Amazon Product Selection Strategy: Sample Evaluation and Supplier Selection Guide

An important step in successfully selling products on Amazon is evaluating samples to determine selections. This process not only involves understanding the price, ranking, reviews, sales volume, trademark and other information of the target product, but also includes actual testing of samples.

The importance of samples

It is essential to obtain samples of any product you plan to order and sell on Amazon, as the product may look very different in real life than in the photos. Even if the supplier looks great and the product photos look great, the actual quality may be lower than expected. Therefore, sample testing can avoid later returns and negative reviews caused by quality problems.

Sample analysis

For example, if a seller likes a circuit board, he can purchase double-sided and multi-layer circuit boards and test them separately to see what are the differences between the two-layer and multi-layer components, and which product has better quality. good.

Accounting costs and profits

After a product has gone through the process of audition, research, and sample testing, the seller should calculate its cost and gross profit. The cost of the product includes the cost of purchasing the product, platform commission, logistics freight and other expenses. In terms of gross profit, it should be calculated like this: Gross profit of a single product = selling price – purchase cost price – freight – platform commission fee – other expenses. Other expenses include promotion expenses, warehousing expenses, operating costs, etc. After comprehensive calculation, if this product still has a lot of profit potential, then this product can be developed.

Solving supply sources

After confirming that a product is profitable, sellers can safely find sources of goods. There are many ways to find sources of goods. For example, sellers can find manufacturers or brand agents, or they can find sources of goods on some B2B platforms. Regarding B2B platforms, there are domestic Alibaba (https://www.1688.com/) and foreign ones, such as European Yellow Pages (www.europages.cn). However, most sellers source their goods from China. This direct procurement method does not require sellers to worry about product factory and logistics tracking issues.

Sample quantity and identification

It is recommended to obtain samples from five factories. Get them from the suppliers with the best prices who are also better at communicating. You can also ask the factory to send some samples with logo to see the appearance, as well as some packaging samples. Once you have all your samples, label them to indicate who they came from. This avoids confusion as to which supplier sent which sample for easy reference.

Sample quality inspection

Check the quality of each sample very carefully, looking for any defects. Even though they may all be made of the same materials, the quality of those materials can vary dramatically. Request a list of factory quality problems and prevention methods. Understand potential issues customers may have with merchandise through damaged products or samples.

Select factory

The cheapest factory may also be the best quality. Likewise, the most expensive factory is not necessarily the one with the highest standards. Choose the factory that can provide sellers with the best quality samples overall, even if it’s a little more expensive. Then try lowering the price. There can be huge differences in quality and price between suppliers, so it is necessary to try to find multiple suppliers for the same product.

Final sample

Please request three additional final samples from the seller’s chosen supplier before placing your order. This allows sellers to double-check their quality standards. Try to make sure the sample is the same color as what will be ordered and, if possible, has the seller’s logo on it.

With correct sampling methods and careful sample inspection, it is possible to select a suitable factory and ensure that the product has consistent high quality standards. Don’t forget to talk to multiple vendors and compare the differences between different vendors before making a final decision. This will ensure that the selected supplier meets the seller’s requirements and can provide the best quality and service.