Overview

Veteran Amazon seller Tobias Bungers shows how brand owners can complement their Amazon presence with a stand‑alone e‑commerce site. Launching an independent shop lets sellers attract traffic from outside Amazon, keep direct contact with buyers, and spread revenue risk. The strategy is especially useful for brands that want to protect margins and broaden reach in 2024.

Key Points

• Direct traffic acquisition — An external website lets brands pull visitors from social platforms, email blasts, and organic search, lowering dependence on Amazon‑driven paid ads.
• Full brand control — Owners can dictate site design, messaging, and packaging, delivering a unified brand narrative that Amazon’s limited storefront cannot replicate.
• Ownership of customer data — Email addresses, purchase histories, and lifetime‑value metrics are captured directly, enabling precise retargeting and product development.
• Multi‑channel fulfillment flexibility — Sellers may ship from their own warehouse or third‑party logistics, balancing inventory between Amazon and the new site.
• Risk diversification — Spreading sales across channels shields businesses from Amazon policy shifts, fee hikes, or account suspensions.
• Enhanced cross‑selling — A dedicated site can showcase bundles, subscriptions, or complementary items that are difficult to promote within Amazon’s catalog.

How an Independent Online Shop Expands Reach

1. Choose a flexible storefront platform — Select a solution such as Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce; for instance, the outdoor brand EcoGear launches a Shopify store using a clean, mobile‑responsive theme that mirrors its Amazon listings.
2. Sync inventory and pricing with Amazon — Deploy a connector app that updates stock levels and prices in real time; EcoGear’s connector automatically deducts inventory on Shopify whenever an Amazon order ships, preventing overselling.
3. Run brand‑centric traffic campaigns — Publish Instagram reels, TikTok clips, and email newsletters that link straight to the stand‑alone site; EcoGear’s “Summer Adventure” email series directs readers to a landing page featuring a limited‑edition backpack.