Consider Selling Your Goods on Amazon - Really

Follow this a bit. It does relate to every IT consultant . . .

This opportunity might take a bit of work.

If you have a book for sale on Amazon, you have the ability to create an Author's Page. Mine is here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Karl-W.-Palachuk/author/B002V6UP56

If your book is available on Kindle, you can purchase Kindle ads. The cool thing about that is that Amazon doesn't just display the Kindle format. So, for example, Managed Services in a Month is available as a paperback, Kindle, or Audible book. Therefore, the Kind ad points to the combined page, offering up all three formats.

All of that has been going on for some time. Recently, Amazon greatly expanded their ad program. You still can't advertise "anything" on the platform. But if you have an Amazon Store, you can advertise any item, all items, or the entire store itself.

You may have noticed that almost anything you want is available on Amazon. And, if you pay attention, you might notice that many things are not shipped by and from Amazon. They are shipped from specific stores.

For example, you might create a store that includes all the hardware and software you sell. Hardware is probably easier. Consider selling whatever brands you are authorized to sell of:

• Desktop PCs
• Laptops
• Monitors
• Web cameras
• Cables - (power, network, HDMI, USB, etc.)
• Printers - (laser or inkjet)
• Lights for videos
• Speakers
• Microphones
• Battery backups
• Firewalls
• Wifi routers
• Network repeaters
• Consumables - (printer paper, toner, ink, office equipment, shelving, and whatever else is available through your distributors)

. . . and so forth and so on.

You are (probably) already authorized to sell all these things. And many of them can be drop-shipped, which is awesome. It means you can take orders via an Amazon store and then simply have them drop shipped anywhere you need to. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of a modern, fully-functional platform that gives your business access to an audience far beyond the city where you live.

Amazon makes you easy to find. You can actually send your clients to your store, and give them special discount codes. Yes, Amazon takes more than you might like. But they can also bring you a massive audience you would never be able to build on your own.

Advertising Costs - and Reach

Here's the very good news. As of the end of August 2024, Amazon ads are both cheap and effective. AND you can generate reports of which ads led to specific sales on the platform. So you can literally see how much you sold as well as how much you spent on a specific ad. I don't know of any other platform that makes this so easy and obvious.

Another great feature is that you can use basic graphics or short videos. I've posted the video ads I'm using on my YouTube channel in case you want to take a look:

• 22 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5rEOWCWVtQ
• 25 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fi6UdoExi0
• 44 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKfw3f9RrgY (attempt at humor)
• 14 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MRPLrCvK30
• 20 seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmJeWnDN4X4

Note that these show up without sound on Amazon by default, so it doesn't make sense to write a script. If someone enables the sound, you should have something instrumental there. 

The final thing to consider is the power of Amazon's search engine. They make money when people find what they're looking for. No one goes to Amazon to find out how to build a table, change a tire, build a computer network. They are looking to acquire something. So, if you're selling that thing, there is some probability that those folks will find you.

Note that you can use your store to post videos, educational material, and the equivalent of blogs to educate possible future buyers. Yes, it involves work. But you can do. 

I'm not suggesting that you change your business model. I am suggesting that you expand your business in a way that allows you to increase sales, sell deeper into existing clients, and attract new clients who are not limited to your local geographic area.

. . . and you won't be the first to do this.

:-)