The Pros and Cons of Driving Paid Traffic to Your Amazon Storefront

There are seemingly endless decisions you need to make while trying to optimize your marketing investment. Even once you decide to leverage paid social and paid search to promote your brand, you’re still facing the question of whether to drive that paid traffic to your direct-to-consumer site or your Amazon storefront. 

The choice you make can have wide-reaching business and operational implications, so it’s crucial to critically examine both options. Understanding the pros and cons of driving paid traffic to Amazon will help you decide whether that’s the right approach for your brand. Let’s take a closer look at Amazon vs. a DTC strategy. 

The Marketplace vs. DTC Dilemma

Increasingly, business leaders have been asking themselves, “Should we send traffic to Amazon?” As customer acquisition costs (CAC) on DTC channels rise and Amazon exerts growing dominance in high-intent shopping, it makes sense that so many brands are considering paid search and paid social Amazon campaigns. 

Shifts in consumer behavior also play a role. In 2025, 61% of consumers value convenience as a deciding factor in their purchases, closely followed by free shipping¹. Amazon generally delivers on both of those key factors, making it a more appealing place for consumers to shop than the average DTC website. That’s part of the reason why Amazon controls such a high percentage of total retail ecommerce sales: 40.9% in 2024². 

But are these factors enough for you to pursue Amazon vs. a DTC strategy? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Weigh the pros and cons of driving traffic to your Amazon storefront instead of (or alongside) your DTC site so you can make an informed, revenue-driven decision for your brand.  

The Pros of Driving Paid Traffic to Amazon

For many brands, there are a lot of upsides to driving paid traffic to Amazon, from better conversion rates to higher organic search rankings. Consider these key benefits to help determine whether paid Amazon traffic is the right investment in your situation. 

Capture Demand Where It Already Exists

Shoppers already prefer Amazon for convenience and trust. Amazon consistently ranks among the most trusted brands in the United States, making consumers more inclined to purchase from the marketplace than DTC sites they’re not already familiar with³. 

Improved Conversion Rates

In many categories, brands achieve higher conversion rates (CVR) on Amazon compared to their DTC sites. The higher CVR on Amazon may be what’s drawing more top DTC brands, like AllBirds, Recess, and Curology, to start selling on the platform⁴. 

The increased ability to capture mobile customers also makes Amazon appealing. Since Amazon’s checkout is so streamlined for existing users, completing a purchase on mobile devices is much easier than on DTC sites. Customers don’t have to worry about filling out long checkout forms that may be frustrating or difficult on smaller screens, leading to better conversion rates. 

Boost Organic Rank & Share of Voice

Paid Amazon traffic drives more sales velocity on the platform, which Amazon’s algorithm rewards by improving your organic placement in search results. As a result, paid traffic is a viable short-term tactic for accelerating organic rankings and gaining a long-term share of voice. More than half of US consumers start their online shopping searches on Amazon, so higher organic rankings are incredibly valuable⁵. 

Leverage Amazon Reviews and Prime

As of 2024, there are more than 180 million Amazon Prime users in the US, representing over 80% of American households⁶. These consumers have access to fast, free shipping through Amazon Prime and already use the platform enough to pay for a premium subscription. Brands driving paid traffic to Amazon can take advantage of those factors and their ability to act as conversion accelerators. Even among free Amazon users, reviews on the site serve as strong social proof, helping convince customers to buy your products. 

The Cons of Driving Paid Traffic to Amazon

Driving paid traffic to Amazon is not without its drawbacks, however, and you need to weigh these risks and costs before investing in paid Amazon campaigns. 

Lower Margins and Fees

Amazon takes a commission on sales in its marketplace, ranging from 3% to 20% for most product categories⁷. Those fees can significantly cut into your profits and hurt your margins compared to DTC sales. 

Data & Attribution Loss

Selling more on Amazon also prevents you from gathering first-party customer data on those sales. You may struggle to accurately gauge the success of your marketing efforts with no clear CAC/ROAS visibility.

Cannibalization Risk

There’s always the possibility that customers who purchase from your Amazon storefront through a paid search or social campaign would have been willing to buy from your DTC site instead. So, driving paid traffic to Amazon instead of your website may cannibalize profitable organic traffic or hurt DTC sales.

