sellershortsShould I Drive Traffic to My Website or Amazon?
Honest comparison of driving external traffic to Amazon vs your own website. Margin math, conversion rates, Brand Referral Bonus, and the right balance.
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The Gist
Whether to drive external traffic to your website or Amazon depends on margin per channel and brand strategy. Amazon converts external traffic 3-5x better than standalone websites (Prime trust plus Brand Referral Bonus) but charges 15-35 percent in fees. Your own website preserves full margin but converts much worse. Most brands use both: Amazon for volume, own website for margin plus customer relationship.
- Amazon converts external traffic 3-5x better than typical websites
- Amazon fees: 15-35% of selling price total
- Brand Referral Bonus: 10% extra on tagged external Amazon sales
- Most brands use both: Amazon for volume, website for margin
"Should I drive traffic to my website or Amazon" is the question every multi-channel seller asks. The honest answer is "calculate net margin per channel, then split traffic accordingly." This guide breaks down the math, the trade-offs, and the right balance by seller stage.
If you have been defaulting to one channel without checking the math, the framework below shows you the honest comparison.
Across hundreds of AI tool runs on SellerShorts, the recommendations below are the ones that recur on listings that hit measurable lift.
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The honest answer: it depends on margin per channel
| Factor | Amazon | Own website |
|---|---|---|
| External traffic conversion | 5-15% | 1-3% |
| Fee burden | 15-35% (referral + FBA) | 2-5% (payment processing) |
| Brand Referral Bonus | 10% (Brand Registry) | Not applicable |
| Customer relationship | Limited (no email access) | Full (email, retargeting) |
| Custom unboxing | Limited (FBA standard) | Full control |
Conversion rate: Amazon vs own website
- Amazon: 5-15 percent typical for external traffic. Pre-existing Prime trust lifts conversion.
- Own website: 1-3 percent typical. Same as open-web ecommerce benchmark.
- Gap explanation: Amazon shoppers trust the marketplace (returns, Prime shipping, review system). External traffic landing on your site has no built-in trust signal.
- Exception: Email subscribers and returning customers convert better on your own website (they already trust your brand).
Margin comparison after fees
- Amazon: referral fee (most commonly 15 percent; ranges 8 to 45 percent by category per Amazon's fee schedule) plus a flat per-unit FBA fulfillment fee based on product size tier and weight (small-standard items typically $2.43 to $4.22 per unit in 2026, plus a 3.5 percent fuel surcharge effective April 2026). Revenue retained after Amazon fees typically lands at 65 to 77 percent of selling price for standard-size items; actual net profit margin depends on COGS, ad spend, and overhead and is usually meaningfully lower than retained revenue.
- Own website: 2-3 percent payment processing only. Net margin closer to 95-97 percent of selling price (assuming 30 percent gross margin).
- Net difference: Own website preserves 20-30 percent more revenue per sale than Amazon for the same product.
Brand Referral Bonus changes the math
- Brand Registry sellers earn 10 percent bonus on Amazon sales from properly-tagged external traffic.
- Effective Amazon fee on external traffic sales: roughly 5-25 percent instead of 15-35 percent.
- Combined with 3-5x higher conversion, Amazon often wins on total revenue per dollar of external traffic.
- Setup: Use Amazon Attribution (Brand Registry) to tag external links; bonus auto-credits to your account.
When driving traffic to your own website wins
Here is the timing picture in practice.
- Building email list and customer relationship. Repeat purchase compounds over months.
- Custom packaging and unboxing experience. Amazon FBA standardizes packaging; own fulfillment lets you customize.
- Very thin margin categories. Amazon fees push net margin under 20 percent.
- Strong brand identity that justifies premium pricing on own site. Higher selling price on website than Amazon possible for premium brands.
- International customers in markets without strong Amazon presence. Own site bypasses marketplace gaps.
When driving traffic to Amazon wins
Here is what shifts the timing decision.
- Cold external traffic that does not know your brand. Amazon trust signal converts 3-5x better than standalone site.
- Categories with strong Prime preference. Buyers explicitly filter for Prime; non-Prime listings get skipped.
- Brand Registry with Brand Referral Bonus. 10 percent bonus offsets Amazon fees by a meaningful margin.
- SKUs where you cannot match Amazon's fulfillment speed. 2-day Prime delivery vs your standard 5-7 day shipping.
- Sellers without their own fulfillment infrastructure. Building own site requires fulfillment plus customer service investment.
The right traffic split by seller stage
- New sellers (under 100 reviews): 80 percent Amazon. Faster proof of product-market fit; Amazon's trust signal carries new brands.
- Growth-stage (100-1,000 reviews): 60-70 percent Amazon, 30-40 percent website. Start building customer relationships.
- Mature brands (1,000 plus reviews): 50-50 split. Own website becomes meaningful share of revenue; protects against platform risk.
- Established with strong brand: 40-50 percent website, 50-60 percent Amazon. Brand authority drives direct traffic.
How to track conversion per channel
Below is the practical walkthrough.
- Amazon Attribution (Brand Registry): Direct conversion tracking for external traffic to Amazon. Free.
- Google Analytics with UTM parameters: Track external traffic to your website.
- Run both for 60-90 days minimum. Less time produces noisy data.
- Compare conversion rate, average order value, net margin per channel.
