E-Commerce Strategies

How I Made $100,000 in My First 180 Days Selling on Amazon (Step-by-Step)

How I Made $100,000 in My First 180 Days Selling on Amazon (Step-by-Step)

Feb 27, 2025

Want to make $100,000 in six months selling on Amazon? Here's how I did it:

  • Product Selection: Focused on high-demand, low-competition items priced $10–$70 with fewer than 200 reviews and under 5 pounds.

  • Professional Seller Account: Chose the $39.99/month plan for advanced tools and features, saving on per-item fees.

  • Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA): Let Amazon handle storage, shipping, and customer service while I focused on scaling.

  • Marketing Strategy: Used Amazon PPC campaigns, deals, and coupons to boost visibility and sales.

  • Customer Reviews: Invested in Amazon Vine and requested reviews to build trust and improve rankings.

  • Inventory Management: Avoided stockouts with a 60-day stock supply and automated restock alerts.

Key Tools: Product Opportunity Explorer, SellerSprite for market analysis, and built-in sales tracking tools.

Follow these steps to replicate my success and start building your Amazon business today.

Getting Started: Research and Setup

Individual vs Professional Seller Accounts

When starting on Amazon, picking the right account type is a big decision. The Individual plan charges $0.99 per item sold, but I went with the Professional account for $39.99 per month. Why? Because I planned to sell more than 40 items monthly, and this plan offered the tools I needed to hit my $100,000 target.

Here's a quick breakdown of the two account types:

Feature

Individual Plan

Professional Plan

Monthly Fee

None

$39.99

Per-Item Fee

$0.99 per sale

None

Buy Box Eligibility

No

Yes

Bulk Listing

No

Yes

Advertising Tools

Limited

Comprehensive

Inventory Management

Basic

Advanced

Best For

Fewer than 40 items/month

More than 40 items/month

Once I settled on the Professional account, I focused on gathering the right tools to make my Amazon journey smoother.

Required Amazon Selling Tools

Amazon
  1. Product Research Tools

    Amazon's Product Opportunity Explorer became my go-to resource. It helped me boost gross sales by 1.79% over 12 months.

  2. Market Analysis Software

    I relied on SellerSprite to analyze the market. This tool tracked competitor pricing, inventory, and keyword trends, giving me a competitive edge.

  3. Sales and Inventory Tracking

    The Professional account’s built-in tools provided detailed sales reports and inventory management, which were crucial for maintaining profitability and stock control.

With these tools in hand, I was ready to dive into product selection.

Finding Products That Sell

To reach my $100,000 goal, I focused on finding high-demand products with low competition. With 57% of consumers starting their shopping searches on Amazon, understanding how people search was critical.

Here’s the criteria I used for product selection:

  • Price range: $10–$70

  • Reviews: Fewer than 200

  • Weight: Less than 5 pounds

  • Monthly sales: Over 300 units

I also dug into customer reviews to uncover frustrations, feature requests, and areas where competitors were falling short. This approach helped me avoid common mistakes - after all, nearly half of Amazon sellers (47%) struggle with choosing the right products.

Product Selection and Setup

Working with Suppliers

After completing my product research, I focused on finding dependable suppliers on Alibaba. I specifically looked for those with the 'Verified Supplier' and 'Trade Assurance' badges. To ensure quality, I requested product samples and carefully reviewed them. Once satisfied, I negotiated terms by maintaining clear and consistent communication. With trustworthy suppliers in place, I moved on to creating product listings designed to drive sales.

Writing High-Converting Listings

Did you know that 95% of Amazon listings are set up incorrectly? That’s why I put extra effort into optimizing my product pages. Here’s what I focused on:

  • Title Optimization: I placed the most important keyword at the very start of the title to improve search visibility.

  • Bullet Points: I crafted bullet points that highlighted key features, explained the benefits, and solved common customer pain points.

  • Professional Photography: I invested $800 in high-quality product photos because 75% of online shoppers rely on images to make buying decisions. Each listing included a clean white background for the main image, lifestyle photos, detailed infographics, and close-up shots to showcase the product clearly.

With optimized listings in place, I turned my attention to streamlining the fulfillment process.

Setting Up FBA Shipping

To manage inventory efficiently, I used Amazon's FBA program. I started with a 60-day stock supply, reordering when about 30 days of inventory remained, while keeping a 15-day safety buffer. To avoid overstocking, I capped inventory at 90 days. Next, I created a compliant shipping plan in Seller Central, ensuring it met Amazon’s strict FBA guidelines. This included proper labeling, packaging, detailed box content information, and selecting carriers based on cost and delivery time.

How I Sold $300k My First 6 Months - Amazon FBA (Step By Step)

Marketing Your Products

Once the listings were optimized, the focus shifted to driving targeted traffic using PPC campaigns and other promotional strategies.

Amazon PPC Guide

To boost visibility, I launched PPC campaigns. With an average Amazon conversion rate of 9.87% and a CPC of $0.89, I began with an automatic campaign to collect data. Based on this, I transitioned to manual campaigns using broad, phrase, and exact match types. By adjusting bids strategically - especially on weekends - I managed to lower the ACoS from 30% to 22.66% within four months.

