Amazon Handmade is the perfect marketplace for crafters and artisans.
Handmade goods have a special meaning and serve a unique purpose. They weren’t made in a factory but by hand with skill and care. People love supporting small and local businesses, which is why so many people cherish handmade products.
Can you make handmade items? While making the products is hard enough, selling them is a hassle. Fortunately, selling on Amazon Handmade is an option. Amazon makes listing your products simple and generating healthy revenue from your passion.
What is Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade is a community that the ecommerce giant created for crafters and artists. On this platform, sellers can sell their unique products to customers worldwide.
Amazon Handmade differs from the traditional selling platform in several ways. Since Amazon promises that no items have been mass-produced, handmade sellers must comply with extra guidelines.
Amazon Handmade Pros and Cons
The crafts and handmade goods market is worth $906 billion. While crafters have different platforms (more on that later), Amazon Handmade has advantages and disadvantages.
Pros
- Affordable. Even though there are fees associated with Amazon Handmade, their platform is more cost-effective than many competitors.
- Reach. Amazon has over 310 million customers worldwide. This is the perfect platform for expanding your customer base.
- Customized shop. Amazon allows sellers to create a branded store where they can list their products.
- Handmade exclusive. Amazon Handmade is exclusive to artists and crafters. There’s less competition and it’s tailored to an audience looking for homemade goods.
- Marketing and advertising. Amazon includes many marketing and advertising tools to promote your listings better.
- FBA-eligible. Amazon can extend its FBA service to handmade sellers if you’re stuck on fulfillment.
Cons
- Application process. Amazon must ensure you’re creating your products by hand, which requires a lengthy application process.
- Complicated dashboard. Navigating Amazon’s backend comes with a learning curve.
- Lacking customer service. Amazon handles its customer service for FBA. That means handmade sellers must create a separate line of communication for customers.
- Payments. Sellers only receive payments after the order has been shipped.
How to Sell on Amazon Handmade
Creating high-quality handmade goods is only the beginning. How does Amazon Handmade work? Follow these steps to get your homemade items up on Amazon’s marketplace.
Account Setup
The first step to selling your handmade products is to fill out the application. This application will ask you questions about your products and business and request additional information to ensure you’re a qualified handmade seller.
Fees
Once your application is approved, you can create your store and list your items. This process is free, but Amazon will charge a 15% referral fee for each purchase. Amazon will sign you up for a Professional account, but handmade sellers don’t have to pay the $39.99/month fee.
Fulfillment
Amazon sellers have two main fulfillment options: Amazon FBA or FBM. With FBM, handmade sellers handle their fulfillment. If you don’t have the means for self-fulfillment, you can sign up for FBA.
With FBA, you ship your products to the nearest Amazon warehouse, where they will handle the storage, picking, packing, and shipment for you. If you choose FBA, your items will also be eligible for Prime.
Amazon Handmade Best Practices
You may have experience creating high-quality handmade products, but running an Amazon business can be challenging. Here are some best practices to help you run your business.
What Do You Sell?
Some Amazon Handmade sellers have niche items they can make by hand, but other artisans are more versatile. If you’re the latter, you may wonder which items you should sell.
You can list numerous handmade products in these categories:
- Home. Textiles, such as quilts, pillows, and blankets; kitchen goods, such as ceramic dishes and mugs; and interior decor, like paintings and wooden plaques.
- Jewelry. Popular products like rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets, made of different materials and stones. Handmade sellers can also offer personalized jewelry services.
- Stationery. Handmade paper goods like journals, notebooks, postcards, planners, and greeting cards. You can also sell sustainable and recyclable paper.
- Personal care. Artisanal self-care products like soap, skincare, bath bombs, and haircare.
If you’re unsure, it’s worth it to check out the Handmade website and see which products you can make that are popular. Find the category you’re most experienced in and find the top-selling products.
Related content: Sustainable Ecommerce Guide
Know the Demand
Even though Amazon Handmade doesn’t come with upfront fees, it’s still best to forecast your products’ demand accurately. There are a couple of ways you can do this:
- Find similar Amazon products. Search for Amazon Handmade items similar to yours. Do they seem popular? Do they have many reviews?
- Google Trends. Google Trends offers insight into the popularity of specific keywords. Search for your products on Google Trends, and include keywords like “handmade.” Check the interest over a certain period. It’s also best to compare the term’s popularity from the last 12 months to several years before.
Competitor Research
Find your closest competitors and conduct research on them, such as identifying their most popular products. It’s also a good idea to determine the best sellers in your product category and see if you can create similar items.
Customer Service
Even if you’re an FBA seller, having your own customer service channel to answer buyer queries is still a good idea. For most sellers, this can be an email or a website form (if you have your website).
Respond to all questions and fix any issues or concerns. It’s also good to answer FAQs on your listings and respond to all reviews.
Order fulfillment and inventory management are also part of excellent customer service. Monitor your inventory levels and create more products to keep your stock levels filled. If you fulfill your own orders, follow all Amazon’s guidelines regarding packing and shipping.
Is Etsy a Better Option?
When customers search for handmade products, they may not immediately visit Amazon. Instead, they may hop on Etsy.
Etsy’s marketplace is tailored to vintage, artisan, and homemade goods. In Q3 of 2024, Etsy had 95.2 million buyers, making Etsy a popular platform for handmade products.
Is Etsy a better option for handmade goods? Etsy has some perks over Amazon, such as a more extensive handmade catalog and the ease of signing up and listing your products.
There are some downsides to Etsy, mainly the competition. There are 7.5 million Etsy sellers, and many are also in the handmade category.
FAQs
Is Amazon Handmade worth it?
Amazon Handmade is worth it if you’re a crafter or artisan looking to build your customer base. Unlike other marketplaces, Amazon offers fulfillment and a range of marketing and advertising tools. It’s still best to consider Amazon Handmade fees and the competition before signing up.
Do I need a license to sell on Amazon Handmade?
Amazon doesn’t require any licenses to sell handmade goods. However, business licensing laws vary by locality. Ensure you comply with local regulations and obtain any licenses needed for your region.
How long does it take to get approved for Amazon Handmade?
The approval process varies between a few days and a couple of weeks. That’s because Amazon has strict criteria to ensure you’re selling handmade goods.
Always submit accurate information and the required documentation to expedite the application process. If there’s a large volume of applications, it can take longer to receive an approval.
How can crafters track their products on Amazon?
Amazon offers an identification number (ASIN) assigned to each product.
Do You Need Help With Your Amazon Handmade Business?
Homemade goods will always be in demand, but widening your consumer base online can be difficult. Fortunately, Amazon Handmade is a part of the marketplace where crafters and artisans can list their homemade products and run their business.
While Amazon Handmade offers many benefits, sellers may struggle to get their store up and running. This is where we can help. Our New to AMZ service includes everything you need for a successful Amazon launch.
Author
Stephanie Jensen has been writing ecommerce content for seven years, and her copy has helped numerous stores rank on Amazon. Follow her on LinkedIn for more insight into freelance writing and creating high-quality content.
