Amazon | Internet Marketing Blog

Amazon launches widgets for bloggers

Amazon has launched a range of widgets in a bid to boost the reach of its affiliate marketing programme.

The widgets can be used to display the etailer's products on blogs, social networks and other websites, earning members of the company's Associates programme up to 10% in referral fees.

by Graham Charlton 18 September 2007 10:50am 0 comments

Warning: I can't find your checkout!

Bob Chieffo published an excellent article last week on the importance of buttons on e-commerce sites in making it clear to the customer what they need to press next.

He points out, on Revenews, that many etailers allow too much room for confusion in the mind of the customer over what they need to do and press to make their purchase.

by Graham Charlton 18 September 2007 10:35am 0 comments

Multi-channel retailers 'offer better customer service'

Multi-channel retailers are mounting a challenge to the online dominance of their pure-play rivals despite tending to offer a lower level of site functionality, according to research.

The study, by eDigitalResearch, which uses mystery shoppers to rate UK shopping websites, found Play.com and Amazon.com continued to generate the best overall response from consumers.

However, multi-channel players like Tesco, John Lewis and M&S were seen to have stronger customer service.

by Richard Maven 14 September 2007 10:35am 0 comments

NBC jumps into bed with Amazon after Apple split

No surprises to see NBC heading over to Amazon’s Unbox online video service, following the content owner’s decision to ditch a deal with iTunes.

Amazon has catered for NBC’s variable pricing demands, with new shows likely to be priced more highly than older ones. Apple refused to budge on its fixed price policy, which appears to have been the dealbreaker.

by Chris Lake 05 September 2007 14:36pm 0 comments

Pure-play etailers top satisfaction poll

Pure-play web retailers are ahead of their multi-channel competitors when it comes to customer satisfaction, according to a new study.

Etail solution provider Pangora surveyed hundreds of UK online customers about their experiences of delivery, site quality and customer service, and firms with no high street presence came top in most categories.

by Richard Maven 31 August 2007 10:00am 0 comments

Will DVD rental firms adjust, or will they die?

Is there any future for DVD rental companies? Yet another UK firm, ChoicesUK, is about to call in the administrators, having previously complained about the threat of piracy in the entertainment industry, along with ‘unseasonably hot weather’.

While piracy may have played a role in the company’s demise, it is more likely that it has been ground down by pureplay online DVD rental firms, including one operated by mighty Amazon, which launched its service in late-2004. For starters, online DVD rental pureplays have much lower overheads than ChoicesUK, which seems to have been strangled by the costs of maintaining 170 shops and 1,800 employees.

But hold on. I’m starting to wonder whether the pureplays themselves will last the distance, in the face of changing consumer behaviour.

by Chris Lake 21 August 2007 14:21pm 6 comments

Blockbuster buys movie downloading service

Movie rental company Blockbuster has snapped up film downloading service Movielink after negotiations said to have lasted since March.

The move, the retailer hopes, will give it a stronger presence in a fast-growing but small and competitive market.

by Richard Maven 09 August 2007 12:50pm 0 comments

Jesse James Garrett on Ajax, Amazon and Web 2.0

Jesse James Garrett , the man who coined the term 'Ajax' and president of Adaptive Path, has been talking to us about usability and the user experience. It makes for a great read.

Jesse's book, The Elements of User Experience, is one of the most widely read books on user-centred design, and he was recently named as one of the top ten user experience experts in an E-consultancy survey.

Here, we speak to him about the psychological background to web design, the pros and cons of behavioural targeting and Ajax, and why he thinks Amazon and eBay's usability has gone "astray".

by Richard Maven 07 August 2007 12:24pm 3 comments

Amazon confirms payment system launch

Amazon has confirmed plans to take on Google Checkout and PayPal with the launch of a rival payment system for etailers.

Dubbed the Amazon Flexible Payment Service (FPS), the system forms part of the etailer’s Web Services programme and allows firms to create checkout facilities with a set of developer tools.

by Richard Maven 06 August 2007 09:21am 0 comments