silkysalmoncatcher-blog

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

Launching A Product On Amazon FBA

So as you all know i now need to come up with a plan to launch my product! This is as simple or as difficult as you make it.

When it comes to launching a product it looks like i have a couple of options, i can launch myself using facebook ads and things like chatbots or landing pages orrrrr i can use a launch service, like viral launch.

I want to weigh up the pros and cons for both before i make a decision. If i want to build a real online business i think i need to think like this about every key decision i make.

I’m starting to realize that amazon businesses aren’t as straight forward as you may seem, there is a lot of background work! I’m not going to let this put me off, i will achieve my dream!

Launching A Product With Facebook Ads

So if i’m honest this all sound pretty intense, but i’m not going to let the initial fear put me off. So how would launching a product with facebook ads work?

Well first of all i need to decide on the creative side of things, i think i’d go with a picture of the product, maybe with an amazon logo. I’d include the following writing: “75% Discount - Today Only!”.

After carrying out various research, this is the best way to do it. You basically create discount coupons for your product, run facebook ads to find people that want the coupons and then send them the coupons, and follow up later to ask for a review.

Now i don’t know if i’ve mentioned this but i don’t really have any experience with running facebook ads, it looks like i’ll need a budget of around $10.00 per day and i’ll still need to make sure i have the targeting spot on.

I don’t want to give away my product idea (for obvious reasons) but... i’m looking at the targeting like this. Using facebook ad manager, you can target the audiences of your competitors facebook pages.

Let’s say i was trying to sell a mattress (i’m not, i don’t have that sort of money haha). What i could do is run ads, targeting the people that like both “Purple Mattress” and “Eve Mattresses”, the audience of the two would probably be pretty big but, i could narrow it down further using different demographics. This could even be the income levels of people on facebook.

Yer, i know pretty crazy to think about the amount of data facebook have on us all! But we can be grateful, as they monetise this data by using ad services that you and I can use!

So yer, thats the method. I like to run abit of a budget before i do anything so yer, if i follow this method i guess id need to run ads for around 14 days.

In order to work out how many products you’ll need to give away at a discount, you’ll probably need a paid tool to look at this. As mentioned, i’ve decided to use helium 10′s cerebro tool, it’s pretty simple to work out.. all you have to do is follow their CPR method.

Using A Launch Service

So for me this looks like it might be a bit more of a straight forward option. Don’t get me wrong, i want to learn about using facebook ads but i don’t know if i’ve got the budget to lose if it goes wrong!

Viral launch looks like it might actually be pretty straight forward, you basically pay $400.00 for a one time launch, you can target up to 4 keywords and you get access to expert seller coaches (apparently).

So this sounds pretty straight forward, however i am a little bit concerned about amazon’s future standpoint on launch services like this. I’ve read a few blogs to say that they think amazon will look at any accounts that have used launch services because of potential ranking manipulation concerns... hmmm the silky salmon doesn’t like risks like that.

Which Way Shall I Go?

So i listen to a lot of gary vee and he talks absolute golden goodness. That’s a pretty weird phrase but i just really like the guy.

Anyway, he talks a lot about the importance of understanding and learning your craft. I think that as amazon becomes bigger and bigger they will look at removing launch services... Or it will change slightly...

The people that will be left are the innovative brands that understand how to run ads and drive attention to their products on amazon. Wow that actually sounded pretty spot on, even if i do say so myself!

So yer, i think i’m going to go down the facebook ad route. Sure it’s more of a risk but i’ll learn something and in the future that’s how i’ll become a better seller!

Anyway, i think the old salmon has gone on long enough.

More from me next time.

Blessings be upon your neighbourhood. Silky Salmon

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

I’ve found a supplier - Amazon FBA

So after weeks of research and leg work I've finally found a supplier i’d like to work with! It has taken a while but i think this is one of the most aspects when building out your Amazon FBA business.

So now the negotiations begin... I’m not silly i understand that everyone will have a bottom price, my aim is to get to a price that we are both happy with.

The Numbers

So as you’ll know, before i jumped into looking for a supplier i found out that i could afford to pay $3.00 a unit, which after all of the associated selling costs we’ll leave me with $6.00 per unit (not too bad eh?!).

