The other night, I was having dinner at a friend’s place. We had some amazing smoked salmon, and it instantly reminded me of a client I worked with back in 2022, during the early days of my digital marketing workshop. They sold smoking guns for food and drinks—tools that let you add rich, smoky flavor to meats, cheeses, or cocktails. That dinner brought back all the thoughts I had about eCommerce content marketing, and how tricky it can be for Amazon sellers trying to build something beyond the marketplace.

This client had been doing really well on Amazon. Sales were strong, reviews were solid, and naturally, they wanted to grow further by building their own website. So we helped them get started—with blog content and a basic SEO strategy. I looked at their data recently—two years after we only worked with them for about a month. Their site was still ranking for 97 keywords, and 22 of those came directly from the blog posts we created. It was impressive that the content held its ground for so long, even though the website wasn’t actively maintained.

But after just a month or two, they decided to give up trying with their website since Amazon was still bringing in more sales. All the content we structured for them went to waste, and their plans to grow the site were abandoned. I felt really sorry about that because it could have become a great brand—people really liked the product.

Amazon’s Ecosystem: Heaven or Prison for Sellers?

Amazon provides an easy-to-use platform with huge traffic, simple logistics, and an established customer base. For most sellers, Amazon is a great place to establish a business, which our client did, by utilizing Amazon’s infrastructure and leveraging their vast audiences.

However, the good thing comes with a price. Sellers often have a limited ability or opportunity to control the branding, the relationship with customers, and analytics. The competitive nature of the platform types can also mean that gaining traction is not only difficult and requires constant effort, but you often have to pay for advertisement to get at the top of the list.

Do Sellers Really Want An eCommerce Website—Or Just Instant Sales?

As a result of their success on Amazon, our client wanted their own website to have more control over their brand and customer touchpoints. They invested in eCommerce content marketing, creating blog articles and product descriptions optimized for search engines.

This early progress showed the potential power of eCommerce content marketing to drive organic traffic and build brand awareness beyond Amazon’s platform. But here’s the twist: we only worked with them for about a month, yet those keywords were still ranking two years later when I recently checked. That’s the long-term value of good content—something many sellers overlook.

However, the bigger question is, do sellers really want an eCommerce website, or do they just want instant sales? For this client, I think they expected their website to perform as quickly and effortlessly as their Amazon store. On Amazon, if your product ranks well, you can see sales almost immediately. But a new website starts with zero traffic and no customer base, so instant sales are simply not realistic.

The truth is, building an eCommerce website is a long game. It requires patience, consistent content creation, ongoing SEO efforts, and brand building. Instant sales are rare unless you have an existing audience or massive marketing budget. Unfortunately, many sellers don’t realize this and quickly give up when their website doesn’t immediately match Amazon’s results.

The Challenges of Building Independent Success

Even with all of the early gains, maintaining momentum was difficult. Unlike Amazon, where products can get visibility incredibly fast, building organic traffic to a new website takes consistency with creating content and SEO over time. The client’s frustration ultimately came from expectations of speed, and they abandoned any website initiative.

This situation is typical for sellers accustomed to Amazon’s short feedback loop. Waiting patiently and sticking with eCommerce content marketing on your own business website can be intimidating—and that’s why most sellers abandon the process early.

The Importance of eCommerce Content Marketing

eCommerce Content Marketing encompasses far more than just blog posts; it’s about brand storytelling, educating customers, and establishing authority in your niche. According to Digital Commerce Partners, the advantages of content marketing are plentiful.

• Improved Organic Search Visibility: Quality content helps your website rank higher on search engines, increasing visibility.
• Boosted Product Discoverability: Informative content can guide potential customers to your products organically.
• Enhanced Brand Identity and Loyalty: Consistent content fosters trust and encourages repeat business.
• Increased Customer Engagement: Engaging content keeps visitors on your site longer, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
• Established Industry Authority: Sharing expertise positions your brand as a leader in your field.

These advantages underscore the long-term value of investing in eCommerce content marketing.

Start eCommerce Content Marketing Now — Do It Consistently

Reflecting on our client’s journey, several key takeaways emerge:

1. Set Realistic Expectations: Building organic traffic takes time. Patience and consistent effort are crucial.
2. Commit to Continuous Content Creation: Regularly updating your website with valuable content keeps your audience engaged and improves SEO.
3. Understand Your Audience: Tailor your content to address the needs and interests of your target customers.
4. Leverage Analytics: Monitor your website’s performance to refine your content strategy effectively.

If you are an Amazon seller and thinking about making the leap to your own eCommerce sales channels, then the time to start implementing eCommerce content marketing strategy is now. Certainly, it will not be without challenges, but the reward of having brand ownership, customer loyalty and sustainable growth will outweigh the effort and costs!