How to Make Money on Amazon: 13 Powerful Ways for 2023

Ever wondered how to make money on Amazon? You’re in the right place. Amazon isn’t just for buying stuff.

It’s also a plac where you can make money, and I’m not talking about a few pennies here and there. We’re talking about real, bankable income.

In this blog, I’m going to demystify the world of Amazon profit-making, serving you 13 proven strategies that could put you on a direct path to online revenue.

Whether you’re a beginner who’s just getting started or an Amazon veteran looking for new ventures, these methods are for you.

Fasten your seatbelts as we’re about to take a deep dive into the world of Amazon, unearthing its secrets, and equipping you with the tools to turn your Amazon account from a shopping cart to a money-making machine. Let’s dive in.

How to Make Money on Amazon

Turn Amazon into a cash cow with our guide! Discover 13 proven strategies from retail arbitrage to self-publishing, from selling handmade goods to affiliate marketing.

How to Make Money on Amazon-making opportunity for everyone. Let’s unlock your earning potential with Amazon today.

1. Resell Products Found at Physical Locations (Retail Arbitrage)

Retail arbitrage is a business strategy where an individual or a business buys products at a low cost from retail stores, online marketplaces, or clearance outlets and then resells them at a higher price.

Making money by taking advantage of price differences in different markets is the idea. Retail arbitrage is commonly used on online marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, and others.

Types of Stores for Finding and Buying Discounted Products

1. Discount Stores: Stores like Walmart, Target, Ross, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx often have clearance sections where you can find products at a significant discount.
2. Thrift Stores: Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other local thrift stores can have a variety of products, from clothes to electronics, at heavily discounted prices.
3. Dollar Stores: Stores like Dollar General, Family Dollar, or Dollar Tree offer items at a low cost that could potentially be resold for a profit.
4. Bookstores: Sometimes, you can find discounted books that are valuable or rare in bookstores, especially in clearance or used sections.
5. Online Marketplaces: Websites like eBay or AliExpress sometimes offer items at a lower cost than other marketplaces. Also, check out the “Warehouse Deals” or “Outlet” sections on Amazon for discounted items.
6. Liquidation Stores or Sales: These stores or sales occur when a business is closing down and needs to sell its inventory quickly. You can often find products at a fraction of their retail price.
7. Garage or Estate Sales: Individuals often sell items for less than their value at these sales simply to get rid of them.

Steps involved in How to Make Money on Amazon From these Store

1. Identify Profitable Products: Before purchasing anything, you need to identify potentially profitable items. Use tools like Amazon’s Seller App or other third-party software like Jungle Scout, Helium 10, or Keepa to research current selling prices, sales rank, competition, and profitability.
2. Source the Products: Visit discount stores, thrift stores, dollar stores, bookstores, online marketplaces, liquidation sales, and garage or estate sales to find items that you’ve identified as potentially profitable. Look for high-quality items, preferably new or like-new, and always double-check the condition before buying.
3. Calculate the Potential Profit: Before purchasing an item, calculate your potential profit. Deduct the cost of the product, Amazon’s fees (which can include listing fees, selling fees, and fulfillment fees), and any other expenses like shipping or packaging from the potential selling price.
4. Purchase the Products: Once you’ve confirmed an item is potentially profitable, you can purchase it. Keep the receipt, as you might need it for tax purposes or in case you need to return the item.
5. List and Sell the Products on Amazon: After buying the products, you can list them on Amazon. Take high-quality photos, write a compelling description, and choose competitive pricing. If you’re using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you’ll need to ship your items to an Amazon warehouse.
6. Manage Your Inventory and Sales: Once your products are listed, manage your inventory carefully. Adjust prices as necessary based on competition and demand. Provide excellent customer service to help earn positive reviews, which can boost future sales.
7. Reinvest Your Profits: As you start to make sales and earn a profit, consider reinvesting some of your earnings back into your business. Buy more inventory, try different product types, or use paid advertising to increase your product visibility.

