Get Your Business Ready for Prime Day

Prime Day is one of the biggest retail events of the year, and it’s not just for Amazon itself. 

It's an absolutely golden opportunity for online sellers to boost sales, gain new customers, and increase visibility. 

Whether you're selling on Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, or through your own platform, getting your online shop Prime Day-ready is essential.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you prepare your online retail presence and maximise your results.

1. Optimise Your Listings

Make sure all your product listings are in top form:

Use high-quality images (with lifestyle photos where appropriate).

Refine your product titles and descriptions using relevant keywords.

Add detailed specifications and clear pricing.

Make sure listings are accurate and free from errors.

Include positive reviews and ensure any customer questions have been answered.

Tip for Amazon Sellers: Update your backend keywords to target Prime Day-related search terms.

2. Create Irresistible Prime Day Deals

Prepare limited-time offers, bundle deals, or flash sales to attract bargain hunters.

Amazon: Submit your Lightning Deals or coupons well in advance.

Shopify & Etsy: Use app plugins or your admin dashboard to schedule discounts and banner announcements.

Consider site-wide discounts for independent retailers.

Bonus tip: Offer free shipping or express shipping options if possible.

3. Prepare Your Inventory

You don’t want to run out of stock mid-sale.

Review your sales history and forecast demand for popular products.

Ensure your suppliers and logistics are ready for a surge in orders.

For Amazon FBA sellers, send inventory to fulfilment centres early.

If you're selling on Etsy or via your own site, double-check your postage materials and dispatch times.

4. Enhance Your Storefront

Treat Prime Day as a mini relaunch for your brand:

Update your branding and visuals to reflect the promotional spirit.

Add a countdown timer, special banners, or “Prime Day Picks” section.

Create dedicated landing pages for special offers or bestsellers.

This is especially useful on Shopify or custom sites to guide traffic and conversions.

5. Run Targeted Marketing Campaigns

Don’t rely solely on marketplace traffic.

Promote your deals via email newsletters, social media, and PPC ads.

Use phrases like “Limited-Time Prime Day Offers” or “Exclusive Prime Day Savings”.

Partner with influencers or bloggers for wider reach.

For Amazon sellers, Amazon Sponsored Products or Display Ads can give your listings a significant push.

6. Streamline Customer Experience

Make buying easy and enjoyable:

Test your checkout process and mobile responsiveness.

Respond quickly to questions and messages.

Display trust signals like reviews, shipping info, and refund policies clearly.

Consider using chatbots or live chat on your Shopify or custom store.

7. Analyse and Follow Up

After Prime Day ends:

Review your sales data, traffic sources, and ad performance.

Retarget visitors who browsed but didn’t buy.

Send thank you emails and offer follow-up deals to new customers.

Use the data to refine your strategy for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the Christmas season.

Last points to ponder

Prime Day isn’t just about competing on price. It’s your chance to attract long-term customers, showcase your brand, and make your mark in a crowded marketplace. With careful planning and smart execution, your online retail presence can flourish well beyond the 48-hour sales window.

How to Set Up and Operate Your Own Online Retail Establishment Using Etsy, Shopify, Amazon or Similar Tools

In today’s digital-first economy, setting up an online retail business is not just potentially viable, it’s often preferable. 

Whether you’re looking to turn your hobby into a side hustle or launch a full-time eCommerce enterprise, platforms like Etsy, Shopify, and Amazon make it easier than ever to get started.

 But while the tools may be powerful, success still depends on careful planning and consistent effort.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to launching your own online retail establishment using some of the most popular platforms available.

1. Choose the Right Platform for Your Product

Each eCommerce platform comes with its own strengths:

Etsy is ideal for handmade, vintage or craft supply items. It caters to buyers looking for unique and creative goods.

Shopify offers a fully customisable eCommerce storefront. Best for those wanting full brand control and scalability.

Amazon gives you access to a massive customer base but comes with high competition and strict seller guidelines.

Tip: Many sellers start on Etsy or Amazon to test the market, then expand to Shopify as their brand grows.

2. Research and Define Your Niche

Even the most user-friendly platform won’t help if you don’t know who you're selling to. Ask yourself:

What problems does your product solve?

Who is your ideal customer?

What are your competitors doing—and how can you do it better?

Use tools like Google Trends, Answer the Public, and each platform’s own search bar to find out what people are searching for.

3. Set Up Your Store

Here's what you need, regardless of platform:

Business Name: Choose something memorable, relevant, and available as a domain.

Logo & Branding: Consistent visuals help build trust.

Product Listings: Use clear photos, compelling descriptions, and relevant keywords.

Pricing Strategy: Consider your costs, competitors, and value proposition.

Platform-Specific Tips:

Etsy: Use all 13 tags and make use of Etsy SEO best practices.

Shopify: Invest in a clean theme and consider useful apps for shipping, upselling, etc.

