My journey began in early 2011.
Since then, I’ve been through quite a ride with SEO and Amazon niche sites.
Looking back, these are the 15 lessons I’ve taken away from this rollercoaster of a journey.
I hope this article gives you a clearer perspective on the path you’re about to take.
It’s not going to be a walk in the park.
But it will undoubtedly be an exciting journey.
(Read our Vietnamese version here)
1) Nothing Is 100% Free in This Game
With Amazon niche sites, you have two crucial resources to leverage: money and time.
If you want more free time, invest money to hire others to do the work for you.
If your budget is tight, you’ll need to invest your own time and effort.
I’ve noticed that many people out there still have the mindset of “wanting the reward without the effort.”
They want the results but aren’t willing to invest the time or money.
Ask them to spend money—even borrow it—to buy the latest iPhone, and they’ll do it without hesitation.
But ask them to dedicate 1–2 hours each evening and invest a modest $80–120 a month to grow a business? “No, thanks.” 🙂
It’s a sad reality.
But it’s also great news for those who are willing to learn, put in the effort, and sacrifice short-term comforts for long-term gains.
If you’re here reading this, there’s a good chance you’re part of the latter group.
If that’s the case, congratulations.
You’re already ahead of many others in terms of vision and mindset.
2) Amazon Niche Sites Are Still a Low-Investment Business Model with Huge Potential
Let’s do a simple comparison.
How much would it cost to open a small clothing shop, even in a side street rather than a prime location?
$1,200?
$2,000?
$4,000?
That includes rent, renovations, stocking inventory, and advertising to attract initial customers.
It’s no small sum, right?
Of course, if you’re wealthy, that’s another story.
But for most people—especially salaried workers—that’s no easy feat.
It could represent years of savings just to realize a dream of owning a business.
And even then, opening a store and running a successful business are two entirely different things!
You’ll have to deal with sales strategies, unsold inventory, logistics, ineffective advertising campaigns, and more.
Even if your store offers great products, it’s common for businesses to close within a year.
These challenges in offline business models are precisely where Amazon niche sites excel.
With Amazon affiliate websites, you can start with a very small investment—just a few hundred dollars.
You won’t have to worry about inventory, customer inquiries, or burning money on ads that don’t work.
Amazon handles all of that for you.
Your only job? Direct traffic to Amazon through your site.
When they make a purchase, you earn a commission.
That’s it. 🙂
It’s a much simpler model, isn’t it?
Not to mention, the money-making websites you build can be sold for a significant price.
If done well, after 1.5–2 years, you could sell your site for 20–60 times its monthly income.
Can you name any offline business models that offer such potential?
Not many, right?
Actually, I can’t think of a single one.
3) Focus When Starting Out—Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin
Yes, the potential is huge.
But that doesn’t mean achieving it will be easy.
Especially if you’re just starting out, I strongly recommend focusing on a single site.
Don’t get distracted by seeing others making money in different niches and feel compelled to try them all.
As long as your chosen niche meets the basic initial criteria, you will make money if you stay consistent.
I’m 99% certain.
Jumping from one thing to another will only scatter your efforts and dilute your investments, leaving everything half-done.
Consider this:
Would you rather have 10 websites, each reaching only 10–15% of their potential after a year?
Or one website that reaches 100% of its potential and continues to grow in subsequent years?
You’d choose the latter, right?
Once you have a site generating consistent monthly income, along with more experience and resources, you can think about expanding to new sites.
4) Perfectionism Is Your Worst Enemy
Are you a perfectionist?
Does everything have to be 100% flawless, even the smallest detail?
If so, you’ll need to adjust if you want to succeed in this online business model.
Spending an entire day tweaking your site’s layout to make it “just right” is not a wise use of your time.
You need to differentiate between what’s important and what can simply be “good enough.”
I used to make this mistake a lot.
But over time, I’ve significantly improved.
My advice: create a specific plan, break down tasks, and set deadlines for each one.
A simple notebook to jot down your daily tasks will do.
Cross off tasks as you complete them, and you’re good to go.
5) You’ll Face Challenges and Obstacles
This is almost unavoidable.
And you need to prepare yourself mentally from the start.
Ups and downs in business are entirely normal.
Challenges can be small—like not knowing how to post articles, finding a reliable writer, or building backlinks to boost your site’s rankings.
But they can also be significant—like getting penalized by Google, having Amazon suspend your account and hold your earnings, or your site getting hacked and losing all data.
No matter what the challenge is, you need to be ready for it and have a plan to address such situations.
Everyone hopes for the best in business.
The same applies to investing in Amazon niche sites.
But ignoring potential risks and challenges can cost you dearly one day.
6) Always Stay True to Your Goals and Reasons for Starting
This is the key to overcoming challenges.
Your goal might be as simple as creating a steady cash flow of $500–$1,000 per month after a year of hard work.
And your reason for starting? Perhaps it’s to provide a better life for your family.
Great!
Hold onto that goal and reason whenever you encounter obstacles along the way.
If you don’t have a strong enough reason to keep going, you’ll likely give up easily—especially when starting out, feeling unsure, and facing doubts or criticism from those around you.
In such situations, stay quiet and let your results speak for themselves in the end.
7) Connect with Like-Minded People Who Share Your Goals
Connecting with people who have similar goals and mindsets is incredibly valuable.
Why?
Because they can become your new support system during tough times, especially when those around you aren’t exactly “on board.”
