If you have been looking for ways to make quick money from home, Amazon should be your first port of call. Amazon isn’t just a marketplace, it is also an eCommerce giant that constantly churns out innovative products, services, and programs. The platform’s goals are all aimed at generating income. There are many ways to make money on Amazon, as long as you are ready to put in the work needed.
But AMZ isn’t the only one benefitting from its vast range of offerings. Other individuals and brands have also built successful ventures around Amazon’s ecosystem. And you, as a third-party seller, can make money in more ways than one.
Source: Statista
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Why choose Amazon?
Several other eCommerce platforms like Walmart, eBay, Shopify, and Etsy. However, AMZ leads the eCommerce industry by a mile. Because of the sheer size and reach of the platform, there are multiple ways to make money on Amazon.
In 2020 alone, AMZ accounted for 37.9% of all online retail sales in the U.S.A, as reported by Statista. This is a staggering number, considering how many retail stores are in the U.S. In 2020, AMZ generated $386.06 billion as annual revenue.
The website has around 300 million customers, most of whom have already built trust over the years. Their customer-centric approach to business has helped the eCommerce giant build long-term loyalty with its customers. More than 89% of U.S shoppers are more likely to purchase items from AMZ than any other eCommerce platform.
So, if you’re looking to earn income on the side, there are dozens of opportunities. In this article, we’ll share several methods by which you can be successful. We’ll share ways to make money on Amazon. You can choose the one that suits your skills, preferences, budget, and so on.
Interested in learning the different ways to make money on Amazon? Let’s get started.
What are the ways to make money on Amazon?
Making money from home is not impossible, and selling on AMZ is one way to make quick money from home. But what if you’d like to make money from home without selling products on AMZ? There are tons of ways to make quick money from home without selling a single product. Isn’t that awesome? Let’s discuss some of the most popular ways to make money on Amazon below.
Join the Amazon Associates Program
Do you know that you can still make money even if you don’t want to sell products on Amazon? Yes, with their Amazon affiliate program, Amazon Associates. The Amazon Associates program is one of the largest globally and is a great way to earn passive income online.
Do you have a wide reach or following online, either as a blogger, content creator, or website owner? Then you can make money from your traffic with the Amazon associates program. As an Amazon Associate, you do not sell products, you only recommend products and programs in any category to your audience. With a unique product link that contains your tracking code, you’ll earn a percentage of the total sale.
When your audience clicks on the affiliate link and purchases the product or service, you earn a commission on the sale. The percentage you earn for every sale depends on the product category.
Join the Influencers program
The Amazon Influencers program is an extension of the affiliate program, Amazon Associates. However, there is a difference: while Amazon Associates is for bloggers and website owners, the Amazon Influencer program is for social media influencers with an established following. This is one of the best ways to make money on Amazon without selling.
Are you a popular figure with a large following on social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, or Twitter? Then this program is right for you. You get to monetize your content without hassles.
Affiliates and associates usually have websites through which they generate sales. In contrast, influencers can create Amazon storefronts and direct traffic there.
As an Amazon influencer, you can recommend products or services to your followers through affiliate links, or you can drive traffic to your influencer storefront with a unique URL. When your followers purchase products on Amazon through your affiliate link, you earn a commission. You can also curate your personalized page where you can post shoppable photos, videos, and live streams. This is to help inspire your followers to shop for certain products on Amazon.
Joining the Amazon influencer program is a great way to make money on Amazon without selling, but it is not a get-rich-quick scheme. Top Amazon influencers report earning anywhere from a few dollars to a little over $1000 monthly, so the program doesn’t generate so much income. Here are a few tips that top Amazon influencers use to increase their earnings.
- Only upload products you can vouch for on your Amazon storefront.
- Promote products that are relevant to your audience
- Use compelling titles and product descriptions
- Keep your Amazon influencer storefront theme simple. Also, try to keep the number of products in your catalog between 5 and 25.
- Promote your products on social media. Adding products to your Amazon influencer storefront is not enough, you have to create awareness and drive traffic to your Amazon storefront.
