Are you passionate about art or simply the joy of handcrafting everything under the sun? The thought of being able to share your creations with a global audience and turning your favorite hobby into a thriving business sounds like a dream come true. Well, Amazon Handmade makes it possible for all of you!
Note that 61% of Amazon Handmade sellers make more than $1,000 in sales each month.
With Amazon Handmade, unlike Amazon’s regular marketplace, is all about creativity and craftsmanship from artisans, small business owners, painters, and crafters. You have the chance to reach millions of Amazon’s dedicated shoppers. Think about it, your unique creations are showcased worldwide, drawing in customers who value the artistry and story behind each and every piece.
Here’s a guide to help you in every step of the way. Read along to explore some secrets to success, share expert tips, and walk you through building a profitable business on Amazon Handmade.
Amazon has 3.1 billion monthly visits, and 90% of all U.S. consumers have shopped on the platform. How are you still not convinced to sell your handmade goodies on Amazon?
Quick guide-
- What is Amazon handmade?
- Turn your Hobby into Business Through Amazon handmade (For newbies)
- Why should I enroll my brand in Amazon Handmade?
- How does Amazon Handmade work exactly?
- How is Amazon Handmade different from existing platforms like Shopify, Ebay, Etsy etc?
- Is my small business product eligible to be sold?
- How will I know if my product category has a demand?
- How to set up Amazon Business Account
- How to succeed by selling on Amazon Handmade
What is Amazon Handmade?
Amazon Handmade is an exclusive community designed just for artisans, crafters, and small business owners! Think of it as your own creative universe within Amazon’s vast marketplace, where artists like you can showcase their talent on a platform dedicated to handmade excellence offering a refreshing twist for shoppers who crave quality and personal connection over mass production.
Here, artisans have the freedom to design branded storefronts, share the stories behind their creations, and showcase the passion and skill that go into each piece. It’s not just selling; it’s about building connections and giving customers a genuine insight into the artistry behind every product.
Turn your Hobby into Business Through Amazon Handmade (For newbies)
How often are you seated at your office desk and wonder what would happen if you went ahead and started that jewelry making business that you were so passionate about since you were a little kid?
Monetizing your hobby into a money-making machine is nothing but extra-ordinarily empowering to anyone whilst making the child in you thrive. That is actually a place you wouldn’t mind losing your sleep for or working overtime every day because it is for all the right reasons.
Take for example, Lisa loves charm bracelets and has always loved the idea of gifting them to friends and family for every occasion. To her surprise, she was once asked to make 10 bracelets as a return gift for her neighbor’s daughter’s birthday party.
She received a lot of love and appreciation for the bracelets and one of the mother’s suggested her to sell these online. As overwhelming as it sounded, Lisa agreed to give it a shot and saw a massive demand for it. She ended up selling hundreds of charm bracelets within the first few months with just word-of-mouth and running small budget ads from time to time.
In order to keep the orders organized, she went ahead and created a shopify website but she wasn’t fully content. She felt the need to expand and has now opened an Amazon handmade store that puts her products in front of a better and larger audience, streamlining her process of fulfilling orders from a small scale to a large scale.
Amazon Handmade allows you to showcase your products’ USP (Unique Selling Point) and gives you the opportunity to sell and rank among thousands of existing brands.
For more assistance on the running PPC campaigns, ad management or Amazon account management, you can always explore e-commerce marketing services like Sequence Commerce. Collaborating with an e-commerce marketing service can open doors to many opportunities and pave the way to juggle both your responsibilities with utmost ease.
That being said, stop worrying about what’s done and start planning your newest endeavor, and build a successful business on Amazon Handmade!
Why should I enroll my brand in Amazon handmade?
In 2022, the global handicrafts market was valued at USD 704.7 billion. It’s projected to grow even more, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2023 to 2028.
By 2028, it’s estimated to reach a whopping USD 1,376.12 billion.
Here, your products don’t get lost in a sea of mass-produced items; instead, they stand out as high-quality, handmade pieces crafted by real people like you with passion and skill.
However, one of the perks is that your products are eligible to show up on Amazon’s search results as well. Provided you do a fantastic job with the SEO and use the right keywords with high search volume.
For example, if you sell body lotion, your items could appear in search results for body lotion, even if the person isn’t specifically looking for a homemade product. For this, your product listing needs to be optimized with high-ranking keywords and search terms that will help push your Handmade listing to Amazon’s search results.
This gives artisans access to Amazon’s massive customer base, with the potential for new people to discover their products.
