How to Start Selling on Amazon: A Beginner's Guide for Small Brands
To start selling on Amazon, create a seller account, choose between Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM), set up your product listings with optimized titles and images, and launch with a pricing and advertising strategy. Amazon gives small brands access to over 300 million active customer accounts worldwide, making it one of the fastest ways to scale an ecommerce business.
Starting a business is hard enough without having to build an audience from scratch. That's exactly why so many small brands are turning to Amazon instead of (or alongside) their own standalone websites. Amazon already has the traffic, the trust, and the logistics network — your job is simply to plug your product into it.
But "simply" doesn't mean "easily." New sellers often get stuck deciding between fulfillment methods, wondering how much it costs, or struggling to write a product listing that actually converts. This guide walks through the practical steps of launching on Amazon, along with the reasons the platform remains one of the most powerful growth channels available to emerging sellers.
Why Should Small Brands Sell on Amazon?
Amazon isn't just a marketplace — it's the starting point for most online shopping searches. According to Jungle Scout's 2023 Consumer Trends report, 63% of U.S. shoppers check Amazon first when looking for a product, even before Google. That means that for many small brands, Amazon visibility can matter more than SEO on your own site.
Here's what makes Amazon particularly attractive for small and emerging brands:
Built-in audience: You don't need to drive your own traffic from day one. Amazon's marketplace already has millions of shoppers actively searching for products like yours.
Trust transfer: Customers trust Amazon's checkout, return policies, and delivery speed, which can reduce the friction of buying from a brand they've never heard of.
Logistics support: Through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping, and even customer service on your behalf.
Scalability: Amazon's infrastructure can support a brand from its first ten sales to its ten-thousandth, without you needing to rebuild your operations.
For a small brand with a limited marketing budget, this combination of reach and infrastructure can shortcut years of organic growth.
How Do You Set Up an Amazon Seller Account?
Before you can list a single product, you'll need to create a seller account. Amazon offers two plans:
Individual plan: Costs $0.99 per item sold, with no monthly fee. Best suited for sellers testing the waters with fewer than 40 sales a month.
Professional plan: Costs $39.99 per month, regardless of sales volume. Best for sellers planning to list more than 40 items a month or who want access to advanced selling tools like bulk listing and advertising.
To register, you'll need:
A business or personal tax ID (EIN or SSN)
A bank account for receiving payments
A government-issued ID
A credit card for account verification
Choose the Professional plan if you're planning a real launch strategy rather than a one-off test — the flat fee usually pays for itself once you pass roughly 40 units sold per month.
Should You Use FBA or FBM?
One of the first major decisions you'll make is how your orders get fulfilled.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) means you send your inventory to Amazon's warehouses, and Amazon handles storage, packing, shipping, and returns. This is a popular choice for small brands because it also makes your products eligible for Amazon Prime, which can significantly boost conversion rates.
Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM) means you store and ship the products yourself. This gives you more control over packaging and inventory but requires you to manage logistics, which can be time-consuming as order volume grows.
Choose FBA if you want to scale quickly and don't have the infrastructure to manage shipping in-house. Choose FBM if you're selling low-volume, oversized, or highly customized products where hands-on fulfillment makes more sense.
How Do You Launch a Product on Amazon?
Once your account is set up and you've chosen a fulfillment method, it's time to build your product listing. A strong listing is often the difference between a product that sells and one that sits idle.
Write a Clear, Keyword-Rich Title
Your title should include your brand name, key product features, and relevant search terms — but avoid keyword stuffing. Amazon's algorithm, A9, prioritizes relevance and performance, so clarity matters as much as keywords.
Use High-Quality Images
Amazon requires a minimum of one main image on a white background, but listings with seven to nine images (including lifestyle shots and infographics) tend to convert better by helping customers visualize the product in use.
Write Benefit-Driven Bullet Points
Rather than simply listing features, explain what each feature means for the customer. For example, instead of "Made from stainless steel," try "Built from rust-resistant stainless steel that holds up to daily use for years."
Set a Competitive Price
Research similar products in your category to understand market pricing. Being significantly higher or lower than competitors without a clear reason can hurt your conversion rate.
Build Early Reviews
New listings benefit enormously from early social proof. Amazon's Vine program, which provides free products to trusted reviewers in exchange for honest feedback, can help new sellers generate their first wave of reviews.
What Does It Cost to Sell on Amazon?
Beyond the Individual or Professional plan fees, sellers should budget for:
Referral fees: Typically 8–15% of the item's sale price, depending on category.
FBA fees: Based on product size and weight, covering picking, packing, and shipping.
Storage fees: Charged monthly for inventory kept in Amazon's warehouses, with higher rates during the October–December peak season.
Advertising costs: Optional, but most new sellers run Sponsored Products campaigns to gain initial visibility.
Many small brands start with a modest advertising budget — often a few hundred dollars a month — and scale up once they understand which keywords and products convert best.
Start Small, Then Scale
Launching on Amazon isn't about getting everything perfect on day one. It's about getting a solid foundation in place — a verified account, a well-optimized listing, and a fulfillment method that fits your capacity — and then refining based on real sales data.
Many of today's largest Amazon brands started with a single product and a small inventory order. The platform rewards sellers who treat their first few months as a learning period, adjusting pricing, imagery, and advertising based on what the data shows.
If you're ready to grow a small brand without the overhead of building an audience from scratch, Amazon remains one of the most accessible ecommerce platforms available. The groundwork takes effort, but the infrastructure, traffic, and trust Amazon provides can make that effort worthwhile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start selling on Amazon? At minimum, expect to pay either $0.99 per sale (Individual plan) or $39.99 per month (Professional plan), plus referral fees of 8–15% per sale. FBA sellers should also budget for fulfillment and storage fees.
How long does it take to launch a product on Amazon? Account setup can take a few days for verification, but a full product launch — including sourcing, listing creation, and initial inventory — typically takes four to eight weeks for new sellers.
What are the risks of selling on Amazon? Common risks include thin profit margins after fees, inventory mismanagement, and account suspension for policy violations. Reading Amazon's seller policies closely before launch can help you avoid the most common pitfalls.
Is Amazon FBA worth it for small brands? FBA is worth it for small brands that want Prime eligibility and don't have in-house fulfillment capacity. Brands selling oversized or highly customized products may find FBM more cost-effective.
Can I sell on Amazon without inventory? Yes, through models like dropshipping or print-on-demand, though Amazon has strict policies around these approaches. Most successful small brands still hold some inventory to maintain quality control.
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