Amazon was started in a garage in 1994, where Jeff Bezos and a handful of employees packed and sold books.

By 1998, the company had begun to branch out into other categories.

In 1999, Amazon patented the ability to purchase an item online with the click of a mouse. This “1 –Click” technology prompted customers to buy more and enabled the company to collect shopper data.

By 2004, sales of consumer electronics on the site had already surpassed book sales.

Amazon Prime was introduced in 2005 – a prepaid loyalty programme originally based on free shipping. Today further benefits have been added and Prime – one of Amazon’s most valuable assets – has over 100 million members.

In 2012, Amazon eclipsed Google as the ‘starting point’ for product search.

In 2018, Amazon became the second company (after Apple) to be valued at $1 trillion.
Analysts predict it will shortly reach a value of $2 trillion.

In 2019, Amazon celebrated 25 years in business. The company now accounts for more than 50% of all online sales due, in no small part, to its customer-centric approach.

Today Amazon is the go-to site for shoppers wanting to compare similar products. It is estimated that, in more developed markets, 9/10 shoppers habitually price check products on Amazon before making a purchase. These factors make it more likely than ever that shoppers will make their purchase on the Amazon site.

The convenience and price advantage of shopping with Amazon increasingly outweigh any concerns that shoppers may have about buying and paying for goods online.

In 2020, we can expect all of these trends to accelerate with the present health crisis and the restrictions currently affecting offline retail outlets selling non-essential goods.

Introducing the research that reveals shopper behaviour when on Amazon

‘Sell more on Amazon – Shopper behaviour revealed’ and the programme of global research that preceded it was born from a need to explain precisely what makes one product jump from the Amazon page and another to remain hidden in the shadows.

The sole aim of this report is help the Amazon seller / manufacturer to improve their online presence and increase sales conversion on the site.

The recommendations contained in the report are based upon extensive market research conducted by a team of specialized research professionals with many years of experience of conducting international shopper research for some of the world’s leading brands, including Unilever, Philips, McDonalds, Volkswagen and Samsung.

The above trends make it more important than ever to be present on Amazon, but mere presence is not enough. One of the major factors attracting shoppers to the site is a selection that rivals any on the high street. But it is precisely this proliferation – the sheer choice available – that makes it difficult for a product to stand out on Amazon.

On Amazon, the seller / manufacturer is not in a position to control the way in which shoppers behave. Instead, it is necessary to align the way your product is presented to the expectations of the Amazon shopper.

In order to optimize your presence on the site and turn your product into a top seller on Amazon today, it is imperative to understand:

• The extent to which shopper behaviour is conditioned by the platform itself

• What motivates the shopper when searching and comparing products

• What influences decision-making at each stage from search to purchase

• How to fully align your product with shopper expectations and their habits on the Amazon

site

If you’re interested to learn more about what we discovered whilst researching the site over a 5 year-period, you can purchase the report (PDF) here or if you have any questions, you can email my colleague, and eye tracking researcher, Jason McMillion (jason (at) needinsights com).