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TL;DR
Amazon Handmade is for handmade, hand-altered, or hand-assembled products. It provides global reach for artisans.
Advantages: Access to Amazon’s large customer base, no listing fees, customizable storefronts, and efficient delivery with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA).
Drawbacks: 15% referral fees, strict application process, complex dashboard, and limited customer interaction.
Eligibility: Products must be handmade by the seller or a small team, with clear descriptions of the production process; mass production is prohibited.
Procedure: Apply, get approved, set up a storefront, list products with quality images and descriptions, choose fulfillment options, and use marketing tools.
To get started, create an Amazon Seller account, apply to Amazon Handmade, set up your storefront, list products, choose fulfillment, and promote your items.
If you have the spirit of a creative person who truly loves to make special, unique things, then perhaps you have wondered about selling them on the web. One platform stands out well in this massive digital marketplace for artisans, which is Amazon Handmade. Since 2015, it has become a specially designed platform for craftsmen and artisans to showcase and sell their handcrafted items to people around the globe.
Amazon Handmade offers an incredible opportunity to convert your passion into a successful business. This blog will guide you about what you need to know regarding how to sell on Amazon Handmade: learn the platform, the benefits, requirements, and even some tips to increase sales. Without any further ado, let's get started!
What is Amazon Handmade
Amazon Handmade is a niche marketplace within the Amazon ecosystem. It is dedicated just to handmade, hand-altered, or hand-assembled products. The handmade creation is individually crafted, although the original marketplace by Amazon is known to contain everything imaginable and mass-produced.
Amazon Handmade offers branded storefronts to the sellers, enabling the artists to tell the story of their products and the creative process. With this personalization, the customer is bound to feel attached to the artisan and appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it. Being part of Amazon Handmade, a seller will get access to the already huge customer base of Amazon and all the rest of the E-commerce infrastructure while preserving the authenticity and uniqueness of their handmade products.
Amazon Handmade upholds the potency of creativity, craftsmanship, and personalization and gives artisans the chance to reach great markets and opportunities for business growth.
Pros and cons of selling on Amazon Handmade
Pros:
Wider reach: Amazon Handmade will be able to reach out to a wide array of customers since millions of people visit Amazon every month. In this way, there may be increased sales numbers, thereby the brand will also get equal reach.
Trusted platform: Amazon is a high-trust and well-established E-commerce platform. Selling on Amazon Handmade boosts your credibility and increases the customers' trust in your brand.
Customizable storefront: Sellers can design and create their customized storefronts, where they build their brand to share stories about their products and illustrate the artisan manufacturing process.
Marketing tools: Amazon Handmade provides sellers with multiple marketing tools, such as Sponsored ads, which raise the visibility and exposure of the sellers' products to a vast and large audience.
Delivery methods: Sellers can do their delivery independently or get it done with Fulfillment by Amazon, where Amazon does the storage, packaging, and dispatch. Many sellers have discovered that with FBA, shipping takes a much shorter and efficient time hence an improved customer experience generally.
Listing fees: There are no listing fees for Amazon Handmade, making it affordable in case one wants to list several items.
Cons:
Added referral fees: Amazon takes a 15% cut on top, which eats into higher margin items.
Application process: If you are joining Amazon Handmade, their application process could be very strict and time-consuming, given that Amazon wants to ensure all their products meet the handmade criteria.
Complex dashboard: The Amazon Seller Central dashboard is noticed as somewhat complex compared to the much simpler dashboard, let's say, from Etsy.
Payments on hold: Payments are processed only when the orders are marked as shipped. It takes two weeks, which affects the cash flow of small businesses.
Fewer categories: Amazon Handmade allows you to list your products within only a few predetermined categories, which means the range of items you may be able to offer through it could be far less than through other platforms.
Eligibility criteria for Amazon Handmade artisan
Handmade products: All products must be handmade, hand-altered, or hand-assembled by the seller or a small group of family members/employees (preferably 20 or fewer). Mass-produced products including, but not limited to products assembled with the use of manufactured styles, or those made using automated processes are not allowed.
Production process: The procedure of the involved process of production should be described, which includes material and technique information. This would help Amazon approve whether the products are handmade.
Hand-altered and upcycled items: Upcycled items and hand-altered products, for example, hand-painted glassware and bowls repurposed from old glass bottles, are acceptable as long as the item has been considerably changed or repurposed.
Prohibited practices: You may not outsource your production to third parties. Also, drop shipping, third-party manufacturers' products are not allowed. All submissions must be done by you and your small team, or modified and changed in a way that is new, non-trivial, and original.
Exclusions: Digital or downloadable products, food or ingestible items, and electronics, including live plants and raw materials or crafting supplies that are not part of a DIY kit, cannot be sold through Amazon Handmade.
Sellers are expected to meet this benchmark before they are approved to sell on Amazon Handmade. They should, therefore, have a look at its guidelines and ensure their products comply with the requirements.
What can you sell on Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade includes numerous categories in which a craftsman can sell goods. Here are the most demanded product categories:
Handcrafted jewelry: These are all kinds of jewelry, from earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, to rings, crafted by artisan jewelers.