I want to aim to sell around 1000 units a month, i’m aware that this will take me a little bit of time as i’ll need to go through the launch process first, which i’m going to talk about next.

Before i jump into the launch process i need to make sure i’ve carried out all of my keywords research. Luckily for me the eBusiness Boss blog i follow has also written up a full article on how i can do this step by step. For anyone struggling with keyword research i’d advise you to check out this article.

Here’s a video of the process for any of you visual learners out there...

I actually check out a lot of Amazon FBA blogs and although this blog and YouTube channel is pretty new, i can see that they are working hard to build up their brand.. Sometimes to best blogs and channels aren’t the biggest, they are the smaller guys trying to get a foot up!

So yer following this advice i’ve done the following with my keywords.

1) Main Keywords in the title & backend.

2) Next best Keywords in the bullet points & search terms

3) The rest in the description

Keep it simple, make a big list of the keywords you want to go after. Get these keywords from the best selling listings. There are a lot of paid tools out there that will literally show you which keywords your competitors are making sales from. 

You’ll need to use your master keyword list to set your PPC keywords too. I like to organize things so whilst my product is being made i’m going to work on the keywords.

What’s Next?

So.. what is next for me and my amazon fba business. Well i need to research into how i’m going to launch my product. But we will get to that in due course. First i need to negotiate an amazing deal with my supplier.

I’ve gone for the supplier i feel the most comfortable with, it’s not about the cheapest deal for me, it’s about the quality of product and service too. 

I have just realized that i will also need to factor in the cost of freight. I didn’t realize that the terms F.O.B meant the supplier would pay to get it on the ship or plane or whatever, from there you  have to  pay the rest.

If you want an all  in price i’d go for DDP or DDU,  that’s based on the research i have done so far anyway. DDP stands for Delivered, Duty Paid and DDU stands for Delivered Duty Unpaid. 

These shipping and important taxes and costs that need to go  into your analysis, do this before you jump in head first. After all it’s going to effect the  profit you make.

So negotiations are now beginning and in the mean time i’m going to continue to research keyword optimization and best listing practices. That way i’m going to be well equipped! Things seem to be moving in the right direction, i’m feeling positive.

I’m also going to start thinking about my product launch strategy, i know this is a vital part of launching an Amazon FBA business. 

Thanks for reading guys, if you’ve got any questions are comments i’d love to hear them! Feeling lonely over here LOL. Your Friend, Silky Salmon

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

Awesome!

Amazon FBA Case Study - $1000 A Month PROFIT on Amazon 

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

I May Have Found A Winner - Amazon FBA

Soooo as you all know i have turned my attention towards the product research side of things and i’ve had some success (although it’s taken me a while!).

As i said at the beginning i’m going to document everything i’m learning so you guys can learn a thing or two.

As mentioned i wanted a product that isn’t too big, i decided to use helium 10 to help my qualify my product decisions.

I think it’s worth using Amazon seller tools if you are seriously growing your amazon fba business.

I think i’ve found a product i want to go after, now i’m not going to tell you guys what it is as you might go out and do it yourself haha, i’ll at least keep that part of the story secret (sorry lol).

The product retails on amazon for $19.99 and i’ve worked out that after fees i can afford to pay $3.00 per unit and i’ll make $6.00 profit on each item i sell, not too bad right!

The Numbers

So the top two products are actually grossing over $25,000 a month in revenue, i mean the top amazon seller does have 500 Reviews but hey i think i might be able to make my product better than theirs!

I don’t want to get too carried away as i’ll need to find a suitable supplier first but that is the next stage. I also want to make sure i don’t need to jump through too many compliance hoops in order to sell the product but i’m not actually sure where i can work this out. I’ll add that to the list too.

Finding Good Suppliers

So finding a product idea is the first step, then you’ve actually got to find somebody that can make the thing or things for you. I think i’m going to head onto Alibaba, on all the blogs and forums i’ve read through it seems to be the most popular.

I’ve been using the ebusiness boss blog as a bit of a guide, i read their article about helium 10 vs jungle scout.. worth a read if you’re on the fence about using either of the amazon seller tools.

