How to sell on Amazon Marketplace (for small creators)
Amazon can feel like a massive, intimidating marketplace — millions of products, huge brands, and endless competition. But here’s the part most people don’t realize: small creators launch there successfully every single day, using simple tools and a clear, repeatable plan.
In this guide, we’ll walk through exactly how to get set up, how Amazon listing pages actually work, and how you can use Adobe Express to design scroll-stopping product graphics — even if you don’t have a big budget or a design team.
So if you’ve been asking yourself, “How do you sell on Amazon?” you’re in the right place.
Key takeaways
- Start small: One focused product (or one tight collection) beats a scattered catalog.
- Win the click with a clean main image, then win the conversion with helpful gallery graphics (sizes, benefits, what’s included) made in Adobe Express.
- Choose the right fulfillment model; FBA (Amazon ships) for convenience and Prime eligibility, FBM (you ship) for control and custom packaging.
- Treat your listing like a mini-website — strong title, clear bullets, persuasive images, FAQs, and social proof — then improve weekly based on data.
Summary/Overview
What is Amazon Marketplace?
Amazon Marketplace is the Amazon ecommerce platform for third-party sellers. You create product pages, set prices, choose how orders ship, then Amazon handles checkout and the trust layer. Most shoppers don’t care who fulfills the shipment, as long as the page is clear, reviews are strong, and delivery is fast.
Why should small creators sell on Amazon?
Here are four plug-and-play stats (with sources) that align to each point in your section:
- Built-in demand: 56% of consumers start their product searches on Amazon (ahead of search engines at 42%).
- Low upfront spend (creator-friendly ecosystem): More than 60% of sales in Amazon’s store come from independent sellers; most are small and medium-sized businesses.
- Fast trust: CIRP estimates ~200 million Amazon customers in the U.S. had Prime memberships as of Q3 2025, which is a massive built-in base conditioned for fast shipping and easy returns.
- Repeatable playbook (scales when a listing works): Over 55,000 independent sellers generated $1 million+ in Amazon sales in 2024, proving that successful listings can be expanded into high-volume businesses.
What are the best products to sell on Amazon for beginners?
Start with items that are simple to describe, cheap to ship, and hard to break. Use this as a quick filter before you list:
- Small, light, and durable: Under ~2 lbs, fits in a shoebox, no glass/liquids/electronics.
- Clear benefits, easy photos: You can show “what it is” and “why it’s better” in 5–7 gallery images you make in Adobe Express.
- Ungated category + compliant: Avoid restricted/hazmat items and categories that require approval until you’re comfortable.
- Healthy margins after fees: Target ~3× product cost → price; verify profit after Amazon fees + shipping.
- Steady demand, manageable competition: Enough searches to sell, but not a sea of identical listings.
Beginner-friendly ideas (examples): silicone spatulas or pastry scrapers, microfiber cleaning cloths, cable organizers, notebook/planner inserts, simple pet grooming mitts, resistance bands with a printed guide, greeting-card multipacks, pantry labels or spice jar sets.
Quick validation steps: Search the item on Amazon → read reviews/Q&A on top listings (note complaints you can solve) → estimate fees in Seller Central → make a one-sentence promise and a draft image set → order a small test batch.
What are the components of a high-performing Amazon listing?
Use this checklist:
- Offer: Clear product, competitive price, and simple options (size/color).
- Title: Keyword-rich, human readable (brand + key feature + use case + size/count).
- Images:
- Main image on pure white (no props/text).
- Gallery images that show use, scale, benefits, what’s in the box.
- Infographics and comparison charts (Adobe Express is useful here).
- Bullets (5): Benefits > features; answer pre-purchase questions.
- Description / A+ Content: Story, details, care instructions, visual modules (if Brand Registered).
- Keywords: Backend search terms plus natural keywords in title/bullets. Include common misspellings shoppers type (such as “Amazon on sell”) in your backend keywords, not in titles or bullets.
