Nobody gets Amazon selling right the first time.  Setting up a successful Amazon business is a trial-and-error pursuit.  You learn as you go, and try to avoid pitfalls that will cost you time and money.  Certain errors are more significant than others, and some can even get you suspended from the Amazon marketplace.

As you work to grow your Amazon business, here are a few problems to steer clear of.

    • Inaccurate inventory count. Use great care when you enter your inventory quantities on Amazon because they go live immediately.  If you profess to have a dozen of something, then realize later that you made a mistake and only have half that quantity, you could be in big trouble. Shoppers don’t like to hear that you can’t deliver the item that they ordered—especially if you claimed to have it in stock.
    • Pricing errors. Like inventory quantity, prices go live immediately, too. If you accidentally enter a price that is lower than you had intended, your products could sell like hotcakes, and you’ll be left eating the financial losses.
    • Failure to comply with Amazon changes. From time to time, you will get notifications from Amazon with minor changes to their policies.  Don’t ignore these.  Read them carefully, and make necessary adjustments to comply.  Flouting Amazon rules won’t get you anywhere—except maybe kicked out of the marketplace.
    • Incorrect product descriptions. The merchandise delivered to your customers should look and function like the merchandise described in your Amazon listing.  If there are discrepancies, customers could get angry and report you for misrepresenting your products.
    • Confusing return policy. Returns can get messy—especially if your policy is not clearly communicated.  Make sure you spell out all the details, including how long people have to return items, who pays for return shipping, etc.  If you leave anything to the imagination, you could end up with misunderstandings, frustrated customers, and negative reviews.  Battles with customers over return policy issues can also eat up your limited time, so it’s best to avoid them in the first place.
    • Unresponsiveness to customers. The customer is king on Amazon.  When they send you a question or complaint, you have limited time to reply—and it doesn’t matter if it’s a weekend or holiday.  You don’t need to fully resolve the issue within 24 hours, but you do need to acknowledge customer communications as quickly as possible.  If you are late to respond, expect a slap on the wrist form Amazon. If this keeps happening, you may be begging for a suspension.
    • Insufficient feedback. Amazon specialists keep their finger on the pulse of customer feedback.  If you are getting poor feedback or no feedback at all, Amazon may notice.  Get a strategy in line to help solicit and manage your feedback.

If you are interested in more do’s and don’ts of Amazon selling, learn from the experts by attending Internet business expos like the annual Prosper Show in Las Vegas.