Whether you already sell on Etsy or you’re thinking about which platform to use to sell your handmade items, you’ve probably wondered about Handmade at Amazon. After selling on both sites, I’ve evaluated both Etsy and Handmade at Amazon in a few important areas. Shop AppearanceEtsy wins!Handmade at Amazon does offer a large banner for your shop front and an artist’s profile section, but it very much has that “amazon” vibe. They didn’t change much about their interface for Amazon handmade so there is something that just doesn’t feel special about your product when the listing looks just like the one from your last wifi router purchase.
Etsy’s updated shop layout has a more current, curated feel and more opportunities for branding. You can customize the order in which your products are displayed. Buyers have more opportunities to “hang out” in your shop browsing your categories and reading shop updates. Listing AppearanceAmazon wins (by a hair)Amazon did more to make their Handmade listing pages stand out from the rest of the listings on the online megastore. Next to your many product photos, you get an artists profile picture and mini blurb. The “Handmade” logo in a rustic font is a cute touch and social media share buttons pop next to your photos. Etsy has not updated the way each individual listing appears in quite a while. Branding opportunities are minimal and the most pronounced thing on the page is a long, key-wordy title that Etsy SEO sort of requires. You’re only allowed 5 photos including any color charts.
That being said, both platforms offer a clean, professional looking listing page that is easy to buy from and browse to other items in your shop. Posting a ListingEtsy is the big winner here for meMore fields and more customization in the amazon interface just leads to more time and room for error. It is also so simple to copy a listing and just change a couple factors to make a new listing on Etsy. Amazon has this feature too but it is clunky, opens several new windows and requires many more clicks. The whole thing feels much less snappy. Amazon gets a few gold stars for having free listings though. AudienceThis is a toss upAmazon has a massive audience at over 200 million users wile Etsy has 25 million. However, we all know Etsy’s customers are specifically coming for handmade products and appreciate everything that goes into that. Handmade at Amazon products get mixed in with non handmade products in search. So, while Amazon casts a wider net, Etsy is more focused on your target customers. Since the users on both platforms are so different, it would be a good reason to consider using both Handmade at Amazon and Etsy to have the largest reach possible. ShippingAmazon You can’t beat the ease of fulfilment by Amazon (FBA). Your items get to be listed as “prime” and can offer free two day shipping for your customers. Rather than sending our individual orders, you prepare one big shipment to an Amazon warehouse and they handle the rest. That being said, FBA does limit your branding. You can’t include any branding that obstructs the view of the product (clear poly bags only) and you can’t include any branding that promotes other websites. It also costs a pretty penny but prime customers are usually willing to pay a little more for the feature so you can raise your prices to compensate. PaymentEtsyAmazon’s payment schedule will be a big adjustment if you’re used to Etsy. Rather than getting paid every week, you won’t recieve your Amazon deposit for 3-5 days after your order is shipped. This can be a huge challenge for us handmade sellers who make things to order and use funds from the sales to purchase materials.If I have to choose which platform I enjoy the most, Etsy takes the cake. However, if you have the inventory, and time to manage two sites, I’d consider selling on Amazon handmade as well and use FBA. This leaves some of the shipping and customer service to Amazon while you focus on more custom orders on Etsy.#Etsy#Yarn#Shipping#DIY