Sell Branded Merchandise
Are you a graphic designer, artist, or content creator looking for a side stream of income? Then you can make money there with the Merch by Amazon program. This is a print-on-demand service that allows designers to sell branded merchandise carrying their designs without upfront costs. It is one of the more unique ways to make money on Amazon without selling.
You can display your creative designs on products like T-shirts, tote bags, hoodies, throw pillows, or pop sockets. Without manufacturing these branded products or holding inventory, you can still start selling. They bear the responsibility for production, shipping, and customer service.
How does Merch by Amazon work? You need to upload your original artwork to the platform and specify the product type and color. You also get to set the price yourself and add a description. When a customer places an order, they print the design on the product then, package the branded product, and ship it to the customer. You earn a royalty for every branded product sold.
You don’t have to be a professional designer to profit through Merch. As long as you can use basic design software like Canva and Adobe Photoshop, you can create designs that will make you money. Alternatively, you can outsource the design creation to a professional while you manage the Amazon storefront.
Sell handcrafted items on Amazon Handmade
“What can I sell online to make money?” is one of the common questions aspiring entrepreneurs ask. And this is only because they assume that selling branded products on Amazon is the only way to earn on the platform. Contrary to this assumption, creatives who would like to sell online can join the Amazon Handmade program to do so.
Amazon Handmade is an invitation-only program that allows makers and artisans to sell unique handcrafted items to Amazon customers. It is one of the coolest ways to make money on Amazon, too. So, if you enjoy creating and crafting things with your hands, you can turn your passion into a source of income when you join Amazon Handmade. You can make money by selling handcrafted products like pottery, jewelry, clothing, shoes, handbags, abstract art, etc.
The Handmade program is free to join. Although you have to join Handmade with a Professional Selling Account, they’ll waive the monthly subscription fee of $39.99. You also don’t have to pay any listing fees. However, there is a 15% referral fee for every item sold.
With Handmade, your craft gets massive exposure to millions of Amazon customers. Handmade sellers can create an artisan profile with a custom URL, which makes it easier for customers to find their shop.
Selling on Amazon Handmade is one of the best ways to make quick money from home, so it is not surprising that there are more handmade sellers now than there used to be. It can also double as a great side business because it does not require high upfront costs. Other than the materials needed for producing your products, there isn’t too much involved. Nevertheless, you must invest a lot of your time and energy into producing the items you sell.
Resell products through retail arbitrage
Everyone is happy when they walk into a retail outlet like Walmart and see discount prices on items. Why? Because it means they get to save money. But do you know discounted items can also make you money through retail arbitrage? Yes, it is one of the most underrated ways to make money on Amazon.
Retail arbitrage is simply buying products at a low price from retail outlets and reselling them at a higher price, thereby gaining a profit. All you need to do is take advantage of clearance sales, discounts, promos, coupons, etc. Although retail arbitrage takes a lot of work, you can make a significant amount of money by flipping products for profit. And it’s cheap and easy to start.
So if you have ever wondered, “what can I sell on Amazon to make money?” and you shop from retail stores frequently, then you should consider retail arbitrage.
Resell products through online arbitrage
Online arbitrage is similar to retail arbitrage in that you buy discounted products to sell at a higher price. However, while retail arbitrage involves buying from brick-and-mortar retail outlets, online arbitrage differs. It involves buying products at a lower price from other eCommerce platforms to resell them for a profit. Selling retail products on Amazon is one of the most popular ways for third party sellers to make money on Amazon.
Do you enjoy shopping for great deals but don’t want to go through the hassle of moving from one retail store to another? Then online arbitrage is a great way for you to make money.
If you’re interested in online arbitrage, then eBay is your best bet for products at the lowest prices. You can purchase goods for much lower than their retail price if you are skilled in bidding. Then you can list the products for sale at a higher price, but low enough to compete with sellers and get sales quickly. You can earn good profits by reselling products because of how much you have saved by buying on eBay.
If you’re looking to make your Amazon business your major source of income, then online arbitrage may not be right for you. Online arbitrage is difficult to scale into a sustainable Amazon business because of the relatively low profit margins. A limited inventory that relies heavily on discounts and deals affects this, too.
