Affiliate Forum - JamesTheMarketer
The 3 Things That Truly Matter When You're Just Starting on Amazon
Quote from James A.Hart on July 16, 2025, 11:28 pmWhen you’re new to selling on Amazon, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are dozens of strategies out there — branding, influencers, email funnels, building a website, creating content, and more.
But in reality, only three things truly matter at the beginning. If you focus on these, you’ll move faster, save time, and avoid getting stuck.
Here’s what actually matters when you’re in the early stage — what we call Stage 1: The Grind.
1. Sales
The Amazon algorithm rewards one thing more than anything else: sales volume.
The more units you sell, the more Amazon sees your product as relevant and trustworthy — and the higher it will rank your product for relevant keywords.
If you’re making fewer than 20 sales per day, your entire focus should be:
How do I get more daily sales?Don’t worry about fancy branding or your next product. Just sell.
2. Reviews
Customer reviews drive two critical outcomes:
- Higher conversion rates: More reviews = more trust = more people buying.
- Higher rankings: Reviews still play a role in Amazon’s algorithm, even if they’re not the top factor.
If you have less than 50 reviews, that should be your second focus. Reach out to your network, follow up with buyers, and make it your mission to build up social proof.
One simple approach:
Make a list of 25 people you can ask for a review — people you can bug without hurting the relationship. That’s your starting point.3. Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
Once you hit around 15 reviews, it’s time to turn on Amazon PPC.
Why wait until 15 reviews? Because below that, your conversion rate is often too low to justify the spend.
Once you’re ready, PPC is your third growth lever. Bid on keywords you want to rank for. You’re not just buying clicks — you’re feeding Amazon’s algorithm with more sales data.
Cut the Noise — Focus on the Core
When you’re in Stage 1, ignore all the extra stuff: websites, press releases, influencers, or “brand building.”
Those things can wait.Your only job is to:
✅ Get to 20 sales per day
✅ Collect at least 50 reviews
✅ Use PPC once reviews are in placeThat’s the foundation for everything that comes next.
When you’re new to selling on Amazon, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. There are dozens of strategies out there — branding, influencers, email funnels, building a website, creating content, and more.
But in reality, only three things truly matter at the beginning. If you focus on these, you’ll move faster, save time, and avoid getting stuck.
Here’s what actually matters when you’re in the early stage — what we call Stage 1: The Grind.
1. Sales
The Amazon algorithm rewards one thing more than anything else: sales volume.
The more units you sell, the more Amazon sees your product as relevant and trustworthy — and the higher it will rank your product for relevant keywords.
If you’re making fewer than 20 sales per day, your entire focus should be:
How do I get more daily sales?
Don’t worry about fancy branding or your next product. Just sell.
2. Reviews
Customer reviews drive two critical outcomes:
- Higher conversion rates: More reviews = more trust = more people buying.
- Higher rankings: Reviews still play a role in Amazon’s algorithm, even if they’re not the top factor.
If you have less than 50 reviews, that should be your second focus. Reach out to your network, follow up with buyers, and make it your mission to build up social proof.
One simple approach:
Make a list of 25 people you can ask for a review — people you can bug without hurting the relationship. That’s your starting point.
3. Amazon PPC (Pay-Per-Click)
Once you hit around 15 reviews, it’s time to turn on Amazon PPC.
Why wait until 15 reviews? Because below that, your conversion rate is often too low to justify the spend.
Once you’re ready, PPC is your third growth lever. Bid on keywords you want to rank for. You’re not just buying clicks — you’re feeding Amazon’s algorithm with more sales data.
Cut the Noise — Focus on the Core
When you’re in Stage 1, ignore all the extra stuff: websites, press releases, influencers, or “brand building.”
Those things can wait.
Your only job is to:
✅ Get to 20 sales per day
✅ Collect at least 50 reviews
✅ Use PPC once reviews are in place
That’s the foundation for everything that comes next.
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