The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Amazon Analytics Tools: MerchantSpring vs. Sellerboard

As an Amazon seller, having the right analytics tool is crucial for managing your business efficiently and staying competitive in the marketplace. With so many tools available, it can be challenging to choose the best option to support your specific needs. MerchantSpring and Sellerboard are two leading analytics tools that provide essential insights into your sales, profits, and performance on Amazon. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down the features of each tool, discuss Amazon Seller Central user permissions, explore Amazon FBA responsibilities, compare FBA and SFP, and touch on the benefits of selling Amazon custom products. This information will guide you in choosing the ideal analytics tool for your Amazon business.

Why Analytics Tools are Essential for Amazon Sellers

Success on Amazon relies heavily on data-driven decision-making. Analytics tools provide sellers with insights that improve profitability, optimize operations, and enhance customer satisfaction. MerchantSpring and Sellerboard offer unique advantages, each catering to specific seller needs, from tracking profit and loss to optimizing ad spend and product performance.

MerchantSpring: Comprehensive Insights for Multi-Channel Sellers

MerchantSpring is an analytics platform designed for sellers operating across multiple eCommerce channels. For Amazon sellers, this tool offers comprehensive analytics with a special focus on multi-account and multi-region management.

Key Features of MerchantSpring

1. Multi-Channel Integration
   MerchantSpring supports integration with Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other marketplaces, making it an excellent choice for sellers managing multiple accounts.
2. Profit and Loss Reporting
   MerchantSpring provides a clear breakdown of profit and loss, considering fees, advertising costs, and taxes. The tool allows users to assess profitability across multiple SKUs, channels, and marketplaces.
3. Inventory Management
   With MerchantSpring, inventory monitoring is straightforward, ensuring sellers are stocked at optimal levels without excess or shortage. This helps reduce holding costs and enhances sales velocity.
4. Marketing Analytics
   MerchantSpring’s marketing insights help sellers understand the impact of advertising spend, enabling more effective campaigns that boost return on ad spend (ROAS).
5. User Permissions and Multi-Account Management
   MerchantSpring is ideal for teams, allowing for tailored user permissions in Amazon Seller Central. Managers can set access levels, ensuring team members only see relevant data, which enhances data security and operational efficiency.

Sellerboard: Profitability Focused for Amazon Sellers

Sellerboard is designed with a laser focus on profitability, providing sellers with in-depth financial analysis. Unlike MerchantSpring, Sellerboard primarily focuses on Amazon sellers, offering features like inventory forecasting, PPC analysis, and detailed profit tracking.

Key Features of Sellerboard

1. Profit and Loss Dashboard
   Sellerboard’s main feature is its detailed profit and loss dashboard, which gives Amazon sellers a clear picture of profitability by SKU. This tool calculates net profit after all Amazon fees, PPC costs, and fulfillment charges.
2. Inventory Forecasting
   Sellerboard’s inventory forecasting tool helps avoid stockouts and overstocking, saving time and costs associated with inventory mismanagement.
3. Reimbursement Management
   Sellerboard includes a reimbursement tool, identifying lost or damaged items, helping sellers recover refunds from Amazon. This feature alone can pay for the tool’s subscription.
4. PPC Dashboard
   Sellerboard offers an easy-to-understand PPC dashboard, which provides insights on ad spend and its impact on profits. Sellers can track the success of advertising campaigns and make adjustments for improved ROAS.
5. FBA Fee Calculator
   Sellerboard’s FBA calculator helps users understand how Amazon fees impact each product’s profitability. This feature is essential for sellers managing Amazon FBA responsibilities who need precise financial insights.

Comparing Amazon FBA and SFP: Which Fulfillment Option is Best?

When choosing the best analytics tool, it’s essential to consider your Amazon fulfillment method. Amazon offers two primary options: Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) and Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP). Each method has unique advantages and affects your profitability and logistics needs.

Amazon FBA

With Amazon FBA, Amazon handles storage, packaging, and shipping. FBA is ideal for sellers seeking hands-off fulfillment, allowing them to focus on other business areas. FBA also improves eligibility for Prime status, which can increase sales and visibility.

Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP)

SFP gives sellers control over fulfillment while still offering Prime benefits. This option requires meeting Amazon’s high standards for shipping and customer service. Sellers using SFP may prefer a tool like Sellerboard, which offers granular insights into fulfillment costs and profit tracking by SKU.

Amazon Seller Central User Permissions: Streamlining Team Access

For larger teams, controlling user permissions in Amazon Seller Central is essential. Both MerchantSpring and Sellerboard offer tailored access settings. Effective permission management enhances security, ensures team members only see relevant data, and enables sellers to delegate specific tasks without compromising sensitive information.

Setting Up Permissions in Amazon Seller Central

1. Administrator Access
   Grant full access to administrators who oversee all aspects of your Amazon operations.
2. Finance Access
   For team members handling financials, limit access to profit and loss data, PPC analytics, and other critical financial reports.
3. Inventory Manager Access
   Inventory managers can be granted access to tools for stock levels, inventory forecasting, and warehouse operations.

Choosing Between MerchantSpring and Sellerboard

Ultimately, your choice depends on your business’s specific needs. If you’re a multi-channel seller needing insights across multiple marketplaces, MerchantSpring offers the flexibility and integration necessary for multi-account management. On the other hand, Sellerboard is ideal for Amazon-focused sellers seeking in-depth profitability tracking, reimbursement recovery, and advanced PPC analytics.

Factors to Consider

• Number of Marketplaces: For multi-channel sellers, MerchantSpring provides greater flexibility.
• Profitability Focus: Sellerboard’s detailed profit dashboard may suit Amazon-only sellers best.
• Team Size and Permissions: Both tools support team collaboration, but MerchantSpring’s multi-account support is ideal for larger teams.

Exploring Amazon Custom Products: How Analytics Play a Role

Offering Amazon custom products provides sellers with unique selling opportunities, allowing for customization options that cater directly to customer needs. Tracking sales trends, understanding customization demand, and managing inventory for custom products require the precise analytics offered by Sellerboard and MerchantSpring. Custom product sellers can leverage data to improve offerings, enhance customer satisfaction, and increase conversions.

The Role of Analytics in Custom Product Success

Analytics tools help sellers determine popular customization choices, which can shape marketing efforts and influence production decisions. With the right tool, you can track customer preferences, fulfillment times, and profitability by customization options, helping you scale your custom product business effectively.

Conclusion

Both MerchantSpring and Sellerboard offer powerful tools for Amazon sellers, each with unique benefits. By carefully evaluating your business needs and considering factors like marketplace diversity, profitability tracking, and user permissions, you can choose the right analytics tool to drive your business success on Amazon.