In the current essay we will critically evaluate the components of the Amazon.com website http://www.amazon.com/.  Amazon.com is one of the first online services aimed at the sale of real goods of mass demand, the world’s largest company by turnover, selling goods and services over the Internet.  Amazon.com was founded in July 1995, American entrepreneur Jeff Bezos and initially selling only books. In June 1998, the store begins selling music recordings, and in November the same year – video products.
As fact, Borders.com web pages, Borders.co.uk, Waldenbooks.com, Virginmega.com, HMV.com and CDNOW.com are automatically redirected to amazon.com sections depending on the country, since they are allies.  In addition amazon.com offers web services to manage the stores in the local lines so that they only worry about the corporate side, this kind of services already have some companies and companies like Target Corporation, Marks & Spencer, the NBA, Sears Canada, and Bombay Company Timex. Amazon also supports, but does not control Shop @ AOL, the AOL service for online sales.
The audience of the website is people of all ages, from 18 to 80. The purpose of the website is to sell books, movies, music, games, computers, and electronics.  The departments to shop at Amazon also include Home, Garden and Pets, Grocery, Health and Beauty, Toys, Kids and Baby, Clothing, Shoes and Jewelry, Sports and Outdoors, Tools and Home Improvement and Automotive and Industrial.  The website presents a great variety of the goods, gifts and services.  The overall design of the website is aimed at the products which are currently promoted or advertised.  The design meets the needs of audience and fulfills its purpose by representing the best services, quality products and by having a great reputation.
The design’s implicitly supports the purpose of showing the best products, the newest products, ensuring they have the best quality and that the customers can trust the website. Â The website does not have any animation, as it would be inappropriate. Â The background of the Amazon website is white; the colors are mostly grey and blue. Â The colors and fonts are consistent with the target market. Â The graphics are balanced with the rest of the website and they are used appropriately for the target market, as there are the photos of the goods that the website offers. Â The website also includes Your Recent History link, which is a good service, and helps to decide what to choose from and what to buy best. Â The Amazon website demonstrates the usability of the site, as it has different options that include opportunities to make money with Amazon, to advertise the customers’ products and it shows bestsellers, best prices and what other customers are looking at right now.
The content is well-written and well-organized. Â It also meets the needs of the audience and supports the overall purpose of the site. Â Adequate and helpful information is provided for the target audience in order for the site to accomplish its purpose and to offer the best of the products produced all over the world. Â Customer support is provided on the website, including the links of Shipping Rates and Policies, Amazon Prime, Returns and Help. Â The website Amazon also contains the links that include AmazonWireless, Askwille, Audible, DPReview, Endless, Fabric, IMDb, Shopbop, Small Parts, Warehouse Deals, Woot and Zappos. Â The navigation attracts attention to the website?
The key elements are easy to find and the navigation is logical. Â The method of navigation is consistent throughout the site, as it is rather easy to find what a customer needs. Â The website is simple; the exemplary photos of the goods that a customer may want to purchase are of a high quality, the description is in detail and all the necessary information can be easily found at the website. Amazon is also actively promoting its services via social media, including twitter, facebook, etc. Â I would recommend expanding the markets of Amazon, as the service is very popular, but unfortunately, not all countries can provide people with these products that can be purchased on the Amazon website. Â I would also recommend making Amazon available in different languages to attract more potential customers and to make it easier to purchase. Â All in all, Amazon is very useful and convenient place to purchase anything for anyone in the world. I would also recommend Amazon to create more services available for the customers, which will be crucial in deciding where to buy. This way Amazon will be able to be perceived as a unique online shop that attracts customers from all over the world, offers them the best services and the best quality products. I would also recommend Amazon to change backgrounds of the departments. Also, it would be great to have more big sales, special offers, for example if a person purchases in 4 hours, he will get a discount or a special gift. These creative offers will attract customers and innovative approaches should be regularly implemented, as people adore getting more than they are paying for. Being, creative, innovative and full of new ideas will guarantee Amazon remaining one of the best online shops in the world.
Currently, Amazon.com service covers 34 categories of goods, including electronic books, consumer electronics, toys, food, household goods, sporting goods and more.  Amazon.com also seeks to shorten the maximum waiting time for calls to customer service (available 24 hours every 24 days) and also offers to “click to call” that allows a visitor to Amazon.com to attract customers. Amazon.com also offers customer service e-mail for assistance. Although, some people complain that the customer service of Amazon UK is not satisfactory, because it has no real authority over the management of problems, and still being dependent on the U.S. site.
The company is expanding to the markets of Internet commerce outside the U.S.: there are national brand clones of Amazon in Canada, Britain, Germany, Japan, France and China.  Amazon.com the first managed to exploit the potential of the Internet: the ability to access many more customers than a conventional “physical” store, a greater number of SKUs, not limited by what there is in stock.  One of the features of the website online store – that a customer can leave their feedback on the purchased items and evaluate them. This helps to select the desired item of good quality. Consequently, Amazon is one of the leading online shops in the world, which ahs prestige, reputation, great variety of goods and customers all over the world.