Amazon Launches Direct Brand-Site Shopping Beta: Customers Can Now Buy From Brand Websites Through Amazon
Amazon has launched a beta called Direct Brand‑Site Shopping in the mobile app, initially limited to about 5,000 U.S. brands. The feature shows a “Shop on Brand Site” card and AI‑guided overlay, and early data shows a 12% lift in referral clicks for participating brands.
Overview
Amazon has rolled out a beta called Direct Brand‑Site Shopping, letting shoppers discover and buy items from a brand’s own website even when those items are absent from Amazon’s catalog. The feature debuted in the Amazon mobile app and uses AI to guide the purchase journey, giving sellers a new avenue to channel Amazon traffic to their owned e‑commerce sites.
Key Points
- Off‑Amazon product discovery — While browsing Amazon, a shopper searching for “organic dog treats” may see a “Shop on Brand Site” prompt for a boutique pet‑food maker whose SKU isn’t listed on Amazon, instantly expanding the product’s visibility.
- AI‑assisted navigation — Amazon’s AI can highlight size charts, color swatches, or bundle options on the brand’s site; for example, a sneaker brand’s AI assistant suggests the best fit based on the shopper’s foot‑size data entered on Amazon.
- Direct site visits — Shoppers may also tap a “Visit Brand Site” button to skip the AI overlay and land straight on the brand’s mobile‑optimized checkout, preserving the brand’s full checkout experience.
- Mobile‑first rollout — The capability appears only within the Amazon shopping app, meaning a user scrolling the “New Arrivals” feed on a smartphone can click through to a brand’s site without leaving the mobile environment.
- Beta‑limited availability — At launch, participation is restricted to a pilot group of roughly 5,000 U.S. brands, and Amazon may adjust the UI or pricing model as feedback is collected.
- Potential traffic boost — Early reports indicate that brands participating in the pilot have seen a 12‑percent lift in referral clicks from Amazon, suggesting the feature can funnel meaningful traffic to external stores.
How Direct Brand‑Site Shopping Works
- Search or browse trigger — When a shopper looks up a product category and Amazon identifies a brand that sells the item on its own site but not on the marketplace, a “Shop on Brand Site” card appears. Example: A customer searching for “hand‑crafted ceramic mugs” sees a card for a small studio’s website.
Analysis & Recommendations
Why This Matters
Sellers can capture Amazon‑driven traffic on their own sites, potentially increasing sales while retaining control over checkout and pricing. Early pilots report a 12% rise in referral clicks and measurable ROI uplift when referral tags are used.
Key Takeaways
- Direct Brand‑Site Shopping beta is available to roughly 5,000 U.S. brands in the Amazon mobile app.
- Participating brands have seen a 12% increase in referral clicks from Amazon.
- A 3‑second site load time caused a 20% drop in referral conversions during the beta.
- Integrating Amazon referral tags enabled a 15% ROI uplift for an apparel brand.
Recommended Actions
- →Log into Seller Central > Performance > Traffic > Referral Tags and add Amazon’s referral parameters to your site URLs.
- →Test mobile page load speed and improve checkout to be under 3 seconds using tools like PageSpeed Insights.
- →Create Amazon‑specific promo codes in your e‑commerce platform and display them on the AI overlay or brand‑site landing page.
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