A Beginner’s Guide to Selling on Amazon: How the Platform Works
Are you an entrepreneur with a product idea and a dream of building an e-commerce business? Amazon — the world’s largest online marketplace — offers sellers access to millions of customers and a trusted platform for scaling sales.
In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll explain how Amazon selling works, covering account setup, fulfillment options (FBA vs. FBM), product listings, and how to maximize visibility on the platform.
How Amazon Selling Works: The Basics
Amazon acts as both a marketplace and a search engine, connecting buyers with millions of products. As a seller, you’ll list your items, optimize them with Amazon SEO, and choose how to handle fulfillment.
For a deeper dive, check out our guide: [What is Amazon FBA and How Does It Work?] (internal link to your future post).
Step 1: Choose Your Amazon Selling Plan
Amazon offers two options:
Individual Selling Plan: Best for beginners selling under 40 items/month.
Professional Selling Plan: $39.99/month with tools for bulk listings, advertising, and Buy Box eligibility.
You can compare both plans on Amazon’s official pricing page.
Step 2: Create Your Amazon Seller Central Account
Sign up at Amazon Seller Central, your mission control for the business.
From here, you can manage inventory, pricing, orders, advertising, reviews, and customer communication.
Step 3: Decide on Fulfillment — FBA vs FBM
One of the biggest choices:
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) → Amazon stores, packs, ships, and handles customer service.
Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) → You handle storage, packaging, and shipping.
Related read: [FBA vs FBM: Which is Better for Beginners?] (future internal blog post).
Step 4: Create & Optimize Your Product Listings
Your product detail page is key to winning sales.
Use keyword research tools like Helium 10 or Jungle Scout to find high-ranking search terms.
Title → Include brand, features, and primary keyword.
Images → High-quality, lifestyle-focused.
Bullet Points → Highlight benefits.
Description → SEO-rich, persuasive copy.
Step 5: Manage Inventory & Orders
FBA sellers → Create a shipping plan in Seller Central.
FBM sellers → Ship orders yourself and manage returns.
Internal link idea: [How to Manage Amazon Inventory Efficiently]
Step 6: Market & Promote Your Products
To drive traffic:
Amazon Ads → Learn from Amazon’s PPC guide.
Customer Reviews → Social proof is critical.
Social Media → Drive traffic from platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Amazon Selling Costs You Must Know
Amazon fees vary, but here’s a breakdown:
Selling Plan → $0.99/item or $39.99/month
Referral Fees → 8–15%
FBA Fees → Fulfillment + storage
Use Amazon’s Revenue Calculator to estimate profit margins before you list.
Final Thoughts
Selling on Amazon in 2025 is a powerful way to build an online business. By mastering seller account setup, Amazon SEO, and FBA logistics, you’ll position yourself for success.
Keep learning step by step — check out [Our Beginner’s Amazon Series] (internal category link) for in-depth tutorials.
