The Real Reason Why You Can’t Find a Good Product to Import

At least half of the questions readers send me go something like this…

“I’ve been struggling to find a product for weeks now. Can you help me? How do you find products that make you money? Why can’t I find any profitable products!?”

And MY GOD! It’s getting old…

There’s nothing I hate more than seeing a recurring question come up. That means I’ve failed to answer something.

Luckily, I finally nailed the common thread in all the frustration.

This blog post will answer “Why can’t I find a good product to import” once and for all.

The Common Problem

After answering several hundred emails along those lines, I think I’ve discovered the common problem would-be importers are having.

They’re all looking for a silver-bullet product that does the work for them.
Let me explain…

Many people are still in the “get-rich-quick” phase of their entrepreneurial careers.

Apply that mentality to importing, and you get people that try to play the arbitrage game.

Arbitrage is simply buying something for less than you are selling it for.

Arbitrage products are goldmines; they have great margins and basically sell themselves…

And you can make money with arbitrage products.

For a while…

“Your margin is my opportunity.”Jeff Bezos

But before you know it, you’ll have hundreds of others trying to do the same thing. It’s only a matter of (increasingly spare) time before a big player uncovers your goldmine, and eats it up for themselves.

This is the sad state of importing today, years after the “wild-west-ecommerce” days of 1995-2005.

Any Hope?

This is surely bad news to anybody in that mindset.

Is there any hope left for small time importers? The kind that are just getting started, with little capital to invest…

Spoiler alert – There is!

But it’s going to require a shift in your mindset and how you think about importing.

What Makes a Product Good?

Sure, you want your product to have healthy margins. Great margins even.

And yea, it would be good if it was easy to ship, reliable, had a factory warranty. Sure, all of that is a plus for any product.

But none of that is going to make your product sell over a competitor who will take slimmer margins.

The Right Questions

Most people waste weeks (if not months) of their time looking for a miracle product that will build their business for them.

They are asking themselves the wrong questions, and looking at things from the wrong angle.

What you need to be thinking about is the other side of the transaction…

How are you going to sell your products?

Why would somebody buy your product over the competitors?

How will you acquire and retain customers in a cost-effective way?

These are the questions you should be thinking about while doing product research.

Bubble-Burster: This Is Business…

Many people seem to have the impression that importing is a quick road to easy riches…

It’s not.

It’s a business, like any other.

There’s a lot of things to worry about when starting a business. But when thinking about what you’re going to sell and how you’re going to sell it, you need to think about competitive advantage.

Competitive Advantage Cheat-sheet

You need some sort of competitive advantage that nobody can steal from you.

This means new importers have to focus on a few things.

Advantage 1  – Your Brand

Building a brand that your target customer loves is a sure-fire way to keep an edge on the competition.

In fact, building a good enough brand will even allow you to charge a premium price.

The examples here are endless…

Practically every “counterfeit” you can buy from China is a company that can charge a premium because their brand is so valuable.

Another example I often use is my friend Kevin Schlenker, who built the Skar Audio brand around his importing activities.

The only thing to make sure of if you take this route is to register your trademark.

Advantage 2 – Your Product

Another place you can provide value in ways nobody else can is the product itself.

I’d encourage any importer to really get to know his target customer, and then try to build in new product features that will make the target customer’s life better.

Small things can go a long way here. For some products, something as small as a color change can make a world of difference.

Sometimes, you’ll have to negotiate with your supplier directly and see what’s possible. You’ll be limited by his capabilities, your budget, and your imagination.

And of course, you could always go all out and create your own product. But I’ll save that for another blog post

Advantage 3 – Your Marketing

Simply put, if you can build an audience and a sales funnel; you can pretty much sell whatever you want.

Example – I was just talking the other day with somebody who built a lead-machine for the baby niche.

Before he had anything to sell, or any desire to make money off of it, he just decided to build a few websites and try to get “hot baby leads” (as he calls them).

Now he is out shopping for baby products, knowing that he can sell anything he chooses.

He hasn’t decided if he will start his own brand, begin drop shipping, or get into affiliate marketing.

But no matter what he chooses, I’m confident he’ll make money

Advantage 4 – Your Capital

This won’t apply for many people reading this article.

It actually applies more to the guys you want to avoid in importing. Or beat!

It’s definitely possible to spend your way to the top in importing.

Somebody with deep pockets can quickly negotiate the best prices with the best suppliers. They can also afford to set up a more efficient distribution system.

Luckily, they’re easily defeated with the other competitive advantages (usually).

Advantage 5 – Your Contacts

Your network of contacts can also be a big competitive advantage.

This applies everywhere in business, but perhaps even more in importing. Personal relationships play a huge role in Asian (especially Chinese) culture.

