How to Prepare for an Amazon Product Launch: 10 Steps to Get Started

After you’ve found a good product to sell, the next step is to find suppliers you can count on. If your suppliers aren’t reliable, it could mean delays in getting your product stocked. This can be a big problem during key sales times like Prime Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc.

Finding good suppliers usually involves three steps. First, reach out to several suppliers and ask them for samples of the products you want to sell. When the samples arrive, check their quality, packaging, and if they match what you expected. If you’re happy with the samples, narrow down your list to the suppliers you liked and ask each of them for a price quote. To know if you’re getting a fair price, consider factors like production time, minimum order quantity (MOQ), and shipping costs. Once they give you a quote, try negotiating to get a fair price. Once you’ve selected a supplier, keep in touch with them regularly. Make sure to clarify product specifications, packaging requirements, and any other important details before your product launch. This way, everything will be ready and perfect on launch day.

Step 3: Obtain FNSKU and Other Relevant Barcodes

If you’re using FBA for your fulfillment, you’ll need to get an FNSKU (Fulfillment Network Stock Keeping Unit) Barcode. This is an Amazon-specific barcode that helps Amazon identify your products and link them to your seller account. On top of this, whether you plan to use FBA or not, you’ll also need to acquire a unique UPC (Universal Product Code) or EAN (European Article Number) barcode for each product. You can purchase these from Amazon’s authorized barcode provider, GS1. Amazon wants to make sure that the brand name you use matches the one linked to the barcode in GS1’s database. If they don’t match, your product will be considered invalid and you won’t be allowed to list it. If your product doesn’t have a UPC for some reason, you can request a GTIN Exemption. If Amazon approves it, you can list your product without a UPC or any other identifier. But remember, if you’re using FBA, you’ll still need an FNSKU.

Step 4: Optimize Your Product Listing

A well-optimized listing is more likely to rank higher and will therefore reach more potential customers. The main part of an optimized listing is the keywords. Instead of targeting general keywords that are tough to rank for, focus on low-hanging keywords. These are keyword phrases with lower search volumes but are easier to rank for since there’s less competition. If you rank well in multiple low-hanging keywords, you can accumulate enough traffic to match the popular keywords in your niche. Make sure to include keywords in every part of your listing: title, bullet points, product descriptions, A+ content, and backend. You can use tools like Helium10 or Amazon’s own keyword research tool to identify these keywords. Alongside finding relevant keywords, follow all of Amazon’s copywriting guidelines: 1) Keep your product title under 200 characters and capitalize the first letter of each word. Avoid using all caps. 2) For your bullet points, highlight the main features of your product and what sets you apart from competitors. Keep each point under 500 characters and make sure to use all 5 points. 3) Avoid using any restricted terms or words in your listing. You can find a list of these terms with a quick Google search. 4) Include a detailed product description and keep it under 2000 characters. Your description should include content not covered in your bullet points. For a more visually appealing listing, use A+ content. 5) Do not include emojis, symbols, or promotional content in your copy.

Step 5: Include High-Quality Images in Your Listings

According to Forbes, about 75% of online shoppers rely on high-quality product images when making purchases. Amazon allows sellers to upload up to 9 images, depending on the product category, so make sure to use this space well. Use various image types like infographics, lifestyle shots, and product dimension images. Make sure the images are well-lit, clear, and allow customers to zoom in to examine details. Consider including a short product video as well to show customers how they can use your product. While your other images can be of different types, make sure that the main image, or the first image, has a clear white background and does not include any text in it. It should be taken from a single angle and should focus only on your product.

Step 6: Start Generating Sales With Amazon Posts

Amazon Posts is a feature that acts like a social media feed for your brand right on Amazon. It lets you share a variety of lifestyle images, engaging stories about your brand, short captions, and clickable tags. When shoppers click on these tags, they’re taken straight to your product listings, making it easy for them to buy your products. These posts show up on your brand’s Amazon Store, related product pages, and category feeds. The way they work is very simple. For example, if you’re selling wireless earphones with features like sweatproof and noise cancellation, and you tag your posts with phrases like “workout gear” or “must-have gym tools,” customers searching for workout essentials could find your post through these tags. It’s a great way to get your first few sales and build recognition for your brand. To get more visibility for your post, try to post at least 4-5 times a week.

Step 7: Set Up Targeted Amazon PPC Campaigns

When you first launch your product, you obviously won’t have any sales history. As a result, Amazon won’t be able to rank your product organically yet, and it might appear lower down in search results. To make your product visible in search results and ensure it shows up on the first few pages, use Amazon Ads or PPC campaigns. When adding your ad copy for your campaigns, make sure it’s relevant and speaks directly to your audience’s needs and interests. This will help get a higher CTR. The higher your CTR, the better your ranking will be.

Step 8: Drive External Traffic With Google Ads and Social Media

Before launching your product, you’ll want to generate brand awareness externally. This way, when your product goes live, getting those initial sales will be easier since potential customers are already familiar with what your product offers and why it’s beneficial for them. Here are some strategies to consider to drive external traffic to your listings: 1) Write blog posts related to your niche. 2) Create a website to help spark early interest in your product. 3) Set up social media accounts on Facebook or Instagram and build a strong following. Also, join relevant Facebook groups or other social media groups where you can build hype about your product launch. 4) Build an email list and send out promotional offers and announcements regarding the product launch. 5) Try influencer marketing. Partner with influencers who can review your product. Offer them a discount code to share with their followers to encourage purchases. 6) Run Google ads to direct traffic to your product.

Step 9: Enroll In the Amazon Vine Program

Amazon Vine is an exclusive program that invites top reviewers from the Amazon community, known as Vine Voices, to receive products for free in exchange for genuine reviews. To participate in this program, log into Seller Central and select the products you want to enroll. There’s a $200 enrollment fee for each parent ASIN. Decide how many units you’re willing to provide to Vine Voices for review. This program is especially beneficial if you’re struggling to get initial reviews for your product listing. Positive feedback from Vine Voices can significantly improve your product’s credibility, build trust with customers, and increase the chances of making initial sales. In fact, according to Amazon, Vine reviews can potentially increase sales by up to 30%.

Step 10: Initiate Production and Shipment

Once all the preparatory work of the launch phase is complete, it’s time to initiate production and ship your goods to Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Keep in close touch with your suppliers to make sure everything goes smoothly. Also, don’t rely on them completely, make sure you do your own checks on the products to catch any defects, issues with the packaging, or anything else that doesn’t match what you specified. If there are any issues over here, customers may end up receiving products that they’re not happy with. This could lead to negative reviews, lower rankings, and fewer sales. Once your products reach the fulfillment centers, constantly keep an eye on your inventory levels so that you know when to restock them. You can use Amazon’s inventory management tools for this. If you’re planning to stock up for big sale events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, make sure you have enough inventory in the centers at least 9 weeks in advance. Trying to send products closer to these dates might lead to delays because of the increased demand and the resulting supply chain congestion.