Refunds Manager Blog

A positive business mindset can help you win in business, and nowhere is this more true than on Amazon. Almost everyone you know could start in an online business if they put in the work, but they choose not to. They think of all the things that could go wrong, and are ultimately too scared to even begin.

Sure, there’s a lot that can go wrong on Amazon: intellectual property infringements, lost shipments, Chinese suppliers going dark, suspended FBA accounts…. These things can happen.

But focusing on the possibility of the negative keeps your business stagnate.

Instead, you need to build a strong mindset—a foundation that can handle anything that Amazon throws your way.

What is a positive business mindset?

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Your weird cousin does it. Your favorite celebrity does it. Now it’s your turn…

No, we’re not talking about anything nefarious here.

We’re talking about Facebook Live.

Is it worth it? Will broadcasting live really help you sell your Amazon products? Or is it just the next big thing in digital marketing to suck away all of your time?
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Amazon is THE place for a good deal, so why not excite your buyers with something a little more special than just a sale price?

Amazon promotions are a great way to increase sales on an entire line of complimentary products or on just one item. To learn how to succeed with a temporary promotion on Amazon, read on.

Amazon has three different types of promotions:

• Money Off: This promotion works by incentivizing customers to buy more products from your brand in order to receive money off of their total (either a percentage or a specific dollar amount)
• Buy One Get One: Customers can receive a free item if they meet the qualifications–note that customers will have to add that item to their cart to receive it, as it won’t automatically be added if they qualify
• External Benefit: You can offer customers some other type of benefit to be received after the order, such as membership to a private online community or an instructional video

Tips for creating promotions within Amazon

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We have been in the trenches of the private label industry for over three decades. We’ve private labeled products for online marketplaces. We’ve private labeled products for top retail chain stores across North America. And after 35 years, we can confidently say we know the best (and worst) places to source for products to private label.

In reality, there are dozens of ways to source for products, and naturally, some of them are more effective than others.

The example we are about to share is not one of our favorite methods as it takes too long and results vary. However, it is a common way to start the search for the perfect product to private label. Many entrepreneurs new to private labeling start searching for products by spending countless hours researching for best selling products on Amazon, Ebay, Shopify, and other selling platforms to only then spend countless hours scouring Alibaba, Ali Express, and other global sourcing sites to try to find the perfect supplier to create them. Although this method can lead to some success, it is not a method that top sellers and retail chain stores are using to make millions.

In fact, many people think that global sourcing sites like Alibaba and AliExpress are the best way for private labelers (especially first-timers!) to find reliable products to sell. Unfortunately, most sellers aren’t aware of the downsides of sourcing from these type of sites:

• You’re not dealing directly with manufacturers, you’re working with trading companies. Trading companies buy products directly from manufacturers and trade the product to you for a fee. The vast majority of suppliers on Alibaba and AliExpress are trading companies.
• Because you’re working with trading companies, you’ll be paying higher prices and your quality will never be consistent… every single time. Working direct with manufacturers will always give you the lowest prices and more consistency.
• You’ll never have the invaluable opportunity to meet your supplier face-to-face. Relationships are never developed and in China relationships mean everything.

Luckily, we have the inside scoop on the world’s most lucrative sourcing secret. [Read more…]

As the Brits would say, PPC can be a “bloody waste of money.” To keep from pouring your own hard-earned cash down the PPC drain, you first have to make sure that your product page is ready for the risk.

Here’s a category-by-category checklist that you can use to determine whether you should begin a PPC campaign for your Amazon product. It’s our hope that this saves you tons of money. Saving you money is kind of our thing.

Now onto the list!

Reviews

If you thought that you would use PPC as part of your initial launch strategy, think again. Listen to this:

61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, and they are now essential for e-commerce sites.

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One of the most confusing parts of running an Amazon FBA business is the fact that storing inventory in Amazon fulfillment centers creates sales tax nexus for your business. Sales tax nexus is just a fancy way of saying a significant presence. And if you have nexus in a state, you are required to collect sales tax when you make a sale to a buyer in that state.

Unfortunately, because sales tax is governed at the state level and Amazon doesn’t provide any education about sales tax, many FBA sellers are confused on what to do about sales tax. We talk to many sellers who have been selling for years and are only just now realizing that they have been on the hook to collect sales tax in some states.

Fortunately, an upcoming “sales tax amnesty” will give many sellers the chance to start collecting sales tax with a clean slate.

What is the sales tax amnesty?

In a program managed by the Multistate Tax Commission (MTC), 15 states have come together to offer a “get off the hook free” card to Amazon and other online sellers.
[Read more…]