Amazon Handmade brings together the niche focus of a handmade marketplace with the power of Amazon’s infrastructure, offering artisans a unique platform with vast customer reach,
Higher value products
As you move into the world of custom-making and hand-making, you have a better chance of quoting higher. People really see artists for their hours of ideating, working and packaging, which draws them closer to the artist and connects them on a deeper level.
As your product is handmade, the making costs would be slightly lesser than that of a ready-made product. When you save on things like production cost or industrial materials, you can expect to make better profits by selling handmade products.
As your profits are increased, there is a better scope of break-even in your business.
The same product sold in a mass production and when compared to a Handmade account, can vary so much.
Quick note- Amazon is currently the leading online retailer in the US, with annual net sales of over $574 billion in 2023. Amazon averages over 2.5 billion visitors per month.
- Personalization
Unlike Amazon’s regular marketplace, Amazon Handmade is all about celebrating creativity and craftsmanship. This niche marketplace puts handcrafted goods front and center, offering a refreshing twist for shoppers who crave quality and personal connection over mass production.
It’s attractive enough to sell something that’s entirely customized to your customer’s liking. It is a special and thoughtful gift as well as something you can purchase for yourself.
Your products would be listed in pre-made categories like shown in the image, when you sell on Amazon Handmade, making it easier for the shopper to find what they are looking for.
When you offer customizable options, this is how your product listing will look like.
You are free to include a bunch of options your customers are free to choose ranging from a custom message, print, colour, etc.
- Massive potential reach
Amazon is one of the most visited sites in the US. As Amazon Handmade products are integrated into the more significant Amazon e-commerce site, selling on Amazon Handmade can get you in front of a huge global audience than any other platform.
- Complimentary professional plan
Amazon Marketplace offers both an individual and a professional plan, with professional plan sellers paying a flat subscription fee of $39.99 per month, plus selling fees on individual orders. New sellers who are approved for Amazon Handmade receive the professional plan perks for free and are charged a flat 15% transaction fee on all sales.
When selling on regular Amazon, the referral fee differs from category to category. For example, if you sell a bag on Amazon Marketplace, you will be paying a 15% referral fee on every product sold, along with the Professional plan of $39.99 every month.
Whileas, on Amazon Handmade, you only have to pay the referral fee and skip the professional fee, enabling you to attain a better break-even rate.
- No listing fees
Amazon doesn’t charge product listing fees which means you only pay for every sale you make.
- Trust and Credibility
Being associated with Amazon is an excellent way in itself to build trust with your customers. However, that alone won’t be sufficient. Request customer reviews from customers who have already purchased from you earlier by Amazon’s “Request Review” option.
Word-of-mouth is one of the most common yet efficient sources of advertising, the quality of products that you sell plays a huge role in building the same.
Over 4000 products are being sold per minute. This shows us that for a majority of shoppers, Amazon is the best choice.
- Fulfillment options
You, as a seller, can make use of FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) where your orders are packed and delivered efficiently and entirely streamlining the shipping and logistics part of your business.
Not just that but, when you ship your products to Amazon and let them fulfill orders, you will pay more in fees for this option, but FBA orders are Prime-eligible.
When you sell personalized products, remember that opting for FBM (Fulfillment by Merchant) would be preferable as it gives you the flexibility to complete the order at your convenience. This gives you more control over your inventory and fulfilment process.
FBM sellers can also use the SFP program to gain Prime status. Note that, FBM doesn’t offer the same SEO and Buy Box advantages as FBA.
How Amazon Handmade Works? Is My Small Business Product eligible to be sold?
Amazon Handmade is a platform where all Artisans come together to showcase and sell their unique products.
If your brand complies with all the requirements in order to be listed on Amazon handmade, you can start earning instantly.
There are still some points to keep in mind.
Handmade Requirement
To maintain the authenticity and quality of the marketplace, Amazon Handmade strictly requires that all products be genuinely handcrafted. Each item should be created, altered, or assembled by you or your team, without being mass-produced or manufactured. Amazon will review your application to ensure this standard is met, which helps protect the integrity of the marketplace and ensures customers are purchasing truly handcrafted goods.
Product Categories
Amazon Handmade accepts products within specific categories, and each product must clearly fit within one of them. For example:
- Jewelry & Watches: Only handmade items like bracelets, rings, earrings, and custom watches are permitted.
- Home, Outdoor & Home Care: Products such as decor, wall-hangings, furniture, or candles must be designed and crafted by the seller.
- Beauty & Personal Care: Handmade bath and body products are accepted, often with a preference for natural or artisanal crafted items.
