How To Sell on Amazon From Alibaba the Right Way

Looking to source your Amazon products from Alibaba but not sure where to start? Don‘t worry, in this comprehensive guide I‘ll walk you step-by-step through the entire process – from finding suppliers and products to shipping your inventory and launching listings.

As an experienced Amazon seller, I‘ve perfected efficient systems for finding quality wholesale products on Alibaba and leveraging Amazon‘s massive reach to sell them profitably. By following the strategies I lay out, you can tap into this powerful inventory source and rapidly scale your ecommerce business.

Here‘s a quick overview of what I‘ll cover:

• Understanding the difference between Alibaba and Amazon‘s business models
• Step-by-step guide to finding and vetting suppliers, ordering samples, inspecting quality, negotiating terms, and more
• Calculating shipping costs and importing your inventory to Amazon FBA
• Creating optimized Amazon product listings
• Avoiding common concerns around counterfeits, scammers, and policy violations

Let‘s get started!

Leveraging Alibaba Sourcing and Amazon‘s Marketplace

As an experienced Amazon seller since 2015, I‘ve learned firsthand that Alibaba and Amazon can be incredibly powerful tools when used together strategically.


With the right products, Amazon FBA can drive huge sales volume. (Image source: Pexels)

While Alibaba focuses mainly on B2B transactions, and Amazon on B2C and C2C, savvy sellers use Alibaba to source inventory at wholesale prices for pennies on the dollar.

Then, we leverage Amazon‘s unparalleled logistics network and 150 million loyal Prime subscribers to sell products at healthy retail markups. This allows for strong profit margins and provides the volume to scale up rapidly.

In 2022 alone, nearly 70,000 sellers surpassed $100k in sales on Amazon, largely thanks to the endless selection available via suppliers in China and the massive reach of Amazon‘s customer base.

By following the steps in this guide, you can put your own ecommerce business on the fast track to success.

Now let‘s get into the step-by-step process!

Step 1: Conduct Thorough Product Research

The first and most crucial step is choosing one or more winning products to sell on Amazon. While Alibaba makes it tempting to browse their catalog and pick items that way, this method rarely works.

Instead, conduct extensive product research and analysis on Amazon first. Why?

1. You need to validate demand on Amazon itself
2. Understand what competitors are doing
3. Identify opportunities in your niche

Failing to do this research dooms many new sellers. They source items that end up sitting in Amazon warehouses without sales for months.

Based on my experience managing over $5 million in Amazon sales, here is the product research process that I use:

Check Amazon Best Sellers and Movers & Shakers

• Browse Best Sellers to see current high-demand products across all categories.

• Check Movers & Shakers for trending items with sudden demand spikes.

• Look for opportunities to source similar products or enter categories with steady sales.

• But don‘t just source the same exact products – explore related items, bundles, or untapped niches.

Analyze Your Competition

• Search for your main keyword and scan the top 10 products.

• Check sellers‘ reviews, ratings, pricing, listings, and brand strength.

• See what‘s working for leading competitors – where could you improve?

• Identify gaps – products with weak listings or high prices?

Use Product Research Tools

Tools like Helium 10‘s Chrome extension, Jungle Scout, and Unicorn Smasher provide key data:

• Estimated monthly sales and revenue for products
• Average ratings and number of reviews
• Dimensions and weight for shipment calculations
• Sales rank category trends

This quantifiable data helps narrow down options.

Filter for the Perfect Product

Look for that sweet spot of high demand but low competition:

• Steady sales of at least 50-100 units per month
• Less than 5 pages of Amazon search results
• Only a handful of strong sellers dominating

Avoid super-crowded markets where you‘ll get buried.

With thorough research, you can confidently select winning products aligned with Amazon buyer demand – before even looking at Alibaba.

Step 2: Vet and Choose Suppliers on Alibaba

Once you‘ve identified market-validated products, it‘s time to search Alibaba for suppliers that can produce those items at wholesale costs.

But not so fast! The key here is thoroughly vetting suppliers upfront to weed out counterfeiters, scammers, and factories with quality issues.

While Alibaba does have verification programs, they are not foolproof protections. You must be diligent in evaluating suppliers yourself before placing orders.

Here are the criteria I use to select legitimate, reliable suppliers:

Key Supplier Qualities

• Verified or Gold supplier status
• 5+ years of activity on Alibaba
• 500+ transactions with good feedback
• Fast response times and fluent communication
• Willing to send samples for quality checks

Manufacturing Capabilities

• Ability to meet your minimum order quantities
• Quick production turnaround times
• Use of quality control and inspection processes
• Compliance with product safety standards

Fair Trading Terms

• Reasonable MOQs that fit your budget
• Payment methods like PayPal or Trade Assurance
• Willingness to negotiate pricing for bulk orders

Taking the time upfront to vet suppliers thoroughly gives you the highest probability of sourcing high-quality inventory without issues down the road.

