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From beginner questions like “I want to start selling online, but where should I begin?” to challenges faced by sole proprietors and small to medium sized businesses, such as “I want to attract more customers to my company’s ecommerce” and “I want to grow my own brand.” This article explains the latest on how to start selling online in 2026 in six steps designed to help both individuals or corporations succeed.
Selling online continues to be a growing sector. In addition to individual customer spending, online business-to-business transactions are advancing, making online sales channels increasingly important year by year.
On the other hand, there are many points where sellers face uncertainties before getting started, such as “I don't know what to sell,” “I'm concerned about shipping and customer support,” and “I’m not sure whether a marketplace or my own website is a better fit.”
In the six steps below, we will walk you through the process necessary for selling online, from business planning to operations and attracting customers, in order.
On the other hand, there are many points where sellers face uncertainties before getting started, such as “I don't know what to sell,” “I'm concerned about shipping and customer support,” and “I’m not sure whether a marketplace or my own website is a better fit.”
In the six steps below, we will walk you through the process necessary for selling online, from business planning to operations and attracting customers, in order.
Six simple steps to start selling online
Follow these steps to start selling online.
Is it too late to start selling online?
No, it's never “too late” to start selling online.
Japan’s ecommerce sector continues to grow steadily. Currently, digitalization is advancing not only in consumer markets but also in business-to-business transactions, with commerce itself continuing to shift online. In other words, rather than “already being fully saturated,” it’s a field that is expected to continue expanding in the future.
In fact, the size of the consumer ecommerce market reached about ¥26.1 trillion in 2024, and recorded an increase of about 5% from about ¥24.8 trillion the previous year. In addition, the ecommerce sector of business-to-business transactions reached a size of about ¥514 trillion in 2024, increasing by over 10% from the previous year, indicating that the digitalization of commerce is advancing even further. ¹ With
Amazon, you can start small with the Individual selling plan which has no monthly fees and only charges fees when you make a sale, allowing you to reduce risk as you get started. On the other hand, if you want to get serious, you can aim for increased sales by utilizing expansion tools such as advertising through the Professional selling plan. The ecommerce sector continues to grow, and now is the perfect time to start small and explore larger opportunities.
¹ Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, “FY2024 Digital Transaction Environment Development Project (Ecommerce Market Survey)”
Japan’s ecommerce sector continues to grow steadily. Currently, digitalization is advancing not only in consumer markets but also in business-to-business transactions, with commerce itself continuing to shift online. In other words, rather than “already being fully saturated,” it’s a field that is expected to continue expanding in the future.
In fact, the size of the consumer ecommerce market reached about ¥26.1 trillion in 2024, and recorded an increase of about 5% from about ¥24.8 trillion the previous year. In addition, the ecommerce sector of business-to-business transactions reached a size of about ¥514 trillion in 2024, increasing by over 10% from the previous year, indicating that the digitalization of commerce is advancing even further. ¹ With
Amazon, you can start small with the Individual selling plan which has no monthly fees and only charges fees when you make a sale, allowing you to reduce risk as you get started. On the other hand, if you want to get serious, you can aim for increased sales by utilizing expansion tools such as advertising through the Professional selling plan. The ecommerce sector continues to grow, and now is the perfect time to start small and explore larger opportunities.
¹ Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, “FY2024 Digital Transaction Environment Development Project (Ecommerce Market Survey)”
How Anker grew from a side business into a global brand with Amazon
Did you know that Anker Technologies, a global sales company known for its mobile phone chargers and mobile batteries, originally started out as a small scale online selling side business on Amazon? Founder Steven Yang and his wife initially began with a dropshipping model of selling online, which didn’t require inventory or shipping management, alongside their main jobs. Their experience with this side business led them to realize that there was a strong demand for portable charging devices, which eventually led to the creation of Anker. As sales gradually took off, they transitioned from a side business to a main venture and began focusing on the business. Today, Anker has grown into a global company offering products worldwide.
Like Anker, which started with a sales model that didn’t require inventory or shipping management, reducing the burden logistics can be a key factor when making a leap forward in business. By utilizing services like Amazon's FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon), businesses can streamline their shipping operations and create an environment that allows them to focus on their core business activities, such as product development and brand building.
