Merch by Amazon: A Simpler Way To Sell on Amazon

“Online businesses revolve around regular factory-manufactured products”, that’s what you tell yourself every time you think of starting an Amazon business. On the contrary, you do not need to shove your creative abilities aside to start an online business. Merch by Amazon is Amazon’s solution for creative entrepreneurs who want to create interesting designs and sell them on Amazon.

Have you ever wondered if you could create and sell customized clothing? If you have, then, the Merch by Amazon business is perfect for you. What is Merch by Amazon and how does it work?

There are several Merch by Amazon reviews available online, but this is probably the most extensive review you will come across. So, here you go.

What Is Merch By Amazon?

Merch by Amazon is Amazon’s print-on-demand service that allows sellers to create creative designs and sell them on Amazon. With Merch by Amazon, designers and content creators can sell branded merchandise without incurring upfront costs. 

In other words, sellers can create branded clothing items, put them up for sale on Amazon, and earn royalties from about 13-37%.

There is no inventory needed and no advance costs involved, so, this business model works best for sellers with little to no capital. You get to explore your creative side, or you can even set up your business for free and outsource it. 

Merch By Amazon: Sign-up Process

This business option is easier to set up compared to other Amazon business models, as long as you follow due process. Sellers who want to sell branded merchandise on Amazon will have to apply and get approval to do so. Here’s how it works:

1. Set up an Amazon seller account or log in to an existing one.
2. Check out the ‘Merch by Amazon’ page on the website.
3. Click “Request invitation” to start the process
4. Agree to the terms of the service
5. Next, click “Begin Application” to apply
6. Fill in the required fields and provide your business information.
7. Send in your application

Wait for your application to be approved. Once this is done, you can go ahead and put your products up for sale. Now, how does Merch by Amazon work? We’ve got you covered.

How Merch by Amazon Works: Step by Step Guide

It’s a pretty straightforward process. After Amazon has approved your invitation request, the next step is to set up a seller account. Then, follow the steps below:

• Create and upload your designs

To do this, go to the Merch by Amazon page on the website and upload prototypes of your designs. Since Amazon takes a dim view of copyright, design, and trademark infringements, you must ensure your designs are original.

You must obtain the owner’s consent if you intend to use someone else’s original design. Amazon has a ton of guidelines that you will find helpful. Furthermore, you should use Amazon’s design templates, because they usually have size restrictions for different types of designs.

There are many tools you can utilize to create your designs – GIMP and Adobe Illustrator are the most popular ones. Also, your design should be 15 x 18 inches at 300 dpi with standard RGB color, preferably PNG files of about 25Mb.

• Choose the kind of clothing item you’d like to brand and preferred colors

After uploading your design, select the kind of merchandise you want to create. A design can be used on an unlimited number of items (you may just have to upgrade your plan as you go). 

You can choose to customize t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, throw pillows, and other similar items. Select your preferred products, and list your products, making sure to insert relevant keywords in your descriptions. 

• Fix your Product prices

Sellers fully control pricing and can set any price they want. However, payment is by royalties. Royalties come from the purchase price minus any applicable taxes and Amazon’s costs, usually between 15-37%. Your estimated royalty will be shown to you when you set the price for your branded product on the platform.

• Create Product Listings

Before listing your products for sale, ensure that your designs do not violate Amazon’s content policies. If they don’t, Amazon will review your designs, approve them, then create your listings.

• Production and Order Fulfillment

Once your listings go up, you can start to expect sales. The good thing, however, is that you will not have to worry about producing and shipping orders. Amazon will print your merchandise according to your specifications, package, and ship orders. In addition to this, Amazon will handle all returns, refunds, and exchanges on your behalf.

• Payments

Royalties are earned for each item sold. Consequently, the more branded products you sell, the higher your royalty will be. Typically, Amazon remits royalties 30 days after the invoice date of the month in which your product was shipped.

Most Merch by Amazon reviews provide a one-sided view of the service. However, just like every other business model, nothing is guaranteed; it comes with its pros and cons. Let’s look at some of them.