If a Chinese factory owner likes you, you get the friend discount and best quality.

If they don’t like you, you get scammed.

It’s just the way it is…

The relationships you don’t think of are often the ones with the most potential.

Do you have a friend who was put in charge of buying 250 pool chairs? I’d look into pool chairs…

Does your Dad work at a company that uses a limitless supply of zip-ties and box cutters? Try to find out what they’re paying and pitch them otherwise.

Relationships like this can be solid gold.

It’s Tough Work

Any way you spin it, importing is a tough gig.

It’s a lot of fun, and has tons of potential.

But it’s far from a “get-rich-quick” solution.

I hope this guide helps to clarify what really makes a product profitable.

If you have any questions or want to be an awesome person, leave a comment below.

I’ll be sure to respond!

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"The Top 6 Way's to Boost Your Amazon Sales"

      We’re all greedy people.  No matter what we have, we want more.
I can hear Gordon Gecko tell Bud Fox that “Greed is Good” in the movie Wall Street.

You wanted to lose 5 pounds, you lost 8.  You say I still have 2 more to go.

When you were a kid you told yourself that if you just had x amount of money you would be well off.  You probably have more than that number now, but you still don’t feel financially secure.

The car you drive is probably 10 times nicer than your first car but you still want the back up camera, the keyless starter, the on board computer and navigation screen.

The list goes on and on.  So why should we be happy with our Amazon sales?

I’ve never met an Amazon seller who didn’t want to sell more.  Whether they were selling 1-2 units a day or 1-200.

Set let me be Captain Obvious for a moment for a few suggestions and then we’ll talk about more advanced stuff.

Check your Conversion Rate
The typical conversion rate in ecommerce is 1%.  Sounds low doesn’t it?  It is.  The typical conversion rate on Amazon is 13.5%

But its not uncommon for successful sellers to have a 20% or above conversion rate.

The first thing you need to do is check your conversion rate.  To do this go to your seller central dashboard and click on the sales and traffic link in the upper left corner.  When the report pops up look for session percentage.

Amazon considers a session to be 24 hours.  The amount of sales divided by the numbers of sessions is your session or conversion rate.

Whatever your number, this is your baseline.  We’ll work on improving this number
So we will increase our sales by increasing our conversions…says Captain Obvious.

Positive Reviews
The more reviews the better.  Think crowded restaurant vs non crowded restaurant next door.  Which one are you going in?

Reviews are the social equivalent.  Do what you can to get as many reviews as you can.

NOTE: Click the Amazon banner below to see what I mean=> 


This means giving away samples for reviews.  This means following up with friends and family.  

This means using a service like Feedback Genius to contact you customers and ask for reviews.

Better Photographs
Review your photographs.  Are they really fantastic?  Really?  
Or are they the same just passable pictures you took with your iphone?

You’re more established now.  Upgrade to professional photography.  

Take a look at random number 1 sellers.  99 out of 100 will have excellent, professional photography.  Coincidence?  No

Better Copy
Does your copy really show benefits or just features?  To paraphrase Mr Jefferson, this should be self evident.

Right Keywords
How long has it been since you have reviewed your keywords?  Has the search volume changed?  Had a new keyword emerged?  Adjust as necessary

All of these things will affect your conversion rate and ultimately your sales.  

You da mannnn, Captain O!!!

OK, OK, we have to walk before we run and if you don’t do these things first, you’re just wasting your money on any future promotion or marketing.

The Marketing Arsenal

Amazon PPC   Not going to go into a lot of detail here, but use amazon ppc.  I and many of my students are getting more than a 200% ROI on their ads.  That’s more than $2 back for every dollar invested.

Currently 28% of my total sales come from my amazon ppc.

I have written more extensively on this subject in OTHER ARTICLES so check in the category section to the right of the page for more information.

Facebook Marketing
External advertising using facebook can do several things.  It can boost your sales so your sales rank increases.  Then organic sales will follow.

It can increase your reviews if you run a review promotion.

It can increase your email list so you can then follow up email and offer additional coupons or discounts on your products for future sales.

Here are the results I ran for a recent FB ad test

This was a price reduction for 99 cents in exchange for a review promotion.  I sent the buy link to a keyword I was trying to increase my ranking for.

37 clicks → 29 optins  → 18 sales and I went from the bottom of the second page to just short of page 1 for the keyword I was trying to improve upon.

I still have reviews coming in, but got 4 reviews.  I will probably end up with 6 or 7 total.

Obviously a quick overview of facebook marketing.  But I just wanted to expose you to the concept and the possibilities.

BTW, my conversion rate increased from 21% to 26% and my rankings went up across the board and yes, my sales, too.

I will cover this topic in much more detail in the near future. but for now see "The 10 Simple Steps to Starting An Amazon Business" on this Blog.