Home decor: Any assorted wall art, pottery, decorative pillows, various furniture lines, candles, and other accessories for the home.
Handmade apparel: A wide range of different clothes, from dresses, scarves, hats, and so on, to a broad collection of fashion accessories, which are all woven by hand.
Personal care and beauty: Different handmade soaps, lotions, skincare, bath bombs, and beauty accessories.
Handmade toys and games: All kinds of whimsical toys and games for kids.
Stationery and paper goods: Offers handmade stationery, greeting cards, journals, and knick-knacks by artisans.
Pet Supplies: All sorts of handmade pet accessories from bracelets to toys, beds, and others.
For a seller to designate an item as being handcrafted on Amazon Handmade, there are specific standards to which he or she must adhere for each category of items being sold. The seller must offer clear descriptions of the item, along with clear images to show the uniqueness of his or her designs.
How does Amazon Handmade work?
Application and approval: First, if you want to sell your products through Amazon Handmade, you have to apply. Each application is reviewed to ensure products are handmade at Amazon standards. This process takes about two weeks.
Open your storefront: Once you're approved, you can set up an Amazon Handmade storefront; create a personalized shop profile; add great shots of high quality; and write detailed product descriptions. Your storefront should, in turn, reflect your brand and your artistic vision.
Product listing: There is no cost involved in product listing; you can list innumerable products. For all the products, you need to have clear images, detailed descriptions, prices, and possible customization.
Shipping orders: Orders are carried out either by the merchant or by Amazon through their Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program. Sellers have the option to self-fulfill items, where the seller fully processes an order, packs, and thereafter sends it. If one opts for FBA, one gets a chance to send their items to an Amazon fulfillment center, and from there, they will take it from there with storage and packing, not forgetting the shipping process, making your items Prime-eligible.
Marketing and promotion: Amazon Handmade provides many marketing tools for increasing the findability of your product. You can spend on sponsored product ads to reach more customers. You can also participate in promotional events and holiday campaigns.
Performance measurement: Amazon provides measurement tools and analytics that help you track your store’s performance. Track your sales, customer reviews, and other key metrics for product listing optimization and further business strategy.
Selling on Amazon Handmade provides a golden opportunity to reach the broadest market available for one's products and grows your business to new heights. Realize your dream of turning your passion for making handmade products into a successful online business with Amazon's infrastructure and marketing tools.
How to get started with Amazon Handmade
Below are the steps you have to go through to get started with Amazon Handmade. Here's a roadmap to help:
Subscribe to an Amazon Seller account: You need to have an Amazon Seller Central account to sell on Amazon Handmade. With a Professional Selling Plan of $39.99 a month, you can start to sell on Amazon, but this fee is not taken from Handmade sellers post-approval.
Apply to sell on Amazon Handmade: You can apply to sell from the selling application page by supplying the following business data: how you produce and in what category you want to sell. You will need to attach high-quality photographs of the produce and a thorough description of the whole process.
Approval: Amazon reviews your application to see if your products meet its criteria for selling on the Handmade platform. All this can, at the maximum, take up to 2 weeks and during this time, Amazon may contact you for further information or description of the products and how they are produced.
Open your Handmade storefront: Once you are signed up, you can start creating your Amazon Handmade storefront. Set up your shop profile and make it reflect your brand—tell the world your story. Upload high-quality pictures of products paired with detailed descriptions showing off distinct aspects of your creation.
Add products: All your handmade products should be listed on Amazon. Each of them should be represented with a good image, described, priced, and whenever possible, there should be an option to list for customization. Remember, since there is no listing fee attached, therefore feel free to list as many of your products as you wish.
Advanced listing: Using the right keywords in your titles and product descriptions will make your products easily searchable. Use Amazon keyword research tools and find popular search terms for your intended category. Other additions, such as detailed descriptions and uses, with quality images, will do the rest, eventually bringing more customers to the listing.
Fulfillment options: Ship yourself (FBM) or use FBA for a fee which can have quicker shipping and better customer service.
Promote your products: Make the best of Amazon Handmade’s marketing tools to promote your products. Sponsored Product ads can help increase your visibility, and participating in Amazon’s promotional events can attract more customers.
Monitor performance: Gauge sales performance, customer reviews, and all pivotal metrics from the analytics tools of Amazon. You should keep updating your listings in line with customer reviews and changing market trends.
Thus you will successfully get your business up and live at Amazon Handmade, ready to make sure global buyers see your uniquely made, handmade products.
Conclusion
On Amazon Handmade, artisans and craftsmen can make their offerings available to millions of international buyers. With Amazon's platform, you will convert your passion for creating unique things into a great business. Challenges are numerous, including this very application and competition, but being able to reach millions of its customers, gain platform trust, and use powerful marketing tools certainly trump the cons.
To succeed on Amazon Handmade, one must meet its eligibility criteria, create a truly compelling storefront, do thorough Amazon listing optimization, and offer fantastic value. It takes commitment, dedication, and a will to improve to build a successful business with Amazon Handmade. Start your journey today. Your creative talents and unique products deserve a global platform, and Amazon Handmade does it the best.
