For the past three or four years I’ve used Amazon Prime and I thought it would be interesting to share my experience with the service, what to watch out for, and what to consider if you’re looking to sign up for Amazon Prime.
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What is Amazon Prime?
Basically, Amazon Prime is the service that Amazon members can opt for that will get you set up with same day or next day delivery on products and goods that you may be using that are fulfilled by Amazon. In laymen’s terms: it’s all about the delivery.
Or, is it?
In the past two years that I’ve used Amazon Prime, I’ve found myself liking and utilizing a broader scope of the service than when I signed up the first year.
When I initially signed up for the service, I was getting things delivered to me because I didn’t have a car. It was a great way to be able to purchase the things that I was looking for without worrying about transporting the items.
My Current Shopping Habits
When I first began using Amazon Prime, I would still occasionally pop into the mall. One of the things that I’ve observed about my shopping habits is that I no longer go to the mall.
Ever.
Unless it’s to go to the Apple Store to get my MAC looked at or to purchase a new laptop. And, when I do shop at a bricks and mortar shop it’s 99% of the time a locally based business. Shopping at locally based bricks and mortar businesses is part of the mission of my Colorado based blog: Square State.
What do I buy on Amazon?
- My mom’s university books-This is nice because they arrive so quickly. She’s always taking some class and she appreciates being able to get her books within a week of ordering them.
- Wigs-Seriously, Sandy Smith and I are all about affordable wigs and Amazon has a ton of them. Read the reviews and check out the videos to see how they hold out.
- Books-Technically, I have a Kindle Unlimited Account. So…I pay for that. But, I also buy used books as well. I have a book addiction.
- Clothing and Shoes-More and more, I’m purchasing my clothes via Amazon. In fact, the jacket that I’m wearing on the day that I’m working on this post and my tennis shoes were both purchased on Amazon.
- Technical Equipment such as my podcasting gear. I’m looking at a pair of noise cancelling headphones as well.
- Amazon Prime Video-I’m LOVING a lot of the original content that is being produced and shown on Amazon Prime Video. Examples include: The Boys, Carnival Row, and Jack Ryan.
- Groceries-Still testing this out and I plan on sharing a post about Amazon Fresh/Whole Foods shopping on Amazon soon.
Caution! What to Consider
- Surprisingly Confusing– Amazon Prime can be, at times, really confusing. Here’s why-there are so many offerings and I don’t feel like the user experience is streamlined enough. It’s my view that users are underutilizing certain aspects of the service due to choice overload and the inability to customize our user profile so that we’re only seeing and using what we need. Don’t believe Amazon Prime Services aren’t confusing? Check them out:
- Amazon Fresh
- Amazon Prime Video
- Music-I’ve never used this
- Kindle Unlimited-Absolutely use this
- Prime Photos-Huh?
- Lightning Deals-Had no idea they existed
- Emotional Shopping-One of the things to consider when having a service such as Amazon Prime is that it’s very tempting to shop all the time. I’ve basically killed my shopping habit, but I could see myself buying a whole bunch of random stuff if I’m having a tough day. If you’re scrolling through Amazon often, just like a thrift store, you’re always going to find items that you would like to purchase.
- Jeff Bezos-I almost didn’t put this in here…but, I do think that it’s important for all of us to be aware/mindful of the business practices of the companies that we shop at. Amazon has been on blast for bad employee treatment and bad conditions at their warehouses. Also, Jeff Bezos is a trillionaire, TRILLIONAIRE does he need any more of our money? While I am in awe of his business acumen and his change from mild-mannered book seller to selling BEAST, I do care about my role in how people are treated. Walmart and other companies have also had similar issues. I don’t shop at Walmart-the city of Denver actually doesn’t have one. They are in the suburbs. My point though is that every time we buy on Amazon we’re not supporting locally businesses and the discounts we’re getting are often because the products are produced overseas. There is no right or wrong in this conversation-just some food for thought.
- Every time you make a purchase, Amazon is able to build a better profile of you as a user. No conspiracy theory here. Just the truth. I run websites, even I do the same thing. If you’re thinking that Amazon isn’t paying attention to your spending habits and retargeting you with ads related to what you’ve purchased-you’re deluded. This includes: your grocery preferences (meat eater/paleo/vegan), the books you read, and the electronics that you purchased.
The Affiliate Program
I am an Amazon Affiliate, but in my view it’s similar to being a Google Adsense affiliate. It takes a long time to get paid anything significant. Similar to Google Adsense, it’s my view that the Amazon Affiliate program is an easy way to start Affiliate Marketing as a content creator.
Also, the program has made moves in recent years to pay affiliates less as well as only having a 24 hour cookie for affiliate links.
What’s the cookie?
Basically, when someone clicks on a “cookied” affiliate link, that “cookie” will remember your laptop’s user i.d. If you make a purchase on Amazon during those 24 hours, the affiliate who shared that link will be credited a small percentage of that purchase.
I have several friends who make great money with Amazon Affiliates. However, they have a TON of content on their websites and they are currently moving away from Amazon Affiliates and looking for affiliate programs that are have a much more lucrative payout per conversion.
The great thing for those friends is that the process that they used to be success as an Amazon Affiliate translates to any affiliate programs.
The Verdict
I continue to have an uneasy love of Amazon Prime and its related services. I do think that they are way overdue for an update of the platform and a refresh of the site. And, there has to be some way to make the site less cluttered looking and a bit more user friendly.
But, I love getting my packages within a day or two of placing an order. And, I love being able to buy the same items that I want without going to the mall.
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This was a great post. I do have Amazon Prime and have become a big fan. Now that I’m a mom of two, getting to the store is a bit more complicated. Amazon Prime has been a big help in getting the things I need without the ordeal of children in the store. I actually just used their Whole Foods delivery and it wasn’t bad.
And like you, I do consider the business practices of Amazon and it’s something I struggle with sometimes. I especially think about their treatment of warehouse employees as well as their low tax rate.
I love the amount of time that I save by NOT going to the mall, etc. And, I love being able to sell on the platform with ease. However, I can’t pretend that I’m a fan of the business practices.