Selling on Amazon: Tips from an Expert

eBay has gotten a lot of attention in the last few years but it´s actually faster (and cheaper) to list items on Amazon. Amazon super-seller Gary Richardson shares some strategies here for building a big business right here on Amazon. For many more tips see Amazon Top Seller Secrets, just published by Amacom.

Gary, what items do you sell on Amazon and how can people find them?

We sell sunglasses, goggles, safety glasses and reading glasses on Amazon.com

http://tinyurl.com/dk4skn

You were an eBay PowerSeller and now you're one of Amazon's top third-party sellers. How does Amazon stack up to eBay these days?

eBay was and is a great place to start a small business. Amazon is a completely different level, you need to have your A-game ready when you get here. Amazon and its customers expect a higher level of service and are willing to pay for it. The stability of the Amazon platform has allowed us to concentrate on two important aspects of our business, fullfillment and promotion. Getting the word out about your products and then getting your products out to the consumer are hard to do in volume, if you are on a platform that has constant changes. Amazon is very good at not making changes that disrupt the seller base. They know retail, because they retail also.

What steps should people take to get started if they want to sell on Amazon?

The first thing to do is head here http://tinyurl.com/abhq57 They can figure out your needs and get you started.

Any tricks of the trade you'd like to pass on?

Make it easy for your customers to contact you, include a customer service sheet in your shipments that tell your customers how to contact you, what your returns policy is and thank them for their purchase. A hand written "Thank you for your purchase" goes a long way.

Show your expertise with listmania lists

http://tinyurl.com/bprr7b

Your lists will show up when customers are browsing products.

Write a guide about your products.

So You'd Like to . . . guides are a way for you to help other customers find all the items and information they might need for something they are interested in.

http://tinyurl.com/bt8tcj

Reviews

Write customer reviews for the products you purchase. As part of the Amazon.com Community, you can submit written or video reviews for any product listed on Amazon.com to help other customers make purchase decisions.

http://tinyurl.com/czp3ku

What's hot in the world of sunglasses these days?

The #1 selling sunglass on Amazon.com for the last two years has been our G&G Chrome Metal Silver Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses 3 Pair Special

http://tinyurl.com/daocwh

Thanks Gary!