Expanding to Amazon: When It Makes Sense and How to Do It Right

You’ve built a Shopify store. It’s working. Now you’re wondering: should I also sell on Amazon?

The answer is usually yes. But not right away, and not the way most people do it.

Amazon can double or triple your revenue. It can also drain your time, break your inventory, and turn into a nightmare if you’re not careful.

Here’s how to know if you should expand to Amazon, what you need to set up first, and how to avoid the mistakes that sink most sellers.

When Amazon Makes Sense (And When It Doesn’t)

Expand to Amazon if:

You’ve got product-market fit in Shopify. You know your products sell. You’re not still testing what works.

You have the inventory to supply both channels. You can’t just sell your Shopify inventory on Amazon too—Amazon requires FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) or at least reliable inventory levels. If you’re on a tight inventory situation, wait.

You’ve got your operations figured out. Your product data is clean. Your fulfillment is smooth. Your customer service is solid. If these things are chaos in Shopify, Amazon will amplify the chaos.

You can commit to Amazon for at least 6 months. Amazon rewards sellers who stick around. It takes time to rank and build reviews. If you’re jumping between channels every quarter, don’t bother.

Don’t expand to Amazon if:

You’re still in year one and figuring things out. Focus on your direct store first.

Your inventory is tight or you’re dropshipping. Amazon’s policies are strict and inventory sync is non-negotiable. If you can’t keep accurate stock across both channels, you’ll get flagged.

Your margins are under 20% after fees. Amazon’s referral fees (15% on most categories) plus shipping costs add up. Do the math first.

You can’t handle customer service in two places. Amazon has its own messaging system, returns process, and A-to-z guarantee. You need bandwidth to handle it.

The Inventory Sync Problem

This is the biggest issue. Most sellers think they can just list on Amazon and sync their inventory manually.

They can’t. It breaks. Constantly.

Here’s what happens: you sell 5 units on Shopify. You forget to update Amazon. Someone buys 3 on Amazon. Now you’ve oversold. You’re canceling orders and getting bad reviews.

Here’s what I’d actually do:

Option 1: Use Amazon Seller Central + Shopify Integration

Shopify has an Amazon channel. You can connect it directly. When you sell on Shopify, the inventory syncs to Amazon (with a slight delay). When you sell on Amazon, it updates Shopify.

The catch: it’s not always instant. There’s usually a 15-30 minute delay. For slow-moving products, that’s fine. For fast-moving products, it’s risky.

Set it up but don’t rely on it being perfect. Always keep a buffer in your inventory.

Option 2: Use a Multi-Channel Inventory Tool

Tools like Sellfy, Inventory Labs, or TradeGecko can sync inventory across channels in real-time.

They cost more than the free Shopify integration, but they’re more reliable. If you’re selling high-volume products, this is worth it.

Option 3: Separate Inventory for Each Channel

This sounds complicated but it’s actually the safest approach for most sellers.

You allocate 60% of your inventory to Shopify, 40% to Amazon. You manage them separately so there’s never an oversell situation. When one channel runs low, you know it’s time to restock.

It’s less optimal for scaling but it’s bulletproof.

Pick one approach. Don’t try to do manual syncing. That’s how you end up with angry customers.

Brand Registry Is Required (Sort Of)

If you’re selling branded products under your own brand name, you should register your brand with Amazon Brand Registry.

It takes about a week. It costs nothing. It gives you access to A+ content, enhanced analytics, and protection against counterfeits.

If you’re selling white label products (products you source and rebrand), you might not qualify for Brand Registry. Amazon’s rules here are specific.

Check your eligibility first. If you qualify, register. It gives you a competitive advantage.

Listing Optimization for Amazon Is Different Than Shopify

Your Amazon listings need different copy than your Shopify product pages.

On Shopify, you’re selling directly to your audience. You can be conversational. You can tell a story.

On Amazon, you’re competing with 50 other sellers of the same product. Shoppers are comparing you on specs, reviews, and price.

Here’s what your Amazon listing needs:

Title (not cute, very specific): “Luna Activewear Merino Wool Hoodie, Oversized, Charcoal, Machine Washable”

Not “Rise Above” or “Elevate Your Morning.” Specific product name, key features, key benefit.

Bullet points (scannable, feature-focused): Each bullet should be one key benefit or spec that a customer needs to know.

• Breathable merino wool blend (moisture-wicking, temperature regulating)
• Oversized fit designed for movement and layering
• Machine washable, care instructions on tag
• Available in 5 colors, Size XS to 3XL

Description (A+ content): If you have Brand Registry, use A+ content. Add images, call out benefits, show sizing comparisons.

Keywords: Amazon has a specific keyword system. You get 250 characters to list keywords separated by commas. Use high-volume keywords (use Amazon’s search bar to see what people are searching for).

The Common Mistakes That Kill Amazon Sellers

Mistake 1: Starting with Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) immediately.

FBA is convenient but expensive. Amazon charges you per unit to store, pick, and ship. It adds up fast.

Start with Fulfilled by Merchant (FBM). You ship yourself. You keep more profit. Once you’re hitting volume, consider FBA.

Mistake 2: Listing every single product.

You don’t need to list everything. List your bestsellers first. The products you know sell. Get them ranked and reviewed, then expand.

Quality over quantity.

Mistake 3: Ignoring reviews.

On Amazon, reviews are everything. Low reviews = low ranking = no sales.

Ask every customer to review (within Amazon’s guidelines). Use Feedback Genius or FeedbackWhiz to automate follow-up.

You need at least 20 reviews before a product starts ranking well. Plan for that.

Mistake 4: Competing on price.

Amazon is a race to the bottom on price. If you try to out-price 20 other sellers, you lose.

Compete on reviews, photos, and detail instead. Build your brand. Earn good reviews. Make your listing more attractive.

Then you can price slightly higher and people will still buy from you.

Mistake 5: Not monitoring seller metrics.

Amazon measures you on:

• On-time delivery rate (needs to be >97%)
• Cancellation rate (needs to be <5%)
• Return defect rate (needs to be <1%)
• Late shipment rate (needs to be <4%)

If you don’t hit these targets, Amazon suppresses your listings. Monitor them weekly.

The First 30 Days

Week 1: Register for Amazon Seller Central (if you haven’t). Apply for Brand Registry if you qualify. Decide on your inventory sync method.

Week 2: List your top 3-5 best-selling products. Optimize titles, bullets, and descriptions using Amazon’s format (not your Shopify format). Add relevant keywords.

Week 3: Set up your FBM fulfillment process or configure FBA if you’re going that route. Make sure inventory is syncing to Shopify.

Week 4: Wait for orders and data. Monitor your seller metrics. Adjust your listings if needed. Start asking customers to review.

You won’t see major volume immediately. Amazon takes 2-3 months to start ranking your products. Patience.

When to Scale

Once you’re hitting $1,000+ a month on Amazon and you feel comfortable with the operations, you can expand to more products.

But not before. Master 3-5 products first.

Amazon is a different beast than Shopify but it’s also a huge revenue opportunity if you approach it right. Most sellers fail because they don’t set up inventory sync properly or they don’t optimize for how Amazon actually works. If you want to expand to Amazon without breaking your Shopify operations, let’s talk about the right approach.