Like Anker, which started with a sales model that didn’t require inventory or shipping management, reducing the burden logistics can be a key factor when making a leap forward in business. By utilizing services like Amazon's FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon), businesses can streamline their shipping operations and create an environment that allows them to focus on their core business activities, such as product development and brand building.
The profitability of selling online
When selling online, your sales tend to continue to grow year-on-year. For aspiring entrepreneurs and growing companies, selling online can be a highly profitable model, either as the sole purpose of the business or as an additional selling channel.
How to start selling online from scratch
Here, we’ll explain the steps involved for beginners who want to start selling online from scratch, from developing an idea to actually operating online sales.
Step 1: Designing a business concept and validating “sellable” product ideas
Before opening an online store, think about your business concept, such as what issues you want to solve and what kind of audience you’ll be targeting. There are several ways sellers decide what products to sell or build. Here are some important decisions to make when you’re trying to start selling online.
Identify potential customer needs
Start by defining what kind of problems or challenges you want to address through your business when selling online.
When developing product ideas, it is helpful to consider the following perspectives.
When developing product ideas, it is helpful to consider the following perspectives.
- What kind of frustrations or areas for improvement exist with current products?
- Who is most likely to feel those challenges strongly?
- If those issues are resolved, which kind of customers would likely find the most value?
To sustain your business, it's important to consider whether there's sufficient demand.
For example, high-quality kitchenware may target people who enjoy cooking, while durable yoga mats may target yoga enthusiasts and instructors.
For example, high-quality kitchenware may target people who enjoy cooking, while durable yoga mats may target yoga enthusiasts and instructors.
Tips for developing product ideas
When brainstorming product ideas, your own experiences and feedback from people around you can be helpful, but you can also use information from Amazon.co.jp, such as the examples below, to help you assess whether there’s demand for your product.
•Amazon Best Seller ranking:
By reviewing products that consistently sell well, you can understand the price ranges, specifications, and volume that are actually supported.
•Repeatedly searched keywords:
By understanding what goal customers have in mind and the problems they are trying to solve when searching for products, you can gauge the level of demand and hypothesize about specific usage scenarios.
•Amazon reviews and ratings (star rating) for top-selling products:
By analyzing the reasons behind high ratings and the complaints in low ratings, you can identify the strengths and areas for improvement in existing products and use that to consider points of differentiation.
By reviewing products that consistently sell well, you can understand the price ranges, specifications, and volume that are actually supported.
•Repeatedly searched keywords:
By understanding what goal customers have in mind and the problems they are trying to solve when searching for products, you can gauge the level of demand and hypothesize about specific usage scenarios.
•Amazon reviews and ratings (star rating) for top-selling products:
By analyzing the reasons behind high ratings and the complaints in low ratings, you can identify the strengths and areas for improvement in existing products and use that to consider points of differentiation.
By reviewing products that are already being purchased and keywords that are consistently searched, you can better understand what aspects customers value and where they feel dissatisfied. In this way, using data to assess demand is an effective approach for product evaluation.
By examining this data, you can gather information to consider “whether there’s likely demand” and “whether the business is viable.”
By examining this data, you can gather information to consider “whether there’s likely demand” and “whether the business is viable.”
Step 2: Procure your products
Once you’ve defined
the products you will be selling online and your target customers, the next thing to consider is how to procure those products.
While the appeal of the product itself is important, the source and method of procurement can also impact operational risks and brand value down the line. For this reason, it’s important to keep stability and risk management in mind when considering procurement methods.
the products you will be selling online and your target customers, the next thing to consider is how to procure those products.
While the appeal of the product itself is important, the source and method of procurement can also impact operational risks and brand value down the line. For this reason, it’s important to keep stability and risk management in mind when considering procurement methods.
How to procure products
Description
It’s relatively easy to start purchasing and selling, so they are recommended options for first-time online sellers. Building products gives you the most control over quality and design. Compared to purchasing and selling, it’s easier to differentiate from other companies' products, which also increases your advantage.
If you plan to develop original products or in-house brands, it’s also important to consider brand protection and measures against counterfeit products.
Amazon provides a program called Brand Registry for brand owners who’ve acquired trademarks. By utilizing it, it may be easier to manage product information and respond to counterfeit products and fraudulent listings.
For brand owners, utilizing this program to protect their brand value is a key factor for sustainable, long-term operations.
If you plan to develop original products or in-house brands, it’s also important to consider brand protection and measures against counterfeit products.