Everyone enters this game with different experiences:
- Some are seasoned pros.
- Some are beginners.
- Some have skills you don’t yet have.
By networking, you can tap into their insights and experiences, helping you reach your goals faster.
Thanks to Facebook, building connections is now easier than ever.
Search for relevant Facebook groups, join them, and start making friends.
On that note, feel free to join my group here. I’d be thrilled to have you in our small community! 😊
8) Learn from Your Competitors
You should take the time to learn from your direct competitors in the same niche.
- How is their website structured?
- What type of content do they produce?
- Do they have any standout features?
- Which keywords are they ranking for that you could potentially “steal”?
- Where are they getting backlinks from, and can you replicate that?
- What weaknesses do they have that you can improve upon?
Answering these questions will give you a significant advantage in your own efforts.
9) Adapt and Evolve with the Ever-Changing Online and SEO Landscape
Google is constantly changing.
Its algorithms are updated around twice daily, and each year, there are several major updates that can dramatically affect rankings in various industries.
You can check out the history of Google’s major algorithm updates here.
This is especially true for the US market (Vietnam seems to be less affected overall).
What worked perfectly a year ago might be entirely ineffective—or even detrimental—today.
Even seasoned professionals in the field can’t guarantee they’ve never been impacted by a Google algorithm update.
Therefore, you must embrace a mindset of continuous learning and be ready to abandon outdated practices.
Of course, saying this is easier than doing it.
But it’s the only way forward.
10) Invest Wisely and Diversify Your Income to Minimize Risks
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is wise advice—and it applies when diving into Amazon niche sites too.
If you have a stable job or business, investing in the Amazon affiliate model can be a practical way to generate additional passive income.
There’s no need to quit your job or abandon your current business to focus 100% on this new venture.
Maintaining at least two income streams will shield you from severe setbacks if life throws a curveball.
For beginners, quitting your job to pursue niche sites full-time is risky because there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed on your first try.
Even later, when your website generates consistent income or you sell it for a significant sum, you should reinvest that money wisely.
At the very least, consider putting it into a savings account to earn interest.
Or invest in offline business ventures you see as having clear potential.
That said, I’m no financial investment expert—don’t ask me for specifics!
I’m still learning and figuring things out myself at this stage.
11) Set Realistic Expectations Based on Your Skills and Circumstances
Typically, with a new domain, it takes at least 6 months to hit the $100/month mark.
To reach $500–$1,000/month or more, you’ll likely need at least 1–1.5 years.
These are average benchmarks to give you an idea.
In practice, your timeline could be faster or slower, depending on how much time, effort, and financial resources you invest.
If you work with expired domains, the timeline might shorten, but your initial investment will be significantly higher.
This highlights an important point: this isn’t some “get rich quick” scheme.
Nor is it a magic solution to all your financial worries overnight.
In the long term, success is absolutely achievable.
But when starting out, remember these realistic timelines so you don’t create unnecessary pressure, like expecting to make $5,000 immediately after just one month.
12) The Skills You Gain Will Benefit You for Years to Come
Sure, your ultimate goal with Amazon niche sites is to make money.
But along the way, you’ll also gain valuable skills, such as:
- English proficiency
- General SEO knowledge
- Website management
- Team collaboration
- Budget management (even if it’s small at first)
- Crisis handling
- Patience and persistence
- Problem-solving skills
It might sound a bit grand, but it’s true.
Once you start, you’ll see how these skills develop naturally.
And even if you only improve slightly in each area, these skills might come in handy exactly when you need them most in the future.
13) If You Don’t Ask, the Answer Is Always “No”
Many beginners hesitate to ask questions.
Perhaps they fear being judged or laughed at for their lack of knowledge.
But the truth is, 99.9% of the time, that’s not the case.
When you ask clear and thoughtful questions, someone is likely to help.
This is especially true in Facebook groups or forums related to your topic.
If their answers help you, great!
But if you never ask, no one will know what you need help with.
So don’t be shy about asking questions.
And if you’re still hesitant, you can always turn to Google for answers to your queries.
14) Know When to Walk Away
Here’s a harsh reality: not every website or niche you create will succeed.
Some sites may start generating revenue early, within 1–2 months.
Others might still struggle to show potential after a year of effort.
At some point, you’ll need to let go of unproductive sites and focus on those with greater promise.
So, how do you know when it’s time to stop?
Simple:
- You’ve worked on the site for 6–8 months but haven’t earned a dime.
- You feel no enthusiasm or connection to the site anymore.
- You’re unsure about the next steps for the site.
If you find yourself in any of these situations, it might be time to hit “stop” on that project.
This decision will clear your mind and allow you to focus your energy on more promising opportunities.
15) Stay Updated by Following Leading Blogs, Groups, and Experts
In SEO and Amazon niche sites, staying up-to-date is essential.
As mentioned earlier, Google constantly updates its algorithms.
You need to keep learning as these changes occur.
The easiest way? Follow thought leaders and industry experts on their social media profiles.
You can also browse major SEO and search engine marketing news sites, such as:
Additionally, use Google to find other blogs and websites.
As for groups, there are plenty available—I’ll share some recommendations in a future post.
Final Thoughts
These 15 insights are hard-earned lessons from my time working on SEO and Amazon niche sites.
They’ve cost me countless hours, money, and effort to learn firsthand.
I hope this post helps you avoid some of the pitfalls and gain valuable experience faster.
See you in the next article! 😊