What Makes a Great Amazon Agency? Questions to Ask Before You Hire

We've seen brands burn through two or three agencies before finding one that actually moves the needle. The Amazon agency space is crowded, and frankly, a lot of firms oversell and underdeliver. So how do you find the best Amazon agency for your brand? Start by asking the right questions.

Question 1: How Much Amazon Revenue Do You Manage?

This isn't about ego. It's about pattern recognition. An agency managing $10M in total client revenue has seen a fraction of the scenarios compared to one managing $400M+. Amazon is a platform of edge cases — weird suppression issues, catalog glitches, reimbursement disputes, Buy Box anomalies. Experience across a large book of business is the single best predictor of whether an agency can handle what gets thrown at them.

Ask for the number. If they dodge, that tells you something.

Question 2: Who Actually Works on My Account?

The biggest agency bait-and-switch: a VP pitches you, then your account gets handed to a junior analyst six months out of college. Find out who your day-to-day point of contact will be. Ask about their Amazon experience specifically — not general marketing experience, not e-commerce experience. Amazon experience.

Ask to meet your account manager before signing. If they won't let you, walk.

Question 3: What Does Your Reporting Look Like?

Good agencies report on metrics that matter: revenue, profit margin, TACOS (Total ACOS), organic rank movement, Buy Box ownership, inventory health. Bad agencies send you 40-page decks full of impressions and click-through rates that mean nothing without context.

Ask to see a sample report. If it's all vanity metrics and no P&L impact, keep looking.

Question 4: How Do You Handle Amazon Operations?

Advertising is the sexy part. Operations is where brands actually bleed money. Does the agency handle case management with Seller Support? Do they monitor account health? Will they manage FBA shipments, stranded inventory, listing suppressions, and reimbursement claims?

If an agency only does advertising and tells you to handle everything else yourself, you're getting half a service.

Question 5: What's Your Fee Structure?

Common models:

• Percentage of ad spend — Incentivizes the agency to spend more. Not always aligned with your profitability goals.
• Percentage of revenue — Better alignment but can get expensive as you scale.
• Flat monthly retainer — Predictable costs. Make sure the scope is clearly defined.
• Hybrid models — Base retainer plus performance bonuses. Often the best alignment of incentives.

There's no universally "right" model. But you need to understand what you're paying, what's included, and how the agency makes more money — ideally by making YOU more money.

Question 6: Can You Share Case Studies with Real Numbers?

Percentages are easy to cherry-pick. "We grew revenue 300%!" Sure — from $10K to $40K. Ask for dollar figures, timeframes, and what the brand looked like before the engagement started. The best Amazon agency partners will be transparent about both wins and challenges.

Red Flags to Watch For

Long-term contracts with no exit clause. Guaranteed rankings (nobody can guarantee that). Refusing to give you access to your own ad accounts. Vague answers about team size and experience. Promising results in 30 days on a brand-new account.

At Skale Strategy, we manage $450M+ in Amazon revenue across 100+ brands. We're transparent about our process, our team, and our results — because that's what a serious agency should be.

Hiring the best Amazon agency comes down to due diligence. Ask hard questions. Demand specifics. The right partner will welcome the scrutiny.