- Fulfillment: FBA or FBM; prep/label; returns handling.
- Reviews & Q&A: Social proof, quick answers, policy-compliant review strategy.
- Advertising: Small, focused campaigns (Sponsored Products) to start.
- Analytics: Sessions, conversion rate, ad spend/ACOS, return reasons.
Tip: Adding A+ Content can lift sales; Amazon reports up to +8% for Basic A+ and up to +20% for well-implemented Premium A+.
How to sell on Amazon for beginners? Here are 7 essential steps
Step 1: Choose your product and tighten the promise
Pick a specific product you can explain in one sentence: “Hand-poured soy candle with clean scents and 40-hour burn.” List 3–5 benefit statements that your images and bullets will prove (e.g., “non-toxic wax,” “no soot,” “gift-ready box”). When you’re brainstorming products to start selling on Amazon, start with simple, lightweight items that are easy to photograph, ship, and describe clearly.
Tip: If you don’t have barcodes, look into GTIN/UPC options (buy UPCs or request a GTIN exemption if eligible).
Step 2: Set up your Seller Central account and fulfillment plan
- Create an Individual (no monthly fee, per-item fee) or Professional account (monthly fee, more tools).
- Pick FBA (Amazon stores/ships, Prime badge) or FBM (you ship).
- If FBA: learn prep & label rules (FNSKU labels, poly bags, suffocation warnings).
- If you have your own site and a registered trademark, consider Brand Registry later to unlock A+ Content and a Brand Store.
Step 3: Build conversion-ready listing images with Adobe Express
Images sell the product before anyone reads a word.
Main image (compliance friendly):
- On pure white background, product fills ~85% of the frame, with no text or props, edge-to-edge sharp.
Gallery images should answer questions:
- How it looks in use (lifestyle).
- What’s included (lay everything out, label parts).
- Size & scale (hand/room comparison, dimension overlay).
- Benefits infographic (3–5 callouts).
- Care or how-to (simple steps).
- Comparison chart vs. your other options.
How to do it in Adobe Express (fast workflow):
- Start from a product photo (using a smartphone is fine if lit well).
- Use Background Remove to isolate the product; place on #FFFFFF (pure white) for the main image.
- Choose an Amazon image template or set a square canvas (e.g., 2000×2000 px).
- Add clean icons and short labels (16–24 pt at 72 dpi equivalent) for infographics.
- Keep a brand strip (small color bar + logo) in the same corner across all graphics.
- Export PNG/JPG at high quality; name files clearly (SKU-front, SKU-benefits, etc.).
Step 4: Write the title, bullets, and description (plain English > jargon)
- Title: Brand + key keyword + top feature + size/count (keep it readable).
- Bullets (5): Lead with benefits, then proof (materials/tests/compatibility).
- Description: Short story, use cases, care, and a mini FAQ.
- Backend keywords: Add synonyms and misspellings (no commas, no repetition, no brand names you don’t own).
Voice rule: If a sentence looks like a keyword salad, rewrite it for a human and weave the keyword in naturally.
Step 5: Price, launch, and protect margins
- Check your landed cost (product + packaging + inbound shipping + Amazon fees).
- Set a price that leaves profit and makes room for modest ads or coupons.
- Consider intro coupons or limited-time deals to spark first traffic.
Step 6: Ship right the first time (and every time)
- FBA: Create a shipment in Seller Central, choose a carrier, label FNSKUs, and follow carton rules.
- FBM: Use sturdy mailers/boxes, right-size packaging, include a care card and a QR code to your FAQs, and upload tracking same day.
Returns mindset: Make returns painless; use the comments from return reasons to fix images or bullets causing confusion. Remember that 76% of shoppers say free returns are an important consideration factor when shopping online, so a clear, low-friction policy can boost conversion and trust.
