Why does Amazon require a different strategy than DTC?
At first glance, it seems simple. You’ve built a successful Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) site, nailed your email flows, optimized your ads, and now you want to scale further on Amazon.
But here’s the catch: Amazon is not just “another sales channel.” It’s a marketplace with its own rules, costs, and buyer behaviors.
A Repricer.com report (Aug 2025) shows the average cost-per-click for Sponsored Products on Amazon rose 14% year over year, driving customer acquisition costs higher and squeezing margins. Add to that Amazon’s FBA fees, referral commissions, and return policies, and your DTC margin model doesn’t translate one-to-one.
On your own site, you own the customer. On Amazon, you rent space in a crowded, hyper-competitive mall.
What makes DTC unique, and why can’t you just “copy-paste” it?
In DTC, you control:
- Branding: packaging, messaging, design.
- Customer experience: shipping times, unboxing, service.
- Data: every click, cart, and email captured for retention campaigns.
On Amazon, you face restrictions. Many brands are shifting away from Amazon fulfillment because they lose control of experience, margins, and customer data. Amazon decides how your page looks, how reviews are displayed, and how returns are processed.
DTC storytelling, through long landing pages, lifestyle photography, and branded checkouts, rarely survives intact in Amazon’s rigid template.
Which DTC tactics fail on Amazon?
Many DTC growth levers don’t translate directly.
For example:
- Bundles: On your site, bundles can increase the average order value. On Amazon, bundles often fail if they don’t trigger keyword searches or compete against individual ASINs. DTC-style bundles underperform without proper keyword targeting.
- Story-driven campaigns: In DTC, storytelling builds long-term affinity. On Amazon, most buyers arrive with intent to purchase now. They want proof of quality, not brand manifestos.
- Promotions and launches: Flashy campaigns may generate awareness, but if your Amazon listing isn’t optimized with reviews and SEO, the traffic doesn’t convert.
The bottom line: Amazon’s engine rewards relevance, speed, and conversion efficiency, not storytelling alone.
How do you optimize for Amazon’s unique buyer journey?
On your DTC site, buyers may need education before conversion. They’ll read blogs, sign up for emails, and engage with your community.
On Amazon, intent is higher, but patience is lower. Buyers want:
- Clear images and A+ Content that communicate benefits instantly.
- Strong reviews to reduce risk.
- Competitive pricing and delivery speed.
- Immediate clarity on value proposition.
Amazon shoppers prioritize credibility and clarity, while DTC buyers may respond more to long-term brand affinity and omnichannel storytelling.
Your Amazon strategy must reflect this. It’s about removing hesitation in seconds.
What actually works on Amazon?
Here’s the Amazon-specific playbook that consistently drives results:
- Optimize listings like mini landing pages
- Titles and bullets must balance keywords and clarity.
- Use A+ Content (Enhanced Brand Content) to add visuals, storytelling, and comparison charts.
- Combining A+ Content with keyword optimization creates a data-driven blueprint for sustained visibility.
- Invest in keyword research
- Unlike DTC, discovery on Amazon depends on search terms.
- Build campaigns around relevant keywords, not just brand language.
- Secure reviews early
- Without reviews, even the best listing underperforms.
- Pre-launch product testing can generate initial reviews and feedback, so listings are ready before scaling.
- Use external traffic wisely
- Social ads, influencers, and email can push traffic to Amazon listings, but if the page isn’t optimized, the spend is wasted.
- Pre-launch product testing can generate initial reviews and feedback, so listings are ready before scaling.
- Balance organic and paid
- Paid ads help with visibility, but sustainable growth comes from organic ranking built on optimized content and high conversion rates.
Why can’t you ignore constant optimization?
Amazon isn’t “set it and forget it.” The marketplace rewards brands that update listings, refresh keywords, and monitor performance weekly.
Ignoring optimization means:
- Falling behind competitors who refresh images and A+ Content.
- Losing visibility as search terms shift.
- Paying more in ads without improving conversion.
The reality is, even if your product is great, Amazon buyers won’t find it unless your listings work with the algorithm and the human.
What’s the right balance between DTC and Amazon?
The smartest brands don’t abandon DTC or Amazon, they adapt.
Here’s how:
- Start with ownership: Keep building DTC for long-term customer relationships.
- Leverage Amazon for reach: Treat Amazon as the channel for scale and visibility, but adapt tactics for faster, more transactional buyer behavior.
- Cross-pollinate traffic: Use social or influencer campaigns to boost both channels, but tailor messaging for Amazon’s ecosystem.
Think of Amazon as amplification, not duplication.
What should brands do now?
Ask yourself:
- Are my Amazon listings optimized for both the algorithm and the buyer?
- Am I still trying to apply DTC tactics that don’t fit Amazon’s rules?
- Do I have a roadmap for reviews, keywords, and external traffic that supports Amazon growth?
If not, it’s time to rethink.
Why this matters in 2025
Amazon isn’t DTC. And trying to copy-paste your DTC playbook is a shortcut to frustration, wasted budget, and stalled growth.
The winners in 2025 will be the brands that:
- Respect Amazon’s ecosystem.
- Adapt their strategy to listings, reviews, and search.
- Balance DTC ownership with Amazon’s reach.
Because on Amazon, success doesn’t come from what worked on your site. It comes from what convinces buyers, and the algorithm, in the first ten seconds