Listing your first product
To sell a product on Amazon, you must first create a product listing. Either match an existing listing (if somebody else is already selling the same product on Amazon), or create a new listing (if you are the first or only seller).
The specific way sellers upload and list their products varies depending on their selling plan. To put it simply: Sellers using a Professional seller account have the option of listing their products in large batches using bulk uploading or inventory management with third-party systems, while Individual sellers list products one at a time.
What you need to start listing products
In most cases, products must have a Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), such as a UPC, an ISBN, or an EAN. Amazon uses these product IDs to identify the exact item you’re selling. If you match a listing, you won’t need to provide a product ID since it already exists. If you’re adding a product that’s new to Amazon, you may need to purchase a UPC code or request an exemption.
In addition to a product ID, here’s some of the important information that goes into each product listing:
- SKU
- Product title
- Product description and bullet points
- Product images
- Search terms and relevant keywords
Successful Listing = Successful Launch
Following best practices for adding listings can have a big impact on their success. Make it easy for shoppers to find your offers by adding descriptive titles, clear images, and concise feature bullets to your items.
Avoid these things that could negatively impact your launch:
Variation issues:
Products that vary only by color, scent, or size might be a good candidate for listing as variations. Ask yourself if the customer would expect to find the products together on the same page. If not, list them separately.
Image compliance:
Your images must be at least 500 x 500 pixels (increase the size to 1,000 x 1,000 for high-quality listings) and set against a plain white background. The product should fill at least 80% of the image area.
Product IDs:
Make sure you’re meeting the requirements for product UPCs and GTINs (Global Trade Item Number). Consistency in these codes helps promote confidence in the range of products shown in the
Amazon catalog.
The product detail page: What’s that?
A product detail page is where customers view a product sold on Amazon. If you’ve shopped on Amazon, you’ll probably recognize the product detail page. It’s where customers can find all the relevant information about a particular item.
When multiple sellers offer the same product, Amazon combines data from all the offers into one product detail page (so we can present customers with the best experience). You can propose product information on a product detail page, along with other sellers and manufacturers, and request detail page reviews if you think the information is not correct.
As you’re building your product detail pages, try to think about what will best help customers find your products, discover answers to their questions, and make a purchasing decision.
Aim for the ultimate customer experience by making your listings concise, accurate, and easy to understand.
- Images of the product (make sure they’re at least 500 x 500, and boost that size to 1,000 x 1,000 to increase the quality of your listings).
- The title of the product (use 50 characters, maximum, and capitalize the first letter of every word).
- Any variations of your product you have available, which may include things like different colors, scents, or sizes.
- The description, which can be optimized for search engines using keywords to improve the reach of your product listings.
- The Featured Offer, which is the section of the product page where customers can add items to their card or “Buy Now.” If you’re one of multiple sellers advertising the same product, research strategies for “winning” the Featured Offer to improve your overall sales.
- The bullet point information, which should be short, descriptive sentences highlighting the products key features and differentiating characteristics.
*The content has been sourced from Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP)