Step 7: Kick-start traffic and reviews (policy-safe)
- Turn on a small Sponsored Products auto campaign (tight daily budget). Check search terms after a few days; move winners into a manual campaign.
- Answer Q&A quickly. Treat it like a pre-sales chat.
- Enroll eligible new products in Vine (if available) or politely request reviews via Amazon’s Request a Review button. Never offer incentives.
Amazon best practices (for creators)
- Photos before copy. If an objection can be answered visually, add a gallery image.
- Benefits over buzzwords. “Wipes clean in 2 seconds” beats “innovative surface tech.”
- One change per week. Adjust a title, image set, or price, then measure.
- Mind the Buy Box. Stay in stock, respond to messages, and ship on time (FBM) to protect it.
- Own your brand layer. Use the same color, type, and micro-logo on all infographics you make in Adobe Express.
- Document questions. Every customer email becomes a bullet point or image label later.
Quick launch checklist
✅ Choose one hero SKU; write a one-line promise.
✅ Create Seller Central account; pick FBA or FBM.
✅ Handle UPC/GTIN (buy UPCs or request exemption).
✅ Produce images in Adobe Express: main image + 5–7 gallery graphics.
✅ Write a clean title, 5 benefits-first bullets, and a helpful description.
✅ Set price with fees in mind; prepare packaging and labels.
✅ Launch with a small auto ad; read search terms; start a simple manual campaign.
✅ Monitor sessions, conversion rate, ad ACOS, return reasons; improve weekly.
Selling on Amazon Marketplace is a craft, not a lottery. Lead with a focused product, clear benefits, and gallery images that answer questions before they’re asked. Adobe Express makes that part fast and easy. Choose the fulfillment model that fits your life, gather data gently with small ads, and improve one piece each week. That steady rhythm is how small creators turn Amazon into a reliable sales channel.
FAQs
Use this quick checklist:
- Seller account: Individual or Professional plan in Seller Central, plus identity verification (government ID), banking details, and tax info.
- Compliant product: Confirm your item is allowed (no restricted/hazmat without approvals) and meets any category rules.
- Barcode/GTIN: A UPC/EAN for each SKU or an approved GTIN exemption; FNSKU labels for units you send to FBA.
- Listing assets: Clear title, 5 bullets, description, backend keywords, and images at least 1000×1000 px (main image on pure white).
- Fulfillment plan: FBA (Amazon ships) or FBM (you ship), plus packaging that meets Amazon prep/label standards.
- Policies & paperwork: Return policy, basic safety/compliance docs if your category requires them (e.g., children’s products, electronics).
- Optional brand layer: Trademark + Brand Registry to unlock A+ Content and a Brand Store when you’re ready.
Three common paths:
- Print-on-Demand (POD)/Made-to-Order: Your partner produces and ships after each sale (e.g., custom tees, mugs). You carry no stock.
- Compliant Dropshipping: Allowed only if you are the seller of record (your name on the packing slip/invoice, you handle returns). Buying from another retailer and shipping directly to the customer is not allowed.
- Amazon Handmade / Small-batch FBA: Make items to order or in tiny batches; send limited units to FBA as you validate demand.
Expect a few layers of cost:
- Selling plan: Individual (pay per item sold) or Professional (flat monthly fee).
- Referral fees: A percentage of the sale price (varies by category; many are around the mid-teens).
- Fulfillment:
- FBA fees per unit + monthly storage (and long-term storage if inventory lingers).
- FBM shipping/packaging costs you manage directly.
- Optional: Barcodes/GTINs, photography, samples, and advertising.
Build your price using landed cost (product + packaging + inbound shipping + Amazon/fulfillment fees) and leave margin for promos and ads.
- FBA: Less manual work, Prime badge, Amazon handles customer service/returns; you’ll pay storage and fulfillment fees.
- FBM: More control over packaging and margins; you handle shipping speed, tracking, and support. Pick the one that fits your product size, cash flow, and time.