This category focus ensures a clear distinction from Amazon’s general marketplace, allowing customers to trust that they’re browsing authentic, handcrafted items.
Restrictions on Third-Party Production
Amazon Handmade prohibits mass-produced or assembled products from being sold by third-party manufacturers or partners. Your eligibility depends on whether or not your product qualifies the initial round of Amazon’s scrutiny to check for any resellers.
Reselling defeats the purpose of having a platform that sells customised products so stick to your product or find a niche that is best suitable for you to sell in.
Unique Story and Brand Elements
Amazon Handmade is designed to connect customers with artisans who have a story to tell. Your individual brand story can play an important role in qualifying for the platform. Highlighting your journey as a small business, creative inspiration, and commitment to craftsmanship can enhance your application.
How is Amazon Handmade different from existing platforms like Shopify, eBay, Etsy, etc?
| Shopify | Etsy | eBay | Amazon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Model | Shopify is an e-commerce platform allowing you to create your online store. It provides a customizable storefront and payment processing. | Etsy is a marketplace focused on handmade, vintage, and craft supplies but difficult to rank on Google than it is on Etsy, leading to poor brand visibility. | eBay is an auction-style and fixed-price marketplace where sellers list items for sale to the highest bidder or at a set price. | Amazon is a vast online marketplace where sellers can list products alongside Amazon’s own offerings. |
| Customization | High level of customization with numerous themes and apps. With more add-ons attached to Shopify, the platform starts to slow down. | Limited customization compared to Amazon or Shopify. Sellers can personalize their shop within the constraints of Etsy’s platform. | Limited customization for store appearance. eBay stores offer some branding options but are less flexible than Amazon. | They have a maker application and audit process to ensure they’re building a shop of genuinely handcrafted goods. |
| Control | Full control over your store, including branding, customer data, and marketing strategies but poor B2B functionalities. | Limited control as Etsy handles the marketplace environment and customer data. | Moderate control over listings and customer interactions. eBay has to deal with a lot of competition. | Gives full control of your store and artisanal presentation as long as it complies with Amazon’s guidelines. |
| Cost | Monthly subscription fees ranging from $29 to $299, plus transaction fees if not using Shopify Payments. | A listing fee of $0.20 per item, 5% transaction fee, and payment processing fee. | Insertion fees for listing items, final value fees, and optional listing upgrade fees. | Waiver of referral fees of $40 per month for all Handmade-approved applicants, a savings of $480 per year. |
How will I know if my product category is in demand?
Competitor analysis
Diving into what your competitors are doing and recognizing what’s working for them and what’s not has got to be the most exhilarating research experience.
Look for gaps in their listings that you can potentially fill, in terms of images, product listing optimization, pricing errors etc.
You can take into consideration the keywords a seller who sells similar products to yours has used in their Amazon product listing and incorporate them into your own. Recognize that the below example hasn’t used uppercase for the subheads which would improve the readability, despite having good keywords in them. Also, each bullet point isn’t up to 150 characters suggested by Amazon.
Take a look at the difference.
Keyword research
Conduct comprehensive keyword research that will give you a clear idea of what customers are searching for and what could be in high demand. Type into Amazon’s search bar keywords that are closely related to your product and check out what the auto-suggest feature is suggesting on the search bar.
Browse Amazon handmade
It’s always a smart idea to check out the best sellers on Amazon in your category. Have a look at what products are consistently ranking on the top to get a grip of what’s trending and what’s high in demand.
Now, earning the best seller can be quite a task but it sure is highly rewarding. Amazon rewards products with the “Best Seller” badge when it has been consistently and exponentially growing with sales and is on top of product ranking. From the start, if you work towards getting the best seller badge, your brand can highly benefit from it.
Use Google Trends for seasonal demand trends
Google Trends allows you to track search interest over time for specific keywords. This can help you identify seasonal demand patterns (e.g., “handmade jewelry” may peak around Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day).
By understanding trends, you can better time your product launches and target high-demand periods.
Check out the reviews of handmade products
Understand what the shoppers have written under your competitor’s products. Pay attention to what they have appreciated and what they have not so you can make the required alterations.
Check out the critical reviews for a better understanding of how you can improve.
How to set up
To apply for Amazon Handmade, follow the steps below:
Go to the Amazon Handmade page and click the yellow button titled “Apply to Sell”
Choose your marketplace from the popup that appears. If you would like also to sell internationally, marketplaces are currently available for Amazon Handmade in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Italy.