Merch by Amazon: Pros

• Amazon handles all the heavy lifting on your behalf. Aside from creating your designs, you won’t have to bother about anything else. In other words, Amazon is solely responsible for producing, storing, packaging, and shipping your orders. As a result, your royalties are your earnings and you won’t have to bear any extra costs.
• You can start the business for free, as there are no upfront or hidden costs involved. You will only be charged after you make a sale (Amazon costs), and the rest of your money sent to you.
• You gain access to a large network of potential buyers – Amazon’s customers, and this increases your chances of making sales.
• The business model is a great way to generate passive income, seeing as your only task is to create attractive designs.
• Since you automatically use Amazon FBA, your merchandise will be eligible for Prime shipping. This, in turn, makes your customers eligible for free same-day or two-day shipping, which can sometimes be an incentive to attract buyers.
• Your merchandise can help increase brand awareness and visibility, especially if you own a brand or create content.

Merch by Amazon: Cons

• Although the business model can turn out to be profitable, the niches are highly competitive. In addition to this, you will have to adhere to many guidelines, copyright laws, and policies.
• The bulk of the work lies in research – a lot of research. After finding a profitable niche and creating attractive designs, you will have to carry out keyword research and optimize your listings. Most sellers do this seamlessly though, thanks to Amazon software and the vast keyword options available.

You may have concluded that a Merch by Amazon business requires no extra effort since most Merch by Amazon reviews say so. On the contrary, you will need to do some work if you want to scale your business. Take note of the following.

Scaling A Merch by Amazon Business

There is a high chance of making money selling your designs on Amazon. But only if you follow Amazon’s guidelines and create attractive designs that convince people to purchase your merchandise.

You must choose the right niche when starting a Merch by Amazon business. One of the cons of this business model is that the niches tend to be very competitive. So, to start right, you have to choose a niche with high demand and low competition.

Choosing the right niche is an almost impossible task if you intend to make blind guesses. In other words, you must make insightful choices, and Amazon software is your best bet. With Amazon software, you can research and find out what people want, then craft your designs in line with that information.

How To Use Amazon Software For Your Merch by Amazon Business

Amazon software like ZonBase can help you choose a profitable niche and scale your Amazon business. How?

• Keyword Research

Keywords play a major role in helping you make sales. Fortunately, you are unlikely to run out of keywords – before and after choosing your preferred niche. 

Input keywords into the search box to find dozens of related terms, along with their estimated search volume.

Ideally, you should look for keywords with over 1000 monthly searches. It is best to target keywords that receive a lot of search traffic throughout the year. Then, make sure your design relates to those words.

Related: Amazon Keyword Research

• Competitive Analysis

After finding a seemingly profitable niche, check out what other creators are doing. What kind of merch designs receive the greatest attention? That will give you a good clue.

There is a good chance that you’ll make sales in that niche. However, there will still be a problem if there is not enough demand for those terms.

If you want to target niches that aren’t overrun with products based on them already, you should look for non-competitive niches. In this case, the supply is low, so the demand is high, resulting in more sales for you.

• Listing Optimization

Putting up your merchandise for sale is not the end, your listings have to be optimized. Listing optimization is, however, not something you can do with your eyes closed. 

Hence, you should consider optimizing your listings for conversions using Amazon software. For increased conversions, include relevant keywords, images, and descriptions in your product listings.

How The Best Amazon Software – ZonBase Can Help You 

ZonBase contains the best Amazon seller tools for keyword research, competitive analysis, and listing optimization. 

This software provides you with an extensive suite of 13 tools for product research, keyword research, competitive analysis, and listing optimization.

With the Chrome extension and Reverse ASIN tools, you can carry out competitive analysis like a pro. In addition, its keyword research tools and listing optimization tools will work together to bring you visibility and guarantee sales on Amazon.

Sign up for a free 7-day trial.

Conclusion

The Merch by Amazon program is an excellent choice if you want to start an online business on a tight budget. It is easy to set up, minimal risk is involved, and requires no capital.