[dropcap size=big]Y[/dropcap]ou’ve finally done it! After months, if not years of hard work and perseverance, you not only launched a crowdfunding campaign, but successfully met your funding goal too. Your next step is to keep those orders coming in long after the campaign has ended. The usual route is to set up your own e-commerce store using a platform like Shopify or WooCommerce. This is a great option as it gives you the most control over how your products are displayed, marketed and fulfilled.
The downside is driving traffic can be difficult and expensive, especially for startups with brand new products.
But did you know internet juggernaut Amazon has a dedicated platform just for crowdfunding projects? It’s called Amazon Launchpad and getting your product listed there offers not only a ton of great resources, but access to millions of eager shoppers.
Amazon Launchpad is a dedicated category within Amazon.com that exclusively sells products funded by crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, accelerators or other incubators. These products are fulfilled by Amazon, which provides a way for buyers to try new and innovative products using a store they already know and trust.
Getting your product on Amazon Launchpad offers quite a few perks that wouldn’t normally be available to standard Amazon sellers. To start off they provide you with your own onboarding support specialist. They’ll help you through setting up your inventory forecasting and other troubleshooting that might pop up.
Probably the greatest perk of using Launchpad are the THOUSANDS of dollars worth of free credits you receive to use for Amazon services.
Amazon launchpad is an on-boarding and marketing program that functions on top of Amazon’s existing selling platform. That means that signing up with their existing vendor or seller central programs is required first before you can be admitted into Launchpad. If you’re growing rapidly and decide you’d rather sell your product outside of the Amazon Launchpad category, you’ll still be able to utilize your existing seller account.
Their are two kinds of accounts: vendors and sellers. The difference is that vendors sell their products directly to Amazon at a wholesale price, while Sellers list and ship their own products.
Joining is free if you’re already signed up as an Amazon vendor. If you instead have a seller account you pay a flat $39.99 a month. That price is paid outside the Launchpad program too.
Keep in mind that Amazon reserves the right to transition products out of the Launchpad program at their discretion. Startups typically last about a year before transitioning to a standard account.
The first step is sign up for an Amazon Seller account and upload your fascinating and genius product. Then there are a few requirements you must meet before being eligible to enroll in Launchpad:
Once you’ve crossed off those requirement you can head to the Amazon Launchpad sign up page. They’ll ask you for your company and product details, as well as any awards and media mentions you’ve received.
Enrolling in Amazon Launchpad may seem daunting, but the benefits are huge and it offers a great introduction into using Amazon as a sales platform.
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Many thanks for putting all this basic information together in a succinct post. Very helpful.