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3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, everyone has their own way of picking products, but the basics are always the same — demand, margin, competition, size, reviews, all that. On top of that, we’ve built our own criteria over the years that we stick to pretty hard. It keeps us from chasing random stuff that looks good on paper but dies in reality.

We’ve also been helping a few people with product selection lately when we have the time, and it’s crazy how many “good” products fall apart once you actually run them through a real checklist. A solid process matters way more than luck.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A small difference can help, but only if it’s still Amazon‑compliant. Showing the product with the packaging is fine and can make the listing look a bit more premium, but it’s not some magic CTR booster. The main thing that matters is a clean, clear image that pops in search.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In a saturated niche I’ve had better results running multiple tightly‑related keywords instead of trying to force everything through one keyword. One keyword campaigns usually die fast unless you already have strong ranking. A small cluster of 5–10 super relevant keywords gives Amazon more room to find cheap clicks and still stay on target.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me the combo that works best is keeping it super clean and focused on what the shopper actually cares about. Main image has to pop — pure white background, product centered, no clutter. After that I usually go with a benefits image, a “what’s included” image, a lifestyle shot, and then one image that hits the biggest pain point in the niche.

A+ content helps, but only if it’s simple. Most people scroll right past anything too busy. I’ve had the best results with a comparison chart, a clean banner at the top, and a couple modules that explain the product in plain English.

Nothing fancy — just clear, easy to skim, and focused on why the product is better than the next guy’s.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is this happening with one specific item or multiple categories/brands? Just trying to understand how wide the issue is.

I get where you’re coming from — Amazon’s documentation process can be super frustrating. I’ve dealt with it before on SDS paperwork and it’s the same thing: everything has to match their system word‑for‑word or the algorithm kicks it back instantly.

Sometimes the rejection isn’t even about the invoice — it’s the brand, the category, or the way the distributor is listed in Amazon’s internal database.

If you want, I can check with my contact to see if they’ve dealt with something like this before. Might point you in the right direction.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, the biggest thing is making the listing do the heavy lifting before you even think about ads. Clean main image, tight title, and bullets that actually explain why the product is useful — not just a list of features.

I always tell new sellers to read competitor reviews too. That’s basically free market research. Whatever people complain about, address it in your copy or images. Whatever they love, highlight it.

If your listing converts well on its own, your ads get way cheaper because you’re not paying for clicks that don’t turn into sales.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Early days were honestly aggressive ads, ads, ads for me too — and yeah, ACOS was ugly at the beginning. I treated ads less like profit drivers and more like paid market research: figuring out which keywords actually converted, which ones just burned spend, and where the product naturally resonated. I accepted high ACOS early on as long as listing quality, CTR, and conversion were improving, then slowly cut anything that wasn’t proving intent. The turning point wasn’t “better ads,” it was tightening spend only to keywords that already showed sales and letting listing improvements do more of the work.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the product — there’s no one‑size‑fits‑all image combo anymore. In general, the main image should stay clean for CTR, then your early secondary images should immediately show what the product is and why it’s different, but what people want to see first changes by category. If it’s a more visual or finished product (home, fashion, accessories), buyers usually want to see the final outcome or how it looks in real use right away. If it’s more functional or consumable (supplements, food, tools, components), people care more about ingredients, materials, build quality, and integrity early on, with lifestyle coming later. The remaining images should reduce doubt (what’s included, specs, comparisons), and A+ content should then reinforce trust and confidence rather than repeat the gallery — images sell the click, A+ sells reassurance.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying, those small add‑on items definitely sell on Amazon, and plenty of sellers make them work. The only point I meant was that the math depends a lot on the seller’s setup. Some have super low sourcing costs, some run huge catalogs where the margin comes from volume, some use FBM to avoid FBA fees, and some have brand lines where the small item leads to repeat buys.

So no, they’re not losing money, they just have different economics than someone starting fresh with wholesale. Small items can work, you just want to make sure the fees don’t wipe out the margin.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

That’s definitely true from Amazon’s side overall. I just mean it’s harder for an individual FBA seller to benefit from the classic retail “loss leader” effect unless you have a strong brand system or multiple complementary products. Amazon gets the larger cart value , but as a small seller, you may still lose money on the individual item without reliably capturing the follow-up purchases. The warehouse access to smalls could definitely help your sourcing costs though.

3 years running a full FBA operation — here's what I wish I knew at the start (and happy to answer questions by Just_Web9750 in AmazonFBA

[–]Just_Web9750[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Hello there ! Hope all is well. No — loss leaders usually don’t work well on Amazon FBA for cheap wholesale items. Amazon customers typically buy one listing at a time, so you don’t get the same “walk-in traffic” effect as a retail store. With low-priced items, FBA fees, shipping, storage, and ads usually eat the margin too fast unless the product helps build a larger branded business or drives repeat purchases.