Advantages with Which Retail Arbitrage Comes Out

1. Low Entry Barrier: Retail arbitrage doesn’t require a lot of initial investment. All you need is some starting capital to buy your first batch of products and a platform like Amazon, eBay, or Etsy to sell them.
2. Flexibility: Retail arbitrage can be done part-time or full-time, depending on your schedule and needs. You can also work from anywhere, as long as you have internet access and a way to ship products to customers.
3. Variety: A wide variety of products can be offered, which can make the business more interesting and diverse. This can also spread your risk, as you’re not relying on the success of a single product.
4. Potential for High-Profit Margins: If you’re good at spotting deals and understanding what products are in demand, retail arbitrage can offer high-profit margins.
5. Learning Experience: Retail arbitrage can teach you valuable skills, such as how to negotiate prices, how to spot trends, and how to understand customer needs. These skills can be useful in many other business contexts as well.
6. Scalability: Once you get the hang of retail arbitrage, you can scale up by purchasing more products and potentially hiring help to increase your sales and profits.

2. Sell Your Own Private Label Products on Amazon

In 2023, one of the best ways to make money on Amazon is through private label selling. This involves sourcing a product, branding it as your own, and selling it on Amazon’s platform.

With market research to find high-demand, low-competition products and effective marketing strategies, private labeling can offer substantial profit potential.

What Do You Mean by the Process of  Amazon  Private Label

Private labeling involves sourcing a generic product from a manufacturer, adding your own brand, and selling it.

The process includes market research to identify profitable products, finding a reliable manufacturer, creating a unique brand, packaging design, listing the product on Amazon, and marketing to drive sales.

Facilitation of Amazon Private Labeling

• Large Customer Base: Amazon has millions of customers worldwide, providing a vast audience for your products.
• Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Amazon can store, pack, and ship products for you and also handle customer service and returns.
• Brand Registry: Amazon’s Brand Registry protects your brand and gives you more control over product listings.
• Advertising Tools: Amazon offers powerful advertising tools to help increase product visibility and boost sales.

3. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing through Amazon Associates Program is one of the most significant ways to How to Make Money on Amazon without selling anything yourself.

Your blog, website, or social media can be used to promote Amazon products, and you will receive a commission on any sales made through your referral links.

Steps Need to Follow to Make Money on Amazon with Affiliate Marketing

1. Join the Amazon Associates Program: Sign up on the Amazon Associates page. You’ll need a website, blog, or social media platform to get started.
2. Choose Products to Promote: Select products that align with your audience’s interests. Remember, it’s easier to promote products that you genuinely like and believe in.
3. Create Affiliate Links: Use the Amazon Associates dashboard to create affiliate links for the products you want to promote.
4. Promote the Products: Share the affiliate links on your platforms. This could be within blog posts, social media posts, emails, or videos.
5. Earn Commissions: When someone clicks your link and makes a purchase, you’ll earn a percentage of the sale. Regularly review your performance metrics in the Amazon Associates dashboard and adjust your strategy as needed.

Affiliate marketers can earn up to 10% commission per sale, making it a potentially profitable venture. Joining an affiliate program like Amazon’s is simple and can yield substantial earnings.

Key Points

• Potential for high earnings without direct product selling.
• Ease of initiation and operation.
• Requires only an online platform or audience to begin generating income.
• Flexibility to work from anywhere, anytime.
• Variety of products to choose from for promotion.
• Access to performance tracking tools to monitor success and optimize strategy.

4. Make Money by Selling with Amazon FBA

As an entrepreneur, leveraging Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program is one of the best ways to make money without handling sales operations yourself.

You source and ship your products to Amazon’s warehouses, and Amazon handles storage, packaging, shipping, customer service, and returns. This enables you to focus on product selection, marketing, and scaling your business while Amazon takes care of the logistics.

