Amazon Agency Not Delivering Results | Marknology

If you are paying an Amazon agency and not seeing results, the first step is determining whether the problem is the agency, your expectations, or something in between. Not all agencies are created equal, and not all timelines are realistic. At Marknology, founded by Andrew Morgans in Kansas City, we have inherited accounts from dozens of agencies that were not delivering. Sometimes the previous agency was genuinely bad. Sometimes the brand expected miracles in 30 days. The truth is usually more nuanced.

On the Startup Hustle podcast, Andrew has been honest about this: "If your agency cannot explain what they did last month and why it mattered, that is a red flag. But if you hired them 6 weeks ago and are frustrated that you are not number one yet, that is not a red flag. That is impatience. Explore our Amazon consulting for expert support."

What Is a Realistic Timeline for Amazon Agency Results?

Here is the honest truth about how long Amazon growth takes with professional management:

• Month 1: Audit, cleanup, strategy development. If your agency starts running ads on day one without auditing your listings, that is a problem.
• Months 2 to 3: Content optimization, listing rebuilds, ad restructuring. You should see early indicators: better CTR, improved sessions, cleaner ad spend.
• Months 3 to 6: Meaningful results. Sales growth, improved organic rankings, better ACOS, stronger conversion rates.
• Months 6 to 12: Compounding growth. Organic rankings stabilize, ad efficiency improves, new product launches expand your catalog.

If you are three months in and cannot see any data improvement at all, that is concerning. If you are six weeks in and upset about flat sales, you may need to recalibrate your expectations. Learn more in our Amazon advertising hub. Learn more in our complete listing guide.

What Are the Red Flags of a Bad Amazon Agency?

After working in this space since 2014 and hearing horror stories from brands, here are the definitive red flags:

• No transparency: They will not share your ad data, search term reports, or performance dashboards
• No strategy document: They started working without presenting a clear plan
• Generic reports: Monthly reports that are just screenshots of Seller Central with no analysis
• No dedicated contact: You email and wait days for a response
• Set it and forget it ads: They launched campaigns months ago and have not touched them since
• Promising specific revenue numbers: No honest agency guarantees revenue. There are too many variables.
• No listing work: They only manage ads but never touch your content, images, or A+ pages
• Account access hoarding: They control your account access and will not share credentials

An agency that only manages your PPC and ignores your listings is like a realtor who runs ads for a house but never stages it. You are paying for half a service.-- Andrew Morgans

How Do I Evaluate My Amazon Agency's Performance?

Here is a framework for objectively assessing whether your agency is delivering. Look at these metrics before and after they started managing your account:

• Total revenue: Is it trending up, even slowly?
• TACOS (Total Ad Cost of Sales): Is your advertising becoming more efficient over time?
• Organic ranking: Are you ranking for more keywords and ranking higher?
• Conversion rate: Has it improved since they started?
• Sessions/traffic: Is your product getting more views?
• Content quality: Have they improved your images, bullets, A+ Content, or brand store?
• Communication: Do they proactively update you or do you always have to chase them?

If you see improvement in most of these areas but revenue has not spiked yet, the agency may be doing good foundational work that will pay off. If none of these have improved after 3+ months, you have a problem.

What Questions Should I Ask My Agency Right Now?

Pick up the phone or send an email with these questions. Their answers will tell you everything you need to know:

• What specific changes have you made to my listings in the last 60 days?
• Can I see my search term reports and negative keyword lists?
• What is my current ACOS and TACOS, and what is the trend?
• Which keywords am I ranking for organically, and how has that changed?
• What is your strategy for the next 90 days and what results should I expect?
• How many clients does my account manager handle?
• If I left tomorrow, what would the transition process look like?

A great agency will answer all of these confidently and with data. A bad agency will get defensive or vague. Trust your gut.

When Should I Fire My Amazon Agency?

The best time to leave a bad agency is as soon as you have confirmed they are actually bad, not just slow. Here are the definitive triggers:

The pressure of managing Amazon advertising without the stress is real. Drew Morgans dives into it on Business Therapy -- honest conversations about the challenges sellers actually face.

