Merch by Amazon is a service of printing t-shirts on demand. Vendors can create t-shirt designs as product lists and earn royalties on every sale. Amazon prints the t-shirts and then ships them directly to customers. Amazon launched the Merch platform in the fall of 2015.
Many market vendors view Merch as an opportunity to add a new stream of revenue to their existing business. Others start new businesses only on Merch. Whatever it is, Merch would generate quick profits for many entrepreneurs.
First steps on Merch
Getting started on Merch is easy.
Step 1. Create a Merch account. Depending on when you read this, you may need to request an invitation. Demonstrate why you qualify as a Merch seller and you can be accepted as quickly as the same day.
Step 2. Search high-volume search keywords with low competition. To do this, search for a keyword on Amazon for a t-shirt that you think is popular, like "Christmas elf t-shirt." To understand the search volume on Amazon for this specific keyword, consider using Everywhere keywords or similar tool.
Search for keywords that have a high search volume (over 300 per month), but have low search results (less than 1000).
Step 3. Hire an independent graphic artist. If you are not a graphic designer, hire a freelancer at an hourly rate to help you create the design of your t-shirt. Meet the designer and provide details on what you are looking for, approve the estimated hours they offer and work with her during several rounds of revisions. Make sure the images meet the requirements of Amazon.
Step 4. Create a list of Merch t-shirts. Similar to product listings, there is an Amazon search strategy to make your t-shirt lists rank higher than your competitors. In general, focus on the price of the t-shirt, the brand name, the title, the chips and the description.
- Price. Look at the prices of your competitors and base your price on the top 10 search results for your keyword. While most t-shirts sold by Merch are priced at $ 19.99, the price may vary from one model to another. Do your research.
- Name of the mark. The brand name must be unique for each t-shirt, depending on the keyword. For example, if your t-shirt is competing for the keyword "Christmas Elf t-shirt", the brand name could be "Christmas Elf Tees."
- Title. When composing a t-shirt title, be descriptive and relevant to the specific t-shirt. For example, if you are competing for the keyword "Christmas Elf T-shirt", you can use a title of "Cute green and red Christmas Elf playing in a snow T-shirt."
- Ball points and description. Use bullets and a description to sell the consumer on your t-shirt and connect to an emotion that he may have to your design. Include synonyms for the main keyword for which you are competing. If it's "elf", for example, you can include "fairy" or "Santa's help" to rank these keywords too.
We recently explained how to optimize Amazon lists. Amazon's "Merch of Amazon SEO Ultimate Guide" is also helpful.
Step 5. Collect royalties on sales. Once your t-shirt design is listed on Merch, it becomes available for purchase for millions of Amazon customers. As your designs sell, Amazon prints t-shirts, shipments to buyers (eligible for a 2-day Prime delivery) and handles customer service issues. You will receive royalties, which vary according to your "level". As you sell more t-shirts, you can move on to new levels. The standard fee, for starters, is 25 to 35%.
In summary, Amazon Merch is a simple but potentially profitable way for e-commerce vendors to diversify their business model and add new revenue that requires little overhead and management.