I Wasted $500 on Amazon Ads—Here’s Why I’m Building My Own Website Instead

I just wasted $500 on Amazon Ads in one week.

And let me be clear—I don’t have that kind of money to just throw away. That loss didn’t just hurt my wallet; it made me realize something bigger:

👉 I’m not building a real business if I’m handing all my profits over to Amazon.

That’s why I’ve decided to go all in on building my own website—where I can keep 100% of the profits, grow my email list, and build a real brand that lasts.

And in this post, I’m going to show you two powerful strategies that helped me ditch ads and actually start making money online without wasting a dime on paid promotion.

Strategy #1: Get Your SEO Right (and Attract Free Traffic for Life)

Here’s a wild stat: 75% of users never scroll past the first page of Google.
(Source: HubSpot)

That means if your website ranks well, you can earn free, organic traffic 24/7.

And it gets better—organic traffic converts nearly 10X better than ads.
(14.6% vs. 1.7%, according to Search Engine Journal)

That’s why I rebuilt my website from scratch—with SEO in mind—using Hostinger (use coupon code CLANCY for 10% off).

Why I Chose Hostinger:

✅ Free domain name
✅ Professional email address (for outreach + credibility)
✅ Built-in AI tools to help write SEO-friendly content
✅ 0% transaction fees — I keep 100% of my ebook sales
✅ Fast, secure hosting that grows with your traffic

I went with the 48-month Business Plan—it gave me the lowest monthly rate and came with 3 extra months free.

👉 Click here to get started with Hostinger and use code CLANCY at checkout for the best price.

Quick SEO Checklist for Book Sellers:

Use clear, searchable keywords in product titles, meta descriptions, and blog posts (e.g. “Large Print Word Search for Adults” not “Fun Puzzle Book”).
Make your site fast. Hostinger performs better than many drag-and-drop builders like Wix or Shopify when it comes to load times—a key Google ranking factor.
Write blog content that supports your book. Selling a summer coloring book for kids? Write a post titled “10 Screen-Free Summer Activities for Kids.”
Include backlinks and internal links between posts and products.

SEO is slow at first. But with consistency, your blog posts and product pages will start showing up in Google—bringing traffic to you for free.

Strategy #2: Promote Through Social Media (The Right Way)

You don’t need Amazon ads to sell your books.
In fact, 76% of consumers have purchased a product they first discovered on social media.
(Source: GlobalWebIndex)

With over 5 billion active users online (Statista, 2024), platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube are prime real estate for promoting your own products.

But here’s the shift:

Stop linking to Amazon.
Start linking to your website.

Why?

You keep 100% of the sale
You can offer bundles and upsells
You collect emails for future launches

Simple Ways to Self-Promote:

Post journaling prompts if you created a journal
Share sneak peeks inside your planner or coloring book on Reels/TikTok
Use behind-the-scenes content to build connection
Pin your website in your bio and on every post

You don’t need a massive audience.
You just need the right people consistently seeing your content.

And when that content leads to your site—not Amazon—you win.

Why This Works Long-Term

Building a website and doing your own promotion sounds like more work, right?

It is.
But it’s the kind of work that builds equity in your brand—not just someone else’s platform.

Instead of spending $500 on ads that disappear in a week, spend a few hours creating content and SEO-focused pages that pay you back for years.

Because when you OWN the traffic, you OWN the profits.

No more throwing money at ads.
No more waiting on Amazon rankings.
Just sustainable, long-term income from something you built.

Free Resource to Get Started

Want to make sure your website is set up to capture traffic and sales?

👉 Download my FREE checklist here

And if you're serious about building your author business the smart way, check out my full KDP course for step-by-step strategies that actually work.

Let’s build something that lasts—and actually belongs to you.