“Love your answer to Cathy. So I’m taking you up on your offer to ask “How best to find products to sell on Amazon?” Specifically I have a beauty brand with seven products I started selling FBA last February and would like to add some private labels to quickly scale the line. How can I source profitable items to add, including sourcing suppliers?”

There is no doubt that international ecommerce – selling to customers outside your own country – is one of the most complex and challenging aspects of selling online.

I can’t make it less complex for you than it really is (although I would love to do that if I could!) but I can highlight some of the areas that, in my experience, many sellers misunderstand.

So here are my top ten myths about international ecommerce, covering strategy, translation, returns, taxes and duties, passive versus active selling, selling to Europe, shipping and more.

I hope you find it useful, and would be happy to answer any questions you have in the comments below

“A little while back we were working with a big retail chain, and they were thinking about pulling the plug on Amazon and eBay. They were putting more and more work into it, and their listing count had grown but sales were down. They were frustrated and ready to completely write off selling through marketplaces.”

“I’ve been selling private label skin creams and treatments on Amazon for a few months. I am new to Amazon. I was a professional accountant in the past so the math doesn’t trouble me. I’ve been trying PPC ads but need help. My ROI is low and many of my campaigns are not performing. Advertising cost of sales [ACoS] seems high, but I don’t really know what to expect. I also don’t know why some are inactive for my own product?”

“Hi Matt! I recently got approved to sell on Walmart which I know is special to receive, but I’m not sure it’s worth my time to prioritize this. I was going to focus on a new website originally. Is it worth listing on Walmart? I sell mostly homewares and bedding supplies. It’s a vague question, sorry! I would appreciate complete honesty.”