In our previous blog post, we talked about the two plan options when creating a seller account on Amazon – the Individual Seller Plan and the Professional Seller Plan. In today’s post, we will dig deeper into the benefits of choosing a professional seller account when starting out your business on Amazon. If you are serious about building and growing your business on Amazon, the professional seller account is your perfect choice.
Benefits of Professional Seller Account
Access to Seller Tools
Joining Amazon’s professional seller account means gaining access to Amazon Seller Central, which includes high-quality tools and reports that allow you to understand your Amazon sales and more. The bulk upload feature, for example, is a very helpful tool that you can use to upload inventory in bulk using an Excel file. What might take an individual seller hours could take a professional seller a few minutes.
Save Money
Although you pay a monthly fee of $39.99, if you sell more than 40 products a month, you can save 99 cents per product that sells. Meaning, the more products sold, the lower your costs would be. This is a unique perk from Amazon as in most eCommerce platforms the more you sell, the higher your fees are.
Ability to Tap Into 3rd Party Apps
Listing multiple times is a time-consuming endevour. With a professional seller account, you have the ability to upload listings in bulk using third party solutions like SellerMobile. You can also use the same third party tool to manage your inventory, automate feedback request, or forecast and analyze sales. This alone will save you a ton of time. Now, you have more time on your hands to focus on the more important aspects of your business, like marketing and customer service.
Ability to Sell in Restricted Categories
There is a handful of categories on Amazon that are restricted, including:
- Automotive & Powersports
- Collectible Books
- Collectible Coins
- Entertainment Collectibles
- Fine Art
- Gift Cards
- Jewelry
- Music & DVD
- Major Appliances
- Sports Collectibles
- Streaming Media Players
- Video, DVD, & Blu-ray
- Watches
No two Amazon restricted categories follow the exact rules to “ungate” them. Some are much easier while others prove challenging. But one thing applies to all – you must be on the professional selling plan. That said, if you wish to expand your inventory opportunities and increase your sales, start with having a professional seller account.
More Chances of Winning the Buy Box
One of the best ways to increase your sales is by winning the Buy Box. Customers have this preconceived notion that the Buy Box contains the best offer. Well, they are not mistaken. Statistics suggest that 82% of sales are made through the Buy Box. And the perfect solution to target that aim is by signing up for a professional seller account. The only caveat here is that you can also win the Buy Box if you are an FBA seller.
Bottom Line
Before you decide which Amazon seller account to choose, ponder on your business needs. Pick the one that makes the most sense to you and can meet your expectations. If you are not certain which one to choose, it’s best to go for the professional seller account. So even if you are just starting out, you already have access to all of Amazon’s tools and Seller Central, and these can ultimately help you down the road when you begin to grow your business. The good thing is, if the professional account ends up unsuitable for you, you can always downgrade.
