Are you looking for a way for your handmade goods to reach millions of customers? Amazon is an artisan-only platform that allows artists to reach millions of potential customers through Amazon’s vast reach. We will tell you everything about Amazon Handmade.
What’s Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade – This is an exclusive community for artisans and crafters on Amazon. It allows them to sell their unique products to customers all over the globe.
Amazon Handmade accounts differ from regular Amazon seller account and the business model of Amazon is different than other ways to sell on Amazon. Handmade sells only handmade and hand-altered products. No mass-produced products will be allowed on the market. Amazon Handmade offers a variety of products, including:
- Handmade cutting boards
- Abstract art
- Pottery
- Crochet hand bags
- Bracelets with beads
- Soap
- Bath bombs
- Pillowcases
- There are many more!
Amazon Handmade:
It is easy to get started selling on Amazon Handmade
- Your products must be handmade by you. Each product that you sell on Amazon Handmade must be handcrafted by you or a member your team.
- To prove that you are a Handmade seller, fill out the application. (More details below)
- Choose how you want to fulfill Amazon orders . Amazon Handmade allows you to choose to use Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon method. This is where you ship your product to Amazon and Amazon will pack and ship the orders for you. You can also ship your order from your warehouse using Amazon’s Fulfilled by Merchant method.
- You grow your business by offering beautiful handmade products to your customers.
Do you want to sell on Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade: The pros and cons
Pros:
- Huge reach: Amazon receives 3.1 billion visits per month, and 90% of U.S. customers have made purchases on the site. 88% of U.S. Amazon customers make at least one purchase on Amazon each month. This means that if you sell online, you should be selling on Amazon.
- Affordability: Amazon Handmade doesn’t charge listing fees. A 15% commission per sale is charged (which some sellers consider “con”). You can find a breakdown of fees in the Manage Inventory dashboard. There is also no subscription fee unlike Seller Central’s $40/month.
- Exclusion: Amazon Handmade has an “artisan-only” process. This means that Amazon must apply to verify goods are handmade by the seller. Customers can be sure they are buying quality handcrafted products. Amazon Handmade’s platform is unique and separates it from other products on Amazon. This gives the customer more exclusivity.
- Customizable – Sellers can set up a shop profile to showcase all of their products and an artisan profile that tells the story behind the art. You can also sell personalized items from hand-made sellers.
- Amazon Prime & Easy Fulfillment: If you choose to sell Amazon BBA (described below), Amazon will fulfill your orders and ship them for you. You can also have the Amazon Prime badge added to your listing. You can also ship your orders through Amazon FBM ( Fulfillment By Merchant).
- Selling on Amazon Handmade has other benefits. Your listings don’t expire, and you don’t need UPC codes.
Cons:
- Unfriendly dashboard for new sellers: Amazon Seller Central features and functions are not as clearly laid out on Etsy. There are many components that can overwhelm new sellers who don’t know how to use them.
- Slow application: Amazon requires you to show that you actually make your products. It may take up to 2 weeks for you to be approved to sell on Handmade.
- Deferred payment You are paid once you mark the order as shipped. The money will be deposited after that.
- Limited scope Amazon Handmade allows you to only sell the following 14 items Product categories :
- Accessory
- Artwork
- Baby
- Beauty & Personal Care
- Clothing
- Shoes and Handbags
- Home
- Outdoor & Home Care
- Jewelry & Watches
- Kitchen & Dining
- Pet Supplies
- Sporting Goods
- Stationery & Party Supplies
- Toys and Games
- Limited customer engagement: Amazon prohibits you from accessing customer data. This is just like selling on Amazon under a private label.
There are many pros and cons to selling on Amazon Handmade. However, it all depends on the artist. You can still set up a shop, but it’s not necessary. The worst case scenario is that you don’t sell anything. Amazon Handmade is a great way to generate steady income.
Amazon Handmade vs. Etsy
Amazon Handmade and Etsy offer great opportunities to market your creativity and skills. Each platform has its own pros and cons, which will be more or less appropriate for each seller. Selling on both platforms is possible, though. Selecting the right platform to sell your products Remember that you have the option of selling on Etsy or Amazon Handmade.
You should compare each market separately if you’re comparing them. They serve different needs. While Amazon has been favored by more shoppers than Etsy, Etsy shoppers are looking for vintage or handmade products.
However, the competition for handmade products on Etsy is increasing tremendously since 2005 when the platform was launched. It has continued to increase ever since. Amazon Handmade is a newer platform that has been in existence since 2015. It has a strict application process which restricts the number of sellers you can compete with.
Your business will be exposed on more marketplaces if your products are listed there. Although you may find that your products perform better on certain marketplaces than others, you will not know this until you look at all your options.