2. Fill in your basic contact details and to confirm that you meet the basic requirements of an artisan or cooperative.
3. The next section allows you to explain your work and how you make your products.
4. This section lets you describe your products and processes involved to ensure that Amazon is clear that you create your products and that they meet the criteria of the Amazon Handmade marketplace. You’ll want to go into detail about what exact materials you use to create your handmade products, a description of your production processes and also the approximate time that each step in your manufacturing process takes.
5. Although the next section, “Show us your work” says that it is optional, we strongly recommend that you take the time to complete this as part of your application. The application form indicates that these photos can be either of the finished product or your production process. You’ll want to consider uploading a combination of both and ensure all photos look as professional as possible.
6. Finally, you’ll want to confirm the best category for your products on Amazon Handmade. These are the categories it offers.
- Accessories
- Artwork
- Baby
- Beauty & Personal Care
- Clothing, Shoes & Handbags
- Home, Outdoor & Home Care
- Jewelry & Watches
- Kitchen & Dining
- Pet Supplies
- Sporting Goods
- Stationery & Party Supplies
- Toys & Games
If your category isn’t listed, for example food or electronics, then it unfortunately means that Amazon Handmade is not accepting products from these categories just yet.
7. The final section is to allow Amazon Handmade to learn more about how sellers are hearing about the marketplace and also for you to confirm that you comply and submit accurate information. Once you have reviewed your application to ensure this is the case, click the Submit Application button.
Once submitted, your application will be assessed by the Amazon Handmade Team and you will receive a response within 7-14 days.
How to succeed by selling on Amazon Handmade
- Build a Beautiful Artisan Profile
Your product listings and store-front should speak lengths about what you do and what your brand is all about. In order to create an impactful look and feel, ensure your profile gives out a premium outlook.
Come up with a catchy brand name so people ponder over it and it stays top-of-mind. Invest time in picking out your brand’s primary colors that best suit your products and everything you offer. Try to give importance to the product packaging as well as it adds to your brand’s credibility and makes the receiver feel special.
- Curate strong product listings
When it comes to handmade items people also love to hear the story behind it. How did you come up with the idea? What was your inspiration? These are the types of things that will truly sell your product.
- Invest in good product photography
Online shopping entirely relies on the visuals your brand offers. The better the images and videos, the better the conversions. It is the closest to walking into a physical store and trying things on before purchasing. In order to gain confidence in your product, your product photography has to do justice.
- Run ads and give into seasonal campaigns
Running sponsored ads and display ads is a given. PPC campaigns can lead to increased brand visibility and impressions which can slowly convert into potential sales. You can always start small, bid less and then experiment with keywords and eventually increase your ad budget.
Since you would be selling handmade products, it leans more towards thoughtful and sweet gestures. Shoppers are often looking for unique, thoughtful gifts, making these prime opportunities for handmade sellers like you.
This is why you can plan promotions around key shopping seasons like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Mother’s Day.
Conclusion
Selling on Amazon Handmade isn’t just a way of making money but a powerful way of doing what you love and earning a living out of it. This way of selling allows you to share your creative vision with the world and connect with customers who appreciate and celebrate the value of handmade artistry.
Whether it’s a small hobby you’re looking to grow or a full-fledged business idea, Amazon Handmade provides a platform for everyone and lets your work shine while opening new doors to global reach and visibility.
Don’t hesitate to take the first step by setting up your Amazon Handmade account, experimenting with new ideas, and crafting listings that truly represent your brand’s story.
Happy selling, handmade!
Jake Gilbert serves as the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at Sequence Commerce, where he spearheads all lead generation initiatives and drives the agency’s growth strategy. With a keen analytical mindset, Jake transforms complex marketplace data into actionable insights that deliver measurable results for clients. His expertise spans conversion rate optimization, customer acquisition funnels, and performance marketing specifically tailored to Amazon and e-commerce ecosystems.
At Sequence Commerce, Jake has developed proprietary reporting frameworks that accurately track and attribute revenue across multiple marketing channels, allowing clients to optimize their ad spend with precision. His data-driven approach to revenue optimization has helped numerous brands scale their Amazon presence while maintaining profitable growth metrics. Jake regularly analyzes emerging marketplace trends and platform algorithm changes to refine client strategies and maintain competitive advantages in the increasingly complex e-commerce landscape.
Before joining Sequence Commerce, Jake built successful sales operations for SaaS companies targeting the e-commerce sector, giving him unique insights into both the technical and strategic aspects of online selling. He holds certifications in advanced analytics and digital marketing, and frequently shares his expertise through the Sequence Commerce blog and industry webinars.