Compare them on who writes the copy, in which language, and on what they would do when one market underperforms. Native keyword research per language beats translation every time. Ask each candidate what evidence would make them tell you to stop selling in a market, and over what window.
The short version
- Translation is not localization. A translated title carries your English keyword logic into a language where shoppers search differently.
- Every language needs its own keyword research. Search volume, phrasing, and competitive density differ market by market.
- The stop rule matters more than the launch plan. Multi-market sellers rarely fail loudly. They bleed slowly in three countries at once.
- Ask who writes and who reviews. A native writer plus a reviewer who knows the category is the standard to hold.
- Compare in stages with a gate at each one. Most candidates fall out at stage two or three.
The mistake that funds a lot of agency fees
Here is what it usually looks like. A brand doing well in one marketplace pushes its catalog into four more, using the platform's translation of the existing listings. Traffic arrives in small amounts, conversion is poor, advertising costs more per sale than at home, and the account slowly accumulates four underperforming storefronts that nobody has the information to close.
The cost is rarely a single dramatic loss. It is inventory sitting in the wrong country, advertising budget spread too thin to optimize anywhere, and a year of management fees for markets that were never given native content. Every one of those problems is a localization problem dressed up as a marketing problem.
The six-stage comparison, with a gate at each
- Language ownership. Ask who writes German copy, by name and by role, and whether they are native. Gate: no named native writer or reviewer for a market you sell in, no shortlist.
- Keyword method per language. Ask how they build the keyword set for a non-English market. Gate: the answer must describe research in that language, not translation of an English list.
- Market prioritization. Ask them to rank your marketplaces by expected return and explain the ranking. Gate: a candidate who wants all markets at once has no method.
- Operator load across markets. Ask how many marketplaces the assigned operator runs and for how many brands. Gate: a number, given without hesitation.
- Stop criteria. Ask what evidence would make them recommend withdrawing from a market. Gate: a specific answer with metrics and a window, not reassurance.
- Exit and ownership. Confirm you keep the account, the campaigns, and the localized creative, with a written handover. Gate: anything less than that is a lock-in.
| Stage | Weak answer | Strong answer |
|---|---|---|
| Language ownership | We use professional translation | Native writer per market, category reviewer, named |
| Keyword method | We localize the English keywords | Independent research in-language, then copy built from it |
| Prioritization | We can launch all of them | Ranked list with the reasoning and the sequence |
| Operator load | Our team covers everything | A specific brands-per-operator figure |
| Stop criteria | We optimize until it works | Named metrics over a defined window |
| Exit | Standard terms | 30 days notice, you keep everything, written handover |
Why I care so much about stage five
I once poured money into a failing product for three months, convinced that better advertising would turn it around. It did not. The product was wrong, and every week I spent proving otherwise cost more than the week before. That episode is where our stop criteria came from, and it is the reason I think an agency without them is a liability in multi-market work specifically.
Multiple markets multiply the ways to avoid the decision. There is always one country where the numbers look like they might be about to move, which is exactly the psychology that keeps a bad position open. Write the criteria down before launch: rating trend, return rate, conversion rate, and acquisition cost trajectory, each measured over a window you agree in advance. Then the decision is a reading, not an argument.
What most agencies will not tell you
Adding a market is one of the easiest ways to grow an account's fee without doing anything new, because the listings already exist and translation is cheap. Most firms will not tell you which of your markets should be closed, because closing a market reduces their revenue and delivers bad news at the same time.
There is a second thing, less cynical and more important. Some products do not travel. Category norms, sizing conventions, regulatory expectations, and price sensitivity differ enough that a strong product in one country is unremarkable in the next. No amount of localization fixes that, and an agency that has done real multi-market work will tell you which of your products it applies to.
Related answers
- Top Amazon agencies for Europe and North America
- Global Amazon marketplaces launch guide
- Global Amazon marketplaces launch support
- How to choose an Amazon FBA marketing partner
- Done-for-you Amazon management: the complete guide
Ask us for the stop criteria in writing before you ask us for anything else, at Flapen.
