Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

recode.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

381–390 of 564 posts

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#381

Post by ZainRiz »

arbuge wrote: post #19

Their basic underlying assumption appears to be that they're no longer in danger of losing customers and can now act accordingly. Now that they've captured 50%+ of US ecommerce, they've also raised many prices, to the point where they're far from the cheapest price in many cases. A random example... the cat litter I just purchased is $17.89 at Amazon, $13.49 at Walmart. Last week I bought a chair mat for $21.95 on Eb…

One bit of clarification: Amazon doesn't set the prices for most of the goods, the individual vendors do.

But yes, those vendors are probably taking advantage of the effects you're talking about.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#382

Post by carapace »

tfha wrote: post #63
arbuge wrote: post #19

Their basic underlying assumption appears to be that they're no longer in danger of losing customers and can now act accordingly. Now that they've captured 50%+ of US ecommerce, they've also raised many prices, to the point where they're far from the cheapest price in many cases. A random example... the cat litter I just purchased is $17.89 at Amazon, $13.49 at Walmart. Last week I bought a chair mat for $21.95 on Eb…

This is why I've been unhappy to see Bezos gaining steam. As his other products become more successful, you can expect a lot more of this. Alexa is not your friend, Alexa is a tool to make Amazon money. Amazon's move into media is not an effort to improve the media system, it's a recognition that there's a lot of money to be made by controlling the media that people consume. Same thing with the fire phone, it wasn't…

Bezos is going to space.

He's ruthless as hell but he dosen't force anyone to work for him, he doesn't force anyone to use his service.

Maybe, just maybe, he's that man who sold the Moon.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#383

Post by aglavine »

bootsz wrote: post #289

In some sense it feels like Amazon is progressing along a similar trajectory as Facebook: 1. Start company with a minimally viable product 2. Hire smart people to iteratively optimize the usefulness of the product to attract as many users as possible. Incentive structure rewards maximizing new users 3. Product reaches "peak usefulness"; seemingly everyone uses it / loves it 4. Re-focus business efforts to maximize re…

The thing is that in 3) the company still doesn't make money.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#384

Post by e40 »

bootsz wrote: post #289

In some sense it feels like Amazon is progressing along a similar trajectory as Facebook: 1. Start company with a minimally viable product 2. Hire smart people to iteratively optimize the usefulness of the product to attract as many users as possible. Incentive structure rewards maximizing new users 3. Product reaches "peak usefulness"; seemingly everyone uses it / loves it 4. Re-focus business efforts to maximize re…

I think you nailed it. My first Amazon order was in 1999. Recently, I've decided to make purchases elsewhere, due to various factors. It's becoming a place I don't like to go, because of the threat of fake products and reviews.

They are losing my trust, and I assume they feeling I am their market, with how much I have spent with them over the years.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#385

Post by majormajor »

ajross wrote: post #256
daveFNbuck wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It wasn't just that Amazon was the cheapest in the market. It was that they built up a reputation over the years of being cheap and reliable. There was a long period where I would buy things from Amazon without considering other sources. That's gone now and they can't quickly get it back. Forget about price. I can't even trust that I'll be getting a legitimate product anymore. When possible, I prefer to buy from a mo…

> There was a long period where I would buy things from Amazon without considering other sources. That's gone now and they can't quickly get it back. That's probably true, but the truth is that situation was an unstable equilibrium in the first place. There's absolutely no reason in a functioning market to expect (or want!) one provider to be the uniform best option at all things. Eventually everyone else starts comp…

>That's probably true, but the truth is that situation was an unstable equilibrium in the first place. There's absolutely no reason in a functioning market to expect (or want!) one provider to be the uniform best option at all things. Eventually everyone else starts competing.

I'd say it's somewhat the reverse: Amazon was vastly better for things they sourced and sold themselves. I couldn't get everything there, but things they did have, I could trust.

They tried to expand into absolutely everything, and that's what feels like broke even my trust in the stuff they sell directly (since they also have comingling of third party inventory on that stuff, now).

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#386

Post by pergadad »

village-idiot wrote: post #4
iamgopal wrote: post #2

I think amazon is winning solely based on their physical infrastructure which they keep investing in, and hence the share growth. It has nothing to do with how good their website or customer support is, or how many ads they show or not show. All are this ideas they just trying without anything to loose.

Their website is garbage for how popular it is. It’s really hard to navigate the sections for controlling your kindle, digital purchases, or settings.

I like how it's very selectively showing filters. I can filter by price on my laptop, but not using the store on my Kindle. Alright Amazon, I guess you know who are the captive customers, but I'll not buy another Kindle...

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#387

Post by [deleted] »

dymk wrote: post #189
ntsplnkv2 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So essentially price gouging. What a great business model.

Optimizing revenue given a particular supply and demand isn't price gouging. People are paying for the convenience of buying anything they want with two clicks from their computer chair, turns out that's pretty valuable.

[deleted]

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#388

Post by maxxxxx »

jeremy7600 wrote: post #352
mikestew wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When NewEgg started the 3rd-party sellers, I quit buying from them. I don't buy from Sears for the same reason. If I wanted a flea market, I'd go find an shut-down drive-in theater. And that's the trick: I'd buy from NewEgg based on their reputation, not the reputation of some company I've never heard of. Back in the day, if I bought from Amazon I assumed (probably incorrectly) that it was somewhat curated. With 3rd-…

You know you can filter out non-NewEgg results?

To me it doesn't matter. Newegg used to be my trusted vendor and now they aren't anymore. They should decide if they are a vendor or a marketplace like eBay or Craigslist. Don't do both.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#389

Post by piyh »

e40 wrote: post #384
bootsz wrote: post #289

In some sense it feels like Amazon is progressing along a similar trajectory as Facebook: 1. Start company with a minimally viable product 2. Hire smart people to iteratively optimize the usefulness of the product to attract as many users as possible. Incentive structure rewards maximizing new users 3. Product reaches "peak usefulness"; seemingly everyone uses it / loves it 4. Re-focus business efforts to maximize re…

I think you nailed it. My first Amazon order was in 1999. Recently, I've decided to make purchases elsewhere, due to various factors. It's becoming a place I don't like to go, because of the threat of fake products and reviews. They are losing my trust, and I assume they feeling I am their market, with how much I have spent with them over the years.

Fake product reviews are insidious with the huge reliance on them when buying products you've never held.

Re: Amazon is stuffing its search results pages with ads

#390

Post by Anderkent »

maaaats wrote: post #10

Unless you know exctly brand/make/model you wan't to buy on Amazon, the search is useless. Hundreds of similar results from dozens of vendors of varying quality. I liked it better when they sold things themselves, now they're just an eBay clone selling cheap knockoffs trying to hide the fact.

But this is exactly why sponsored results are good for the searcher. Products that people are willing to spend money advertising will usually be better for you, especially in a context where repeated custom is likely.
Post reply on HN