What many sellers navigating the Amazon platform for the first time fail to realize is that specialized support services are available. Because Amazon has become such a dominant force in the world of eCommerce, you can now pay experts to help you start, maintain, and grow your online store.

Here are just some of the ways that Amazon consultants could help you at this important moment for your business.

Amazon strategy

Your business probably has a plan, but if you’re expanding into Amazon, you also need a specific Amazon strategy. The fact is that Amazon is a rule unto itself — it really can’t be compared with any other form of doing business.

That’s why you need a strategy that pertains to the particulars of this platform if you want to really succeed on it.

Amazon consultants can help you develop a strategy that suits the unique opportunities and challenges of the site. What could this involve? Well, they might start by performing a competitor analysis.

They’ll see which markets are over and under-served to help you find your niche on the site. This will involve deciding what products to sell and who you want to sell them to. Then, they’ll look to build and express your brand.

If you’re trying to establish yourself on Amazon but you find yourself having a brand identity crisis, an Amazon strategy is exactly what you need. It will help you position yourself on the platform and give you a clear direction for the future of your online business.

It will also help you with practical considerations such as how to price your products effectively so that you attract customers and still make an attractive profit.

SEO

Do you know what SEO stands for? If not, it’s time to hire some professional support in this area. It’s hard to overstate how important SEO, or search engine optimization, is to an online business.

Think about it: when you search for a product to buy, do you spend hours scrolling through pages and pages of results to find the perfect product? Or do you usually choose from the first few you’re shown?

Many of us do the latter, and that’s why your product must rank highly when potential customers search for relevant terms. Otherwise, you’re handing over sales to your better-optimized competitors!

An Amazon consultant specializing in SEO will include important keywords and describe your products in a way that pleases the Amazon algorithm.

On a busy platform like Amazon, competition is fierce. How will you ever make any sales if potential customers have to dig and dig to even come across your products?

Great SEO can save you money on your advertising budget. By ensuring that your products are displayed when people search certain terms, you’re increasing your visibility amongst an already-interested audience!

Sure, you could try to learn SEO all by yourself. However, this is a full-time job for a reason — it requires extensive knowledge of how the algorithm functions. That’s why so many sellers hand it over to an Amazon consultant as they launch their store.

Advertising

Optimizing your listings might be enough to attract some customers, but you may choose to maximize sales further by advertising your products.

Amazon offers opportunities to advertise within the platform, and an Amazon consultant will be able to explain these options to you and evaluate which is most likely to be successful according to your specific business plan.

You can also advertise beyond the platform. For example, you might wish to appear on Google whenever a potential customer searches for a specific related term.

Google and Amazon are very selective about which products they allow to appear this way: it isn’t just a matter of “who pays, wins.” You have to meet certain criteria and participate in a bidding process.

An Amazon consultant with experience in marketing will be able to design and implement an effective advertising strategy for your online store.

FBE and Amazon appeals

Something you should know about Amazon is that it has its own specific rules and regulations. You don’t want to break these rules!

You might end up with a suspended account, and the longer your store is offline, the more sales you’re missing out on… That’s why Amazon sellers often turn to a consultant to keep them right.

An Amazon specialist knows the platform inside out, and they’re able to guide sellers through the process of launching and maintaining their store.

Sometimes, sellers approach a consultant because the worst has already happened: they’re suspended! The Amazon appeals process might seem complex to an outsider, but not to an expert. They’ll soon have you up and running again.

Have you decided whether you want to participate in the “Fulfilled by Amazon” program yet? You can pay a fee for Amazon to handle your storage and shipping for you.

If you’re unsure whether this is the best move for your business, you can always ask an Amazon consultant to assess the pros and cons for you.