When Amazon started in 1995, it was a site that only sold books. Within a month of its inception, the company had already shipped books to over 40 different countries. Since then, Amazon has become one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies, accounting for around 44% of total e-commerce sales in the United States for 2017. So then, how exactly did Amazon pull off such impressive results? We’re glad you asked.
At Snap Agency, we specialize in crafting data-driven solutions that position our clients for continuous growth. We’ve spent the past eight years developing innovative digital marketing strategies to help a wide range of B2B and B2C businesses maximize leads and sales. We’re also proud to provide the resources e-commerce companies need to thrive in the ever-changing world of digital. So today, let’s take a look at seven reasons why Amazon is enjoying such tremendous success.
1) INNOVATION
1) INNOVATIONAmazon’s success largely stems from its innovative technologies and practices, many of which were championed by its CEO, Jeff Bezos. Consider the Echo, Amazon’s impressive voice command device. Echo can be used to play songs, research your favorite sports teams, and even check the weather with a few spoken words. This innovative technology was a huge investment for the e-commerce giant—one that fostered exceptional results. Over 22 million Echo units were sold in 2017 alone.
Amazon’s progressive mindset doesn’t always bear fruit, but accomplishments like the Echo prove that innovation can yield impressive results for e-commerce companies.
2) CUSTOMER SERVICE
2) CUSTOMER SERVICEBecause of its commitment to world-class customer service, Amazon has developed a range of helpful tools users can employ to track packages and quickly return or exchange ordered items, bringing simplicity and convenience to their online shopping experiences. Amazon’s Customer Service team has won multiple awards for its dedication to preventing and swiftly addressing problems for customers. One of Amazon’s overarching missions is to become the planet’s most customer-centric company—and the brand’s dedication to this goal has paid dividends.
Social media is another powerful tool that Amazon employs to engage with shoppers and enhance the quality of its customer service. When done right, social media channels can help your e-commerce business address customer concerns and build a solid foundation of loyal and passionate followers who advocate your brand. That’s why many e-commerce companies work with Snap’s Social Media Team to refine and grow their social presence.
3) EXECUTION
Amazon gets everything right when executing customer orders. They select products and services that customers want and need—and leverage distribution centers across the globe that allow them to quickly ship products. Amazon also has excellent vendor relationships that allow them to offer customers discounted pricing. The world’s largest online retailer is also ramping up plans to invest more across Europe this year, employing thousands of more employees. They’re also looking to implement brick-and-mortar stores that will have the capability of same-day-delivery via drones!
4) DIVERSIFICATION
Starting off as an online bookstore, Amazon now offers everything from soup to nuts. Literally. A search of the site reveals over 3,000 listings for vegetable soup. Search the term “nuts” and you’ll see over 37,000 results. Amazon now carries products in music, books, electronics, health and beauty, automotive, grocery and clothing. Business owners can contract with Amazon’s network of pros to get IT support, furniture assembly and even A/V services. By diversifying its offerings, Amazon is continuously driving reach and relevance.
Regardless of your industry, you should be fearless in the pursuit of diversification. Expanding into new markets and product categories will help you attract new business opportunities to grow your organization. You should even diversify your digital growth initiatives when possible. For example, Amazon currently boasts an impressive 3.6 billion backlinks and 3.8 million referring domains. A highly diversified link portfolio plays a pivotal role to any successful SEO campaign. That’s why many e-commerce companies partner with us to optimize their link building strategies.
5) OUTSTANDING USER EXPERIENCES
A strong UX makes it easy for e-commerce customers to find what they’re looking for and move further down the conversion funnel, resulting in more sales. That’s why Amazon employs a full UX team comprised of professionals in everything from user research and interaction design to web development. These UX experts collaborate with Amazon’s engineers, product managers and executives to create seamless user experiences that drive customer conversions.
Fortunately, any company can improve its online UX with help from the right digital marketing partner. Snap Agency’s Design Team offers comprehensive web design and CRO (conversion rate optimization) solutions to help you perfect your website’s UX and UI. Our human-centered design process will boost the conversion impact of your online presence through user experiences that inspire and engage.
6) MERGING DESIGN WITH CONTENT
It’s no secret that long-tail content is a huge component of e-commerce SEO. You need large amounts of keyword-rich copy to increase the visibility of a page on search engines—which is why Amazon uses lengthy product descriptions and FAQs on its product pages. However, take a look at any product page on Amazon, and you’ll notice that this long-tail content doesn’t adversely affect its flow or UX. Amazon’s product copy is given less priority than important CTAs (such as the “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” buttons). This seamless merging of design and content ensures that Amazon pages attract and convert relevant web traffic.
If you’re looking to optimize your site’s content without sacrificing its UX, then consider partnering with a digital marketing partner like Snap. We provide robust content marketing solutions for our e-commerce clients to maximize the performance of their product pages on leading search engines. Our SEO Team can create impactful long-tail content that aligns seamlessly with your site’s design to drive traffic and conversions.
7) AN “IN IT TO WIN IT” MINDSET
Does anybody really remember when Amazon was unprofitable? If you’ve been around for awhile, you might remember Bezos’ warning to investors that it would be a long time before they would see a return. Back in 1997, he told Inc. Magazine that Amazon would be unprofitable for a very long time. His “in it to win it” mindset kept the company pushing through new strategies until 2003—when the company posted its first profit. No matter how you look at it, Amazon has grown up from a little online bookstore to an industry giant. You could even say Amazon created the industry for total domination.
Positioning Your E-Commerce Company for Success
Positioning Your E-Commerce Company for SuccessSo now that you have a solid understanding of how Amazon rose through the e-commerce ranks to claim its throne, let’s talk about how your own e-commerce business can mimic its success. Along with the traits we’ve listed above, digital marketing is one of the most important catalysts for e-commerce growth. And while most companies understand this fact, few of them understand exactly which digital marketing services will harbor optimal growth and ROI.
It’s important to remember that digital marketing for e-commerce depends on a range of initiatives, not just one. For example, you might invest heavily in SEO or PPC to ensure that your website attracts shoppers who are looking for your specific products. But if your site isn’t optimized to attract and convert users, they’ll simply bounce back to the search engine to find another provider. For maximal results, you need a range of digital marketing tactics that synergize to move customers all the way through your sales funnel. And that’s where digital growth consultancies like Snap factor in.
At Snap, we’ve been supporting e-commerce companies for almost a decade through powerful e-commerce solutions. Our SEO Team can perform comprehensive e-commerce SEO for your website, leveraging keyword and competitor research to differentiate and optimize your pages for search engines. From on-page optimization and content marketing to Amazon product optimization, our SEO best practices will deliver marked results for your e-commerce enterprise. We also offer comprehensive CRO (conversion rate optimization) and web design services to maximize the performance and conversion impact of your website.
Move Beyond ROI With Snap Agency
Interested in learning more about Snap’s digital growth solutions and how they can poise your e-commerce company for long-term results? Then be sure to call or message us today. Whether you need help with driving traffic and conversions or enhancing customer loyalty, our team of digital marketing experts can help.
If you’re still hungry for information on Amazon, then check out our related post, Snap’s Amazon Statistics + Infographic! We also have a detailed guide to help you decide whether you should sell your products through Amazon. Best of luck on your e-commerce journey, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help. We’re always here for you.
)