Amazon provides a program called Brand Registry for brand owners who’ve acquired trademarks. By utilizing it, it may be easier to manage product information and respond to counterfeit products and fraudulent listings.
For brand owners, utilizing this program to protect their brand value is a key factor for sustainable, long-term operations.
Step 3: Choose a channel for selling online
Online sales can be done through your own website, existing ecommerce websites such as Amazon, or a combination of both. ¹ Amazon is the ecommerce site with the highest number of monthly users in Japan, with 67.24 million visitors, and is used by a wide range of age groups.
When selecting a sales channel, it’s important to consider initial costs, customer acquisition capabilities, and operational load. While having your own website offers a high degree of operational freedom, it requires more effort for launching and attracting customers. Ecommerce websites such as Amazon are characterized by their high customer acquisition capabilities, allowing you to start selling relatively quickly and smoothly.
When selecting a sales channel, it’s important to consider initial costs, customer acquisition capabilities, and operational load. While having your own website offers a high degree of operational freedom, it requires more effort for launching and attracting customers. Ecommerce websites such as Amazon are characterized by their high customer acquisition capabilities, allowing you to start selling relatively quickly and smoothly.
What are the differences between your own ecommerce website and Amazon?
Comparison of sales channels
Own website
Ecommerce sites
such as Amazon
¹ Source: Nielsen Digital Co., Ltd. “Digital Contents Audience Rating, May 2024, Monthly Total Report”
So far, we’ve looked at the considerations for selecting sales channels when selling online. Next, let's look at the advantages of selling on Amazon.
Selling on Amazon
With Amazon, it’s easy to start sales promotions with new seller benefits and the sales promotion tools provided by Amazon. Here are some benefits of selling online on Amazon.
Six advantages of selling on Amazon
Ability to attract customers
The number of monthly users on Amazon, which is number one in Japan, has exceeded 67.24 million people¹, so you’ll be able to reach many users.
¹ Source: Nielsen Digital Co., Ltd. “Digital Contents Audience Rating, May 2024, Monthly Total Report”
¹ Source: Nielsen Digital Co., Ltd. “Digital Contents Audience Rating, May 2024, Monthly Total Report”
A simple listing process
Getting started is as simple as creating a seller account and adding products one product at a time. If you already have what you want to sell, you can start selling it in as little as 10 days.
Shipping services
• You can use FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) services and let us handle shipping, customer support, and returns. It will significantly reduce the amount of in-house effort needed, making it easier to expand your business.
Sales promotion support
Use Amazon’s tools for processing payments, managing reviews, running promotions, etc. Also, we’re offering an Incentive program to promote sales for Professional sellers who’ve started selling on Amazon.
*Regarding the Incentive program, “there is a possibility that it will end or the content will change without notice”
*Regarding the Incentive program, “there is a possibility that it will end or the content will change without notice”
Learning and support system for sellers
You can learn how to successfully sell online for free at Amazon Seller University. You can also ask questions and view other sellers' posts on Seller Discussion Forums, which is an online forum for Amazon sellers. These resources are valuable sources of information for online sales support and troubleshooting on Amazon.
Building and protecting your brand
With Amazon Brand Registry, you can use brand building programs such as store pages and Vine, which gathers reviews, to improve brand awareness.
Amazon is also focusing on protecting brands so that brand owners can sell with peace of mind.
Amazon is also focusing on protecting brands so that brand owners can sell with peace of mind.
Step 4: Setting up your online store
Once you’ve defined products to be sold and your target customers, the next step is to prepare to actually start selling online.
In this step, we'll look at how to set up a store.
In this step, we'll look at how to set up a store.
Come up with a store name
Your store name or brand name is one of the first things that customers see. For that reason, it is generally common to choose a name that is simple, memorable, and easy to associate with your company or products.
Creating attractive product listings
Product descriptions are what customers will read to decide if the product will fit their needs. With selling online, it's important to write a thorough description that will convince a customer to make a purchase.
Product titles, images, product specifications, descriptions, and keywords are all important factors that get customers to make a purchase.
Product titles, images, product specifications, descriptions, and keywords are all important factors that get customers to make a purchase.
Step 5: Launching and operating things when selling online
After starting to sell online, it's important to ensure stable daily operations. By providing accurate product information, a smooth payment experience, appropriate shipping, and timely promotional strategies, you can create an environment where customers can shop with confidence.