- Pick the channel that delivers more revenue per dollar of external traffic acquisition.
Hybrid channel mix in practice
Most brands do not pick one channel; they run both with traffic split by source. Common hybrid patterns:
- Email to existing customers: Drive to website (highest margin; existing trust).
- Cold paid Facebook/Instagram ads: Drive to Amazon (Prime trust converts cold traffic).
- Brand site organic content: Mix of both; lead with Amazon link plus website link as secondary.
- Influencer partnerships: Usually Amazon (Amazon Attribution captures bonus; conversion typically better).
- Returning customer SMS/push: Drive to website (warmest audience; highest margin per sale).
The pattern: cold traffic to Amazon (where trust converts), warm traffic to website (where margin compounds). Most successful brands use both channels in this split.
How to build the website over time without losing Amazon momentum
Brands shifting from Amazon-heavy to balanced multi-channel often fear cannibalizing Amazon sales. Four moves protect Amazon while building website:
- Position website as the premium experience, not the discount channel. Same SKU price; better packaging, faster customer service, bundle offerings. Amazon volume protected.
- Use email marketing for repeat purchase to website only. First-time buyers go to Amazon (Prime trust); returning buyers go to website (margin compounds).
- Build content that ranks for informational keywords (not Amazon's commercial keywords). Content site captures Google traffic Amazon does not; no cannibalization.
- Track Amazon Sessions weekly during transition. If Amazon Sessions drop more than 10 percent month-over-month, slow website investment temporarily.
Conclusion
Whether to drive external traffic to Amazon or your own website depends on margin per channel and brand strategy. Amazon converts external traffic 3-5x better than standalone websites but charges 15-35 percent in fees; Brand Referral Bonus (10 percent for Brand Registry) offsets meaningfully. Your own website preserves full margin but requires email list and brand authority to convert at acceptable rates. Most successful brands use both with the split shifting from Amazon-heavy at launch to balanced at mature stage. Strong copy needs strong images; our Amazon Image Generator handles the parallel visual work.
The honest priority: calculate net margin per channel before choosing. Run Amazon Attribution and Google Analytics tracking for 60-90 days; pick the channel that delivers more revenue per traffic dollar. Pair this with our deeper reads on amazon ads online advertising for businesses of all, what is the right way to drive external traffic to, and the supporting how to optimize product listings for better sales guide.
References
Frequently asked questions
Should I drive traffic to my website or my Amazon listing?
Depends on margin per channel and brand strategy. Amazon converts external traffic better (Prime trust plus 10 percent Brand Referral Bonus for Brand Registry sellers) but charges 15-35 percent in fees. Your own website preserves full margin but converts external traffic 3-5x lower than Amazon for the same product. Most brands use both: Amazon for volume, own website for margin plus customer relationship.
Does Amazon convert external traffic better than my website?
Yes, for most product categories. Amazon's pre-existing buyer trust (Prime, reviews, return policy) lifts conversion of external traffic. Typical external traffic conversion: Amazon 5-15 percent, own website 1-3 percent for the same product. The 3-5x conversion gap favors Amazon for traffic that does not know your brand yet. Your own website wins on traffic that already trusts your brand (email subscribers, returning customers).
How does the Brand Referral Bonus change the math?
Heavily. Brand Registry sellers earn 10 percent bonus on Amazon sales from properly-tagged external traffic. The bonus offsets some of Amazon's 15 percent referral fee, making the net cost of selling through Amazon vs your own website much closer. Without the bonus, your website often wins on margin; with the bonus, Amazon often wins on combined volume plus margin.
When should I drive traffic to my own website instead of Amazon?
Three scenarios. Building an email list and customer relationship for repeat purchase (own website wins). Selling products with custom packaging or unboxing experience (Amazon's standard fulfillment limits this). Selling categories where Amazon margin is too thin to sustain (under 20 percent net margin after FBA fees). Otherwise, Amazon typically delivers better revenue for the same traffic.
Can I drive traffic to both my website and Amazon?
Yes, and most successful brands do. Build content articles that link to both with platform-specific tracking. Use email marketing campaigns that segment based on customer behavior (Amazon Prime buyers get Amazon links; direct buyers get website links). Social media posts can include both links with clear positioning. The multi-channel approach maximizes total revenue.
What is the biggest mistake driving external traffic to Amazon vs website?
Picking one channel by default without checking the math. Sellers who default to Amazon because it is bigger leave margin on the table for products with high Amazon fees. Sellers who default to their own website because they want full margin leave volume on the table because external traffic converts much worse on standalone sites. Calculate net margin per channel before choosing.
How do I track which channel converts external traffic better?
Amazon Attribution (Brand Registry) tracks external traffic to Amazon listings with conversion data. Google Analytics with UTM parameters tracks external traffic to your website. Run both for 60-90 days; compare conversion rate, average order value, and net margin per channel. Pick the channel that delivers more revenue per dollar of external traffic acquisition.
What is the right traffic split between website and Amazon?
Realistic balance for healthy brands. New sellers (under 100 reviews): 80 percent to Amazon (faster proof of product-market fit). Growth-stage (100-1,000 reviews): 60-70 percent Amazon, 30-40 percent website (start building customer relationships). Mature brands (1,000+ reviews): 50-50 split (own website becomes meaningful share of revenue). The mature split protects against platform risk while keeping Amazon volume.
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