Amazon is a billion-dollar juggernaut, but it doesn’t feel that way for their customers. We’re going to take a look at how they bring their brand promise and corporate ethos to life, how they make it real for their customers, and the challenges they face in the future.
A world that revolves around the customer
The Amazon mission is simple. They want “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and…offer…the lowest possible prices.” And while the mission is simple, offering anything a consumer might want to buy online is certainly not. Warehouses, purchasing, fulfillment, inventory and millions of moving parts are conspiring to add complexity to the experience.
That’s what makes Amazon great. They’ve focused on the purchase experience , even going so far as to brand theirs as “1-click ordering.” If you’ve shopped on Amazon, you likely take the 1-click ordering experience for granted, and that’s exactly what they want you to do. Think about how complicated the process is to get that thing you see on your internet browser into your hands. Now, forget that whole process and click one button. Simply magic.
They’ve taken the most tedious part out of internet shopping and streamlined it. They’ve exponentially shortened the distance between wanting something and buying it. No fields to fill out, no information to enter, just a single click and you’ve gone from shopping to buying.
Simplify for the customer
This may seem intuitive, but in fact, it runs contrary to the strategy many internet sites follow. Amazon saves you time by recommending the things you’re likely to enjoy and getting you done faster in an industry that’s built on keeping you on a page as long as possible. They are customer-centric at the core, going to incredible lengths to simplify a complicated process.
That said, there might be trouble brewing. Amazon’s Prime membership was the company’s effort to increase purchase size and one of the best parts of the company offering. It was beloved by customers. Unfortunately, it’s about to get more expensive . The company expects to raise their price on Amazon Prime by $20 to $40 to cover increased shipping costs. What will that do for the company’s simplified shopping experience? Our guess is not much.
The value of speedy shipping
If you’re the kind of customer who’s used to “free” 2- day shipping, an additional $20 – $40 likely won’t break the bank. If you’re a new customer and it’s enough to dissuade you, you might not be the kind of customer Amazon wants.
Stop for a second and think about the most tedious part of your shopping experience. Whether it’s waiting on bids, checking out, or just picking a color, we’d bet there’s something your customers would like to see simplified. Now, think about how you can make that process more consumer-centric.