But if you only want to make money as a side income, you should explore online arbitrage. This option can be easily done from the comfort of your home, which makes it great as a side hustle. And like retail arbitrage, it requires minimal initial investment and is quick to start.
Sell your own private label products
Every day, you buy products ranging from food, kitchen appliances and clothing from popular brands. But do you know you can sell generic products under your brand? This business model involves selling private label products and is unarguably the most profitable and scalable way to profit.
Private labeling is the process of sourcing existing products from third-party manufacturers, preferably upgrading or modifying them. After rebranding generic products, you’ll start selling them under your brand name, logo, and packaging.
If you want to be a successful private-label seller, you have to choose the right product. The product you choose can either make or mar your business, so you have to ensure it is a profitable one. A profitable product is one with high demand, low competition, and healthy profit margins. Instead of choosing based on personal preferences or guesswork, you can conduct thorough research with an Amazon seller tool—we recommend Zonbase.
What is Zonresearch?
With ZonResearch, a product research tool provided by Zonbase, you can easily find a winning product to sell under your private label. Zonbase also has a Chrome Extension tool you can use to validate your product ideas. This is done by checking data about products such as price, sales rank, sales history, etc.
Your success is also dependent on creating optimized product listings. Do you know how to write compelling copy for product titles and descriptions? How about taking attractive photos? If yes, then your branded products may rapidly gain popularity.
To get the most out of private label selling, we recommend fulfilling your orders with Amazon’s Fulfilled-by-Amazon (FBA) program. Through FBA, you send your inventory to an Amazon fulfillment center for storage.
When a customer places an order, AMZ picks, packs, and ships the order for you. Their staff also handles customer support such as returns and refunds. With FBA, your products are eligible for Prime shipping, and faster delivery. FBA deals with the hassles of inventory storage and fulfillment for you, and you get to save costs, not have to worry about coming up with your own delivery service, and you can focus on scaling your business.
Resell products as a wholesaler
“What can I sell on Amazon to make money without building a brand?” Consider selling products in bulk on Amazon. You can make money as a wholesale seller. However, this is one of the most capital-intensive ways to make money on Amazon too.
As a wholesale seller, you buy branded products from manufacturers or suppliers in bulk quantities and get a discount on your purchase. Then you can resell those products as individual units at a higher price, thereby making a profit. You can use Zonbase’s sales rank estimator tool to check the sales rank. This is to check whether the branded product you want to resell will bring in high profit.
Selling wholesale is a great way to make passive income because you don’t have to invest so much in the product listing and advertising phase. You already get to leverage the popularity of established brands. Also, all you need to do is make another bulk purchase when your inventory is low.
The competition between wholesale sellers is high due to low barriers to entry. However, you can always distinguish yourself with competitive pricing and great customer service.
Become a Dropshipper
Dropshipping is one of the ways to sell on Amazon without stocking up on inventory. Here’s how it works; you simply serve as an intermediary between the customer and the manufacturer without having to hold inventory.
In other words, you can create listings and put up products for sale, but the manufacturer will be solely responsible for the fulfillment aspect. Dropshipping is the least tasking business model, but the only downside is that the profit margin is not as high as the other business models.
Sell off used items on Amazon
Although Amazon has a relatively large market for brand new items and is mostly known for selling new products, there is also a market for used items. Selling used items is one way to start an Amazon business without much capital. You can start with decluttering your home and selling off neatly used books or items that you no longer have use for.
To sell used items on Amazon, you will have to create listings like you normally would. However, the first to do when you decide to sell a used product on Amazon is to confirm if the product is already listed on Amazon. If it is, you won’t have to create a new listing but if it isn’t then you will have to create a new listing.
Publish your book with Kindle Direct Publishing
If you are a writer or someone who enjoys writing, it’s time to dig out your manuscripts. You can self-publish your books with Kindle Direct Publishing or Kindle Stores and get your work read by the millions of people who use Kindle readers. You can publish both eBooks and paperbacks for free on Kindle stores, without any capital investment in ordering inventory. You earn royalties for every book sold, ranging from 35% to 70%. You also get full rights to your work.