How To Get Started With Amazon Handmade
We’ll help you set up your Amazon Handmade account if you have an existing handcrafted product. We can also help you find product opportunities if you don’t have a handcrafted product or other handmade product to sell on Amazon Handmade.
Amazon Handmade has a rigorous application process. Amazon wants to make sure they are building a shop that sells authentic handcrafted goods. Therefore, they must ensure they do not allow mass-produced items to be added to their Handmade store.
By Amazon’s definition, Handmade means:
- Handcrafted: All handmade
- Hand-altered: An existing product is altered or adapted to a new design. For example, you can paint your designs or draw them on a denim jacket.
- Handmade Customized is available if you customize a handmade product and are eligible for Amazon Handmade. If you make jewelry, and then hand-stamped initials for customers, this is an example.
Amazon will ask you many questions about your business during the application. Amazon will first ask you questions about yourself and your company.
1. Which type of Maker are YOU?
- The Maker is an individual worker
- Employed less than 20 people
- Collaborative group for makers
- Other
2. We would love to hear about your work
Choose the option that best describes your work.
- All of my products are handmade
- All of my products are handmade
- I don’t create my own products. I make each product according to the customer’s specifications.
- I buy handmade products from Makers, and then sell them
3. Which is your best description of the production process?
- I design and create my own products
- While I design and manufacture my products, a portion of the work is outsourced to an outside company or group.
- I design and send my products out for production.
- My products are not designed or manufactured by me
4. How much of your production is completed by you or your employees?
- 75-100%
- 50-74%
- 25-49%
- 1-24%
- None
5. We would love to hear about your products or processes
This is where you can provide Amazon with a detailed step-by-step explanation of how and which materials you used to make your handmade products.
- What are the materials involved?
- Which tools and techniques do you use to accomplish your goals?
- What is the time it takes to complete each step?
6. Send us images of your work
Upload photos of your handcrafted products and the manufacturing process. So Amazon doesn’t have to wait, show Amazon as much detail and information as you can.
7. Choose your product category
Select the category that you would like to sell from the drop-down menu. Fill out the application form completely. This is done to eliminate sellers and businesses that do not sell handmade goods. If possible, images of the production process would be added to the image section. Amazon will verify that you and your company handcraft your products. It’s a good idea, before you apply, to make sure you comply with the Amazon Handmade Terms & Conditions.
How To Find Products To Sell On Amazon Handmade
These are some methods to conduct product research on handmade products. Browse through the Handmade categories on Amazon and Etsy It will show the top-selling products in each category when you search for handmade products. Just like Amazon, Handmade will award the top-selling products with a ” Top Seller” badge.
The number of reviews is a strong indicator that a product is a good seller. Only 2 out of 100 buyers will leave reviews. If you notice products that have a lot of reviews, it is likely that they have a long history of strong sales.
To gauge the consistency of sales for a product, scroll down to its review section and filter by “Most Recent.” This will help you to understand how frequently or recently someone purchased it. If the most recent review was 2 years ago, it is likely that that product isn’t being sold as often.
Check the demand for products that you have created
Amazon Handmade is a great place to sell your products and services if you’re interested in handcrafting. These are ways to verify that there is demand for your products.
1. Google Trends Search
To see current trends, you can conduct a keyword search on Google Trends for the product that you have made. To see if this product has grown in popularity, look at the last 12 months and the last 5 years.
2. Amazon Handmade, Etsy searches
You can also search on Amazon Handmade or Etsy for similar products to see if there is a demand. Similar products selling with reviews are a sign that there is demand. Consider ways to differentiate handmade products from those that are already available. Are you able to offer unique customizations? You might also consider using higher-quality materials to build your products. These are important considerations when making unique products.
3. Ecominsights
Using tools like Ecominishgts, you can find search volume on keywords that you plan to sell for, and the average sale price. If you’d like to get a rough idea of what’s already selling well, check out some of their free amazon reports of top seller based on keywords.
Make time to create and build products
A skilled craftsperson or artist should be able to tell you how long it takes for a product to be completed. Start your handmade goods business as soon as possible. Make sure you have established the right lead times to let customers know what to expect when placing an order. It is best to start with products that you are familiar with so you can complete orders quickly when you receive a new customer’s order. It is not a good idea to get an order but not be able fulfill it on time. You will be able to see how much inventory you need before you receive orders once you have started receiving them.
Another tip is to stock up on shipping supplies in order to quickly pack and ship your order when it arrives. Bubble wrap, packing tape, shipping labels and boxes.
Stay ahead of the game!
You have the opportunity to sell your handmade goods on Amazon Handmade or Etsy. Our two cents are that selling products on Amazon Handmade should be a simple task. Amazon Handmade is still relatively new, so there are huge opportunities to sell your handmade products there.