Brands that treat Amazon like a side project almost always lose money on it. After 12 years of managing Amazon accounts for brands of every size, from scrappy startups shipping out of garages to household names with thousands of SKUs, I can tell you the single biggest predictor of failure on Amazon: treating it like an afterthought. If you want to win on Amazon in 2026, you need to give it the same strategic attention you give your DTC site, your retail partnerships, and your brand identity. Anything less and you are leaving real revenue on the table.
My name is Andrew Morgans, and I'm the founder of Marknology, an Amazon brand accelerator based in Kansas City. I've helped brands generate millions in Amazon revenue, and I've also watched brands tank because they refused to take the channel seriously. This is one of those topics I feel strongly about, so let me share some real stories and hard lessons.
The "Just Throw It Up There" Mentality
I can't count the number of times a brand has come to me and said something like, "We're on Amazon, but we don't really do much with it." They uploaded some product listings two years ago, maybe ran a few ads, and then basically forgot about it. Sales trickle in. They look at the numbers and think Amazon isn't working for them.
But Amazon didn't fail them. They failed Amazon.
Here's what I told a brand early in my career on the Startup Hustle podcast: "If you're going to do it, you need to actually do it." That sounds obvious, but you'd be shocked how many brands invest $50,000 in a website redesign and won't spend $5,000 optimizing their Amazon listings. The math doesn't make sense. Amazon is where the buyers are. It's the largest product search engine on earth, and unlike Google, almost everyone on Amazon is there to buy, not browse.
Lessons from the Starch Aisle
One of my favorite stories to tell is about a Kansas City company, Faultless Starch. They had always been a B2B brand, shipping pallets to Walmart and grocery chains. When we started putting their products on Amazon in 2017, they told me right away: "We can't do FBA." Fulfillment by Amazon just wasn't something they had considered.
Then I found out they were spending $10 to $13 per shipment on FedEx to send individual cans of starch to customers. That's roughly $15,000 a month in shipping alone, not counting labor. Meanwhile, FBA could pick, pack, and ship those same products with two-day Prime delivery for about $2.99 each.
The conversation changed real fast.
That's not an Amazon problem. That's a "we never looked at this seriously" problem. And it happens all the time. Brands assume their existing systems work fine because they've always done it that way. But Amazon has built infrastructure that most companies can't match, and refusing to use it out of habit or pride is just leaving money on the floor.
Why Small Brands Beat Big Brands on Amazon
Here's something that surprises people: I have more success with small to medium-sized brands than I do with the big names. I've worked with companies as large as Swiss and Adidas, but the smaller brands consistently outperform them on Amazon. The reason is simple: maneuverability.
When I work with a small brand, I'm usually talking directly to the owner or someone high up who can make decisions fast. They're willing to adjust, pivot, test new creative, change pricing, update listings on the fly. Big brands? They have committees. Approval chains. A "lowest common denominator" approach where they try to find one strategy that works across 2,000 SKUs instead of giving real attention to the products that matter most.
I always tell clients: treat every listing like it's your only listing on Amazon. Give it the love and attention it needs. One product that you're selling with real attention can be just as valuable as a hundred that you're just trying to get by with.
I had a client, Recycled Firefighter, a guy who was an actual firefighter making wallets out of recycled gear. Super cool brand with a strong social media presence. Our first year on Amazon together, we did over $100,000. He succeeded because he committed. He didn't treat Amazon as secondary to his website. He treated it as another front door to his business.
Amazon Is Modern Retail. Treat It That Way.
If I owned a retail store, there is no way I wouldn't also be selling on Amazon. Your inventory is sitting there. You're waiting on customers to walk in. Why not put those same products in front of the millions of people on Amazon who are actively searching for what you sell?
Think about it this way. Imagine having a storefront on the busiest street in America, where people are walking by constantly, credit cards in hand. That's what Amazon is. Except it's open 24/7, it's global, and you don't pay rent until you sell something.
The brands that win are the ones who see Amazon as an investment, not an expense. They put money into advertising, professional photography, optimized copy, and strategic launches. Just like you would invest in opening a new retail location, you need to invest in your Amazon presence.
