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To me classic Amazon has two big value props: 1. Single platform to purchase stuff 2. User Reviews The second part is my reason I even bother to look at prod

To me classic Amazon has two big value props: 1. Single platform to purchase stuff 2. User Reviews The second part is my reason I even bother to look at product pages. Ratings, comments - most helpful and most critical. The Wirecutter and other special sites put this context as a centerpiece. There is a lot of crap, let us help you order the best. I wonder if I am such an outlier for Amazon - their homepage does not put "the best" into display. The whole social/ratings aspect is not getting a lot of love at all. Those comments replaced the helpful store clerk, especially now that those no longer exist irl. I ordered a trailer hitch and a user comment told me to swap a screw with a pin for easier detachment - super stuff.

derefr 12y ago
Presumably, Amazon is very good at SEO. If you're landing on their home page, you're an exception; most people will land directly on product pages, comparison pages, review pages, shopping list pages, sale pages, etc. The home page, then, is for people who type "amazon.com" into their browser directly, because they want to see what the site is about. Putting user-generated content there might not be putting their best foot forward, especially if it's in the form of plain-old boring text rather than eye-catching glossy product photos. Reviews are one click away from any of those product-photo links, but users have to show an initial commitment to spend at least 30 seconds clicking around before Amazon will show them anything that might bore them, like walls of review text.
- dataminded 12y ago
  I don't agree. My thoughts are more inline with the articles below on Amazon search vs Google search. Amazon has some significant number of repeat customers who are buying from Amazon because that is their preferred shopping venue not because search (Google) is driving them to Amazon. To those customers the question is not, where can I buy X but which model/version of X do I buy from Amazon. When making the purchasing decision, the reviews are critical content not boring. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/03/07/why-amazoncom-is-a-credible-threat-to-google.aspx http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/03/07/why-amazonc... http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/23/amazon-prime-members-spend-almost-twice-as-much-as.aspx http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/23/amazon-prim... http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-2014-1 http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-2014-1
  - derefr 12y ago
    But you don't need to sell return customers on your service. The only thing Amazon needs to have on its page for these people (when they're logged out, remember) is the search box. Everything else is for the first-time visitors.

derefr 12y ago

Presumably, Amazon is very good at SEO. If you're landing on their home page, you're an exception; most people will land directly on product pages, comparison pages, review pages, shopping list pages, sale pages, etc. The home page, then, is for people who type "amazon.com" into their browser directly, because they want to see what the site is about. Putting user-generated content there might not be putting their best foot forward, especially if it's in the form of plain-old boring text rather than eye-catching glossy product photos. Reviews are one click away from any of those product-photo links, but users have to show an initial commitment to spend at least 30 seconds clicking around before Amazon will show them anything that might bore them, like walls of review text.

dataminded 12y ago
I don't agree. My thoughts are more inline with the articles below on Amazon search vs Google search. Amazon has some significant number of repeat customers who are buying from Amazon because that is their preferred shopping venue not because search (Google) is driving them to Amazon. To those customers the question is not, where can I buy X but which model/version of X do I buy from Amazon. When making the purchasing decision, the reviews are critical content not boring. http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/03/07/why-amazoncom-is-a-credible-threat-to-google.aspx http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2012/03/07/why-amazonc... http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/23/amazon-prime-members-spend-almost-twice-as-much-as.aspx http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/06/23/amazon-prim... http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-2014-1 http://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-prime-members-2014-1
- derefr 12y ago
  But you don't need to sell return customers on your service. The only thing Amazon needs to have on its page for these people (when they're logged out, remember) is the search box. Everything else is for the first-time visitors.