Do these things and then go back and check your conversion rate.  I’ll bet it will have increased significantly.



So there you have it.  Six basic and not too sexy thing to take your sales to the next level.
After you do these things go to your window and shout “GREED IS GOODDDDD!”  You’ve earned it.

What are some other simple ways we can boost sales?  Type them in the comment section below.

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" A Money Magnitizer Powerful Subliminal Video"

This is a very powerful and compelling money programming video.

Money is just a form of energy. You must accept that money is good, and can be used for much good, just like any form of energy.

True, there are always those who wish to abuse its power, but you don't have to be like that. This video can program your subconscious to view and accept money as means to accomplish your desires and goals.

Once you understand the true nature of money, then you can begin to attract it. Money doesn't come to those who do not understand it.
 
Some of the hundreds of subliminal suggestions include:
* you are a money magnet.
* you always attract wealth.
* Money comes to you always.
* you are happy that you are a money magnet.
* your joy and happiness are strong money magnets
* you are a money magnet, wealth is pouring in your life
* you are Wealthy
* you are Prosperous
* you are Abundant
* you are Financially Free
* you are a Success
* you are a Money Magnet
* you Attract Prosperity and Wealth
* you are filled with joy and happiness which are strong money magnets.
* you are a money magnet and money comes to you easily and frequently
* you are A MONEY MAGNET!!!
* you are a Multi Millionaire money magnet
* everything you touch turns to gold
* Money flows to you, abundantly and effortlessly.
* you are a money magnet.
* Unknown source of income come to you
* You are financially secured and blessed.
* You can do whatever you want.
* You have all the money you need.
* you are a money magnet.
* Money comes to you frequently and easily
...and hundreds more!
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"How To Sell On Amazon & Make HUGE Profits"

How To Sell On Amazon

I’ve revealed many of these steps and process already in a previous blog post, called “20 Tips For Successful Selling On Amazon“.  There’s many logistical steps that are challenging to explain in a blog post, which is why I recommend investing in a quality training program such as "The FBA Headstart Program" .

However, I’ll outline the primary steps below.

1. Decide On A Niche And Product To Sell

The process that I’ve learned from The FBA Headstart Program is to find “private label products” and sell them.

To do this, you first need to identify the right niche and market you want to pursue.

You need to ensure that there is a DEMAND and MARKET for whatever it is that you want to sell.

One of the ways to do this is to search around on Amazon, specifically the Amazon Bestseller List.

This will give you an idea of what is selling and what is hot.

There’s a certain criteria that is important to follow when deciding.  It’s a challenge to explain all of it in a blog post, but some of that criteria is ensuring the product has good profit margins, isn’t too big or heavy, can be sold for over $10, and doesn’t have too much competition.

THIS BLOG POST will explain.

2. Find A Supplier To Manufacture Your Product

Once you’ve decided on your product, you then need to find a supplier.

The process of private labeling a product means that you’re finding a supplier that is ALREADY MAKING the product that you want to sell.  They’re already making and manufacturing it, and you’re going to place your own label and packaging on it.

So for example, let’s say you want to sell a Yoga Mat.

You’d then do a search on Alibaba or Google and find suppliers that are making yoga mats.  You’d then contact them and ask them a series of questions, to see if you’re a right fit.

If you’re a right fit, then you’ll order the yoga mats from them and have them put on your own label or packaging on the product.  Make sense?


Of course, every supplier makes different types of yoga mats.  So you’d find one that you like, is high quality, is different from what is already out there, and can possibly even be customized (put your logo on it).

This part of the process is perhaps one of the most challenging parts, as there’s many logistics to it, depending if you’re sourcing from China or the United States.

There’s a series of questions you’ll want to ask the potential suppliers, such as the cost of X # of units, minimum order quantity, the quality of the product, how long it’ll take to make, shipping costs, etc…

3. Get Your Packaging And Labeling Created

Once you decide on the supplier, you’ll need to get packaging and labeling done.  I used the website 99Designs for mine and paid about $500.

The package/label must meet the criteria from your supplier.

For example, I am selling a supplement on Amazon and I’m limited in what claims I can make.

Every claim I make must be approved by my supplier and I have to provide a study/factual data to back up any claim made.

4. Set Up Your Amazon Product Listing

While you’re waiting for your product to be manufactured, you can set up your Amazon product listing.

You’ll want to ensure you have high quality graphics and product images.  You’ll also want to make sure that your listing is keyword optimized, contains benefits, a well-written product description, and possibly even bonuses.

The better listing you have, the more sales you’ll get.  You want to find ways to differentiate your product from the others and really sell it well.

5. Ship Your Inventory To Amazon FBA

In Amazon Seller Central, you can create a “Shipping Order” which will indicate the locations of the Amazon Fulfillment Centres that Amazon wants you to send your inventory to.