Steps involved in Working of Amazon FBA

1. Set Up FBA: Start by setting up FBA on your Amazon seller account. Navigate to the “Fulfillment by Amazon” section and follow the steps provided.
2. Product Sourcing: Source products that you want to sell on Amazon. This could be products you manufacture, products you buy wholesale, or products you’ve privately labeled.
3. Create Product Listings: List your products on Amazon, making sure to select “Fulfilled by Amazon” as the fulfillment method.
4. Prepare Products: Prepare your products for shipment to Amazon’s warehouse. This includes labeling items correctly and packing them according to Amazon’s guidelines.
5. Ship Products to Amazon: Create a shipment in your seller account, print the shipping labels, and deliver them to the Amazon fulfillment center.
6. Amazon Stores and Ships Your Products: Once Amazon receives your products, they’ll store them in their warehouse. Your product is picked, packed, and shipped by Amazon when a customer places an order.
7. Customer Service and Returns: Amazon handles customer service and returns for your FBA orders. They’ll manage any customer inquiries, refunds, and returns.
8. Get Paid: Amazon deposits payments into your bank account every two weeks. The payment includes the sales minus Amazon’s fees.

Depending on Which Things Amazon FBA Could Be a Better Choice

Amazon FBA can be a prime choice for entrepreneurs seeking to sell products at scale. If you have a large inventory, FBA provides extensive storage and manages the logistics of packing and shipping.

This is especially useful for high-volume sellers and those short on time or resources. FBA items are eligible for Amazon Prime, making them more appealing to customers.

Amazon Marketing Agency facilitates international sales, helping you reach global markets. Plus, it allows you to focus more on sourcing, marketing, and scaling your business, giving you a competitive edge.

5. Launching Your Own Brand on Amazon

Can we make money by launching our own brand on Amazon? Yes, launching a new brand on Amazon can be profitable.

Through Amazon’s private label model, you can source products, brand them as your own, and sell them on Amazon’s platform.

Effective market research, branding, and marketing strategies are key to driving sales and profits.

Is Amazon Support Launching a New Brand on Amazon

Yes, Amazon supports and encourages the launch of new brands on its platform.

It even offers a program called Amazon Brand Registry, which provides powerful tools for brand owners like increased control over product listings and enhanced brand protection.

Amazon also offers resources and tools to assist in brand development, marketing, and sales optimization.

Tips for Launching an Amazon Brand

• Market Research: Understand what products are in demand and have low competition.
• Quality Products: Source high-quality products that meet customer expectations.
• Brand Identity: Develop a brand identity that resonates with your target audience.
• Optimized Listings: Create compelling, keyword-optimized product listings with high-quality images and detailed descriptions.
• Pricing Strategy: Price your products competitively, taking into account costs, competitor pricing, and perceived value.
• Customer Service: Building client loyalty requires excellent customer service to attract positive reviews.
• Marketing: Utilize Amazon’s marketing tools, like Sponsored Products and off-Amazon marketing channels, to drive traffic to your listings.
• Legalities: Ensure your brand and products comply with all relevant laws, regulations, and Amazon policies.

6. Sell  Wholesale Products on Amazon

Selling wholesale involves purchasing large quantities of products from manufacturers and distributors and reselling them. The quantities typically range from dozens to thousands, depending on the product and supplier.

Unlike private labeling, where you have control over the product and its branding, in wholesaling, you’re selling the products as they are, under their original brand.

While both methods involve buying low and selling high, wholesale requires less initial work but offers lower profit margins compared to private labeling.

How How to Make Money on Amazon Wholesale

Unleash the potential of wholesale selling on Amazon and discover the enticing prospect of impressive gross margins. Typically, sellers enjoy a robust 50% margin, transforming each product into a lucrative opportunity.

Picture this: for every product you sell at $20, you’re pocketing a handsome $10 in gross profit. This is not just selling; it’s smart selling. It’s about leveraging the power of Amazon’s marketplace to amplify your earnings, turning your business vision into a reality.

