What is Amazon?
Amazon (Amazon.com) is the world’s largest online retailer and a prominent cloud service provider.
Originally started as an online bookselling company, Amazon has morphed into an internet-based business enterprise that is largely focused on providing e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming and artificial intelligence (AI) services.
Following an Amazon-to-buyer sales approach, the company offers a monumental product range and inventory, enabling consumers to buy just about anything, including clothing, beauty supplies, gourmet food, jewelry, books, movies, electronics, pet supplies, furniture, toys, garden supplies and household goods.
Headquartered in Seattle, Amazon has individual websites, software development centers, customer service centers, data centers and fulfillment centers around the world.
Amazon has been around for more than two decades and it is by far the most advanced eCommerce platform out there. Secondly, Amazon provides a vast array of products under different categories, which gives shoppers a wide range of options to choose from.
Amazon Success Story over the years is based on a number of key factors. In fact, there are many reasons why Amazon was so successful. One reason is that they were one of the first companies to really capitalize on the power of the internet. They were able to build a massive online presence early on and then use that to their advantage.
Of course, for businesses to be so successful, there are so many factors that must be taken into consideration and Amazon did just what was important. Some of the common factors include:
- Simple to use and seamless interface to manage all your eCommerce needs in a single, accessible platform.
- A leading eCommerce platform with a growing client base of more than 100,000 e-commerce clients and top-rated customer service.
- Customization options in every aspect of your business to your liking. You can even change the font and color of your site.
- The convenience of shopping from your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.
- Specialization in all eCommerce verticals and markets.
- Extensively used by sellers to manage their business and increase sales.
- Used by leading marketplaces, eCommerce sellers and brands.
Apart from the above factors, they also look at the prices, listings of available products, shipping time frames, and even provide value-added services like Amazon Prime where customers have unlimited access to thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Video – all in one package!
And all these things come without extra marketing costs, which is a huge advantage.
Another reason is that Amazon has always been a customer-focused company. They have always strived to provide the best possible experience for their customers, whether that is through low prices, fast shipping, or great customer service.
Finally, they have always been a company that is willing to innovate and try new things. They are always looking for new ways to improve the customer experience and make their business more efficient.
All of these things have helped make Amazon the massive success it is today, but above all, it was a platform that tries to keep promises like no other.
Company grew rapidly through the late 1990s and early 2000s, becoming one of the largest internet retailers in both North America and Europe. And today, Amazon goes on to revolutionize the way we shop online.
Notable Amazon products and services
Amazon offers an ever-expanding portfolio of services and products. Following is a list of its noteworthy offerings.
Retail
- Amazon Marketplace. Amazon’s e-commerce platform enables third-party retailers to showcase and sell their products alongside Amazon items.
- Amazon Fresh. Amazon’s grocery pickup and delivery service is currently available in nearly two dozen U.S. cities and a few international locations. A grocery order can be placed through the Amazon Fresh website or the Amazon mobile app. Customers can either get their groceries delivered or visit the store for pickup.
- Amazon Vine. Launched in 2007, Amazon Vine helps manufacturers and publishers get reviews for their products to help shoppers make informed purchases.
- Woot. Acquired by Amazon in 2010, Woot offers limited time offers and special deals that rotate daily. This shop features refurbished items, as well as new items that are low in stock. Prime members get free shipping.
- Zappos. Amazon bought Zappos in 2009. This online retailer of shoes and clothing carries a wide range of brands, including Nike, Sperry, Adidas and Uggs.
- Merch by Amazon. This on-demand T-shirt printing service enables sellers to create and upload their T-shirt designs for free and earn royalties on each sale. Amazon does the rest — from printing the T-shirts to delivering them to customers.
- Amazon Handmade. This platform enables artisans to sell handcrafted products to customers around the world.
Consumer technology
- Amazon Kindle. Amazon’s first e-reader, Kindle, enables users to browse, buy and read e-books, magazines and newspapers from the Kindle Store.
- Amazon Fire tablet. Previously known as Kindle Fire, Amazon’s popular and high-profile Fire tablet competes with Apple’s iPad.
- Amazon Fire TV. This line of Amazon’s streaming media players and digital devices delivers streamed video content over the internet to a paired high-definition television.
- Amazon Alexa. This cloud-based, AI-powered, voice-controlled personal assistant is designed to answer queries, interact with users, and perform other tasks and commands.
- Amazon Echo. This is one of Amazon’s smart home devices that comes equipped with a speaker and connects to Alexa. Amazon Echo can perform several functions, including talking about the weather, creating shopping lists and controlling other smart products, such as lights, switches and televisions.
- Amazon Echo Dot. A smaller, puck-shaped version of the original Amazon Echo, an Echo Dot can be placed in any room and can answer questions, play music, and read news and other stories.
- Amazon Echo Show. As part of the Amazon Echo line of speakers, the Amazon Echo Show works similarly through Alexa but also offers a 7-inch touchscreen display to play videos and music and conduct video calls with other Echo users.
- Amazon Astro. This is Amazon’s first home monitoring robot that works with Alexa. It is designed to help with various household tasks, such as home monitoring, caring for the elderly through notifications and alerts, and following owners from room to room to play TV shows, music or podcasts.
Subscription services
- Amazon Prime. This subscription service provides members access to exclusive shopping and entertainment services, discounts and more. As an example, all Amazon Prime members enjoy free one-day or two-day shipping on qualifying orders.
- Amazon Prime Video. This is Amazon’s on-demand video streaming service that offers a selection of about 24,000 movies and over 2,100 TV shows. This service is included with an Amazon Prime membership.
- Amazon Drive. Previously known as Amazon Cloud Drive, Amazon Drive is a cloud storage app that offers 5 gigabytes (GB) of free and secure online storage for photos, videos and files for Amazon customers. Amazon Prime members get free, unlimited, full-resolution photo storage, along with 5 GB of video storage.
- Twitch Prime. A monthly subscription service, Twitch Prime is a subsidiary of Amazon Prime. It gives members premium access to Twitch — a video streaming platform that offers a fun and social way to watch people play games.
- Amazon Music Prime. This is Amazon’s music streaming service that is free for Prime members.
Digital content
- Amazon Pay. An online transaction processing platform, Amazon Pay enables Amazon account holders to use their Amazon accounts to pay external online merchants.
- Amazon Music Unlimited. Amazon’s premium music service costs $8.99 a month for Prime members and $9.99 for non-Prime members.
- Kindle Store. Part of Amazon’s retail website, the Kindle Store can be accessed from any Kindle device to purchase e-books.
- Amazon Appstore for Android. Amazon’s app store for the Android operating system enables users to download games and mobile apps to supported devices.