Amazon requires you to ship your inventory to multiple locations across the United States, so that they can have your inventory spread out and be able to quickly deliver your products to the customers.

If you’re shipping from China, then you have the options of boat or plane.  Plane is much faster, but is more expensive.  You can ship via boat, however it’ll take longer and you need to ship it to a dock that will receive it and have it go through customs first, then forward it to the Amazon Fulfillment Centre.

6. Launch Your Product

Once your inventory is in, it’s time to launch your product to get it ranked and selling.

A successful launch requires getting a large number of sales (in a short period of time), as well as getting a lot of Amazon reviews in a short period of time.  The shorter time-frame you get these things, the higher boost you’ll get in the Amazon search engine for your keyword.

There’s so many strategies for launching and selling your product, but some that I’ve used are:

• Giving away product to friends/family for $2 in exchange for honest review
• Giving away product on coupon code websites for $2 and various services for honest reviews
• Amazon Ads
• Build a Facebook fan page in related niche, launch it to fans
• Use Facebook Ads to target specific niche

These are the strategies I’ve used initially, but I’ve now expanded to many others and I’m building long-term sources of traffic to my product.

7. Build A Brand Presence

Selling on Amazon isn’t a “gimmick” or short-term way of making money.  It’s a long-term, real, sustainable business.

As a result, you want to build a brand.

I’ve built a website for my products and expanded my brand.  I’ve built social media accounts too.

I use blogging, YouTube, and every channel that I can to create content and build a legitimate brand around my products.

Once your product is selling, you want to expand your product line.  You want to release more related products so you can cross-promote them, launch them to your list, and build a big brand!

Want More Amazon Training?

If you want more training on how to sell on Amazon, then subscribe here to get updates of what I’ll be releasing.

I’ve seen a lot of potential with this business model and plan on giving more regular updates on the results that I’m getting on Amazon, being transparent and open with my subscribers.

If you’re interested in investing programs such as"The FBA Headstart Program" or "The Complete Amazon Marketing System" that'll be a VERY wise move!

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VIDEO TRAINING COURSE

"4 Ways to Locate REAL Wholesale Suppliers"

Finding genuine, factory-authorized wholesale suppliers is an absolute must for anyone selling physical products on the Internet. Your e-business will never become truly profitable, if you're sourcing your products from middlemen or fake wholesale sites. But tracking down legitimate wholesale sources will take some legwork on your part.

Talk to the Source
So how do you find suppliers who are the real deal, and avoid worthless posers? You go all the way to the top - of the supply chain that is. One of the most reliable ways to locate factory-authorized wholesalers is to talk to the manufacturer. 

You can usually find the manufacturer located on the product's serial sticker or in the warranty papers or owner's manual.

Once you find them, just call them up and ask for their sales division. Tell their sales rep that you're a retailer interested in carrying their products, and ask for a list of their authorized wholesale suppliers. The manufacturer knows who their authorized wholesalers are, and they shouldn't have any problem sharing that information with you. When you begin calling the suppliers on that list, you'll have complete confidence that you're talking to real wholesalers.

There's More than One Way...
Of course, there are more streamlined methods for tracking down real wholesale product sources. (Big sigh of relief.)

Wholesale trade shows bring thousands of wholesalers, within a single industry, together under one roof. The larger, more reputable shows vet the suppliers they allow to exhibit, which means you'll only be talking to real wholesalers and manufacturers.

Wholesalers also advertise in industry trade publications; you can often find valuable contact info and website addresses intended for retail use only there. Another option is to visit a permanent wholesale mart - these are basically long-standing trade shows; you can find them in most mid-sized to large cities.

A Word of Caution
When you're dealing with trade shows, you need to make sure that they are, in fact, wholesale trade shows. In other words, you want to attend a business to business event, open only to industry insiders. The suppliers you'll find at a public trade expo, such as a car or boat show, are often retailers themselves and are not offering wholesale pricing on their products.

The same holds true for any permanent gift mart or trade mart that admits the general public. Wholesale marts are only open to legal retail businesses, and will require proof before allowing you to register. If you can gain entrance without providing your sales tax ID and legal business name (at a bare minimum), you're not in a wholesale merchandise mart, which means you're not getting wholesale prices.

Legitimate Product Sources
Authentic wholesale suppliers won't come knocking down your door - finding them takes a real, concerted effort. It's not always the most exciting job, but the results are easily worth the work you'll put in.

Sourcing your products at true wholesale prices will enable you to effectively compete in the Internet marketplace and make the highest possible profits on every transaction. And isn't that the point of selling online?

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"You Gotta Let Go Of Negative People"

The people and environment you are in have a huge influence on the prosperity you will manifest.