The $15,000 Mistake That Taught Me Everything
I'll be transparent with you. I've made my share of mistakes on Amazon too. Early on, I mixed up two similar products for a client, vitamin K2 and vitamin K2 plus D3, while rushing to get a shipment out the door. Sent everything in under the wrong ASIN. Had to pull it all back, resort at the warehouse, lost sales while everything was out of stock. It cost about $15,000, and it came out of my checks.
That experience taught me something that applies to every brand: being deliberate matters. Amazon rewards precision. It rewards consistency. It punishes sloppy, half-hearted effort. If you're not paying close attention to your labels, your inventory, your listings, and your advertising, small mistakes compound fast.
What I'd Tell You Over Coffee
If we sat down together, here's what I'd say. Stop thinking about Amazon as something you'll "get to eventually." Stop assigning it to your most junior employee. Stop assuming your products will sell themselves just because they're listed.
Instead:
- Invest in your listings. Professional photos, optimized titles, A+ content. Make them look like you're in the business you say you're in.
- Use FBA. Seriously. The math almost always works in your favor, and it gives you Prime eligibility from day one.
- Advertise. Amazon PPC is one of the highest-converting ad platforms that exists. I've outperformed dedicated PPC agencies on it time and time again.
- Get help if you need it. The amount of frustration, lost time, and missed opportunities that come from trying to DIY everything can cost you far more than hiring an expert. Our team at Marknology has been doing this for over a decade.
- Think long-term. Amazon is a launch. Put the money in up front, build the rankings, and let the organic momentum carry you.
The Bottom Line
Amazon isn't going anywhere. It beat the top 20 retailers in America combined years ago, and it keeps growing. The brands that treat it as a core channel, not a side project, are the ones building real, sustainable e-commerce businesses.
I started Marknology as a side hustle myself, helping people with Amazon while working a 9-to-5. I know what it's like to bootstrap something from nothing. But I also know that the moment I decided to go all in, everything changed. Your Amazon strategy deserves that same commitment.
If you're ready to stop leaving money on the table and start treating Amazon like the revenue channel it should be, book a free strategy call with me. No fluff, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about where your brand stands and what's possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do brands fail on Amazon?
The most common reason brands fail on Amazon is treating it as a side project instead of a core sales channel. Poor listing optimization, lack of advertising investment, and no dedicated strategy lead to low visibility and slow sales. Brands that invest in professional listings, FBA, and advertising see dramatically better results.
Is Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) worth it for small brands?
Yes. FBA typically costs around $2.99 to pick, pack, and ship a standard product with two-day Prime delivery anywhere in the US. Most brands spend significantly more fulfilling orders themselves when you factor in shipping costs, labor, and materials. FBA also gives you Prime eligibility, which increases conversion rates.
How much should I invest in Amazon advertising?
Think of your initial Amazon advertising spend as a launch investment. Brands should be willing to spend aggressively in the first 90 days to build rankings and organic visibility. Amazon PPC has some of the highest conversion rates of any advertising platform because shoppers on Amazon are actively looking to buy.
Can a small brand compete with big brands on Amazon?
Absolutely. Small brands often outperform larger competitors on Amazon because they can move faster, make decisions quicker, and focus more attention on fewer products. Andrew Morgans and the Marknology team have seen small brands with four SKUs generate over $3.5 million on Amazon by giving each listing dedicated attention.
What is the biggest Amazon selling mistake to avoid?
The biggest mistake is not investing in your product listings. Brands that upload bare-minimum photos and generic descriptions get bare-minimum results. Treat every listing like it's your storefront on the busiest street in America, because that's essentially what Amazon is.
About the Author: Andrew Morgans is the founder and CEO of Marknology, a Kansas City-based Amazon brand accelerator that has helped brands generate millions in e-commerce revenue since 2014. He's also the host of Startup Hustle, a top-ranked entrepreneurship podcast. When he's not optimizing Amazon listings, you can find him collecting sneakers or plotting his next big move.