With Amazon announcing its 100 millionth Prime member, we thought now would be the perfect time to explain what Amazon Prime is and how you can take advantage.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is the premium version of Amazon, that offers buyers exclusive benefits, for a monthly cost of £7.99/$12.99 or an annual fee of £79/$119. The exclusive benefits justifying the premium include:
Delivery
I need that product and I need it now. Prime customers receive unlimited one-day or same-day delivery on eligible items, at no extra cost. For the more patient buyer, a no-rush delivery option is available that provides the goods within 3-5 working days, along with a complementary promotion credit voucher.
Non-prime members who want free delivery, must order a minimum of £20 worth of items and wait 3-5 business days.
Videos, Photos & Music
Prime customers receive unlimited streaming access to a number of movies, television programmes (hello The Walking Dead), TV channels, songs and photo storage.
Exclusives
First in queue, Prime customers get 30-minute early access to lightning deals and access to Prime-only sales. Not only that but recently Amazon has restricted the sale of certain items to prime customers, the latest Star Wars films being an example. Prime members: the force is with you.
Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is the exclusive shopping event, rivalling that of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. A must-have date in the calendar, this will take place around mid-July and is, you guessed it, for Prime customers only.
And There’s More
There are tonnes of other benefits available to Prime members and with a free 30-day trial and student packages available, it’s no wonder that customer number 1,000,000 has arrived.
Results
Amazon was pleased to share the following facts and figures at the end of 2017:
– 100 million items eligible for Prime free delivery
– The Fire TV Stick, Echo Dot and Amazon basic cables being the most purchased Prime items
– The fastest Prime deliveries were an eight-minute forehead thermometer and a nine-minute order for five pints of ice cream
It’s clear that online shoppers love Amazon Prime and, as a seller, so should you. Here’s why:
Why You Should Sell Via Amazon Prime
There are three main reasons why eCommerce businesses should sell on Amazon Prime:
1. Existing Prime customers look for the Prime badge. They’re already paying a monthly fee for Prime and they want to take advantage of it. They want free, fast delivery and exclusive deals and many will filter their search results to show Prime sellers only. Put simply – there are 100 million customers who might never see your product on Amazon.
2. Non-Prime customers may convert to Prime when they see your Prime badge. You’re offering free, fast delivery and exclusive deals and for a free-trial, they may be tempted.
3. You get more buy box priority. Rumour has it, that you have more chance of winning the Amazon Buy Box if you’re a Prime seller. It’s worth a shot.
Primed for Prime
Sounds great but hold that thought. Before selling on Prime, your products need to be suitable for Prime. A bespoke commissioned painting might not be possible for a one-day turnaround delivery. Ensure that you can satisfy Prime before you sign up to Prime.
How To Sell Via Amazon Prime – FBA
To get the Prime badge of honour, you have two options – the first being Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA). The Amazon service where Amazon store, pick, pack and deliver your products directly to your buyers, FBA sellers will automatically appear as a Prime seller. To join FBA, you need to:
1. Select ‘Fulfilment by Amazon’ when listing your products
2. Send your products to an Amazon Fulfilment Centre, to be stored
3. Allow Amazon to pick, pack and ship your orders
4. Allow Amazon to provide your customer service and handle your returns
More details, including the fees, can be found here.
How To Sell Via Amazon Prime – Seller Fulfilled Prime
Previously, Fulfilment by Amazon was the only way to obtain a Prime badge, which requires you to give your stock to Amazon. This is unsuitable for products such as large/heavy items, slow-moving stock, high-value items, items with many variations and products that required special handling or personalisation. This all changed with Seller Fulfilled Prime – allowing you to list and retain control of your fulfilment. To join, you need to:
1. Qualify
This is a club you need to qualify for, specifically, you need to:
– Offer premium shipping
– Ship over 99% of your orders on time
– Have order cancellation rates of less than 1%
– Purchase shipping labels through the Buy Delivery Services or the Amazon Shipping website
– Deliver orders with Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime carriers
– Offer the Amazon returns policy
– Allow Amazon to handle your customer service enquiries
2. Complete the trial
And then you have your initiation. You will need to complete (and pass) a 5-90 day trial period, shipping a minimum of 50 Prime orders, 100% on-time to show that you meet the standards for excellence and customer satisfaction. This is where Multichannel eCommerce software, such as Expandly, will help by managing your inventory and avoiding overselling. During this time you will be…badgeless. Following your successful trial, you will automatically be enrolled and receive your badge of honour.
More information can be found here.
And that folks, is Amazon Prime.
About Expandly
Expandly is multichannel management software that allows you to manage your Amazon account, alongside your eBay and Etsy Accounts and shopping cart, all from one central location.
Find out how easy it really is with a demo