Primary Difference Between Private Label and Selling Wholesale

• Private Label: In private labeling, you source a product, often from a manufacturer, and brand it as your own. You have control over the product, its packaging, and its branding. You decide how to market the product and at what price to sell it. This model allows for higher profit margins but involves more upfront work and risk.

• Wholesale: In wholesaling, you buy products in bulk directly from the manufacturer or a distributor and then resell those products as they are, under their original brand. You don’t have control over the product or its branding, and your margins are typically lower than with private labeling. However, the risk and initial work are usually less as the product and brand are already established in the market.

7. Sell Handmade Good ( Amazon Handmade)

Amazon Handmade is a specific section on Amazon’s marketplace for artisans to sell their unique, handcrafted goods.

This platform allows crafters and artists to reach Amazon’s vast customer base while offering shoppers a wide array of handmade items.

The sellers on Amazon Handmade are typically small business owners or individual artisans who create their products themselves.

The products range from jewelry to home decor, clothing, kitchenware, and more. Amazon has a strict application process to ensure that all products sold in the Handmade category are genuinely crafted by hand.

Amazon Handmade offers a unique opportunity for artisans to grow their businesses by leveraging Amazon’s massive reach.

However, it’s important to note that, like all sellers on Amazon, Handmade sellers need to comply with Amazon’s policies, including those related to product quality, customer service, and shipping.

Tips for Selling Handmade Products on Amazon

1. Quality Control: Ensure your products are high-quality and genuinely handmade. Amazon Handmade has strict guidelines, and customers have high expectations.
2. Optimize Product Listings: Use relevant keywords in your product titles, descriptions, and backend search terms to help customers find your products. Use high-quality photos that showcase your products effectively.
3. Price Appropriately: Price your products considering the cost of materials, time spent making the item, and what similar items are selling for on Amazon. Don’t forget to factor in Amazon’s fees.
4. Offer Variety: Offer a range of products or variations to attract a wider audience.
5. Customer Service: Provide excellent customer service. Respond to customer inquiries promptly and handle any issues professionally.
6. Leverage Reviews: Encourage happy customers to leave positive reviews. Good reviews can significantly boost your visibility and sales on Amazon.
7. Brand Story: Tell your brand story. Customers who shop for handmade items often care about who made the item and the story behind it.
8. Promote Your Store: Utilize social media, email newsletters, or a blog to drive traffic to your Amazon Handmade store.

Is Amazon Handmade Method Work More to Stay on Top Your Order

Yes, selling on Amazon Handmade can help keep your business on top of its game. Being part of this specialized marketplace connects your unique, handcrafted goods with a vast audience of Amazon customers who value and seek out artisanal items.

These customers appreciate the time, effort, and skill put into each handmade piece, often resulting in loyal customers and repeat orders.

To stay on top, make sure your products are high-quality and genuinely handmade. Optimize your product listings with clear descriptions and high-quality photos to attract buyers. Price your items competitively, considering both your costs and market rates.

Offering excellent customer service can also set your business apart. Quick responses to queries and efficient resolution of issues can earn you positive reviews, which can boost your visibility and credibility on the platform.

Lastly, tell your unique brand story. Buyers on Amazon Handmade often value the connection to the maker and the story behind their purchases. Sharing these details can create a bond with your customers and build your brand’s identity.

8. Make Money by Becoming Blogger

After becoming a blogger, there are several ways you can use Amazon to make money:

• Amazon Affiliate Program (Amazon Associates): This is one of the most popular methods for bloggers to earn money. You promote Amazon products on your blog, and you earn a commission when people purchase through your affiliate link.
• Selling Products: You can create, source, or curate your own products and sell them on Amazon. As a blogger, you can use your platform to market your products to your audience.
• Kindle Publishing: If you’re a writer, you can self-publish eBooks through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. This is a great way to monetize your writing skills and knowledge.
• Amazon Influencer Program: If you have a considerable following, you could qualify for the Amazon Influencer Program. This allows you to create your own storefront with your favorite products.

