web, attracting more than 100 million American {study says they only get 100,000 unique visitors} shoppers each month. That is a huge audience, and sellers can leverage Amazon as a means to extend their reach.

• International opportunity:

  Merchants looking to reach abroad can utilize Amazon to test the waters – how do foreign customers respond to their products and offerings?

  Not only does Amazon provide sellers with healthy access to domestic shoppers, it is also a leading retail spot for international customers, according to Internet Retailer. Merchants looking to reach abroad can utilize Amazon to test the waters – how do foreign customers respond to their products and offerings?

• Fulfillment by Amazon:

  Whether retailers are trying to reach domestic shoppers or those across the globe, Fulfillment by Amazon is a considerable asset for retailers. It lets them focus on what they do best – selling products – while Amazon handles the heavy lifting associated with order fulfillment and delivery.

• Easy to use:

  Finally, Amazon is a really easy marketplace to utilize, particularly because many eCommerce solutions can be integrated with the marketplace in a relatively seamless fashion, which makes multichannel management a significantly less pressing issue in the long run.

So, now that it’s clear Amazon brings a lot to the table, how can retailers get started on using the online marketplace to their advantage?

Step 1: Get the right information together

As is the case whenever retailers sign up to start selling on the marketplace, they need to make sure they setup the account correctly. As Practical eCommerce noted, this includes having all of the basic contact and financial information secured (including brand name, legal business name, customer service contact information, location from which products are shipped and bank account numbers).

This also extends to establishing an appealing storefront on Amazon itself. Profiles are one of the few areas on Amazon where merchants can separate themselves from competitors, so an eye-catching logo and a descriptive about section are paramount to success.

Step 2: Ensure product information is in line

When merchants are trying to list their products on new marketplaces, product information management can quickly become a major challenge. Some marketplaces require specific data points to be included in order for the listing to be complete, but retailers may not include that level of specification on their own webstores. For example, if Amazon requires bullet point product specifications, some merchants may not use these on their own webstore.

Product information management solutions can help extensively in this regard by creating a single comprehensive source for product information management. Regardless of where merchants get their SKUs from, this complete data source can be helpful in getting listings online and without much hassle.

Step 3: Start selling!

Product information is probably the biggest hang up that merchants will face as they look to launch their Amazon marketplaces. Once that has been addressed, they can start selling products to the millions of customers who visit Amazon each and every month!