With the advent of new technology such as 3D printing and Print on Demand publishing, and sites such as Shapeways and Lulu putting these technologies in the hands of the general public, it's now possible for almost anyone to create and market their own products online with no up-front investment. To sell items through either E-bay or Amazon's Marketplace you will simply need an account. However if you're planning on selling items through either the main Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk stores, which will greatly increase your market and therefore your sales, you will now also need a barcode in order to do so.

A barcode is a unique optical pattern that's readable by machine such as an optical scanner and used at most retail outlets in order to identify an item for sale and in order to retrieve relevant information such as the price, any special offers and the date. Most commonly these are formed of a set of parallel lines of varying widths and spacing, but they also come in dots, squares, patterns and some stylistic images. This then allows a store to automatically retrieve data regarding products without having to memories the details of everything in stock and can also be used to flag up problems and issues. This can prevent customers from being charged the wrong amount, lessen the stress on staff and help companies keep track of their sales. Most barcodes come with a number along the bottom that can be used in instances where the barcode won't scan (perhaps due to damage to the paper or print), though the use of barcodes and scanners allows for items to be passed through the system far quicker which can be handy when there's a large number of customers.

Books utilise a slightly different form of barcode called an ISBN or International Standard Book Number. This is a multiple digit identifier that is unique to every title (including different editions of the same title) and again carries certain information, such as the language, the publisher, the date etc. This again allows for more efficient marketing of products from booksellers, libraries etc and makes it easier for customers to track down specific titles.

For this reason you will also need a barcode number in order to sell your products and books in stores. However while the concept of a barcode might seem to be most relevant for a high-street store, they also provide many advantages for online retailers such as Amazon, who state efficiency as the reason for adopting the system. This then allows them to far more quickly and accurately identify products and so increase the speed of packaging and delivery. With Amazon starting originally as a bookshop, they have always encouraged the use of ISBN numbers which will help customers to search for and identify titles.

Add Your Picture

Article Submitted By: rebeccamartinez
This Article Has Been Read 166 Times

---

Remember: The article body, title, author bio and links may not be changed or removed. By publishing this article, you agree to all the terms in our Terms of Service.
Get the HTML for reprinting the article to your site

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Taking risks in business can help you make good bucks

Has the economy changed the way we run businesses?

Avoiding Spills

Improve Social and Economical Status with GSA

Secondary containment tanks: Stay Immune from Dangers

Is Plastic Storage Tanks Ideal for Water Storage?

Chemical storage tanks Safety Measures

Business Expenses: The way forward.

Basics of GSA Marketing and Federal Contracts

Federal Grants for Women Owned Companies

How to Avail the Benefits of 8A Certification

Federal Support for Women Entrepreneurs

An Explanation Of SDSL Functions Your Net Connectivity

Basic Methods To Be Able To Make A Full Time Income In The Web

5 Most Common Small Business Financing Requirements

---