This informative video from my very good friend & mentor Randy Gage explains why.

 Watch and see how you can deal with this issue and create the results you want.

Makes the point pretty clear for all of us huh?

Anyway, here's a FREE Report that'll open your mind to the possibilities that  within you to change your life.

=> Get it now by clicking HERE!

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"How To Sell On Amazon If You Live Outside The USA"

How easy is it to sell on Amazon if you live outside of the USA?  

It used to be pretty hard, now it’s pretty easy.  About all you have to do is press the easy button

As I have contact with my readers and students, I am reminded every day that there are lots and lots of talented and capable people.  Many of them are from outside the US.

I very quickly remember that the US population is only about 5% of the world population.

However, the US market is still the biggest and I certainly understand why someone outside the US would want to sell here.

With email, Skype, translations apps, cheap international shipping, Google hangouts and lots of other tech stuff it’s very possible for non US citizens to do business in the US.

NOTE: Make sure to read THIS ARTICLE about how simple, fun & easy it is to start building your own global Amazon Business From Your Home.

So today I want to answer one of the most frequently asked questions I get which is…
“How do I sell on Amazon.com  (the US version of Amazon) if I live outside the US?

The real answer is that its not very different than if you live in the US.

When you sign up for an account as a US Citizen, Amazon will ask your for the following things.

1. A credit card to charge any amounts such as pay per click advertising
2. Your address
3. A bank account number so they can transfer your profits to you
4. A phone number so they can call you to verify your account
5. You business info such as your Social Security Number (personal government number) or your corporation numbers or EIN (Employer Identification Number)

In the not too recent past if you lived outside of the US you had to have a US phone number, pay for a physical address and even have a US bank account and credit card.

No wonder so few people were able to do all of this.  Thankfully, those days are gone!

Now when you sign up as a non US citizen, the process is significantly easier.
Amazon will walk you through a signup checklist and guide you step by step, it’s actually well thought out and helpful.

However, you will need the following as a non US citizen:

1. A credit card that can be charged internationally,  i.e, a Mastercard or Visa.
2. A local bank in your country that supports ACH which stands for automated clearing house which really means your bank can accept electronic transfers
3. Your local address
4. Your country uses currency supported by Amazon.  Click here to see the list.  This is not an issue for most English speaking countries or non English speaking European countries.
5. A phone number (you’ll also need your international prefix number)
6. A US EIN number.  You don’t have to be a corporation and have any type of legal status in the US to get this number.  You simply fill out online form 10-BEN on the IRS.gov website (Internal Revenue Service which is the US government tax collection agency)

That’s it!

Things do change, so depending on when you’re reading this keep in mind that there may be slight variations but it should still be very similar.

You can now open an Amazon account and have your items shipped directly to Amazon. 
You never even have to touch the items. 

NOTE: See the article "How To Make Money On Amazon Using Fullfillment By Amazon (FBA)"

What a concept, huh?

In future articles I’ll touch on how to ship to Amazon from outside the US, but for now I just want you to realize how easy and possible it is to sell on Amazon.com if you live outside the US.

I’ve just eliminated several excuses for you.  Stop coming up with reasons why you can’t do this and get off your duff and get started selling on Amazon!

NOTE: See "The 10 Simple Steps to Starting An Amazon Private Label Business"

What are your thoughts of selling on Amazon if you live outside the US?  Comment below

See ya next time.

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Amazon & E-Bay Top-Sellers BIG Secret "Sell What Sells, NOT What's Cool"

One of my good friend & personal mentors company publishes the Internet's leading Database of genuine wholesale suppliers. They list thousands of Drop Shippers (wholesalers who ship products, one at a time, directly to your customers; eliminating the need to stock inventory), and thousands of Light Bulk Wholesalers -

Wholesale Suppliers who will sell to you in small Bulk Quantities, while still giving you larger Bulk Quantity prices. As a result of the information they research and publish, he told me they get questions all the time about what products Home-based Internet Business owners should try to sell online.

I've been at this for years, and have become very successful in my Internet business. But let's face it, folks. If I knew what was going to sell well on the Internet tomorrow, next week, or next month, I wouldn't be writing this article. I would have retired and purchased a small private island by now.

In the retail business, whether you are online, in a physical store in the local mall, or at a roadside stand, it makes no difference; choosing the products you are going to sell is always the hardest part of getting started.

I can't whip out a crystal ball and tell you what to sell. However, I can tell you about the biggest mistakes that I see new Home-based Internet businesspersons making, all the time.

Too many people are fixated on four things:

* Selling only products they like.

* Selling only products they know a lot about.

* Selling only products they think are Cool or Sexy.

*Selling only products they think are The Hottest Products on the Internet.