However, you have to be a prolific writer if you want to earn through KDP. While a few of your books may be bestsellers, you still need to publish a large number of books. Also, because you do not have a traditional publisher, you are responsible for marketing your books effectively.
Join the Amazon Mechanical Turk program
If you have been exploring ways to be successful online, then you’re certainly familiar with crowdsourcing websites like Upwork and Freelancer. But did you know that AMZ has its crowdsourcing marketplace called Mechanical Turk (MTurk)?
On MTurk, businesses outsource simple tasks that cannot be done effectively by computers to remote workers with relevant skills worldwide. These tasks range from audio editing, translation and transcription services, gathering information through surveys, image processing, etc. For every task completed, you earn a reward.
So, you’re looking for simple ways to earn online that do not require huge initial investments or reach a wide audience? Then you should explore the Mechanical Turk program. There are a thousand tasks available on the MTurk marketplace so you are sure to find one that suits your skills and interests.
The MTurk program is better suited to make extra income as earnings are not as high as those from selling your products. So, you can work on MTurk tasks in your spare time when other priorities do not tie you down.
Sell Professional Services on Amazon
AMZ is best known for its vast consumer product offerings. When people think about making money, they mostly think about products. They either think about selling products under different business models or recommending products through affiliate marketing. But are you aware that you can also sell your professional services on Home Services?
If you are a professional in any industry, you can sell your services in the store to customers in your vicinity. Selling services is quite popular with trade professionals, such as handymen, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, and general contractors. However, it applies to all service types in all professions, too.
So if you are a music instructor, web designer, or IT Specialist, you can also sell your services on the platform.
All you have to do is sign up as a seller, create your storefront, and put up your service offerings and prices. This can either be pre-packaged services or recurring services. You complete the job and get paid when a customer places an order. However, AMZ is entitled to a revenue share depending on the service type and price.
Home Services
It’s also easy to start because there are no upfront costs. You don’t have to pay startup fees, monthly subscription fees, or advertising fees. However, as a service provider, you must have general liability insurance with a limit of $1,000,000 U.S dollars per occurrence. They will also vet you, and you will have to pass a criminal background check. And for workers in the trade profession, you have to provide relevant licenses and certifications.
Deliver packages with Amazon Flex
They have one of the most formidable logistics and distribution infrastructures all over the world. And you can become a part of that network. With the Flex program, you can sign up to be a Delivery Partner/driver and deliver packages to customers.
If you have a vehicle and want to make some quick extra money, Flex is a great option. Flex drivers typically earn about $18-$25 per hour. And they make direct deposits to your account twice a week.
As the name implies, Flex affords you some flexibility. You are allowed to schedule the hours you would like to work, so you can easily plan your time around your other commitments. And unlike Uber, you are not driving passengers, so Flex is a great fit if you enjoy being alone.
All you have to do is download the Flex app, sign up and provide the required information. But first, make sure you meet the requirements to become a Delivery Partner.
Trade used items with Amazon’s Trade-In Program
Do you have old devices, electronics, and other items you no longer want? If you’re eyeing a new model, you can trade them in with AMZ’s Trade-In Program. When you trade eligible items in, you receive a gift card. The trade-in item(s) value depends on their model and condition. And while this is technically not a way to profit, gift cards are as good as money. Since you can use them to buy goods and services on AMZ, it’s like having money on hand.
Moreover, some trade-ins grant you a limited-time discount off some qualifying Amazon devices, so it’s also a great way to save money.
You can trade devices like Kindle eReaders and Echo devices, cell phones, video games, in addition to other categories.
Conclusion
As AMZ continues to innovate new services and programs, there will always be more opportunities for you to make money on Amazon. But you can start with these 13 ways to make quick money from home without making huge capital investments. Most of them are easy, require little initial investment, and can be done from the comfort of your home.
If you desire financial freedom or a business of your own, you can choose any options that suit your skillset and interests. There is no time to slouch with so many ways to make money on Amazon. It’s time to start making money.
Which of these options will you go for? Whichever you choose, you should always have access to a powerful keyword tool to help you succeed. Voted as the number one most accurate and best-value software for sellers, Zonbase should be your top choice.
