How to Start Print-On-Demand on Amazon

Have you ever wondered how to sell print-on-demand on Amazon? Well, this article is for you!

Keep reading to help you understand this online marketplace—and to show you how to get started.

What is print-on-demand?

Print-on-demand is a digital printing technology that allows you to print orders for your customers only when they purchase them.

The benefit of print-on-demand is that it allows you to offer more products without any inventory and, in turn, spend less on overhead costs such as manpower and storage fees.

What is print-on-demand Amazon?

Amazon is the world’s largest online marketplace and can be used to sell items of all kinds, including print-on-demand products.

The Amazon market is among the most popular markets for e-commerce entrepreneurs. This fact does not come as a surprise, given that Amazon has been around for a few years and saw its net sales reach over $469.8 billion in 2021.

Print-on-demand allows you to use the power of Amazon’s shipping capabilities and customer base, alongside your print-on-demand supplier’s inventory offerings, to improve sales results.

How to launch a print-on-demand business on Amazon

The first step to selling print-on-demand products is market research. In this step, you must find a good supplier that can provide you with quality products at an affordable price.

How do you find the best-selling products on Amazon? You can get the latest trends and see what products are selling well by looking at the Amazon Best Sellers page.

The best way for sellers to use the Amazon seller tools is by using the Seller Central platform, where everything related to selling happens in one place.

Amazon Seller Central is the section of Amazon that helps sellers manage their accounts and listings.

How to set up a seller account on Amazon

  1. Create an Amazon account.
  2. Follow the instructions and input all of the required information.
  3. Choose the Professional seller plan, which costs $39.99 per month
  4. Use a bank statement or utility bill to verify your account.
  5. Configure your shipping options. Set your product’s delivery cost.
  6. Request the GTIN Exemption. You may submit a large number of items without utilizing UPC numbers, which are expensive.

Listing Print-On-Demand Products on Amazon

You can begin uploading your first product to Amazon once your account is ready.

  1. Go to the menu and click “Inventory”, then choose “Add a Product”:
  2. Click the option: I’m adding a product not sold on Amazon
  3. Look for a product category to which you wish to upload your goods. You can use your product keywords to find a category.
  4. Include the brand and product names.
    • Make sure to include keywords that people will search for when you insert the product name. 
    • If you have already requested the GTIN exemption mentioned above, there is no need to enter the Product ID; otherwise, you may need to purchase a UPC and enter it here.
  5. Next, insert the price, quantity, and condition under the Offers tab.
    • Choose the fulfillment channel: “I will ship this item myself.” Following that, the quantity box will show up.
    • Choose “New” for the condition because print-on-demand products are all brand-new.
  6. Upload the product mockup image you created in the previous step by going to the Images tab.
  7. Click “Save and Finish” when you’re finished. It will take some time for your product to appear on Amazon.
  8. On the Manage Inventory page, click the “Edit” button next to your product to edit the product description.
  9. To add the product description and key features, select the Description tab.
    • Ensure that your product description is well-written and includes relevant keywords. This is crucial because Amazon will use it to determine where your product ranks in the search results.
  10. Open the Keywords tab. Enter all of the keywords associated with your product here.
    • You don’t need to use a comma to separate keywords on Amazon. Simply include unique keywords in the space provided. 
  11. Click “Save and Finish” once done.

Merch by Amazon vs. Amazon Seller Account

You may also have heard of Merch by Amazon. When using this platform, your main focus is designing the print-on-demand product, while Amazon prints and ships the order when someone purchases from your store. You will earn a profit after a sale is made.

This is how it works:

  • Make your own artwork or design.
  • Upload your design and choose a product
  • To make it public, set the price and click ‘publish.’
  • Custom items are manufactured, shipped, and handled by Amazon when they are sold.
  • After the sale, you can collect your royalties.

However, not everyone can sign up for Merch by Amazon.

Unlike opening an Amazon Seller Account to start selling right away, you have to be invited to become a seller using Merch by Amazon.

To become a new seller on Merch by Amazon, you will need to submit an application. Amazon invites only those sellers who meet its requirements to apply, so you will need to wait for the company to send you an invitation.

How to improve your print-on-demand Amazon business?

There are many other things that you can do in order to improve your print-on-demand business and increase sales on Amazon.

Below are some tips to help you:

Amazon Seller App

The Amazon Seller App is another great tool that allows sellers to manage their products on the go. It’s also possible for sellers to create new listings and edit existing ones through this app, which makes it very convenient when you’re away from home or even out shopping.

Keywords

The most important part of selling print-on-demand items is creating high-quality listings that convert well for your audience. One way of improving your listing is by adding keywords.

Keywords are the words and phrases people search for when they’re looking for a product like yours. You can use them in your listing titles and descriptions to help increase conversions from shoppers who are already searching for those things.

Reviews

Customer feedback or product reviews are a critical part of any product on Amazon. The more reviews you have, the more likely shoppers will be willing to purchase from your store because it shows them that other people trust what you’re selling.

Marketplace integration

You can save plenty of time by uploading products to Amazon using marketplace integration. POD companies like Gearbubble or Laser Chili offer marketplace integration you can use to upload products to Amazon.

Automation tools

In many ways, using automation tools in your print-on-demand business is a great choice. Automation can save you time, reduce costs and help you grow your business.

Automation can streamline several print-on-demand business processes such as designing products, processing images, product listing, and uploading.

Take action

Now that you’ve got a good idea of how to get started with POD on Amazon, it’s time to put your new knowledge into action.

Hopefully, this article has provided you with some useful tips on how to sell print-on-demand products on Amazon.

Remember that it takes time, effort, and patience to build up your business, but once you do, it will be well worth all of your efforts.