 

I get four basic emails from people who are stuck in this rut, and I can pretty much tell that right off the bat, by the way the email begins.

An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they like starts something like this:

Dude, I'm like, a Sk8ter, and I need to find a Wholesale Supplier for, like, Sk8tboards + wheels + stuff.

The first problem this person is going to run into (aside from the fact that he needs to learn how to write a business email!) is a problem for all four types of people here. There may not be a Wholesale Supplier for the products they want, that will work with a Home-based Internet Business. We'll talk more about that in a few minutes, though.

The second problem is tunnel vision. This person may actually find a Wholesale Supplier for sk8tboards + wheels + stuff. If he does, great. However, someone who has such a narrow vision of the Internet Marketplace will never branch out and fulfill his own potential in that Marketplace.

Say he does find the Wholesale Suppliers he's looking for, and opens a store. Because of the narrow vision that led him there, he's likely to stick with that store, and that store alone. He'll make some money, but unless he gets really lucky, he won't make a really good income out of it. He'll piddle along selling sk8tboard stuff forever, when he could have done so much more.

What he needs to do is broaden his scope. If he's interested in developing his online business into something really profitable.

But instead of focusing on just that, he should explore selling all kinds of sporting goods.

Sam Walton, the revered Founder of Wal-Mart, was once a starting quarterback on his High School football team in Columbia, Missouri. He also liked to play basketball. Can you imagine what would have happened if Sam Walton never tried to sell anything besides football and basketball equipment? 

There would probably be a pretty big store in the US selling just footballs and basketballs today, because Walton was a very good retailer. But it never would have grown to the size and scope of Wal-Mart today if Sam had allowed tunnel vision to crowd his overall view.

It's okay for our sk8ter buddy here to open an Internet Store or run Auctions that sell skateboard equipment. Niche marketing is a good thing. But in his overall business, he should look for other products with which to eventually run other Online Stores or Auctions as well. 

One store leads to two, two lead to four, and so on. Never get stuck limiting your entire business to just one type of product!

An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell what they know about goes like this:

Hey there;

I've been riding horses all my life, and I own a small stable where I teach riding. I'm opening an Internet Store where I'm going to sell all kinds of stuff that other riders will want to buy. I've got to find a Wholesale Supplier for saddles and Western Wear and such.

Again, this persons first problem is going to be that he may not find a Wholesale Supplier of the products he knows so well, that's willing to work with Home-based Internet Businesses. But, we'll get to that in a bit.

His second problem is similar to the first persons problem, but not exactly the same.

This person isn't fixated on selling only what he likes; he's just a little bit scared of having to learn about something new. He's obviously going where he feels safe. Thats okay, but lets remember what I've mentioned twice so far: he may not find a Wholesale Supplier for the products he likes.

Genuine Wholesale Suppliers do not grow on trees, folks, and most of those who are out there do not want to work with Home-based Businesses. There isn't one available to you for every possible type of product. It's very important to keep that in mind when you start out!

So, what does this person need to do? He needs to understand that being in business is about learning new things every day. New ways to market, new software to get used to, simpler ways to do his monthly books, etc., etc., etc.

Learning new products is just as critical. Again, never limit your business to just one type of product.

You don't have to like what you sell. You just need to make money selling it!

An Email from a person who only thinks they can sell whats Cool goes like this:

Hi;
I'm looking for a Wholesale Supplier of electronics, like MP3 Players, Plasma TVs and such.

Please tell me where to find them.

A request for Wholesale Supplier of electronics is a dead giveaway. Almost everybody who starts a Home-Based Internet Business wants to sell electronics at first. It's the Cool, Sexy market, and even if you never sell anything, you can show your friends your site and say, Dude, I can get you a deal on the hottest new stuff!

Electronics, like any other Cool or Sexy market on the Internet, is not the place for most people to start. That market is absolutely flooded with other people who already had the same idea, and the profit margins have plummeted. Why? Too many inexperienced Internet sellers.

They start price wars, figuring they're going to clean up by undercutting everyone else's prices by a little bit. Problem is, the second guy comes along and undercuts the first one a bit. Then the third person comes along and undercuts the second. And so on.

Pretty soon all you have left are tens of thousands of people trying to sell electronics for pennies more than what they pay for them, just to advertise a slightly better price than their competition.

Not good.

The person who wants to sell Cool and Sexy stuff needs to understand that they are not out here to look Cool or Sexy. They're here to make money. Four Slice Toasters and Propane Camp Stoves aren't sexy, but they sell and their markets are not overcrowded, and that's what the goal is.

Finally, an email from a person who thinks they need to sell only the Hottest Products on the Internet goes like this:

Can you tell me were I can find out what the Top Selling Products on eBay are? I want to know what everyone else is selling and get in on it.

BAD IDEA!

