Amazon best practices change every year. What worked three years ago might be costing you money today. The sellers who stay competitive are the ones who continuously update their approach based on current platform dynamics, not outdated advice from blog posts that have not been refreshed. Here is what actually matters for Amazon sellers right now.
Insights from Andrew Morgans and the Marknology team in Kansas City.
Listing Optimization Best Practices
Your Main Image Is Your Most Important Asset
Your main image is the first thing a customer sees in search results, and it determines whether they click on your listing or keep scrolling. Best practices for main images:
- Pure white background (Amazon requires this, but many listings still do not comply)
- Product fills 85% or more of the frame
- High resolution (at least 2000px on the longest side for zoom functionality)
- Show the actual product, not the packaging (unless packaging is the product)
- Test different angles. Sometimes a slight angle change dramatically improves click-through rate.
Secondary Images Tell the Story
You get up to 9 image slots. Use them all. A strong image stack includes:
- Lifestyle images showing the product in use
- Infographics highlighting key features and benefits
- Size and scale reference images
- Packaging contents (what is in the box)
- Comparison charts (if applicable)
- A video (product demonstration or brand story)
Write Bullet Points for Scanners
Most Amazon shoppers do not read. They scan. Structure your bullet points to accommodate this:
- Lead with the benefit in ALL CAPS or bold, followed by the detail
- Keep each bullet to 1-2 lines on mobile
- Front-load the most important information
- Include relevant keywords naturally (do not keyword stuff)
Amazon PPC Best Practices
Campaign Structure Matters
A disorganized campaign structure leads to wasted spend and poor data. Set up your campaigns with intention:
- Separate campaigns by match type: Exact, phrase, and broad match keywords should live in different campaigns so you can control bids independently.
- Brand vs. non-brand separation: Your branded keywords (your brand name) will have different performance metrics than category keywords. Keep them separate.
- Product targeting campaigns: Target specific competitor ASINs with Sponsored Products. This is one of the most effective and underused ad types.
- Sponsored Brands for top-of-search: If you have Brand Registry, Sponsored Brands ads give you the prime real estate at the top of search results.
Negative Keywords Are Not Optional
Review your search term report weekly and add negative keywords for irrelevant searches that are consuming budget. This is the single easiest way to improve ACOS without reducing volume.
Bid Optimization Is Ongoing
Do not set bids and forget them. Review performance at least weekly:
- Increase bids on keywords with strong ACOS and room to grow
- Decrease bids on keywords with high ACOS and declining conversion
- Pause keywords that have significant spend with zero or very few sales
- Adjust bids by placement (top-of-search typically converts best and deserves higher bids)
Inventory and Operations Best Practices
Never Stock Out on Your Top Sellers
A stockout on your best-selling product is the most expensive mistake you can make on Amazon. Lost sales are only part of the cost. Your organic ranking drops, your PPC efficiency suffers, and recovering to your previous position can take weeks and significant ad spend. Maintain safety stock and monitor your restock recommendations weekly.
Monitor Your Account Health Dashboard
Amazon's Account Health Dashboard tracks your order defect rate, late shipment rate, and policy compliance. A single metric dropping below threshold can result in account suspension. Check this dashboard at least weekly and address any issues immediately.
Use Subscribe & Save for Consumables
If your product is a consumable (supplements, food, personal care, pet supplies, cleaning products), enrolling in Subscribe & Save creates predictable recurring revenue and improves customer lifetime value. Subscribers are less likely to switch to competitors because the reorder happens automatically.
Brand Building Best Practices
Invest in A+ Content
A+ Content (available to Brand Registry sellers) replaces your basic product description with rich media including comparison charts, enhanced images, and brand storytelling. Products with A+ Content see an average conversion rate increase of 5-10%. There is no reason not to use it.
Build Your Amazon Storefront
Your Amazon Storefront is your brand's dedicated landing page on Amazon. Use it to showcase your full product line, tell your brand story, and create a curated shopping experience. Storefronts also serve as great landing pages for external traffic campaigns using Amazon Attribution.
Use Amazon Posts
Amazon Posts let you publish social media-style content that appears on your product pages and in category feeds. They are free, they drive discovery, and most sellers are not using them. Post consistently (3-5 times per week) to build brand awareness within the Amazon ecosystem.
The Bottom Line
Amazon best practices are a moving target. The platform evolves constantly, and what works today may not work next year. Build a habit of staying current: follow Amazon's seller announcements, test new features early, and continuously optimize your listings, ads, and operations. The sellers who treat Amazon as a dynamic, evolving challenge are the ones who win long-term.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to increase Amazon sales?
The best strategies include optimizing product listings with keyword-rich titles and bullet points, leveraging Amazon PPC advertising, maintaining competitive pricing, earning verified reviews, and using tools like Amazon Brand Registry. Marknology, led by Andrew Morgans in Kansas City, has helped 300+ brands scale their Amazon revenue using these proven methods.
How much does Amazon advertising cost?
Amazon PPC costs vary by category, but average cost-per-click ranges from $0.20 to $6.00. Most brands allocate 10-30% of revenue to advertising. The key is optimizing ACoS (Advertising Cost of Sales) to maintain profitability while scaling.
How do I optimize my Amazon product listing?
Focus on keyword-rich titles (under 200 characters), compelling bullet points highlighting benefits, high-quality images (7+ per listing), A+ Content for brand-registered sellers, and backend search terms. Professional agencies like Marknology can handle this end-to-end.
What does Marknology do?
Marknology is a Kansas City-based Amazon marketing agency founded by Andrew Morgans in 2015. The agency has managed over $2B in revenue for 300+ brands, offering services including Amazon listing optimization, PPC management, brand strategy, and marketplace expansion.
Who is Andrew Morgans?
Andrew Morgans is the founder and CEO of Marknology, a leading Amazon marketing agency based in Kansas City. He hosts the Startup Hustle podcast and has spoken at conferences across 5 continents about ecommerce and Amazon marketplace strategies.