Anybody else remember the days when you'd be looking at a product in a physical store, and check the Amazon reviews on your phone before buying it, because that was the easiest way to get reliable feedback? How things have changed since then!
Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
431–440 of 510 posts
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#432Earlier quoted context omitted.
This comment is why I still use Amazon, even though it has indeed become a catalogue where 90% of the listed products are junk. Because that other 10% are legit brands, and when you want the legit brand, it's still very convenient and often* cheaper than other retailers. You just have to wade through the crap to find the real stuff. (*I said _often_, meaning I concede that it is sometimes actually not cheaper: please…
But Amazon commingles inventory, so how do you know you are receiving the branded item you want and not a counterfeit item that another seller sent to Amazon?
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Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#433Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes I understand NPV and DCF but not OPs point. The eCommerce arm makes a lot of money so I don’t understand how you could come to the conclusion that its present value is zero.
It made less than no money recently. You might be thinking of revenue.
Where are you getting this from? I cannot for the life of me find profits by business unit. I have glanced over the 2021 Annual Report but don't have to analyze it. If you have a source I would appreciate it.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#434Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The other inescapable conclusion is that whenever the quality of the shopping experience on Amazon and the needs of Amazon's advertising business clash, advertising will win (just as it has on Google). Saying that the e-commerce arm is worthless isn't really the right way to think about it - the ads business only exists to due the e-commerce product. Both Amazon and Google are well aware that their ad revenues depe…
> Both of them know that long-term success requires them to prioritize user experience. Of course user experience is prioritized: below advertiser experience. Prioritization doesn't just mean things are on top, for everything but the top item it means things are below other things.
> Of course user experience is prioritized: below advertiser experience.
I’m not sure how much you’re into the Google ads world, but they have screwed the pooch on that recently as well (e.g., by gimping “exact match” keywords).
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#435My process for getting usable results on Amazon (.co.uk, presumably the others too): 1. Search for thing 2. Filter by department (necessary for 3) 3. Filter by Seller: only Amazon 4: Filter by reviews: 4 stars+ 5: Sort by price, Low > High 6: (Further filters as appropriate) 7: Look at only products with a high number of reviews 8: For every product, "See all reviews" and filter on "Verified purchase only" and "Show…
My process for getting usable results on Amazon is to simply not use it. For any item you can think of there is an online shop dedicated to the specialty that is: - cheaper - easiest to search - do not sell knockoffs, counterfeits and fake products I know some people will raise the "you need to create another account for it annoyance" but it is not that annoying when you are using a password manager and the additionn…
Where do you find cheap, good quality printers? I found Amazon pricing to beat my local Microcenter website.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#436Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had to buy a replacement USB cable in a pinch the other week. Probably the first time since pre-COVID where I could justify next day delivery (where I would normally be happy to just wait however long it takes from a more local retailer). I knew exactly the kind to look for but I couldn't just search for that and pick the first item on the list. I could have easily bought the wrong thing in one click and not known…
what's wrong with getting the Amazon Basics version of whatever commodity?
Outside of a couple of specific products, I've found Amazon Basics products to be pretty awful. I avoid them now.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#437Amazon is unusable at this point, and I don’t get how they have so many customers. Free and fast shipping is no longer exclusive to them, and there are others out there with far nicer websites and no shitty ad listings.
Are you sure? I tried at least 4 other online shopping recently, the experience is horrible compared to amazon. There are bunch issues about return that eventually easily cost me more than what prime cost me for one year.
Amazon is the worst of the places I've tried. They were even terrible when I had to return an item that arrived broken. I ended up without the item and without a refund.
I can't think of a single reason to recommend Amazon to anybody.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#438I worked on ad load optimization and founded a company that specializes in ad load optimization, here's an explainer video: https://www.promoted.ai/videos/unified-ads-search-and-feed-o... ). The cynical comments here align with my experience: when leadership demands now revenue, there is an iterative game where the only correct answer is "increase revenue now." If you run enough A/B tests and ask this question enough…
I worked for Amazon on a team that touched this, and I can confirm this is basically true.
For recommended products, Amazon's algorithm prefers widgets that generate more revenue (which sponsored products has a huge advantage with), and thus those products typically get ranked higher.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#439Scamazon just sucks now. It was once good, but every time I go to use it I waste time and get frustrated. I now only seem to buy stuff where the trade off on research vs going to store is not worth it and buy their probably crappy prime brand batteries. I've been floating like $100+ of amazon credits for months because I keep getting damn gift cards and more credit from returns. Sure there is things I kind of want, b…
> YGGFSS What does this mean?
Yes, it was a nonsense example brand name meant to look like how they are all 6 capital letters.
Re: Almost everything on Amazon is becoming an ad
#440These aren't the same thing as ads. It's paid placement, same thing happens in your local grocery store.
Paid placements are a kind of ad.