This is a repost of a previous Tiny Marketing Lab Newsletter. If you haven’t been receiving my email newsletter, you can subscribe here.
Hello,
Do you think all Amazon accounts are the same? I often wonder why some Amazon Sellers make sales quickly while others struggle.
Earlier today, I checked some stats in the PODtomatic system.
I like to check the sales data to see which niches, quotes, or products are doing well. This helps me decide where to focus our uploads.
When I looked at the stats, I noticed that some new members who just joined us a few days ago are already making orders.
Check this out:
One account just started using PODtomatic, uploaded about 4,000 products in 20 days, and has already made 4 orders.
Another account uploaded around 2,000 products in about ten days and has made one order.
Meanwhile, some accounts have been with us for over two months and haven’t made a single sale…
(I’m being open about this because I want to show you both sides of PODtomatic.)
These accounts have uploaded between 12,000 and 17,000 products in the last 2-3 months.
Some didn’t get any sales, while others got 1-3 sales. One account even made 6 sales!
It amazes me why some people get many sales, while others don’t, even with almost the same number of products.
So, I checked their product pages on Amazon to see what the problem might be.
Here are some differences I found between accounts with zero sales, a few sales, and many sales.
Let’s start with the accounts that haven’t made any sales yet.
First, I found that their products were marked as “Currently Unavailable.”
This often happens with new accounts that haven’t verified their address on Amazon yet.
Second, some accounts haven’t applied for the GTIN Exemption yet.
To fix both issues: Make sure your Amazon account’s address is verified and apply for the GTIN Exemption.
I’ve written instructions for that here -> https://www.podtomatic.com/how-to
(Check the steps 2 and 3)
Third, I found that some products could sell but had no buy box.
Instead, it showed a button that says “See All Buying Options”:
This means customers have to click to see the price, and only then can they add it to their cart.
Products need to have a buy box like this:
With the buy box, customers can see the price, shipping, quantity, and can easily click “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now.”
Unfortunately, accounts without the buy box won’t make many sales.
**To fix this: **You need to find a way to get the buy box as soon as possible.
Usually, Amazon gives the buy box to accounts with sales.
But it can take time, and some people never get it, even after years of selling — I’m not sure why either.
There are some services online that may help, but I’ve never used them, so I can’t recommend any.
However, having the buy box is crucial; without it, you won’t make many sales.
Now, let’s talk about accounts that have made some sales but not many.
Most of these accounts also don’t have the buy box. They may have made a few sales from the “See All Buying Options,” but it’s not enough.
Another thing I noticed is that these accounts are either newly created or were inactive for years and just reactivated.
Amazon doesn’t say this, but new accounts seem to take longer to earn trust and credibility.
I saw many new accounts that made a few sales had the note “Just Launched” in their seller details and had no customer reviews.
This might hurt their products’ search rankings, causing fewer sales.
But remember — every established Amazon account was once a new account.
**The fix is simple: **Keep uploading new products and try to make sales.
Once your account builds sales history, customer reviews, fast shipping, and low cancellation rates, Amazon will reward you with better visibility.
Finally, let’s look at accounts that made many sales:
I noticed that most of these accounts have been on Amazon for years.
You can see that PODtomatic uploaded around 25,000 to 38,000 products, and they made around 30-60 sales, even in the slow Q3 season.
When I checked their accounts, I found that they tick all the boxes:
- They have the buy box for every product.
- They have many customer reviews.
- Some have brand registry.
- Their accounts have been active for many years.
Oh, let me show you the previous screenshot again.
These two accounts have also been selling on Amazon for years and have many customer reviews.
From what I’ve seen, established accounts tend to gain sales faster than new or inactive accounts that have just reopened.
An active, well-reviewed account gives a real edge when using PODtomatic.
Anyway, this is my analysis based on the stats from PODtomatic.
I could be wrong.
But I asked ChatGPT about this too, and it seems to agree with my thoughts.
I asked, “Do you know if established Amazon seller accounts get more perks, like better ranking in search results?”
Here’s what it said:
Yes, established Amazon seller accounts may enjoy certain advantages, even though Amazon doesn’t say it outright. These advantages include:
- Higher Trust and Credibility: Established sellers with good performance, positive reviews, and no account issues are trusted more by Amazon and customers. This trust boosts rankings in search results.
- Sales History: Amazon’s algorithm (A9) considers a product’s sales history. If a seller’s history is strong, their products are likely to rank higher because Amazon wants to promote items that sell well.
- Positive Seller Metrics: Established sellers with high ratings, fast shipping, and low cancellation rates usually get better visibility in search results.
- Buy Box Priority: Multiple sellers may offer the same product, but those with better metrics and longer history are more likely to win the buy box, leading to more sales.
- Access to Programs: Some programs like Amazon Brand Registry, Early Reviewer Program, and Amazon Vine are easier to access for sellers who have established themselves.
While just being around longer doesn’t guarantee a higher ranking, the benefits of a good reputation, consistent sales, and positive reviews really help with search placement.
So, it seems established accounts have more advantages on Amazon.
This relates to my own Amazon account too.
My Amazon account has been around for many years and has brand registry. It has made many sales from products uploaded through PODtomatic.
I like that Amazon rewards established accounts. It’s good for long-time sellers and creates a barrier for newcomers.
That said, it doesn’t mean new accounts can’t succeed.
New accounts can still succeed if they stick around long enough — not just a few months, but for years.
Like ChatGPT said, once you make sales, deliver quickly, and get good reviews, you’ll gain trust from Amazon.
Building trust takes time — you can’t do it in a day or a few months.
Alright, that’s it for this email.
I hope you found these insights helpful. If you have any theories, hit reply — I’d love to hear from you.
Now, back to work.
Talk soon,
—Bank K.
P.S. All the PODtomatic stats I shared were from Q3 (the slow season). The numbers might not look exciting. I’ll update you again after Q4 ends.
P.P.S. Actually, I added real-time order stats to the PODtomatic front page. You can check it out here -> PODtomatic
