If you are looking for a platform where you can sell your designs, you have a variety of possibilities. One option could be to sell on Amazon Merch. In this article, we’ll explore how this works and whether it could be the right choice for you.
Getting Started with Amazon Merch
It’s easy to begin this process. Simply, go to the landing page and click ‘request for invitation.’ You can log in with your Amazon account and then quickly fill out a form. Once you do this, you can then wait for email of approval.
Spend this time creating awesome designs that are going to sell and complete some keyword research.
Create Your Tees
Now, it’s time to create the tees. You can do this by adding a PNG file to the fron or back of the shirt. You can then select the color, price and type while giving your shirt a name, title and description.
You can also choose to sell to the general public or a direct product link. If you want to earn money, you need to sell to the public. This will ensure that your shirt is searchable on Amazon and does appear for keywords.
You also need to make sure that you have a good photo software for the PNG file. The file will be printed at 300 DPI so you need to hit this mark
About the Amazon Merch Tier System
You’ll make more money on this platform with the more designs you have. Unfortunately, when you’re starting out, you’ll only get 10 designs. After ten sales you’ll increase to level 2 which allows you to get 25 designs. 100 sales means 100 designs, 500 equals 500 designs and so on. Eventually, you can hit 5000 plus. The good news is that you can sell any shirt you want to move up the tiers.
Find Your Audience for Amazon Merch
Does a shirt need to be complex and overly creative to sell? Nope, some of the best selling shirts are simple with three colors or less and may just be text. It’s better to go minimal instead of creating a shirt that is too busy.
You need to use keywords too. There are a few tools to find the right keywords including Merch Informer as well as Merchant Words. This will help you find keywords with minimum competition that do hit the mark.
Avoid Issues with Amazon Merch
You need to make sure that you are invoiding problems that could potentially get your tees banned. The biggest issue is always going to be trouble with copyright. Even using a basic term in your listing or on your product that is copyrighted can result in a ban.
You should also make sure that you are avoiding profanity and anything related to intolerance.
If you’re worried about copyright, then look at other designs. If you spot one that’s using a word or image you want for your design and they haven’t been banned, this is probably acceptable.
About the Amazon Commission
There’s a flat fee that Amazon charges for each shirt. However, this is different based on the style and whether you are printing on both sides. For instance, if the sale price of a shirt is $19.99, the commission is going to be $14.61. You get a net profit of $5.38. Alternatively, if a t-shirt is sold for $12.99, the commission is $12.90 for a net profit of $0.09.
Remember, you get to choose how much you sell your designs for. So, you could sell them for $14.99. This undercuts the typical $19.99 by a significant amount. It’s a good strategy if you’re only just getting started and want to draw in customers.
Merch By Amazon Pros And Cons
Pros of using Amazon Merch
One of the biggest pros of this store is that once you start selling t-shirts, you’re set. You can leave a product on sale for as many as six months and they will still continue to bring in the profits you want. You don’t have to do anything either, so it’s a great passive income.
Another big benefit is that you don’t have to worry about the gritty details of running a business like this. Everything from customer service to inventory and deliveries are handled for you. All you have to do is create your design, publish and your set.
As you might have guessed this makes selling through Amazon incredibly easy. It doesn’t take much time or effort to start making money at all. You just need a unique design that customers want to buy.
You can even sell the company you create. If your company is a success, it becomes a brand and this has value. You might find that people will want to purchase it off you.
Cons of using Amazon Merch
Unfortunately, there are issues with designs being ‘stolen’ on Amazon. While a customer can’t copy a design completely and sell a replica of your work, they can change a minor detail such as shading and sell that. This is going to cost you a fortune in lost sales and ensure that a great design does not see the level of success you hoped for.
You also don’t have any power with regards to engaging with customers and gaining reviews. This weakens your position when you are attempting to gain the upper hand over a competitor. Ultimately, you are all sourced from Amazon t-shirts and the only difference is the wording or style which can be copied.
How Much Will You make with Amazon Merch?
There’s no set amount of how much you will make. If you are passionate and determined with plenty of great designs, then you could earn between $1000 to $5000 per month. This will depend on whether you can get as many as 2000 designs live and hit the top 1K BSR.
That said, it’s possible and likely for the typical person to earn $500 per month after just eight weeks. This will require you to put effort into creating as many designs as possible. With only ten designs that gain moderate sales $50 per month will be your max earning.
We hope this helps you understand whether Amazon Merch is the right choice for you to sell your designs.