One thing i’ve learnt is that you can learn A LOT by looking around online, there are SOOO many youtube channels and blogs out there with golden information.

After reading the above blog post i’ve decided on helium 10 as my tool! So what is next for the silky salmon?

What’s Next?

So i need to find a good supplier and work out how i’m going to ship the product to me or the amazon warehouse. I’ve read that you can’t actually send goods straight into Amazon, you need to receive them else where first as they can’t act as the importer apparently.

I’m not sure if i am being a bit ambitious with what i think i can actually purchase my product for, i’m going to do my best to negotiate but after all the suppliers will only do what they can!

I’ve read that it can be beneficial to contact the company as a “Management Level” employee. This way you can give the impression that you are a medium sized company, they might be more inclined to give you a better deal because of the future capability to do more and more business at scale.

Just someones opinion of course but i found it interesting as a negotiation tactic. How far will my $3,000 go for my brand new amazon fba business? Only time will tell my friends, only time will tell.

Why Am I Doing This?

So the other day i was actually asked why i want to spend all the time and potentially money doing something like this. I thought this was an interesting question...

I want more out of my current life and situation, i don’t want to work for anyone else i want to build my own Amazon business so maybe i can travel the world. Who knows where it will lead...

I’m glad i’ve gone down the private label route, as cool as online arbitrage looks i don’t think its for me. It seems a bit more hands on.

If any of you sell on Amazon or have your own amazon fba business i’d love to hear your thoughts, is the business worth getting into? Are there any things you wish you’d of done differently?!

Anyway guys, that’s enough from the silky salmon, i’m off to continue the hustle. More from me in the near future. Silky Salmon

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

Product Research...

Ok so as discussed yesterday, its time for me to get serious with my product research, after all this is going to set the tone for my success.

I’m going to think out loud here and tell you exactly what i’m thinking about my first product.

My First Product

I don’t want my first product to be too big, the bigger the product the more expensive everything becomes. According to my research if you are starting out you are best to avoid taking huge risks... i understand that my amazon fba journey is going to be a learning curve, i can’t expect to get it all right straight away all though i’ll try my best to!

As mentioned yesterday i think i’m going to use helium 10 they have SOOO many tools for amazon sellers and people seem to be raving about them. I’ve actually gone ahead and downloaded their free chrome extension, they have a pretty cool product called Xray and it allows you to deep dive into existing amazon listings, after all this is where the money is at.

So yer i’m looking for something small, maybe something i could fit in a shoebox, i like that idea! If i can i’d like to ship the product from the far east to me via air. I haven’t yet look for any suppliers but i’m guessing china is where it’s at in terms of margin and production capability.

Amazon Seller Tools

So did i consider using any other seller tools? The answer to this is yes! I am still considering jungle scout as well! I’m not going to use it to start with because a lot of the blogs i’ve read have highlighted helium 10 as a better alternative.

I’m going to start with what looks best but i still may give jungle scout a go later down the line. 

Anyway enough about tools let’s get back to the product idea. What am i actually looking for?

Suitable to sell on amazon?

Ideally i would like to find a product that is generating above $10,000 a month on amazon, i say this based on the advice from other content creators on youtube and the general internet.

Also haven’t spoken to my two good friends in the beginning i know that this is a fair benchmark and there should be plenty of opportunity.

I’m going to give helium 10′s blackbox a try to see if i can find a hidden gem. I don’t want to get too involved with products that are highly regulated, so i’ll be avoiding anything you can eat etc etc. 

Before i’d started researching i actually thought that yoga mats would be a pretty cool idea, but since then i can see that the marketing is already too competitive. The reviews are in the high thousands and it will be difficult to compete with as i’m just starting out.

So yer that’s where i’m at right now. I’m going to continue searching and i’ll keep you all updated. I say all but i know i’m probably talking to myself ahaha but that’s ok, no one loves me :”(

Only joking i love myself enough for everyone. 

Anyway that’s enough from the silky salmon, look out for my next post.