Using Amazon Deals and Coupons

To increase sales, I utilized Amazon's deals and coupon features. Each redeemed coupon cost $0.60. I scheduled Lightning Deals during peak shopping hours, ran 7-Day Deals for launching new products, and offered Prime-Only Discounts to attract Amazon's most dedicated customers. For higher-priced items, money-off coupons worked better than percentage-based discounts.

Getting More Product Reviews

Reviews play a critical role in influencing buyer decisions, with more than 90% of shoppers reading online ratings before purchasing.

"The more reviews you have, and the better those reviews are, the higher your products are going to rank in Amazon's algorithm system. The higher the number of stars and the higher the rating, the greater your conversion rate is going to be."

I invested $200 in Amazon's Vine program and consistently used the "Request a Review" tool, increasing daily review rates by 41%. To remain compliant with Amazon's policies, I included neutral product inserts with care instructions and subtle reminders about reviews.

These efforts not only built customer trust but also laid the foundation for long-term growth.

Growing Your Amazon Business

After achieving initial sales success, the next logical step was scaling. With a solid product lineup in place, I focused on expanding operations through careful analysis and strategic decisions.

Reading Sales Reports

Amazon Seller Central offers detailed reports across six areas: Sales Management, Inventory, Finance & Remittance, Order Details, Supply Chain & Operations, and Merchandising. I reviewed these reports weekly to identify trends and opportunities for growth.

Here are the three metrics I prioritized:

  • Sales Performance Analysis: Tracking daily and weekly sales patterns helped me identify peak selling periods. This data guided inventory planning and advertising investments during high-demand times.

  • Marketing Effectiveness: By keeping an eye on conversion rates and advertising costs, I ensured profitability as sales grew. If ad costs exceeded my targets, I adjusted keyword bids or paused underperforming campaigns.

  • Inventory Health: Automated alerts notified me when inventory levels reached minimum thresholds. This system helped prevent stockouts and kept cash flow steady.

These insights were instrumental in deciding when and how to expand my product offerings.

Adding New Products

Using market insights, I identified complementary products that appealed to my current customers.

"We launched our business straight out of the gate with Amazon and went from about 20K to 30K a month all the way to 130K a month. Mind blown!" - Justin Dyson, Kids N' Such

Instead of sticking strictly to numbers, I assessed potential products based on factors like sales trends, profit margins, competition, and Best Sellers Rank. This approach allowed for smarter product selection.

Stock Management Tips

Managing inventory effectively was key to maintaining momentum. Here’s what worked for me:

  • Safety Stock System: I kept a buffer stock for top-selling items, factoring in supplier lead times and seasonal demand. This minimized the risk of running out during unexpected surges.

  • ABC Product Classification: I grouped inventory into high, medium, and low-priority categories. Each group had tailored review and reorder schedules based on its performance.

  • Supplier Relations: Building strong relationships with suppliers gave me the leverage to negotiate better payment terms, which eased cash flow during periods of growth.

Conclusion

Success Factors

I hit $100,000 in Amazon sales within 180 days by carefully planning and following through on key strategies. According to market data, 19% of Amazon sellers achieve over $10,000 in monthly sales, and 58% turn a profit within their first year.

Here’s what worked for me:

  • Smart Product Selection: I chose products with strong, recent reviews and solid profit margins. Data shows that 57% of sellers maintain margins above 10%, and 28% hit margins over 20%.

  • Efficient Inventory Management: Keeping stock levels balanced and setting up automated restock alerts helped me avoid lost sales and maintain Buy Box eligibility.

  • Effective Marketing: I focused on keyword optimization and strategic PPC campaigns to increase visibility and tackle common challenges sellers face.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some common pitfalls sellers encounter, along with ways to sidestep them:

Mistake

Impact

How to Avoid

Poor supplier vetting

Quality problems, delayed shipments

Start with test orders; verify suppliers

Lack of market research

Entering oversaturated or low-margin niches

Use tools like JungleScout for validation

Neglecting customer service

Lower ratings, reduced Buy Box chances

Keep feedback above 80%; resolve issues quickly

Incorrect pricing strategy

Lost sales, reduced profits

Factor in all costs, including FBA fees

Avoiding these mistakes can save you time, money, and frustration as you grow your business.

Getting Started Checklist

Before launching, make sure your setup and strategies are on point:

  1. Business Foundation

    • Create a business email and secure a tax ID.

    • Decide between the Individual plan ($0.99 per item) or the Professional plan ($39.99/month).

    • Ensure you have enough starting capital.

  2. Product Launch Preparation

    • Use market analysis tools to identify promising products.

    • Verify supplier credentials and order samples.

    • Calculate all costs, including FBA fees.

  3. Marketing Framework

    • Optimize your product listings with the right keywords.

    • Plan your initial PPC campaigns.

    • Set up inventory alerts to avoid stockouts or overstocking.

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