In addition, since the post-purchase experience also affects satisfaction, accumulating reviews is another important factor in sustaining your online business.
In addition, since the post-purchase experience also affects satisfaction, accumulating reviews is another important factor in sustaining your online business.
Key points to consider for operations, such as shipping and inventory management
- Selling online involves tasks such as storage, packaging, shipping, and handling returns
- As your sales volume increases, the workload for these operations tends to grow as well
- In addition to handling the tasks in-house, there’s also the option of outsourcing them to an external service provider
What is the Amazon FBA system, which handles everything from packaging and shipping to returns?
On Amazon, you can use a service called FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon). With FBA, you can send your products to Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we’ll handle order processing, packaging, shipping, customer service, and returns. This helps reduce the workload associated with shipping and inventory management, while making it easier to maintain a consistent level of shipping quality. In addition, by outsourcing part of your operational tasks, you may be able to dedicate more time to product development, sourcing, and marketing strategies.
The best way to build a shipping system varies depending on the scale of your business and your operational strategy, but FBA can be considered as one option for improving operational efficiency when selling online.
Analyze sales performance for your online store
Analytics lets you see how online store visitors are interacting with products. Commonly, channels selling online have analysis tools and reports, or have an option to install a third-party analytics program.
Analyzing performance on a regular basis is critical to successfully selling online. Analytics is also where you can evaluate account performance by tracking orders, assessing customer service and returns, running promotions and advertising, and beyond.
If you are a registered brand owner selling on the Amazon store, you can access advanced reports like the following with Brand Analytics.
Analyzing performance on a regular basis is critical to successfully selling online. Analytics is also where you can evaluate account performance by tracking orders, assessing customer service and returns, running promotions and advertising, and beyond.
If you are a registered brand owner selling on the Amazon store, you can access advanced reports like the following with Brand Analytics.
- Products winning the most clicks on strategic search terms
- Products or brands that customers are reordering (repeat behavior)
- Top products most commonly purchased alongside a product
Get reviews
Reviews are an important factor for online shoppers making purchasing decisions. To get reviews, it’s necessary to pay attention to various things, such as careful packaging, speedy delivery, well-organized and easy-to-understand product pages, and post-sales services after purchasing.
Amazon automatically requests customer reviews on behalf of sellers who are selling online. Additionally, brand owners who’ve completed Amazon brand registration can also use the Amazon Vine tool to get feedback on new products from Amazon’s official certified reviewers.
When you’re starting a new branded product, these reviews can help drive initial sales. These reviews in turn can help customers make informed buying decisions.
Amazon automatically requests customer reviews on behalf of sellers who are selling online. Additionally, brand owners who’ve completed Amazon brand registration can also use the Amazon Vine tool to get feedback on new products from Amazon’s official certified reviewers.
When you’re starting a new branded product, these reviews can help drive initial sales. These reviews in turn can help customers make informed buying decisions.
Step 6: Marketing and product promotion when selling online
Marketing and product promotion are one of the key factors that support both business launch and sustained growth when selling online. Through appropriate strategies, you can broaden opportunities for more customers to discover your products and brand, regardless of the sales channel you use.
When considering marketing strategies, it's important to consider not only "how many people see your products," but also "when and to which customers they are shown."
Here, we introduce some typical promotional strategies used in online selling.
When considering marketing strategies, it's important to consider not only "how many people see your products," but also "when and to which customers they are shown."
Here, we introduce some typical promotional strategies used in online selling.
Increase awareness of your online store and products
Advertising campaigns boost the visibility of your brand and products. Amazon offers a variety of programs to help you promote your products and attract customers.
- Sponsored Products show up within Amazon product listing pages and can give new products a boost in visibility to Amazon’s 300 million shoppers.
- Sponsored brands (available to registered brand owners) show a headline, logo, and up to three products at the top of a product search results page.
- Stores (available to registered brand owners) have customized pages for individual brands where you can showcase the brand story and products.
Such search-related advertising makes it easier to deliver information to customers at the moment they are searching for products, and is considered one approach to reaching high-intent customers.
Social media marketing
Since the majority of customers frequently use social media (or social networking services) every day, you can use them to raise brand and product awareness. Build a social media strategy, such as creating accounts for yourself or your brand, posting regularly, interacting with social media users, and using social influencers to promote your product.