Adios Amigos

Silky 

[silkysalmoncatcher-blog]

Starting My Own Online Business

Sooo... i’ve decided to start up a blog to document my journey! Some of you will find this interesting, some of you won’t but that’s ok haha. I have decided that enough is enough, i want to start my own online business! I’m currently 28 years old and i’ve spent a lot of my life working for other people. Don’t get me wrong i have grateful for all of the work i have been given but i feel it’s time for a change!

A couple of buddies of mine have started an amazon fba business and i’ve got to say when they first told me about it i had no idea what they were going on about. Anyway i’ve been taking the time to research all things amazon fba and i’m pretty sure that it would be a great fit for me!

Amazon FBA - Which way to go?

So there are options when it comes to this business model, you can re-sell other peoples products, in the biz they refer to this as online arbitrage or you can create your own products to sell. The pro’s refer to this business model as the private label amazon model.

Basically as a reseller you are a flipper, you buy products and flip them over for a profit. I do like the sound of that but i’m looking for something where i can put my creative juices to good use. So for me i think the private label model may be a better fit! I’ve started looking around a blogs and youtube channels to start gathering as much info as possible.  It looks like the trick with private label is all within the product research phase. A lot of people say they just manually search around on amazon looking for product ideas, when they’ve found one they’ll compare the listing price to the price from sites like alibaba or global sources.

Like i say i’ve been doing quite a bit of research and i think that actually i’m going to look at some paid amazon seller tools. I’ve got a little bit to invest and i want to take this business seriously.

One of the tools that keeps coming up is helium 10.. i mean a lot of people rave about jungle scout but a lot of the youtube videos i’ve watched talk about how great helium 10 is. There actually looks like there are a lot more useful videos on youtube too. 

I found this one article from a seven figure amazon seller, they explain exactly how they use all of the helium 10 tools within their amazon business, it’s a long article but it is actually incredibly in depth.

So what’s next for me?

Next Steps...

Well.. i’m planning to bore you all with a lots more of my findings about amazon fba. I’m going to really drill down on my research

I’m feeling pretty patient about it all, i’ve got a job i work full time but i’ll be honest, it isn’t enough for me. I’m going to keep you guys updated, i want to be able to find decent everygreen products that sell all year round. I also need to try and work out how these sellers are receiving all of these goods, i’m not sure if my girlfriend would be too happy if a truck load of boxes turned up.

That’s another thing i need to figure out, once you’ve purchased a product from say China or where ever.. Can you send the product straight into amazon? or would you have to receive it elsewhere first?

So yer, shipping is on my list. But first of all let’s look for a decent looking product.

Like i say a couple of my friends are doing pretty well for themselves, i know it hasn’t been simple but i know i can do it too, i’ve just got that belief in my self. I’ve read alot about big time sellers that have made it just by leveraging amazon fba... check out this article.

I remember a few years back reading about the first few people to become millionaires off the back of ebay... To me it looks like Jeff Bezos is creating these sort of sellers on steroids and i want some of that action.

Follow Me On My Journey

So yer, stay around for the ride and see how i get on. Am i going to end up as one of those “nearly made it” guys? Or am i going to take my share of this incredible opportunity? You cab bet that its going to be the latter.

Follow me and see what i get up to, i’m going to be documenting and sharing everything i am working out along the way, maybe that way we can ALL learn a thing or two about how difficult this really is.

Anyway, silkysalmoncatcher remember the name. I don’t really know why i’ve gone for that name it just made me laugh so i thought hey let’s name my blog that.

I’d love to hear from any of you on a similar path... if you are learning about amazon FBA let’s network maybe we can help each other out along the way.

If anything i think this is going to be a really fun exercise for me, what have i got to lose?

Speaking of which i’ve got a budget of about $3,000 to put into this... so maybe i’ve got $3,000 to lose... oh... so yer maybe i have got something to lose. Either way i’m going into this with the following in mind.

Even if i lose all of my investment, you can garuntee that i’ll learn a thing or two about online businesses. I still feel young at 28 so i’ve got time on my side!

Keep going for it my people and remember.. the good people always win in the end. My parents always taught me to help people where i can so that makes me feel good about documenting this journey.

I love to hear from any of you following the dream of a full time amazon fba hustle.

Thanks for reading

Silky Salmon