To succeed in making money on Amazon as a blogger, focus on creating quality content that your audience finds valuable. When promoting Amazon products, ensure they’re relevant to your blog’s topic and beneficial to your readers.

Be consistent and patient, as it takes time to grow your blog and generate significant income.

9. Publish Your Own Books on Kindle Direct Publishing

Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is Amazon’s self-publishing platform that lets authors publish directly to Kindle and paperback format. It provides a platform for writers to reach a wide audience, retain control over their work, and make up to 70% of sales royalties.

However, success on KDP isn’t guaranteed by just publishing a book. The “catch” is that to truly find success, you must write proficiently and professionally. Your book should be well-written, thoroughly edited, and formatted correctly.

It should offer value to the reader, whether that’s an engaging story, valuable information, or a unique perspective.

Moreover, successful self-publishing involves effective marketing and promotion to get your book noticed in a crowded marketplace.

Can Anyone Publish It?

Yes, anyone can publish a book using Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). It’s open to aspiring authors, established writers, and anyone with a story to tell or knowledge to share.

Once you’ve published your book through KDP, it’s available on Amazon websites worldwide. This includes all major markets, such as the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, India, and many more.

Your book can be read on Kindle devices or on any device with the Kindle app installed, making it accessible to a broad global audience.

10. Sell Someone Else’s Product and Become a Drop shipper

Drop shipping reinvents the conventional retail model, freeing the seller from maintaining a product inventory.

In this innovative method, once a product is sold, the seller acquires it from a third-party source, typically a wholesaler or manufacturer.

Amazon  Dropshipping Weaknesses

This third party then directly ships the product to the customer, liberating the seller from the task of product handling. It’s an efficient, hands-off approach to retail that revolutionizes the selling process.

While Amazon allows dropshipping, there are specific rules that sellers must follow. However, there are some inherent weaknesses in Amazon dropshipping.

First, profit margins tend to be lower compared to stocking and selling your own products because you’re acting as a middleman.

Second, you have less control over shipping and handling, which could lead to delays or errors that harm your customer service ratings. Third, competition can be intense, with many sellers often listing the same products.

Lastly, Amazon’s rules for dropshipping are stringent, and if you don’t comply, you risk account suspension. Despite these challenges, with careful planning and management, dropshipping can still be a profitable venture on Amazon.

Things to Consider During Dropshipping

1. Choose the Right Supplier: Your supplier’s reliability can make or break your business. Conduct thorough research to find a trustworthy, high-quality supplier.
2. Product Selection: Choose products that are in demand but not overly saturated in the market. Unique or niche products can often yield better results.
3. Manage Customer Expectations: Be transparent about shipping times and processes to prevent customer dissatisfaction.
4. Provide Excellent Customer Service: Since you’re not in control of fulfillment, outstanding customer service is vital to handle any issues that may arise.
5. Monitor Supplier Performance: Keep a close eye on your supplier’s performance. Regularly review product quality, fulfillment speed, and package presentation.
6. Optimize Your eCommerce Website: Optimize your website for search engines, make it user-friendly, and make it visually appealing.
7. Marketing Strategy: Develop a robust marketing strategy to attract and retain customers. This can involve SEO, content marketing, email marketing, and social media advertising.
8. Stay Compliant: Ensure you understand and follow all regulations and requirements related to eCommerce, including sales tax collection and shipping restrictions.

11. Create and Sell Merch with Amazon

Amazon Merch, or Merch by Amazon, is a print-on-demand service that allows designers to create and sell their artwork on Amazon products without any upfront costs.

This platform is ideal for artists, designers, and content creators looking to monetize their work.

Once you’re accepted into the program, you can upload your designs, select which products you want them printed on (like t-shirts, sweatshirts, or hoodies), set your price, and create a product listing. Amazon takes care of production, shipping, and customer service.

When one of your products sells, Amazon produces it, ships it to the customer, and you earn a royalty on the sale.

This allows you to focus on creating and marketing your designs while Amazon handles the logistics.