Look at it this way. If you were in a giant field filled with nothing but concession stands selling Salted Peanuts, what's the smartest thing you could do? Set up yet another Salted Peanuts stand, or set up a Lemonade Stand?

I'd sell Lemonade, wouldn't you? :o)

In our business, we look at the Lists of Top Selling Products on the Internet, too. Then we run the other way as fast as we can. We don't want to be just another face in the crowd selling the same thing as everyone else. 

We want to think about products that may be complementary to the Hottest Sellers, that not many other people are selling.

If everyone and their Grandmothers are selling Salted Peanuts, we want to be the ones selling Lemonade. :o)

Honest enough to admit you might need some help putting all this together, then CLICK HERE NOW!

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" The Dirty Truth About The Amazing Selling Machine Course"

I'm certain that you realize that all Amazon courses are not alike....

Sometime ago I heard about a course on Amazon selling called the Amazing Selling Machine.

It came out about 18 months ago and helped many people become successful Amazon sellers.

Although I didn't buy the course, I was able to see the content.  It's a fine course.  Although I don't know them personable, the owners seem reputable and they have certainly sold lot of courses.

The issue I have is that their course is $3500....3500 BUCKS....

I appreciate their ability to ask for and get that much money for a course.

However, if you pay that much, that's a few thousand dollars you can't put towards inventory and marketing if you want to start a profitable business on Amazon.

I'm fortunate, I could afford the $3500, but the better question is why should I have to pay $3500 for a course?  Didn't sit right with me.

A very good friend of mine , Mark Scott Adams, knew he  could create the same information for much less.  SO HE DID..

And the FBAHeadstart course was born.

His course was designed to show you everything you need to know and then some!

So if you have money burning a whole in your pocket, buy their course. 

If you want to have the same knowledge and enough money left over to buy enough inventory for 3-5 items, get his!

If you want to get lost in a community where no one knows who you are, get their course.  If you want to be in a community where people recognize your name, know who you are and will help you however they can, get his.

Seems pretty clear cut to me...

Get  the FBAHeadstart course here

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"How to Deal With A Negative Amazon Review"

You’ve gotten product private labeled from an overseas supplier.  Had it packaged.  Got it listed on Amazon.  Did some marketing, got some sales, got some 5 star reviews.  

Life is good.  This stuff really works.  You’ve told all your friends and family what you’re doing.
Heck, even your Grandma is proud.

Then one morning you check your item and wham, bam, some son of a gun and I don’t mean gun, gave you a 1 star review.  A bleeping, 1 star review.

You can hear the life sucking air go out of your body.  The sun goes dim, the earth stops spinning….Whyyyyyyyyy????

Then you read the review 27 times.  The 42 times.  Then you get really mad.

You pace.  You deny.  Your mind tells you you’ll never sale another product on Amazon again.

Then you think, how can I get rid of the review.  How can I vote their review down.
Then you do a quick scan on your competitors and see that they have 1 star reviews.  Then you look at best sellers in various markets and see that they all have 1 star reviews.

Then you start to realize you’re not going to suffocate,  you look out the window and realize the sun is still shining and best you can tell, the earth is still spinning.

Then you check your sales reports and see that you are still making sales.  

My life is not over.  I don’t have to go buy one bullet and rent a gun…

Here’s the good news…

You’re now a big boy or girl in the world of Amazon selling.  You’re initiated into the club…Anybody who sells any quantity will eventually get 1 star reviews.  It’s the world we live in.

We think as normal people, how could someone get that mad over something so insignificant or inexpensive?

If they didn’t like the product or something happened, they could have simply returned the item or asked for a refund.  Again, you’re thinking like a normal person.
I’m convinced people who write 1 star reviews are angry people to start.  They are miserable at work and unsuccessful at other parts of their life.

The only way they feel any type of power or good about themselves is to criticize others.  

It’s very easy to be critical or so outspoken when you have the anonymity of a computer screen and you don’t even have to sign your own name.

These people would never have the courage to say these things to your face.  Basically they are cowards protected by cyberspace!

I went off on this personal diatribe because I want you to know that 1 star reviews happen to all sellers.

As the day passes, and you have time to calm down, you’ll realize that it could actually not be a bad thing to have a few less than positive reviews.

It gives credibility to your reviews.  There are some people who believe that if you have all positive reviews, something must be fake.

In reality, most people just look for the majority of reviews to be good before they buy.

If you look at some random items with say 100 or more reviews there will usually be anywhere from 5-15% of 1 star reviews and they still are high volume products.

So realize, as much as it hurts, its part of the game.  Keep you chin up, keep working building your Amazon business and you’ll be fine.

What were your experiences with 1 star reviews?  Share them in the comment section below.

