Why use Amazon as inspiration to take your e-commerce to the next level?

When we think of e-commerce, Amazon quickly comes to mind. It makes many of us dream big with its tremendous success. Even though it may be far-fetched to become the next Amazon, we can draw inspiration from some of their best practices in an effort to take your online business to the next level.

Here is what Amazon does, things you can implement immediately.

Placing the customer at the heart of your strategy

As an e-commerce business owner, no doubt you have good products you want people to know about to generate sales. Unfortunately, too many businesses focus too much on the benefits of their products in order to convince people to buy.

How about reversing the strategy? Ask yourself:

• What are the benefits for your customers?
• How does your product improve your customer’s life or make it more pleasant?

Ask yourself how you can help your customer instead of simply trying to sell him something.

Truth is, customers don’t want to know why your product is awesome. They want to know why they need it.

Understanding and addressing the needs of your customers

Amazon has developed a system that meets the needs and requirements of shoppers. By understanding their problems and expectations, Amazon is able to offer a solution perfectly adapted to their needs.

For example, Amazon understood that customers wanted to easily find what they were looking for and that shipping was a big factor in the shopping experience. Thanks to exceptional logistics and cutting-edge ordering and shipping systems among other things, Amazon succeeded in revolutionizing the online commercial world, perhaps even the retail market.

In a nutshell, if you want your business to succeed, you need to be able to meet the needs of your customers, but you also need to understand what their needs are.

Learning to collect and analyse data

Data is also very important; data collection will allow you to get relevant information about your customers that will enable you to personalize their shopping experience.

Amazon uses all the data it collects through advertising and transactions in order to create a more personalized and effective shopping experience. What is more, thanks to tight inventory control and AI-driven data analysis, Amazon is able to anticipate what the most popular products will be and quickly fulfill demand.

Another example: Facebook uses your personal data in order to provide you with content and publicity based on your interests and posts you have selected.  It is much more interesting for users since they are presented with content that will most likely appeal to them compared to other media sources who target a more general audience.

We need to understand that Facebook and Amazon make a smart use of the data it collects from its users in order to provide them with a personalized experience.

Though you may not have Amazon’s marketing budget nor its infrastructures, you absolutely can use them as inspiration. For example, you can offer your customers personalized suggestions based on their purchase history. You can also learn from the Amazon model by relying on sufficient inventory and quick shipping.

In conclusion, make sure to offer your customers value-added products and a personalized experience.

Solidifying these fundamental elements will help you take your e-commerce to the next level.