What Are the Things That We Should Take Care

• Follow Amazon’s Content Policies: Amazon has strict policies regarding the type of content you can sell. Make sure your designs do not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks and that they meet Amazon’s guidelines.
• Design Quality: Your designs should be high-quality and visually appealing. Poorly designed or low-resolution graphics won’t sell well and can hurt your brand’s reputation.
• Market Research: Do research to understand what types of designs are popular and trending. This can help inform your designs and increase your chances of making sales.
• Pricing: Set a competitive price yet still provides you with a satisfactory royalty. Consider the quality and uniqueness of your design when setting your price.
• Product Descriptions: Write clear and compelling product descriptions. Use relevant keywords to improve the visibility of your products in Amazon’s search results.
• Promotion: Promote your products on your own website, social media, or other marketing channels to drive more traffic to your Amazon listings.
• Customer Reviews: Pay attention to customer reviews. They can provide valuable feedback for improving your designs and understanding what your customers like or dislike.

12. Perform Outsourcing Tasks (Mechanical Turk)

The crowdsourcing marketplace Mechanical Turk, or MTurk, is run by Amazon. It allows businesses (Requesters) to outsource tasks requiring human intelligence to a distributed workforce (Workers) who can perform these tasks virtually.

These tasks, known as Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs), can include things like data validation, research, survey participation, content moderation, transcription, and more.

They are usually tasks that are relatively simple for humans but challenging for computers.

This platform is used by businesses as a flexible, cost-effective way to get access to a large workforce on demand and without any long-term commitments. For workers, it provides a way to earn money in their spare time from anywhere they have internet access.

How to Make Money on Amazon by Mechanical Turk

1. Sign Up: Start by signing up as a Worker on the Mechanical Turk website.
2. Browse HITs: Look through the available HITs. These could range from short surveys to transcription, data entry, image tagging, and more. Choose HITs that match your skills and interests.
3. Complete Tasks: Perform the tasks according to the instructions given. Ensure your work is accurate and high-quality to maintain a good Worker reputation.
4. Submit Your Work: Once you’ve completed a task, submit your work for review.
5. Get Paid: After the Requester approves your work, you get paid. From your Amazon Payments account, you can transfer the funds to your bank account.

13. Sell Your Old Belongings on Amazon

Absolutely, Amazon provides a platform where you can sell used or unwanted items directly from your home. This is an excellent way to declutter your space and make some money in the process.

How Can You Make Money by Selling Old Belongings on Amazon

1. Sort Your Items: Go through your items and identify ones that are in good condition and could be of value to others.
2. Set Up an Amazon Seller Account: If you don’t already have one, set up a seller account on Amazon. Choose between Individual or Professional, based on your selling plans.
3. Research Prices: Check what similar items are selling on Amazon to get an idea of a competitive price for your items.
4. Create Listings: For each item, create a listing. Include detailed descriptions and high-quality photos. Be honest about the condition of your item.
5. Price Your Items: Set a competitive price for your items based on your research.
6. Ship Sold Items: Once an item sells, pack it carefully and ship it to the buyer. If you’re using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you will send your items to an Amazon warehouse, which handles storage, packing, and shipping.
7. Provide Excellent Customer Service: Respond to buyer questions promptly and handle any issues that arise.

Wrapping Up

Amazon is not merely a shopping platform but a vast universe of opportunities for entrepreneurs, creatives, and even ordinary individuals.

We’ve walked through 13 diverse strategies, from retail arbitrage, private labeling, and affiliate marketing to selling handmade items, publishing eBooks, and even selling your old belongings.

It’s evident that whether you’re just starting or looking for a new venture, Amazon offers a path for everyone. Remember, it’s all about finding the right approach based on your skills, interests, and resources.

With some creativity, dedication, and strategic thinking, you can tap into these opportunities, navigate your way to success and turn Amazon into a significant source of income. Start exploring these avenues today, and see where they can lead you on your Amazon journey.