Start selling online on Amazon
Up until now, many sellers have relied on Amazon to drive business growth. Amazon's selling programs are designed to give customers the widest possible choice. Why not consider starting selling online with Amazon?
Start now and get up to 7,875,000 yen back
Start your journey with a little less risk. To help you succeed, we offer New Seller Incentives, including up to 7,875,000 yen back from branded sales, credits to try cost-per click (CPC) advertising or kickstart your product reviews, and more—plus discounted Prime shipping, storage, returns, and more with Fulfillment by Amazon.
You sell it,
we ship it
Shipping operations take more time than you might imagine. With FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon), you can leave the shipping operations and customer service to us. Amazon helps you easily and quickly deliver products to a large number of customers through the FBA service.
Q&A on selling online
What are the advantages of selling online?
Here are three main advantages.
• Being able to conveniently sell products 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Possible to reach a wide range of customers across different regions/countries
• Possible to operate at a low cost compared to opening a new physical store, and being able to start small with a fewer number of products and less inventory
• Being able to conveniently sell products 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• Possible to reach a wide range of customers across different regions/countries
• Possible to operate at a low cost compared to opening a new physical store, and being able to start small with a fewer number of products and less inventory
Can I sell online on my own?
Any corporation, sole proprietor, or individual can start selling online on Amazon.
Please check here for instructions on how to register your account
Please check here for instructions on how to register your account
Are there any points to keep in mind when running an online store as an individual seller?
It's important to check costs, sellable products, and relevant laws and regulations beforehand.
Please check below for details.
Please check below for details.
• Confirm costs associated with online sales:
You’ll need to confirm how much it costs to open and run your online store in advance. Click here for the cost of selling online on Amazon.
• Confirm products that can be sold at each online store:
Depending on the online store, some products aren’t able to be sold, so make sure to check. See here for categories and products that are restricted from being sold on Amazon.
• Confirm laws and regulations:
It’s necessary to understand and comply with laws and regulations relating to the sale of products.
You’ll need to confirm how much it costs to open and run your online store in advance. Click here for the cost of selling online on Amazon.
• Confirm products that can be sold at each online store:
Depending on the online store, some products aren’t able to be sold, so make sure to check. See here for categories and products that are restricted from being sold on Amazon.
• Confirm laws and regulations:
It’s necessary to understand and comply with laws and regulations relating to the sale of products.
Do I need special skills or knowledge to run an online store?
Amazon is a platform where you can easily start selling online even without advanced IT skills.
It provides product registration and analysis tools, and can be operated by filling in forms and templates.
Business reports are also available, which can be used to analyze your brand and products.
On the other hand, if you are setting up your own ecommerce site, you will need to either request production services from an agency or have skills such as website design and web marketing.
It provides product registration and analysis tools, and can be operated by filling in forms and templates.
Business reports are also available, which can be used to analyze your brand and products.
On the other hand, if you are setting up your own ecommerce site, you will need to either request production services from an agency or have skills such as website design and web marketing.
What are the advantages of selling on Amazon?
With strong ability to attract customers and automation of shipping and customer service through FBA, one strength is that it’s easy for beginners to get started.
Amazon is the ecommerce site with the highest number of monthly users in Japan, with 67.24 million visitors. Also, by using a fulfillment service called FBA, you can leave it to Amazon to take care of all the ordering, shipping, and customer service, so it’s recommended if you’re considering doing this as a side business.
Furthermore, by joining the Amazon Brand Registry, you can create an online store for your own in-house brand within Amazon while keeping the advantage of attracting customers, even if it’s an original brand, which makes it possible to introduce brand stories and brand products.
¹ Source: Nielsen Digital Co., Ltd. “Digital Contents Audience Rating, May 2024, Monthly Total Report”
Amazon is the ecommerce site with the highest number of monthly users in Japan, with 67.24 million visitors. Also, by using a fulfillment service called FBA, you can leave it to Amazon to take care of all the ordering, shipping, and customer service, so it’s recommended if you’re considering doing this as a side business.
Furthermore, by joining the Amazon Brand Registry, you can create an online store for your own in-house brand within Amazon while keeping the advantage of attracting customers, even if it’s an original brand, which makes it possible to introduce brand stories and brand products.
¹ Source: Nielsen Digital Co., Ltd. “Digital Contents Audience Rating, May 2024, Monthly Total Report”
