When NOT to Use an Amazon Store: A Guide for Book Publishers
For book publishers navigating Amazon’s marketplace, launching an Amazon Store often seems like a natural next step—a polished, branded destination to showcase titles, series, and collections. And while Amazon Stores can be a valuable part of a long-term strategy, they shouldn’t be rushed or prioritized too early.
Instead, publishers should view building a Store as an enhancement once certain foundations are in place. Jumping into a store build without the right timing and support can drain resources better spent elsewhere.
The Hidden Challenges of Creating an Amazon Store
1. Time-Consuming to Build and Maintain
Building an effective Amazon Store is no small task. It demands a thorough review of relevant ASINs for each page—prioritized thoughtfully based on importance—along with a carefully planned navigation structure, strategic integration of creative assets, and regular seasonal updates.
In many cases, other optimization efforts offer a faster, more immediate impact on growth and should take precedence before committing significant resources to a Store.
2. High Advertising Costs to Drive Traffic
Traffic doesn’t appear magically. Driving meaningful numbers of shoppers to your Store heavily relies on costlier ad formats, such as Sponsored Brand campaigns. Without a substantial and sustained ad budget, the store’s impact will likely be minimal.
3. Minimal Impact on Overall Sales (Initially)
Even a beautifully designed Store often accounts for under 5% of total Amazon sales for publishers. If you’re still in early stages of Amazon growth or prioritizing lean efficiency, allocating time and ad dollars elsewhere—like individual product page optimization—may deliver faster wins.
4. Risk of Overwhelming Shoppers
An extensive storefront with too many options can lead to decision fatigue. Well-intentioned but sprawling stores may result in fewer conversions compared to simpler landing pages or curated product lists.
5. Challenging Brand Registry Requirements
Amazon’s Brand Registry enrollment is mandatory for creating a Store. For publishers, the process can be administratively complex and time-consuming, especially when multiple imprints and trademarks are involved.
⏰ Why It’s Smart to Wait
Building an Amazon Store is worthwhile once you have momentum. Consider waiting until you see:
Sustained sales growth
A library of creative assets (videos, lifestyle images) ready to amplify the store experience
A team ready to monitor, update, and optimize the Store regularly
A well-running ad program that can absorb higher ACOS initially for long-term branding benefits
Clear marketing or author-driven demand for a centralized showcase
Foundational Priorities Before Building an Amazon Store
Before investing in the time and resources required to build an Amazon Store, publishers should focus on the core elements that directly drive discoverability, conversions, and sales performance. These essentials lay the groundwork for success and offer significantly higher returns in the early stages of growth.
Here’s where your efforts should be concentrated first:
1. Optimize Titles, Subtitles, and Descriptions
Clear, compelling, and keyword-conscious titles and subtitles are critical for both Amazon search results and customer comprehension. Book descriptions should be meticulously crafted and formatted so they are “snackable” (a.k.a. easy to skim) while highlighting value, generating emotional engagement, and driving purchase decisions.
2. Clean Up and Strengthen Metadata
Accurate and thorough metadata ensures your books are categorized and surfaced properly within Amazon’s system. Review and refine key details like categories, series data, author bios, endorsements, and backend keywords.
3. Enable ‘Look Inside’ (‘Read Sample’) Functionality
‘Look Inside’ is one of the most clicked areas on a book’s product page—because readers want to judge the content for themselves. First, make sure it’s enabled. Then, ensure the sample shown is long enough and engaging enough to hook readers quickly.
A clean, well-formatted excerpt that captures attention early can significantly boost conversions by building trust and excitement before purchase.
4. Expand and Refresh Product Images
A single cover image isn’t enough to capture a shopper’s attention. Use additional images to tell a richer story:
Close-ups showing book quality and finishes
Staged interior shots highlighting layouts or illustrations
Lifestyle photos placing the book in real-world settings
Memes with endorsements or reviews
Award badges and accolades
Don’t worry about duplicating visuals or copy from your A+ modules, brand story, or book description—many shoppers never scroll that far down the page. Your image gallery is prime real estate to immediately capture attention.
Shoppers engage more deeply with visuals that spark emotion and trust. A dynamic, thoughtful image gallery can dramatically boost browsing behavior and conversion rates.
5. Create and Update A+ Content Modules
A+ Content gives publishers the opportunity to tell a richer, more compelling story through visuals, comparison charts, and curated messaging—all directly on the book’s product detail page.
One of the biggest advantages of A+ modules is that they make it easy for customers to discover and click to related books, increasing both order value and total units purchased.
To maximize their effectiveness, regularly update your A+ Content by integrating new releases and highlighting seasonal themes.
For more detailed tips on creating high-performing modules, be sure to check out our recent article on A+ module best practices for book publishers.
When optimized properly, A+ Content not only strengthens your brand but also drives deeper engagement—and bigger baskets at checkout.
6. Build and Maintain Brand Stories
Brand Stories appear prominently on product detail pages and help customers quickly discover other books of interest without requiring an ad click.
Only after these core publishing elements are polished and performing should an Amazon Store be added as a next-level branding and sales tool. Solidifying these foundations first ensures that when your Store launches, it’s amplifying an already strong presence—not compensating for foundational gaps.
Future Opportunities: Why Investing Later Could Pay Off
Amazon continues to expand ways for customers to discover Stores beyond ads, such as:
A+ Content modules linking to Stores
Sponsored Display campaigns driving traffic to Stores
Visible hyperlinks from product pages directly to Stores (as is the case with most other product categories)
These emerging features will increase the value of having a Store—but again, the advantage goes to publishers who build and maintain them at the right time.
Strategic timing ensures the Store becomes a growth multiplier, not a resource drain.
Conclusion: Make Amazon Stores Part of a Bigger Strategy
An Amazon Store can absolutely be a smart investment for book publishers—but only after you’ve laid the groundwork for success.
When the time is right—whether due to sales momentum, a special marketing campaign, or a key author partnership—your Amazon Store will amplify your efforts rather than strain them.
Patience, strategy, and timing are key to turning a Store into a powerful long-term asset.
