10 Hacks On How To Make Money on Amazon Quickly

11 min read

For a lot of people, the name “Amazon” is synonymous with “online retail.” And, there is a good reason for this.

Amazon accounts for over one-third of the American ecommerce market share. While other retail names like Walmart and Apple have a significant place in the ecommerce market, they cannot touch Amazon.

Market share of leading retail ecommerce companies in the United States as of June 2022

But did you know that Amazon is more than just an online retailer? If you’re wondering how to make money on Amazon, you have plenty of options. Yes, you can go the standard route of creating a store to sell on Amazon. But, this is not the only option available. You don’t even need your own business to make a profit on Amazon.

Want to learn more? Follow these tips on how to make money on Amazon.

How to Make Money Selling on Amazon

Private label selling

Private label selling is one of the most common business models used on Amazon. “Private label” selling refers to taking a pre-existing item, making slight improvements to it, and adding custom branding. In other words, a private label brand is packaged and sold under the retailer’s name, rather than the manufacturer’s. This is a common practice for many big-name retailers like Walmart and Target.

Small businesses can also use this method when selling on Amazon to great success. This is a smart way to establish a reputable niche brand for your online store.

Make your own products

When most people think of buying and selling handmade crafts online, their minds likely turn to Etsy first. But Amazon has its own service catering to custom and handmade crafts on its platform: Amazon Handmade.

Amazon Handmade has a couple of distinct advantages over Etsy. Namely, Amazon Handmade sellers have access to a larger market of potential customers. Amazon Handmade also does not charge listing fees.

So if you’re trying to figure out how to make money on Amazon for free, this option may be for you. You don’t need to pay anything to sell your products, unless you make a sale. In this case, you’ll already be making money. Production costs will also vary depending on what you sell.

Print-on-Demand

In between selling pre-manufactured products and handmade goods is the option of starting a print-on-demand business.

Print-on-demand businesses can upload custom designs to Amazon, or print custom designs for customers. This model is commonly used for selling products like T-shirts, mugs, stickers, and posters. The cost to run a print-on-demand business is relatively low. You will need some generic inventory (blank T-shirts, mugs, etc.) and some graphic design and printing tools.

Beyond that, all you need is your own talents and a bit of time to invest in the business.

Selling wholesale products

Selling wholesale goods is a classic way to make money on Amazon or elsewhere. Reselling wholesale products has been common practice in retail since long before ecommerce rose to prominence. This method is somewhat similar to private label selling, but with less investment.

When you sell wholesale goods, you don’t need to worry about your own manufacturing or branding. You simply buy products in bulk from a manufacturer and resell them at a slight markup. The overhead cost is minimal, especially if you sell most or all of your inventory.

The key to making money by reselling wholesale goods is to identify the right items and create strong product listings.

Dropshipping

Dropshipping is very similar to selling wholesale goods, but with even lower overhead costs. Like wholesale, dropshipping businesses purchase their inventory from a manufacturer or dropshipping provider to be resold at a markup. However, reselling wholesale goods usually requires the seller (you) to store their own inventory, or at least take ownership of it.

Dropshipping, on the other hand, does not require any ownership of your store’s inventory. Instead, you simply purchase items from a dropshipper and create an Amazon product listing for them. The dropshipper stores the products in their own warehouse, and fulfills all customer orders as well. Your role, as the seller, is simply to facilitate customer transactions. Your product listing generates sales, while warehousing and shipping are handled by somebody with access to the necessary resources.

For those wondering how to make money on Amazon for free, dropshipping is one of the best options. With this method, the only money you spend is on the inventory you sell. Because you are selling at a markup, you will almost always make a profit with Amazon dropshipping.

Sell your own items

Some people can make money on Amazon by selling their old or collectible items. As long as your items are in good condition, there is no reason you can’t resell them online. And Amazon, as you know, is the largest online retailer in America.

Amazon is a great place to sell anything from used books and furniture, to collectible items like baseball cards. If you have any unused items lying around the home, selling them on Amazon is a great way to make some extra cash.

Publishing

You may be familiar with Amazon’s origins as an online bookstore. That legacy still lives on with the Amazon Kindle and Amazon Publishing.

Publishing books on Amazon is a more niche money-making strategy than some others, but it can be highly rewarding. Whether you’re a creative fiction writer, or an expert in a particular subject, Amazon is a great place to get published.

Amazon Publishing can be used to sell either physical books, or ebooks, covering just about any topic. So this is an excellent way to turn your knowledge and expertise into money and personal enrichment.

How to Make Money on Amazon FBA

One more thing to note about selling products on Amazon is the availability of Fulfillment By Amazon. Sellers can use FBA for any type of Amazon store as a way to save time and money.

FBA is relatively simple. Sellers provide products and create product listings on their own Amazon webstores. But instead of fulfilling orders on their own, Amazon uses its network of fulfillment centers to handle storage and shipping. Fulfillment can be extremely costly, complex, and time-consuming. Relying on Amazon’s existing services is often the best option for small- and medium-sized Amazon sellers.

How to Make Money on Amazon Without Selling

All of the above tips involve making money by selling products on Amazon. But what if you don’t have anything to sell, or don’t want to sell products online? Here are some of the best tips on how to make money on Amazon without selling.

Amazon Services

Amazon Home Services is a lesser-known, but highly valuable service offered by Amazon. Amazon Services allows individuals to sell their services, rather than products, online.

Many of the most popular options on Amazon Services have to do with home equipment and furniture assembly. But this is a great way to connect with a vast audience of customers in need of all types of services.

If you are handy, or enjoy helping others, Amazon Services is a great way to make money online.

Become an Amazon associate

If you have an existing website or web presence, you can make money on Amazon without selling as well. This is made possible by the Amazon Associates program.

Through this program, approved associates can advertise Amazon products on their own platforms. Amazon Associates earn a commission fee based on any sales for certain purchases made for their advertised products.

This option is great for anybody who is already operating a business online, but doesn’t intend to sell on Amazon. It’s simple, direct, and requires relatively little work or investment on your end.

Become an Amazon representative

Let’s not forget that, at the end of the day, Amazon is a business. The company is not just one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. It’s also one of the largest employers in America. Many Amazon representatives can work from home, and make good money doing so. Amazon is always in need of customer service representatives, for instance. This is an especially appealing opportunity if you are fluent in multiple languages.

When thinking of “how to make money on Amazon”, you likely are not considering being employed by the company. But this is a realistic, and beneficial option that can help plenty of people achieve their goals.

Want to learn more about setting up your online business? Ecwid offers plenty of resources to help you learn about starting an online store or building your digital storefront.

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Jan 7, 2023

About the author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.