“The world is at your fingertips”— this phrase is often quoted in the same breath as any mention of the current, precipitous growth of technologically, especially the kind related to the Internet. This is no hyperbole. With smartphones in our hands, it is true that we are everywhere at once. The same global and ubiquitous phenomenon of technology and connectivity has also spilled into the business landscape.
As a proprietor, you are not bound by physical constraints anymore. Initiatives, like the Amazon Global Selling program, have changed the game altogether. Now, a small-scale individual seller in one part of the world can sell products to a consumer living in another part of the world without setting up an extensive import and supply-chain infrastructure. For example, a seller, operating out of a garage in New Jersey, can easily make a sale to a customer in Southern Australia. Many small-to-medium enterprises working in local markets have gone worldwide just because of Amazon Global Selling. To say that this brings an enormous opportunity to entrepreneurs around the world wouldn’t be an overstatement.
Nevertheless, many ventures using this Amazon selling feature are not tapping into its full potential. There are many reasons for this, but having no prior experience of imports and customs compliance is the simplest explanation.
If you are mulling over entering the Amazon Global Selling program, then we would suggest that you go all out, fully prepared, instead of cautiously testing the waters. Before we delve deep into the discussion, let’s make one thing clear: you will need to work with an expert e-commerce Importer of Record to make the most of your endeavors on the Amazon Global Selling.
Now, let’s see some of the measures that you should consider while operating through the Amazon Global Selling.
1) Try to Cater to All the Amazon Marketplaces
There are 14 Amazon online marketplaces spread across five continents. By making an account on Amazon Global Selling, you are able to sell to consumers in all those markets. However, it has been noticed that many small-scale sellers try to stick to one market only. There is no harm in targeting a single market, but it would be exceedingly better if you reach out to every consumer looking for the type of products you sell from any part of the world through Amazon. There are several reasons why this strategy pays off.
- Your business will not suffer from a formidable competitor that usually enjoys greater traction in a single market. When your sales get divided across 14 different marketplaces, such competitors are not going to affect your business much.
- You can benefit from different purchasing powers in different marketplaces. For instance, you can sell a similar product on Amazon United Kingdom and India at different rates. By manipulating prices and offering discounts by keeping in the purchasing power of the respective region, you can maximize profits successfully.
- When you are an active seller in multiple markets simultaneously, you can get around the side effects of low economic activity in a particular region. A second market can compensate for the inactivity of the first, and so on. This will minimize your risks and protect your investments made on the platform.
So, why do online ventures hesitate from going all out when it entails so many benefits? Well, the first and foremost reason is that they are working without e-commerce Importers of Record. Even the ones that are working with one use services that don’t entail shipments to all the Amazon marketplaces.
Availing the expertise of an Approved Amazon Importer of Record Service Provider that can take your products to all the marketplaces listed on the platform is strongly advised. This will help your business reach every nook and corner of the Amazon Global Selling landscape.
2) Keep an Eye on Local Festivals, Celebrations, and Sporting Events
All retailers and entrepreneurs know that festivals bring in more sales. It is very likely that you are already dolling out your special Christmas and Easter discount offers. But if you want to work on the Amazon Global Selling and want to make the most of it, then you need to look beyond festivals that matter in the region you are operating from.
For instance, 20 to 30 religious and social festivals take place every year in India alone, including the mega-events of Diwali and Holi. Similarly, if you are working in the Middle Eastern Region through approved Amazon Importer of Record (Amazon IOR), then you need to keep an eye on the two Eid festivals that people in the region celebrate and spend on.
Similarly, you need to know all the local celebrations and festivals taking place in the regions where different Amazon marketplaces are present. By promoting your products during those festivals, you can generate a considerable amount of sales revenue, in addition to the one coming from regular sales.
There is another factor you need to consider while tracking the local festivities. See what are the popular sports in your target market. During, before, and after a major tournament of that sport, you can sell a large number of related products (even remotely related ones) in that marketplace.
Example:
Offering soccer-related accessories and general athletic gear in the French Amazon marketplace after France wins the Soccer World Cup would result in increased sales and profits.
If you are already working with an e-commerce IOR that is managing your imports, then not much needs to be done to carry out this measure. You just need to sit down once a year to organize a calendar and scheduler, noting down all the important dates of festivals and major sporting events taking place in all the marketplaces you are present in.
3) Work with a Dedicated E-commerce Importer of Record
If you haven’t worked on Amazon Global Selling before, then you must know that Amazon is not going to act as your importer. Many people are under the impression that FBA will also take care of the details of their imports. However, that’s not the case. Amazon and its Fulfillment Centers are not liable to act on your behalf as an importer and take care of all the customs-related requirements.
In short, you will need an importing representative in the country you are taking your business to. For instance, if you are using an FBA for Japan, then you need to have a representative there (e.g., an e-commerce IOR) to oversee the entire importation work. You have two options to work in this scenario.
- Working with Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP)
- Working with a Full-Fledged E-commerce IOR
If you opt for the first option, then be prepared to spend both money and time on dealing with your import shipments. ACPs will charge you but will only take care of tax and duty payments in the destination country. The rest of the work (complying with customs laws and different government directives) will still be your responsibility.
On the other hand, a seasoned e-commerce IOR will provide you all the import-related services. It will take care of your import documentation, declaration, shipment tracking, and customs clearance. In short, it will act as an importer on your behalf so that you can seamlessly get to avail the facility of FBA in that country. These Amazon IORs allow you to focus on your core competencies to scale up your business.
For instance, if you are working with an Approved Amazon Importer of Record (Amazon IOR)Service Provider, you don’t have to worry about anything related to the imports reaching the destination port and the fulfillment center. These established Amazon IORs take care of all these matters.
4) Have a Proactive Marketing Approach on Amazon
Many new sellers, particularly when they start operating on Amazon Global Selling, think that placing the items on the website is enough to reach out to customers. But that’s not the case. Amazon is brimming with sellers and buyers all the time. So, just dropping your product on the website is not enough even if you are working with an Approved Amazon IOR. You need to market your offers as well.
Buyers now treat Amazon as a shopping search engine, so the search bar on Amazon.com acts like one now. Similar to Google, it works on a particular algorithm and makes relevant search suggestions to buyers. All these changes in searching norms on Amazon also require you to mold your marketing and selling strategy accordingly. You need to do some SEO for Amazon. For instance, keep the title of your products concise and full of information so that buyers already know what they are viewing online.
Moreover, try to make the landing page of the product more attractive and engaging. By using Enhanced Brand Content, provided by Amazon on Seller Accounts with pro subscription, you can add banners, boxes, and more images to the page.
After optimizing the product page, put some money into Amazon marketing service (works like Google Ads). It will give you a good kickstart in any marketplace on the Global Selling Platform.
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