The complete process of how to start selling on Amazon and Flipkart in India
E-commerce is one of the fastest growing industries both in India and the world. E-commerce is basically selling goods or services through internet. Amazon and Flipkart are two leading E-commerce marketplace in India. Thousands of sellers sell millions of products everyday. Statistically, 15% of Indian population is engaged in online shopping. This number is very huge (almost 20 crores) which makes this industry very demanding and profitable.
Selling on Amazon and Flipkart has become easier than ever. With services like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) and flipkart, you as a seller, do not have to worry about packing, shipping or any other hardship. You can start your business and can manage it sitting at home. While it seems pretty easy reading it, you have to initially put efforts to set up a successful business online. So, are you ready to start? Let’s do it.
Requirements
To start selling online, there are certain things you need to provide to register yourself as a seller.
- Contact details of seller – Generally, your name, address, mobile number, e-mail, business details are needed here.
- PAN Card – This is mandatory to sell online. If you are an individual seller, you can provide your personal PAN number. However if you are a business entity, you have to provide your business PAN number.
- Identity Proof – ID proof of seller is required. Passport, driving license or any other KYC document will work.
- Business Registration – If you are an individual and don’t have a company registered, you have to register a company (proprietorship) on your name. You can also have a partnership firm.
- Current Bank Account – An active current bank account is needed to carry out transactions. It could be of any bank. Also, it should be registered in your company name.
- Tax details – You need to provide a TIN number , CST number and TAN number of your business. If you don’t already have them, you should apply for it through a CA as soon as possible.
Now that you have everything that is required, it’s time to start selling online.
Starting to sell online
There are basically three main steps in selling online.
1. Choose a Product
Now, finding a good and profitable product is the most important part of your business. You have to find a product that you can sell over and over again with a good profit margin. You can sell almost anything online so it won’t be very hard to find a profitable product.
Now once you decided your product, it’s time to get it manufactured. You should contact manufactures in your area or online who can make it for you. Alibaba is one of the best sources that can provide you any kind of product at a factory price. It’s doesn’t matter in which part of the world you live, your manufacturer will make it for you and ship it to you. You can pay him online via Paypal or credit card.
It’s advisable that you do extensive research before finalizing a product. Check out what is selling well on Amazon and where you can get a good profit margin. Negotiate with few manufacturers and buy on the best deal.
Now you also have an option to label your products with your own brands. Branding a product makes it look original and can get you some extra profit. You can ask your manufacturer to put your brand name and logo on it.
Once your first product starts selling well, move onto other product and repeat the process.
2. Get it Shipped
So you have decided what you are going to sell and also placed an order with your manufacturer. Now this is the time to get the product delivered to you. Now, Amazon and Flipkart have their fulfillment centers where you can store your products. You can directly ship your products to fulfillment center. However, it’s advisable that you first get it shipped to you, check it and then send it to the fulfillment center.
If you are getting the product from Alibaba, you have to provide your address to the manufacturer and pay him to ship it to you. It would take you around 2-3 days to get your product delivered. It’s advisable that you don’t pay the whole amount before you get the product in hand. You could pay an advance amount while placing your order and pay the rest when you get the product in good shape.
3. Start Selling
Now that you got the product ready, it’s time to start selling. To start selling, you first have to upload your products in the inventory of Amazon or Flipkart. You will get a complete guide on uploading products when you register yourself as a seller. Putting products online is very easy and takes less than few minutes to make your product live.
You have to click pictures of your products and upload them. I would advise you to take high-quality pictures or hire a photographer to do it for you.
It would be quite difficult for you to get sales initially. You have to do everything right to get on the first page of product searches. Write a perfect description about your product. Select a competitive price for your product.
There are also other ways to drive traffic to your product listed. Create a facebook page and start promoting your product there. You can lead visitors to your product on Amazon.
You can also start your own E-commerce web-site and lead your visitors to your product.
Bottom Line
Setting up a business online requires patience and hard work. You won’t start making big money from the first day itself. However if you stick to the plan, you can surely succeed here with time. Select the best products and don’t try to sell duplicate items. Be loyal to your customers and get positive reviews from your customers. Try to attract customers from all sources on internet including social media.
If you are looking for a detailed and extensive guide about the process of choosing the right product and starting to sell on Amazon, feel free to visit How to Start Selling on Amazon.
Some FAQs
Do I have to register a company to start selling on Amazon/Flipkart?
Yes, you have to register a company as it would give you legal permission and tax licence to sell your products.
How to get TIN/CST number?
To get a TIN or CST number, you have to register a company on your name. It could be either a proprietorship, partnership firm or a private limited firm.
How do I source products from Alibaba/China?
Firstly, do check out the products on Alibaba.com There are thousands of sellers selling your products on Alibaba. You can contact few of them and can ask for their final price. There is a certain minimum quantity that you have to order. If you are a new seller, you can ask them to provide you a sample piece.
How much money I need to start selling on Amazon/Flipkart?
There is no minimum requirement to start selling on these platforms. You can start with a single product also.
How to upload products on Amazon/Flipkart?
You have to make a seller account on these websites to get started. For amazon, you can make an account here
How to become best seller on Amazon/Flipkart?
These website check many factors to decide a bestseller. Most important of them are Sales and Reviews. Try to get as many as positive reviews for your product.
What is Amazon FBA?
Amazon FBA is basically Fulfillment by Amazon. It means Amazon will take care of all your packing, shipping and dealing with customers. You just have to pay them a little commission on each of your sale.
How much can I earn by selling on Amazon and Flipkart?
It all depends on how much you can sell. Sell good products, get good reviews and become a bestseller in your niche. There are people earning lakhs in profit every month.
Any question, feel free to ask us in comment section.
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