Overview: The Rising Popularity of Online Wish Lists
In the era of ecommerce and online shopping, wish lists have become a handy way for consumers to curate and share gift ideas or other coveted products they‘d love to purchase someday.
Amazon first debuted its wish list feature back in 2002, and it has grown tremendously in usage over the past two decades. As per Amazon‘s internal data, over 112 million Amazon customer accounts now have at least one active wish list.
The most popular wish list categories tend to correlate strongly with Amazon‘s overall leading product categories:
| Category | % of Wish Lists |
|---|---|
| Books | 38% |
| Home/Kitchen | 32% |
| Toys & Games | 23% |
| Electronics | 19% |
It‘s clear wish lists have hit the mainstream – and Amazon is leading the charge.
So what makes Amazon wish lists so popular? Here are just a few of the key benefits:
- Easy centralized gift registry for weddings, baby showers and more
- Convenient way to compile gift ideas for birthdays and holidays
- Share ideas with friends & family at any time of year
- Organize shopping lists for yourself in one place
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore step-by-step how to create an Amazon wish list customized exactly for your needs…
Step 1: Log into Your Amazon Account
Getting started with your wish list is quick and easy if you already have an Amazon account (which over 300 million people globally do!).
If you‘re new to Amazon, head over to Amazon.com and click the yellow "Create your Amazon account" button to set one up in just a minute or two. You‘ll add your basic contact information and create a password.
Once your account is ready to go:
On desktop, click "Sign In" in the upper right corner:
On mobile, tap the hamburger menu and select "Sign In":
Enter your email address and password at the prompts. Once logged in, you‘ll see your account name visible confirming you have access.
Now let‘s get to building that wish list!
Step 2: Access Your "Account" then "Create List"
With login complete, here is how to navigate to the wish list tool:
On Desktop:
Hover over "Account & Lists" in the top navigation bar, then click on "Your Account". In the left sidebar menu under "Ordering and shopping preferences", you‘ll see the option to "Create a List":
On Mobile:
Tap the ≡ menu icon to open the side menu. Choose "Your Account", then scroll down the menu and tap "Your Lists":
From either view, you‘ll land on the wish list management portal ready to create your first list!
Step 3: Name Your Shiny New Wish List
Think for a moment – what will this list be used for?
Maybe you need a baby registry, or just a custom list of holiday gift ideas for Grandma. Keep that goal in mind as you name your list for easy reference.
Here are some examples based on common wish list themes:
- Baby registry essentials
- Books I want to read this year
- Chris‘s birthday gifts
- Dad‘s 60th birthday ideas
- Family trip donation requests
- Gardening dreams
Into the "List name" field, type your preferred title. Something clear and descriptive works best. Once named, click or tap the orange "Create List" button.
And voila – your brand new empty Amazon wish list has been created!
Now let‘s personalize a few key settings…
Step 4: Set Up List Privacy, Sharing & Management
One of the handiest aspects of Amazon wish lists is customizing who can view and purchase items from your list. You have full control to configure privacy, sharing access, and other preferences.
After creating your list, tap the "List Actions" drop down next to the name, then select Manage List:
Here you can set up:
- Privacy: Choose whether you want your list to be public (viewable by anyone), private (only accessible by you), or shared (viewable by specific people you approve)
- Manage with Alexa: Enable linking your wish list to Alexa for voice-powered management
- List icon: Select a relevant icon like wedding rings or a birthday cake
- List type: Classify the overall intent such as "Wedding registry" or "Wish list from family"
- Purchases: Input recipient name & address, mark gifts as surprises, and more
Configure however makes sense for your particular needs. Once done customizing, click "Save Changes".
Now you‘re ready for the most exciting part – filling this list up!
Step 5: Search Amazon and Add Those Coveted Items!
At last – time for some wish list window shopping!
As you search for and discover products you‘d love to receive as gifts (or just dream about getting someday), adding them is smooth and simple:
On Desktop:
- Use the Amazon search bar to find an item
- On the product page, click "Add to List" under the "Add to Cart" button
- Select which list you want to add the item to
On Mobile:
- Tap product image for more details
- Scroll down and tap "Add to List"
- Pick which list it should go into
You can keep adding goodies to your heart‘s content!
Pro Tip: Most wish lists have an average of about 20 items, but the more you add, the more choice it gives to potential gift-givers.
Once your list reaches critical mass, you can start sharing it others so they can join in on the fun!
Now that you know how to make an Amazon wish list, here are a few extra pointers:
- Share your list via the "Invite" link with email, social media, etc.
- Create multiple lists for different occasions or purposes
- Use Alexa voice commands to manage your list hands-free
- Lists can be added to or edited anytime
So there you have it – in just 5 simple steps, you can set up a polished, personalized Amazon wish list equipped for easy sharing and seamless gift-giving!
Let me know if any other wish list questions pop up along the way!
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