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How to Build Your Amazon Business by Spying On Your Competitors

First of all there is nothing illegal, immoral or unethical about spying on your competitors.  Its done all the time in business.  I am not talking about stealing secrets or wire tapping – but learning what you can from whats in the open.   In the case of eBay and/or Amazon its pretty much limited to what you can see and learn from their listings.

So what are some of those things?

* Well product selection for one.  What products and brands are your competitors selling?

* Are they offering free shipping and/or expedited shipping?

* Are they carrying complimentary products or bundling products together?

* What keywords are they using in their titles and descriptions

* If they are selling the same product as you, are they pushing different features or benefits or uses for the product?

* On Amazon, are they merchant fulfilling or using FBA?

* Is there anything in their descriptions that you are not using but you could use.

* How about pricing?  Are they selling for less than you or more?  If they are getting more, what are they doing different than you are to justify the higher price?

* Do you see any weaknesses that you can exploit?

* After looking at their listings, also look at their store.  Try and get a feel for what products they are selling that you might be able to source and sell to expand your line.

Do these things and you will be amazed at what you can and will learn and how it can help your sales.

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NOTE: There's an excellent two-volume printed training course I highly recommend that shows you how to start and build a large full-time Amazon business fast!

It's called "The Complete Amazon Marketing System" and you can grab a copy of it by clicking HERE now.
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"How to Get Your Amazon Product Listed on the First Page"

Being listed on page one can make or break your product.

But what causes some products to be listed on the first page and some on the ninth page?

Why are some products with very high sales rankings not listed on page one?

What are some new products with very few reviews listed on page one?

Why do some products that seem to do everything right get buried on page nine?
I have spent way too much time pulling my hair out to try and figure out all the things Amazon does to determine where my products are listed.

But all hair club for men jokes aside, I’m fortunate, I have many page one rankings for multiple keywords and the number one listing on some keywords.

*CLICK HERE to see a resource I used to master that process .

Here’s what I learned.

Your listing is determined by many things, but primarily the following

SALES + REVIEWS + CONVERSION RATE + PROPER KEYWORDS

This, of course is my best guess.  The exact algorithm  (what the heck is a bleeping algorithim BTW)  For those of us who are not tech guys it really means math formula.
All of my high school math teachers are falling out of their chairs now, realizing that I really did pay attention in math class….

The algorithm of my youth was the Coca Cola formula. Times have changed, I guess…

Here’s how you have to think of things.  Amazon is just a search engine for physical products.

They want to show you (their customer) the most relevant items to your product search. 

They want to have a dynamic market that shifts to demand and allows for new and relevant products to be shown to their customers.

If they don’t, Alibaba or some smart kid who really is paying attention in math class may overtake them one day and they will become the netscape of this generation.

So let’s take a look at each feature.

Reviews
This is paramount.  Getting even a few positive reviews initially will allow you to be listed, maybe even on page one.  

I am convinced that Amazon gives you a “honeymoon period” and purposefully lists your product higher than it deserves in the beginning to give you a chance to make sales so you won’t get frustrated and quit.

Conversion Rate
The average conversion rate in Amazon is 13.5%.  I am fortunate to have a 20-26% conversion rate.  I believe they tremendously favor items that convert well in higher listings.  

Higher conversions comes from better copywriting, great pictures and an effective title. 

Higher conversions are also a result of the social proof of great reviews.

Proper Keywords
The more you effectively target the correct keywords, the more like the viewer is likely to buy.  Think rifle here, not shotgun. This is not mass marketing…

I use a service like merchant words to determine the amount of searches for each keyword and to make sure there are enough searches for that keyword and then I incorporate those keywords into the title, bullet points and product description.

This ultimately means the right people who are interested in my product are seeing it and there are enough of them to create a high enough sales volume.

When you do these three things in unison, 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 and you get higher listings and more sales and your spouse likes you more.  Heck, even your dog will give you a better greeting when you come home.

*CLICK HERE now to see  another GREAT resource to help you master this really quick!

Sales Volume
Remember sales ranking is different from your sales listing.  The ranking is just your rank in order of most sales.

But when you get reviews, have a higher than normal conversion rate and you will ultimately achieve more sales.  It’s a cycle that perpetuates. That leads to higher listings and you get to stay on the first page.

Hopefully this quick overview gives you a little insight.  If you do these things at the beginning you’ll get off to a great start.

If you’re not ranked where you like, go back and evaluate everything I’ve mentioned.

Getting your products listed high enough to be seen and get sales is really not rocket surgery….

What do you do to get your products ranked higher?  Let me know in the comments section below.

NOTE: I highly recommend you grab a copy of "The Complete Amazon Marketing System" to guarantee your speedy and sustained success in getting your product listed on pg1 of Amazon.

Good luck and see you on the first page!
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