
After perfecting your listings and going live on Amazon, you may find Seller Central overwhelming. This complex dashboard is packed with tabs, reports, and settings. Amazon Seller Central is your business’s command center, handling everything from inventory and orders to ads and customer interactions. Many sellers, however, only scratch the surface of what the dashboard offers, so we created some Amazon Seller Central tips to make it easy.
Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned seller, these Amazon Seller Central tips will walk you through the ins and outs of Amazon Seller Central. We’ll unlock its full capabilities to help you optimize your business, streamline operations, and boost sales.
A seller account is the beginning of your journey on one of the world’s largest online marketplaces. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set up an Amazon seller account.
Amazon offers two selling plans, Individual and Professional. The former works if you sell fewer than 40 items per month, while the latter is best if you sell more than that each month.
Note that most serious sellers choose the Professional plan since it offers additional features and is more cost-effective for higher sales volumes (it’s also required if you want to join the Fulfillment by Amazon program).
Go to Amazon Seller Central and click the Sign up button to start the registration process. If you already have an Amazon account, you can sign in right away. Otherwise, click Create your Amazon account and enter your email, password, and name to create one.
To complete your account, you’ll need to provide the following information:
In addition, you must supply:
Enter your store name and indicate the types of products you plan to sell. Be aware that some categories may require Amazon’s approval before you can list products.
After setting up an account, you can now access the Amazon Seller Central dashboard. It may feel overwhelming with so many features available, but once you acquaint yourself with the interface, it’ll become less intimidating.
On the upper left side of the dashboard, you’ll find a hamburger menu that leads you to different sections of Seller Central.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you can do in each section:
This process is your gateway to reaching millions of potential customers. It’s pretty straightforward, and you can complete it in just a few steps.
But before digging into the nitty-gritty of crafting a product listing, consider the item you want to sell. If it’s under a name enrolled in Amazon’s Brand Registry, you must be a brand representative or an authorized reseller. On the other hand, some products may require approval from Amazon to be listed.
Once everything is settled, you can now produce a listing through the following steps.
Under the Category section, click Add products. Enter the product’s Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) or product ID. If you can’t find your product on the search listings, click Create a new listing.
This is where you’ll enter all the information needed for your product listing. Be as thorough as possible to optimize your listing for search and conversions. Here are some important sections to complete:
Enter your desired selling price for your product and its condition (new, used, refurbished, etc.). This section also asks you to select the Fulfillment Channel, that is, whether you’ll fulfill orders yourself (Fulfilled by Merchant) or by Amazon (Fulfillment by Amazon).
Once all sections are filled in, review your listing before clicking Submit. If you want to publish it later, click Save as draft.
Automating your pricing on Amazon is a smart move. It helps you stay competitive by adjusting prices automatically based on market conditions so you don’t have to monitor and tweak prices constantly. That saves you time and boosts your chances of winning the Featured Offer.
Here are the steps to set up automated pricing on ASC:
Amazon Seller Central’s Inventory section is your central hub for overseeing all your product listings. There, you can manage your entire catalog, whether you sell a handful of items or hundreds. This is crucial for maintaining the health of your Amazon store, as it helps you avoid stockouts, reduce excess inventory, and optimize your listings for stronger sales performance.
On this page, you can:
The Inventory Performance Index (IPI) score is Amazon’s way of measuring how well you manage your stock. If you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), this score is very important because it can affect your storage limits and fees. The IPI score ranges from 0 to 1,000, with the higher, the better.
To improve your IPI score, be sure to:
The Sales dashboard on Amazon Seller Central is a powerful tool that gives you a quick visual overview of your sales performance. It’s packed with data to help you track your revenue, identify trends, and make informed decisions to grow your business.
Here are the key metrics you should monitor:
One of the main features of the Sales dashboard is the Sales Report, which allows you to track and analyze sales data within a specific range. To generate a Sales Report, follow these steps:
You can also see business reports arranged by date, ASIN, or other categories on the left sidebar for a detailed breakdown of your sales. To download business reports (in .csv format), simply click the Download button at the top of each report’s page.
The Compliance dashboard on Seller Central is a crucial tool for sellers who want to ensure their products meet Amazon’s guidelines and legal requirements. It centralizes all compliance-related information, making it easier to manage product compliance, track violations, and resolve issues quickly. Key features of the Compliance dashboard include:
Amazon is strict about compliance, and even minor slipups can lead to costly penalties, suspended listings, or, worse, losing your selling privileges. So, be sure to provide clear and accurate product information, ensure timely shipping and delivery, and provide exemplary customer service. These simple steps help preserve a high seller rating.
Amazon Seller Central is your single hub for managing every aspect of your Amazon business. From listing your products and managing inventory to analyzing sales data and ensuring compliance, it’s packed with powerful features designed to help you streamline operations and boost sales. The key is to explore every section, stay up to date on Amazon’s policies, and make the most of the automation and analytics tools available.