• Six months with zero measurable improvement in any key metric
• They refuse to share data or give you full account access
• Your account health has declined under their management
• They cannot articulate a strategy when asked directly
• Communication has broken down and you cannot get a meeting
• They are billing you for services you cannot verify they performed
• You caught them doing something that violates Amazon's Terms of Service

If three or more of these are true, it is time to move on. Make sure you secure full access to your Seller Central account before terminating the relationship. At Marknology, we have a transition process specifically designed for brands leaving other agencies.

What Should a Good Amazon Agency Actually Do?

Here is what a full-service Amazon agency like Marknology should be doing for your brand:

• Listing optimization: Professional images, keyword-rich copy, A+ Content, brand store design
• Advertising management: Structured PPC campaigns with weekly optimization and detailed reporting
• SEO and ranking strategy: Backend keyword optimization, indexing checks, organic ranking growth
• Brand protection: Monitoring for hijackers, unauthorized sellers, and counterfeit complaints
• Inventory guidance: Demand forecasting, restock alerts, FBA vs FBM recommendations
• Reporting and communication: Regular calls, transparent dashboards, proactive updates
• Strategy: Quarterly planning, new product launch support, marketplace expansion guidance

If your agency does ads and nothing else, you are paying for a fraction of what you need. Amazon success requires a holistic approach across content, advertising, operations, and brand protection. See our client results for examples.

How Do I Transition to a New Amazon Agency?

Switching agencies can be stressful, but it does not have to be disruptive. Here is the process:

• Secure your access: Make sure you have admin access to Seller Central, Advertising Console, and Brand Registry
• Download your data: Export all reports, search term data, and campaign structures before the transition
• Document what was done: Get a summary of all changes made, keywords targeted, and strategies in place
• Do not pause ads: Maintain continuity during the transition. A gap in advertising will cost you organic rank.
• Overlap if possible: The best transitions have a 2-week overlap where the new agency audits while the old one still manages

At Marknology, our onboarding process includes a full account audit that takes 2 to 4 weeks. We identify what was working, what was not, and build a fresh strategy from real data. Book a free strategy call to talk about your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I give my Amazon agency before expecting results?

Give a competent agency 3 to 6 months to show meaningful results. The first month should be audit and strategy. Months 2 and 3 should show improved listing quality and early metric improvements. By month 6, you should see clear revenue growth. If nothing has improved after 6 months, it is time to evaluate the relationship.

What should an Amazon agency charge?

Monthly retainers typically range from $2,000 to $10,000+ depending on the scope of work, number of ASINs, and ad spend under management. Some agencies also charge a percentage of ad spend or revenue. Be wary of agencies charging under $1,000 per month because the quality of work at that price point is usually insufficient.

Can I manage Amazon myself instead of hiring an agency?

Yes, but it requires significant time and expertise. Most brand owners underestimate how much ongoing work Amazon requires. If you have the time to learn PPC management, listing optimization, inventory planning, and policy compliance, you can do it yourself. Most brands find that their time is better spent on product development and an agency handles the Amazon complexity.

What data should my Amazon agency share with me?

Everything. You should have access to your full Seller Central account, advertising console, search term reports, campaign performance data, keyword rankings, and Buy Box analytics. If an agency will not share data, leave. It is your business and your account. Explore our Amazon search optimization services for expert support.

How do I know if my Amazon agency is doing black hat tactics?

Warning signs include sudden review spikes, requests to purchase your own product, fake customer accounts, keyword stuffing in hidden fields, and claims that they have 'special relationships' with Amazon employees. Any agency using tactics that violate Amazon's Terms of Service puts your entire business at risk.

What is the difference between an Amazon consultant and an Amazon agency?

A consultant typically provides strategy and advice but you implement it. An agency provides hands-on execution including listing creation, ad management, and ongoing optimization. Marknology is a full-service agency that handles both strategy and execution for brands.

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Andrew Morgans is the founder of Marknology, a Kansas City-based Amazon brand accelerator. He hosts the Startup Hustle podcast and has helped hundreds of brands grow on Amazon since 2014.

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