Thinking about making it rain (or at least drizzle) on Amazon, but not sure how to start? Maybe you’re dreaming of quitting your job, traveling the world, and running your empire from a hammock. Or maybe you just want to clear out your garage and make some lunch money. Either way, you’ve landed in the right place. Grab a snack and let’s get weirdly real about selling on Amazon in 2025.
Table of Contents
- Market Research: AKA “Internet Stalking for Profit”
- Choose Your Hustle: Pick a Selling Strategy
- Business Plan: Actually Write One, Don’t Just Think About It in the Shower
- Create an Amazon Seller Account: Adulting Required
- Fulfillment Options: Who’s Packing Those Boxes?
- List Your First Product: The “Oh Crap, This Is Real” Moment
- How to Actually Sell Stuff: Listings that Don’t Suck
- Amazon Fees: Why Your Bank Account Cries
- Top Tips to Outsmart Your Competition (Or At Least Not Embarrass Yourself)
- FAQ: The Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Google
Market Research: AKA “Internet Stalking for Profit”
Before you cash out your 401(k) to corner the market on glow-in-the-dark garden gnomes, do yourself a favor: research. No, this doesn’t mean scrolling TikTok for three hours (unless you’re selling fidget toys to teenagers).
Here’s how to find what actually sells:
- Amazon Bestsellers: Start here for inspiration (and possibly existential dread). Can you make a better spatula than the one ranked #1? Do people need more options for adult onesies? Probably.
- Keyword Tools: Use Jungle Scout or Helium 10 to check if anyone is searching for “llama-shaped waffle irons.” Spoiler: If the answer is zero, rethink your plan.
- Read Reviews: Find angry customers. Their pain = your opportunity. If every review of a pet hair vacuum says, “It broke after one use,” maybe you can sell one that doesn’t suck (or does, but in a good way).
- Check Restrictions: Don’t try to sell uranium or haunted dolls. Check Amazon’s restricted list before you order 10,000 units of “Spy Drone Sunglasses
Choose Your Hustle: Pick a Selling Strategy
You’ve got options, and none of them require you to invent anything or build a robot army (unless you want to).
Retail Arbitrage
Buy low at Target, sell high on Amazon. Basically, you’re flipping stuff like a digital yard sale king/queen. You’ll spend weekends scanning barcodes and dodging store employees who think you’re weird.
White Labeling
Find generic products, slap your logo on them, and act like you invented sliced bread. No design skills needed—just a decent logo and the ability to pick something people already want.
Private Labeling
Similar to white labeling but fancier. You tell a manufacturer what you want (down to the glitter), they make it, you sell it under your own brand. This is how all those weirdly specific kitchen gadgets exist.
Dropshipping
You sell it, someone else ships it. You never touch the product—a dream for germaphobes and lazy entrepreneurs alike. It’s low-risk but competitive, so bring your A-game.
Business Plan: Actually Write One, Don’t Just Think About It in the Shower
No one likes writing business plans, but winging it is not a strategy (unless your goal is chaos).
Include these things:
- What you’re selling (besides “stuff”)
- Who wants it (besides your mom)
- Pricing (math is hard, but necessary)
- Marketing plan (Instagram? TikTok? Interpretive dance?)
- Inventory plan (Are you hoarding in your basement or sending it to Amazon?)
Pro Tip: Use Shopify’s free template so you can spend more time choosing product photos and less time pretending spreadsheets are fun.
Create an Amazon Seller Account: Adulting Required
Pick your poison:
- Individual Plan: No monthly fee, pay $0.99 per item sold. Good if you’re only selling Aunt Edna’s collection of porcelain cats.
- Professional Plan: $39.99/month, but no per-item fee. Go pro if you plan to sell more than 40 items/month or just want to sound impressive at parties.
You’ll need:
- Business email
- Bank account
- Credit card (the one with room left on it)
- Government ID (smile!)
- Tax info
- Phone number
Fill out Amazon’s forms like an adult and wait for approval. Try not to refresh your inbox every five minutes.
Fulfillment Options: Who’s Packing Those Boxes?
Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM)
You do the packing, shipping, returns, and customer support. Great if you love trips to the post office or want complete control.
Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
You ship everything to Amazon’s warehouse; they deal with the rest. You pay storage and fulfillment fees, but also get Prime eligibility and don’t have to talk to angry customers.
FBA is basically “set it and forget it”—until you get a bill for storage fees because nobody wanted your “unicorn meat seasoning.”
List Your First Product: The “Oh Crap, This Is Real” Moment
Two ways to list:
- Existing Product: If it already exists on Amazon (hint: most things do), grab its ASIN from the product details section.