Limited Control Over Brand Experience

While Amazon does offer features to help brands customize their Amazon storefronts, you don’t have the same creative flexibility and control as on your DTC site. You may get frustrated with the constrained creative experience on the platform. There are fewer opportunities to infuse brand storytelling, which could hurt your broader marketing efforts. 

When It Makes Strategic Sense

Sometimes, driving paid traffic to your DTC site is the better investment. In these scenarios, however, directing that traffic to your Amazon storefront instead is likely the right move:

• When you’re launching a new product, where share of search is crucial.
• If your brand sells products in categories with strong Amazon preference among shoppers.
• If your DTC site is underperforming, and your Amazon conversion rate is significantly higher.

Socium’s POV: Blended Approaches for Maximum Impact

As a performance marketing agency, Socium’s role is to help you find the approach that generates the best results for your investment. Typically, we find that a blended approach of both DTC and Amazon campaigns works best. We’re here to work with you in determining the ideal balance between those two types of campaigns. 

One of the ways we do that at Socium is through incrementality testing. In incrementality testing, you can determine the true additional value that investment in Amazon campaigns will generate. If further paid Amazon campaign investment won’t offer a strong enough return, you’ll know to direct those funds elsewhere, optimizing your marketing spend and impact. 

Socium also strongly believes in the power of thoughtful, compelling performance creative to drive conversions. Whether you’re directing traffic to Amazon or your DTC storefront, your campaigns will only have the impact you’re looking for if your creative assets are top-notch. 

That’s why Socium puts so much focus on our performance creative process through Socium Studios. Through comprehensive testing and strategic evolution, we’re constantly working to leverage creative assets that perform at the highest levels. 

Final Thoughts: Make Every Click Count

Every detail matters when deciding on the right channel strategies for your brand. Ask yourself how your conversion rates and margins on Amazon compare to your DTC site. Then, align your channel strategy with customer journey and margin realities. 

Reach out to Socium today to start designing a cross-channel strategy that drives profitable growth for your DTC brand. 

FAQ

Does driving paid traffic to Amazon hurt my DTC site sales?

It can if not properly managed. Socium recommends incrementality testing to measure true cannibalization risk versus incremental lift.

Can I track ROAS on Paid Social campaigns to Amazon?

While attribution is limited, tools like Amazon Attribution and third-party pixel solutions can give directional insight into performance.

What’s the biggest advantage of sending traffic to Amazon?

Higher conversion rates and faster sales velocity, especially in product categories where Amazon dominates consumer preference.

Should I split my Paid Social budget between Amazon and DTC? 

Yes, in many cases. Socium helps clients allocate budget based on margin, CVR, and customer acquisition priorities.

Sources

1. Incitti, M. (25 February 2025). Feedvisor Unveils 2025 Consumer Behavior Report: Price Sensitivity, AI, and Social Commerce Redefine the Shopping Landscape. Retail Dive. Retrieved July 29, 2025, from https://www.retaildive.com/press-release/20250220-feedvisor-unveils-2025-consumer-behavior-report-price-sensitivity-ai-and/ 
2. Wolff, R. (26 December 2024). Amazon tries to protect its ecommerce advantage in 2025. eMarketer. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.emarketer.com/content/amazon-protects-ecommerce-advantage-2025 
3. (23 January 2025). Amazon, Costco, and UPS Rank Highest in Caliber’s U.S. Trust & Like Poll. Business Wire. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250123433909/en/Amazon-Costco-and-UPS-Rank-Highest-in-Calibers-U.S.-Trust-Like-Poll 
4. Bain, P. (13 May 2024). Why more DTC brands are selling on Amazon—behind the risks and rewards. Ad Age. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://adage.com/article/marketing-news-strategy/more-dtc-brands-are-amazon-allbirds-recess-curology/2559356/ 
5. Feger, A. (17 April 2024). 5 key stats: How consumers shopped Amazon, Walmart, and TikTok Shop in Q1. eMarketer. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://www.emarketer.com/content/5-key-stats-how-consumers-shopped-amazon-walmart-tiktok-shop-q1 
6. (6 August 2024). Amazon Prime User and Revenue Statistics. Backlinko. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://backlinko.com/amazon-prime-users 
7. Standard Selling Fees. Amazon. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://sell.amazon.com/pricing