How To Sell On Amazon Handmade? – In-Depth Guide

For local makers, marketing their crafts online can be a real challenge. Mainly because in terms of distribution channels, there aren’t many opportunities to showcase their unique products. Fortunately, with Amazon Handmade, creative entrepreneurs can continue to do what they love while making their products available to millions of Amazon customers.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about Amazon Handmade so you can experience all the benefits of participating in this wonderful program. Continue reading!

What is Amazon Handmade?

Amazon Handmade is an online community exclusively for artists and crafters to offer their unique products to customers around the world.

It’s important to realize that Amazon Handmade is different from Amazon’s business model. Amazon wants to make sure that none of the products sold on this platform are mass-produced and that means you have to meet some requirements.

Read this article about Best Product Kitting And Bundling Guide 2022

How to get started with Amazon Handmade?

To claim Amazon Handmade, you need to follow a few steps:

• First of all, all products must be handmade, hand modified or hand-assembled. Think abstract art, ceramics, beaded jewelry, handmade cutting boards, etc. The product must be handmade by you or a member of your team.

• You must fill out an application in which you must answer questions about your company. This is Amazon’s way of making sure you’re a qualified handmade seller.

• Decide on your fulfillment method. Amazon Handmade is eligible to use Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), where Amazon will pack and ship your orders for you, and you have the benefit of being part of the Prime program. You also have the option of fulfilling your orders yourself.

• Start selling and fulfilling orders of your handmade products!

Make your answers as detailed as possible when filling out the application form.

How to decide which products to sell on Amazon Handmade

If you have experience with Etsy, you probably already have an idea of the demand for your product. However, to ensure your product performs well on Amazon, it’s recommended to do little research, such as scouting out your competition.

Here are some useful tips:

What is your competition doing?

Browse every category of Handmade on Amazon and Etsy. When you do this, you’ll be presented with the top-selling items in each category. Amazon Handmade recognizes these products with a Best Seller badge. Which products sell better? Do you have a similar product?

Also, remember that a product that sells well usually has reviews. In most cases, the more reviews, the more people are happy with their purchase.

Check the demand for your product

1. Use Google Trends

Search for keywords related to the product you make on Google Trends. Check last year’s results and compare them to results from 5 years ago to see if they’ve become popular.

2. Find similar products on Amazon Handmade and Etsy

Search Amazon Handmade and Etsy for the product you are making. Similar products with reviews are a good indicator of demand.

Know your schedules

You should at least know, on average, the estimated time it will take you to create or create your product, even if you are just starting out. Be sure to let buyers know the shipping times when placing the order to avoid confusion and complaints.

Once you get a handle on the process as a whole, you’ll know how much inventory you should have ready for sale.

Use this chance

It’s not that difficult to sell your crafts on Amazon Handmade. As it is a new platform, the competition is not that fierce and your products can easily stand out from the crowd. And of course, with Amazon’s amazing reach, your product will be seen by thousands of users

How much does Amazon Handmade cost?

You can join Handmade, create your online store, and list your products for free. Once you start selling, Amazon deducts a 15% referral fee for each purchase.

You need a Professional account to join the program, which typically costs $39.99 per month. However, handmade artists and crafters do not have to pay this fee when selling on Amazon Handmade.

Amazon Handmade pros and cons

Here we list a comparison of the two platforms so that you have a general idea of what to expect from each one:

Amazon Handmade pros

• Reach from Amazon.

   

  The largest marketplace in the US is worth a try if you’re looking to expand your customer base. Amazon receives 3.1 billion visits monthly. It’s child’s play.

• It’s Affordable: Yes, it’s true that you have to pay a referral fee and you need an accurate breakdown of the fees in your Manage Inventory dashboard, but that’s still reasonable compared to the potential sales.

• Exclusively for artisans and artists.

   

  As previously mentioned, you must go through an application process to ensure your products are handmade. This also means that customers are guaranteed to receive a quality, handcrafted product. Exclusivity means you don’t compete with mass-produced products, so the platform caters more to an audience likely to buy from you.

• Let your customers get to know you:

   

  As a seller on Amazon Handmade, you can create an individual shop profile and present all your products. You can also create an artisan profile to share your story and anything you want to share about your art. Oh, and your products can be customized too.

• Fulfilled by Amazon and Amazon Prime:

   

  If you choose to use Amazon FBA, Amazon will fulfill and ship your products and you will have the option to add an Amazon Prime badge. It’s just an advantage to sell at Handmade, you can also make your products yourself.

• Offers do not expire: It is also not necessary to have UPC codes to sell.

Amazon Handmade cons

• Complicated Dashboard:

   

  Amazon Handmade’s biggest competitor is Etsy, and at a glance, Etsy has a more user-friendly dashboard. If you are new to Amazon Seller Central, you should take the time to familiarize yourself with all the different components.

• Application Process:

   

  You must be thorough with your answers. Amazon wants to make sure they don’t manufacture your products, so it takes a while to fill out. Also, it can take up to 2 weeks to get approval and start selling.

• Payment Process:

   

  You will receive the payment as soon as the order is marked and shipped, and wait for the money to appear in your account.

• Customer retention:

   

  It is well known that Amazon does not allow sellers to access customer data. This can limit your marketing campaigns and your customers’ loyalty to your brand because you don’t have much information to launch better campaigns and products.

Amazon Handmade vs. Etsy

If you’re not sure which platform to use, don’t worry, you can use both!

About Etsy

Etsy has been around forever and has a solid seller and customer base. Chances are you already sell on Etsy and are thinking of Amazon Handmade.

Each marketplace meets different customer needs. Amazon, for example, gets significantly more purchases than Etsy, but remember that Etsy is already focusing on handmade and vintage products. However, a more focused audience means that the competition is tougher as the product catalog is much larger.

Also, it’s easier to sign up for Etsy than Amazon Handmade, but Handmade has fewer sellers; Therefore, it is easier for your product to take over.

About Amazon

Sellers have reported doing better than Etsy on Handmade because of Amazon’s strong reputation and customer-centric approach.

Amazon buyers may prefer Amazon Handmade when they are looking for a unique product as they are already familiar with the platform.

Etsy releases the money to the seller immediately upon purchase, which can help artists who need upfront cash to create their products. Amazon, on the other hand, holds it back until the order is shipped. Definitely, something to consider depending on the product you are making.

For brand-new sellers looking to start their business with handmade products, Etsy may be the easiest choice when it comes to testing the waters for selling online. Once you know what products are in demand and how long it takes to fulfill orders, you can join Amazon Handmade and expand your customer reach while promoting your best products.

Sources: ListenMoneyMatters do Jungle Scouts

Final Thoughts

Having a new and exclusive sales channel dedicated to artists and crafters online like Amazon Handmade is always a great advantage.

The great thing about this program is that you don’t have to wait for customers to find your website, and you don’t even have to worry about the logistics of shipping your order.

And considering you don’t have to pay anything for now before making a sale, it’s worth checking out.

We encourage you to take a look at what is currently being sold there and see if your product is a good fit. Of course, depending on your product, demand, and sales margins, you can decide if Amazon Handmade is the platform you need to grow your sales.

The truth is, this is one of the easiest ways to get the exposure any artist needs. Much luck!

• SellerActions
• 25th June 2023