Selling on Amazon is not as simple as it used to be. Today, brands need to manage advertising, product listings, customer experience, pricing, inventory, and account performance all at the same time. This is why many businesses are now choosing between hiring an internal team or working with Amazon Consulting Services to handle their marketplace growth. Both options can help sellers succeed, but the smarter choice depends on business goals, budget, and long-term plans.
Understanding What Each Option Brings to the Table
Before making a decision, it is important to understand what each option offers to make an educated choice.
What an In-House Team Looks Like
An in-house team consists of employees who are committed to serving your business. The employees will have a thorough understanding of your product(s) and can be contacted at any time for assistance or follow-up.
An internal Amazon account manager for larger businesses with complex operations can be beneficial for day-to-day operations at Amazon.
However, establishing a qualified in-house team can be very difficult. The cost of hiring and acquiring quality Amazon talent is typically high. Training takes some time, and staying current with
Amazon’s changes/updates requires employees to constantly learn new things. For businesses still growing, the costs of maintaining an internal team may not be worth it.
The Value of a Business Consultant
Working with an experienced Amazon service provider gives sellers access to expert support and proven strategies. They have tested different strategies, learned what works, and built systems that deliver results. You receive the benefit of all this experience without having to endure the same amount of trial and error.
In addition to providing consulting services for your Amazon listings and PPC management, a good consulting team will also help protect your trademarks and maintain the health of your account. In addition, because they serve clients across multiple accounts and product categories, they are more likely to identify patterns and opportunities that an internal team would not.
Where Most Sellers Get Stuck
In the early days, it’s common for many sellers to manage everything themselves; however, as their business continues to grow, their workload and responsibilities grow as well. Product listings need regular updates, and advertising campaigns require constant optimization to stay effective. Inventory planning is more complex than ever before.
Attempting to manage all aspects without utilizing proper resources will typically result in either burnout or lost sales opportunities for any seller.
Because of this, using outside resources to assist with all facets of business (rather than hiring multiple individuals) makes total sense.
Bringing in a consulting partner instead allows the owner to use a single team to achieve the same overall objectives.
The Business Case for Consulting
Sellers who generate monthly revenue levels ranging from only a few thousand dollars up to several million dollars will often find that
Amazon consulting services will give a greater return on investment than developing their own internal teams to meet those same objectives.
This is why many growing brands prefer consulting support today.
Faster Delivery of Results
Consultants have completed all necessary groundwork. Therefore, they already know what has worked and what hasn’t. As such, a company moving forward with proven strategies doesn’t waste time researching what works for an extended period of time before implementing said strategy(s).
This speed is critical for competing in an extremely fast-growing, highly competitive market.
Your Expenses Remain Consistent
Salary, benefits, and overhead for staff can lead to unpredictable expenses in your business’s operations. Using a consulting partner allows you to access an entire team without incurring these expenses.
Also, you will be able to scale back or increase the level of service you require, depending on your needs at any given time.
You Can Create New Opportunities
Many e-commerce sellers have little to no experience selling in the Amazon B2B marketplace. The Amazon Business Marketplace is a relatively new addition to the Amazon Marketplace, and it is expected to continue its strong growth. Therefore, if you have a strong consulting partner, they can assist you in selling to business-to-business (B2B) purchasers by setting up your account to drive wholesale and bulk orders, in addition to your individual customers.
By taking advantage of these opportunities and utilizing the expertise of a consulting partner, you will reduce your operating costs, increase your revenues, and create new opportunities within your existing business.
How to know which option is Right for you
If you have just started or have limited funds, consulting support is generally a good option to start with. You will have personal advice from someone who has done this before, without having to hire a team all at once. As your company grows and operations become more complex, you can always take the next step and hire in-house specialists for specific roles.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you have reached a large enough company to hire experienced talent for Amazon, then building an in-house team likely makes sense for you as long as you ensure those individuals possess the skills you need most.
Conclusion
There are many answers to this question, but for most sellers, working with a professional Amazon consulting services is one of the fastest and most affordable way to grow their business today. You’ll have access to a team of professionals who have proven to be effective and can help you grow without having to start from scratch.
At AKOI, we work with sellers at every phase of their Amazon business to help them grow with clarity and confidence.
Ready to scale your Amazon business with expert support? Connect with
AKOI today.