Amazon Handmade: selling handmade products on Amazon

Selling on Amazon is complicated and increasingly competitive, but it represents an excellent opportunity even for small sellers, who can reach millions of customers by leveraging the full potential of the platform. The Amazon Handmade program was created specifically to meet the needs of artisans who want to start selling their items online.

The advantages of Amazon Handmade

Several platforms dedicated to handcrafted products exist on the web, such as Etsy, for example. However, the number of users who shop daily on Amazon is difficult to match.

For this reason, the e-commerce giant created Amazon Handmade, a program tailored for those who sell artisanal products, aiming to meet the needs of small sellers.

In addition to the ability to sync your catalog with other marketplaces like Etsy, Handmade offers several other advantages.

First of all, costs are significantly lower compared to traditional sellers. In fact, Handmade sellers enjoy all the tools of a professional selling account, but without paying the fixed monthly fee (€39 + VAT). Furthermore, but only until December 31, 2021, artisan Sellers enjoyed a referral fee reduced to 12%. Starting from 2022, the commission adjusted to platform standards and increased to 15%.

Another huge advantage of the program is that Amazon allows you to upload products without using an EAN code (barcode). In fact, it is assumed that every piece—no matter how similar to others—is unique, making the use of an identification number unnecessary.

This might seem like a minor detail, but it relieves small sellers of a significant burden. EAN codes have a fairly prohibitive cost for small merchants, or at least an expense they would prefer to avoid while allocating their financial resources elsewhere. Furthermore, without a unique code, items will never compete to win the Buy Box, which they will obtain automatically.

An additional benefit of Amazon Handmade is the ability to be featured in the storefront dedicated by Amazon to this category, increasing visibility. Naturally, products can also be reached by users browsing through the marketplace's traditional search bar.

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How to sign up for Amazon Handmade

Signing up for Amazon Handmade is not complicated, but certain requirements must be met.

First, you must have an active Seller Central account, then simply fill out the Seller Central form available at this link.

To ensure the request is accepted, you will need to provide certain information to Amazon, including:

• Name and email address,

• Information about design and production processes. You must specify how your design and production process occurs, what tools and techniques you use, and what percentage of the product's work is done by you or your employees;

• Images of your work. Photos must clearly show the business name, logo, or business card. You can include URLs of any existing websites and social media pages where you sell and share your products to increase the chances of application approval.

Once your registration is approved, you can start uploading your products which, to be eligible for the Handmade storefront, must meet certain criteria:

• Items must be designed and produced by you or the small group of family members or employees you are part of, preferably consisting of fewer than 20 people;

• Production methods employing hand tools and light machinery are allowed; mass production via assembly lines or process automation technologies is not permitted;

• Creative reuse of a used item is allowed, provided it increases its value through a substantial modification, such as painting or refinishing a table;

• Adapting an item or reusing it, in whole or in part, for completely new or different purposes from the original ones is allowed.

The procedure for uploading products to the Handmade store is the same as for all other Amazon products. The only difference is that, as mentioned, it will not be necessary to fill in the space dedicated to the barcode.

Amazon Handmade categories

After clarifying the procedures and advantages for joining the Amazon Handmade program, let's look at the product categories where it is currently possible to upload your products:

• Jewelry;

• Clothing, shoes, and accessories;

• Electronic accessories;

• Home decor;

• Kitchen and dining;

• Baby;

• Beauty and personal care;

• Stationery and party supplies.

Furthermore, being well aware of the value of Italian craftsmanship in the world, Amazon allows you to choose from products made in Italy, in a way not unlike what happens for the Made in Italy category.

Finally, handmade products are in high demand as gift ideas. Especially—but not only—for the most undecided, Amazon has reserved a special section for gift ideas from which to draw inspiration for anniversaries or special occasions.

Artisan Profile: ideas to engage the customer

Sellers using Amazon Handmade have the opportunity to create their own personalized page where they can showcase all their own-produced products. This storefront represents an excellent opportunity for cross-selling and increasing customer engagement.

In the artisan profile page, texts and images can be added to best tell the story of your brand and production process. You can then try to narrate how the idea for your products was born, how you started making them, aiming to convey your passion to users.

Additionally, it is possible to show your processes and your work environment, further increasing customer involvement.

Users can access the seller profile through a box that appears in the lower-right part of the product page.

Warning: The artisan profile page is a very useful tool, but it can be a double-edged sword. It is necessary to take the utmost care with the quality of images and texts on your page. For most artisanal products, aesthetics and engagement are key factors, and a poor presentation could deter users from purchasing the product.

WANT TO KNOW IF YOUR PRODUCT LISTINGS ARE TRULY OPTIMIZED?

Customization of handcrafted products

A major difference between Sellers registered for Amazon Handmade and traditional ones is certainly the possibility of customizing the product.

In fact, it is possible to provide the customer with various options they can choose before completing the purchase. It is one of the most appreciated elements by Handmade customers and represents a true competitive advantage over items made with automated processes.

The only disadvantage of this option is the inability to use Amazon Logistics (FBA). In fact, Amazon FBA cannot be used even if the customizations offered by the artisan are limited and potentially achievable before receiving the order.

Conclusions

Amazon Handmade represents an excellent opportunity for artisans who decide to join the platform. Competitive management costs and the platform's millions of users represent an opportunity not to be missed.