Amazon: Understand FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) vs FBM (Fulfilled by Merchant).

4. Sort Out the Logistics

Payment Processors: Stripe, PayPal, or built-in options depending on your platform.

Shipping & Fulfilment: Will you ship yourself or use a fulfilment service?

Taxes & Legalities: Register as a sole trader or limited company and understand your VAT obligations.

In the UK, you’ll need to register with HMRC. Depending on your turnover, you may need to charge VAT. Keep accurate records from day one.

5. Drive Traffic to Your Store

No matter how good your product is, people need to know about it. Here are a few ways to build traffic:

Social Media: Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok are especially good for product-based businesses.

Email Marketing: Build a mailing list and reward sign-ups with discounts.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Optimise product titles and pages with keywords.

Ads: Consider paid advertising on Google, Meta (Facebook/Instagram), or within the platform (Etsy Ads, Amazon Sponsored Products).

6. Provide Stellar Customer Service

Good reviews lead to more sales. Offer excellent customer service, respond to messages promptly, and go the extra mile with packaging and personalisation.

7. Analyse and Improve

Use analytics tools (Google Analytics, Shopify Reports, Amazon Seller Central) to monitor:

Best-selling products

Customer demographics

Conversion rates

Use this data to adjust your pricing, marketing strategy and product offerings.

Points to ponder

Starting an online retail business is a journey that blends creativity, strategy and perseverance. With the right platform and mindset, anyone can tap into the global marketplace and build a successful eCommerce brand. Whether you choose Etsy for its artistic flair, Shopify for its flexibility, or Amazon for its scale, the key is to stay consistent, learn as you go, and always keep your customer at the heart of your business.

Want to Learn More?

Check out our guides on branding your online shop, UK tax tips for sole traders, and using social media to grow your customer base—all right here on That’s Business.

Swanky and fusefabric join forces to create Shopify’s largest European enterprise-focused, full service agency partner

Swanky and fusefabric have announced a strategic alliance to provide end-to-end Shopify expertise to enterprise retailers. The partnership brings together two of Europe's highest-profile Shopify service partners.

Founded in 2010, Swanky has a long standing reputation as an original Shopify Plus partner, having successfully completed over 100 Shopify Plus replatforming projects. 

It's also known for its market-leading managed services offering, including digital experience intelligence and conversion rate optimisation. Swanky has worked with top retailers such as Huel, HelloFresh and Razor Group, and has teams in the UK, Australia and France.

Founded in 2020, fusefabric was started by Simon Hamblin and PJ Jassal, career CTOs with significant experience leading large digital commerce teams, including at ASOS and Emirates. 

fusefabric’s unique business transformation capabilities allowing it to advise on high-profile replatforming projects from both a technical and strategic/advisory perspective. 

It's already delivered some of the largest and most high-profile projects on the Shopify platform, including for Boden, Flying Tiger Copenhagen and Missoma.

Together, the partnership will enable both parties to offer an unrivalled breadth and depth of services to large retailers who want to build with, and then scale on, Shopify’s enterprise solutions.

SaID Dan Partridge, CEO of Swanky: “We’re obviously delighted to be joining forces with fusefabric. Simon and PJ have quickly built an exceptional team, and are trusted advisors to some of the most influential CTOs in retail today. Their leadership, integrity and capability resonate deeply with what we are building at Swanky.

“The enterprise commerce landscape is changing extremely quickly. Retailers know this, and recognise that they need expert support to manage change. Shopify is doing everything right, building a market-leading product and entering into strategic partnerships with the likes of EY, Accenture and Deloitte Digital, but there remains a significant gap in the market for enterprise-focused independent consultancies. By combining our strengths, Swanky and fusefabric address that need”.

Simon Hamblin, Co-Founder of fusefabric said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with Swanky and leverage our complementary strengths in this strategic alliance. Dan and his team at Swanky are renowned for their expertise in Shopify and their impressive track record in the industry. Our shared vision is to revolutionise enterprise commerce with Shopify at the core.

“Our extensive CTO experience and proven success in addressing complex, multi-faceted business challenges align perfectly with Swanky's design excellence and deep understanding of Shopify. Already working with Shopify's largest enterprise client in Europe, we see this partnership as a formidable combination of talents. Together, we are committed to setting new benchmarks in the Shopify ecosystem and delivering unparalleled value to our enterprise clients.”

Added Deann Evans, Managing Director EMEA of Shopify: "We’ve spent the last two decades building the best commerce platform for businesses of all sizes. Now, we’re giving the largest retailers in the world access to the best enterprise commerce offering so they can build with the highest velocity.

“The alliance between fusefabric and Swanky perfectly aligns with Shopify's vision for enterprise commerce, representing a significant strategic leap towards empowering large-scale businesses with cutting-edge, customised solutions."

To learn more about Swanky, please visit: www.swankyagency.com

To learn more about fusefabric, please visit: www.fusefabric.com