- Go to Seller Central → Catalog → Add Products → Paste ASIN.
- Set price, condition, SKU.
- Choose fulfillment method.
- Click “Sell this product.” Done!
- Brand New Product: For things never before seen by humanity.
- Seller Central → Add Product → “I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon.”
- Pick category.
- Fill in title, price, description, images.
- Click “Save and finish.”
- Wait for Amazon to approve and assign an ASIN.
Once live, your product is ready for its 15 minutes of fame—or at least for one random uncle in Ohio to buy it.
How to Actually Sell Stuff: Listings that Don’t Suck
Your listing is your only shot at convincing someone they need what you’re selling more than they need another air fryer.
1. Product Title
Keep it under 80 characters if possible—mobile users have tiny screens and even tinier attention spans. Include:
- Brand name
- What it is (“Scented Candle” not “Mystical Aroma Orb”)
- Key features (“Pineapple Coconut” not “Inspired by tropical night walks”)
- Size/quantity
2. Images
High quality only! Main image should be simple and clear. Add more showing details and real-life use (“Look! Even dogs love my yoga pants!”). Bonus points for video—people love moving pictures!
3. Description
Use bullet points for features:
- Burn time? List it.
- Materials? Say so.
- Benefits? Spell them out.
Don’t write a novel—nobody’s reading that on their phone while waiting in line at Starbucks.
4. Variants
If you’ve got multiple colors/sizes/styles—show them! Make it easy for shoppers to get exactly what they want without clicking away in frustration.
Amazon Fees: Why Your Bank Account Cries
Let’s talk money—the part where Amazon gets paid no matter what.
You’ll pay:
- Referral fees: Average 15% of sale price (varies by category).
- Closing fees: $1.80 per unit for media products.
- FBA fees: Based on size/weight/category; covers picking/packing/shipping/customer service.
- Storage fees: Monthly fee for inventory sitting around; extra for stuff that collects dust >181 days.
- Returns/disposal fees: For unsold inventory Amazon sends back—or chucks out.
Always check the latest fee schedule before ordering 1,000 units of anything.
Top Tips to Outsmart Your Competition (Or At Least Not Embarrass Yourself)
- Encourage Reviews (Legally)
- Send polite follow-up emails asking for reviews.
- Don’t beg or bribe—Amazon will banish you faster than you can say “five stars.”
- Only send two emails max; nobody likes spam.
- Run Sponsored Ads
- PPC ads = visibility = sales (hopefully).
- Start with automatic targeting and let Amazon find keywords.
- Move winning keywords into manual campaigns.
- Tweak bids until you hit the sweet spot between “profitable” and “why am I broke?”
- Use Promotions
- Lightning Deals = flash sales that boost visibility.
- Great during events like Prime Day or holidays.
- Helps get rid of slow sellers and win new customers.
- Drive External Traffic
- Share your listing on social media.
- Work with bloggers/influencers using Amazon Associates/Influencers programs.
- Use discount codes for extra oomph.
- Price Smart
- Price too high? No sales.
- Price too low? No profit.
- Use repricing tools like Amazon Automate Pricing to stay competitive—without losing your shirt.
FAQ: The Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Google
Q: Is it free to sell something on Amazon?
A: Nope. There are fees on almost everything except breathing near your computer.
Q: What’s the startup cost?
A: Individual plan = free until you sell ($0.99/item). Professional plan = $39.99/month.
Q: Can I sell from home?
A: Yes! Many sellers run everything from their kitchen table or living room floor.
Q: What sells well?
A: Toys/games, electronics, books, shoes/clothes/jewelry—basically anything except friendship bracelets made from dryer lint (please don’t).
Final Thoughts
Selling on Amazon in 2025 isn’t rocket science—it’s more like building IKEA furniture without the instructions. You’ll mess up sometimes, but that first sale feels amazing (even if it’s just your neighbor). Research your products, pick the right selling strategy, write a real business plan—even if it’s on a napkin—and don’t cheap out on photos or descriptions.
Remember: Everyone starts somewhere—even that guy making six figures selling rubber chickens started with one listing and zero reviews.
So set up that account, list something today, and join the ranks of people making money while wearing pajamas at noon.
If nothing else, you’ll finally have an answer when someone asks what you do for a living—“I sell things on Amazon.” And maybe someday…you’ll be able to say it without laughing.
If you found this guide helpful or at least mildly amusing, share it with someone who could use a push (or a laugh). Now go forth and conquer Amazon—one weird product at a time!