I also recommend sourcing from 2-3 suppliers initially. This provides an option in case you have quality issues with one.

Step 3: Order Samples and Perform Quality Checks

Before you invest in a large bulk order, you need to order a product sample to inspect the quality firsthand.

Always order 1-2 units from your potential supplier labeled as "samples" so they know this is not the full order.

When the samples arrive, here are the checks I perform:

• Inspect against your product specifications – does it match exactly? Look for inaccuracies.
• Check materials, assembly, and manufacturing – are there any defects?
• Test functionality – does it work as intended?
• Compare to the listing images – are pictures an accurate representation?
• Check packaging quality – well-protected and presented?

If any issues are identified, provide feedback to the supplier requesting adjustments before they produce your main inventory order.

While paying for samples adds upfront costs, this quality control step protects you from getting stuck with large amounts of faulty, poor quality products – a nightmare scenario.

My rule of thumb is budgeting $100-200 for samples during this product testing phase.

Step 4: Negotiate Terms and Place Your Bulk Order

Once satisfied with your product sample, it‘s time to negotiate pricing and terms with the supplier prior to placing your bulk inventory order.

Pricing

Leverage larger order quantities for better per unit pricing. Aim for 20-30% margins after Amazon fees so you make sufficient profit.

Shipping

Ask if free or discounted shipping is included for substantial orders. This greatly impacts overall costs.

Minimums

Pay attention to MOQ requirements. Order what you can realistically sell in a few months.

Timeline

Confirm production and shipment timelines. Get progress updates from the factory during production.

When you‘ve negotiated fair terms, formalize the agreement and place your bulk order!

For your protection, use Alibaba Trade Assurance or PayPal payments on large orders over $1,000.

Step 5: Calculate Amazon Shipment Costs

Now comes the fun part – time to import your products from China and prepare Amazon FBA shipments!

First, understand your end-to-end shipping, import duties, and Amazon check-in costs:

Freight Forwarder vs Direct

• For air/ocean freight, compare rates of freight forwarders vs supplier direct.

• Forwarders provide expertise on consolidation, customs, docs, etc.

• Direct can be cheaper but you handle the importing complexity.

Courier Shipping

• DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc provide door-to-door express delivery.

• Fast but much pricier for large orders – estimate $5-10+ per kg.

Amazon Inbound Shipment Fees

• Size tiered storage fees
• Per unit prep and check-in fees

Factor these costs before importing to avoid losses! Get shipping quotes upfront.

Shipping Method Comparison

Now work with your supplier to organize shipping and provide required import documentation.

Step 6: Create Amazon Listings

The final step is developing compelling Amazon product listings and launching your items for sale.

Listing Optimization Tips

• Write creative titles and bullets focused on the most relevant keywords
• Craft enticing descriptions that build value and get customers excited
• Take professional photos on a white background – convey quality
• Set prices competitively based on your product research data
• Run promotions and ads to gain initial visibility and traction

With stellar listings driving traffic and conversions, sales will come rolling in!

Constantly refine based on reviews, A/B testing, and new competitor strategies. Optimize for continual improvement.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls with Alibaba Suppliers

While Alibaba is an amazing product sourcing resource, sellers must be aware of a few common pitfalls to avoid:

Counterfeit Products

Counterfeits are an issue. However, you can steer clear by:

• Thoroughly vetting suppliers
• Requiring certificates of authenticity
• Inspecting samples diligently

Fraudulent Sellers

Avoid scammers by:

• Only working with proactive sellers
• Confirming names match listings
• Using protected payment methods

Amazon Policy Violations

Carefully review Amazon‘s terms around intellectual property, safety requirements, and restricted products to avoid issues.

With careful supplier selection and product compliance, your business stays safe and suspension-free!

Conclusion

Sourcing inventory from Alibaba for your Amazon FBA business is an extremely powerful strategy, allowing you to find quality products at wholesale prices to sell for high margins.

Just be sure to thoroughly vet suppliers, inspect samples, accurately estimate costs, comply with Amazon‘s terms, and craft stellar listings.

While it takes diligence, sellers who perfect this Alibaba to Amazon process are handsomely rewarded with the ability to rapidly scale up revenue and growth.

So don‘t let fears hold you back. Follow this guide, and you‘ll be well on your way to sustainable ecommerce success!

I wish you the best of luck leveraging these two ecommerce powerhouses. Feel free to reach out if you need any further advice – I love helping fellow sellers succeed!