The Goods and Services it Offers

Many transactional websites offers different services and goods, but some of the websites focus on mainly on either goods or services, but websites like Tesco mainly focus on both and this helps the customers as they can do everything online with just a few click away which saves time aswell. Amazon also offers thousands of goods online and also offers a few services for the customers, as now customers aren’t looking for goods they are looking for services like credit cards and memberships which are beneficial to them.



Above is a image that shows the range of different topics that Amazon sells and in those topics and sub-topics which allows the user to access with ease by clicking on them. Amazon mainly sells electronic goods which is good as they are sometimes cheaper on Amazon than in high street stores.


The Product Information Provided
a website can use multimedia techniques to provide information about a product. it is important for a website to provide as much information as possible since the customer cannt see or handle the goods before they are delivered. by law the information proivided mst be honest and not make false claims.
Pictures are often used. clicking on them can enlarge small images, and short versions of th eitem description can be ex[anded to give detailed specifications. the idea is to provide a brief overview for the person in a hurry but allow the more discerning shopper to obtain further details. Amazon provide relavnt information for a product, and the information is normally little but not broing which play a big part in capturing customer attention, as the customer doenst want to read boring paragraphs, and they can just scan through the item quickly and eventually make the transaction quickly, which benefit the company greatly.



















Above is a image of the muiltmedia feature of amazon which allows te user to scroll through images which are larger than the image on the product screen, heer you can pick a range for different types of pictures, this allows the user to look at the item as if it was in a real shop and they can see it from different angles.

the main purpose of the website amazon is to sell goods or services, it mainly sells goods over services, but amazon has started to sell different services like credit cards, and in a few years time amazon will be selling our services like mobile phone tariffs, banking and many more. As you go on the home screen at the amazon website first impressions is that its has lots of goods and different selling catergories to choose from.

Structured

The structure of any website is very important. Customers need to become familiar with the website ver quickly and both Amazon and Dell both carry out this for the customers, al th eparts to these websites are easy to use and quick as well, all the hyperlink directs you to the page you want adn there is no mistake. As a customers i didnt experience any problems with accessing all the hyperlinks. Sometimes wesbites many get cluttered and it is difficult to then use and access pages, but to stop this from happening then the designers use frames which stop the customers form getting lost in the depths of the websites.

Also on Amazon there is a search facilities which is essential on all websites as this helps the customer to find what they want quickly and easily, and this stops the customers going through menus and layers of the website.

here is the homepage of Amazon.com, from the homepage the website is layed out in many different sections like there is all the Topics on the top of the page where you can access the item you want by just browsering all the pages, also you can save time by seraching the product you want in the search bar, where is normally comes up, also you can either choose the top icons on the side icons, this enages the customer as there are two types of topic the catgoreis on the top adn the side, also down th center is the great savings, and to the right of the page is where the Amazon offers its services.

Ipod ITouch

On Amazon you can search anything, i have put a serach in for the Apple Itouch the new ipod from apple, this will be in very high demand because of chirstmas is coming and there will be high orders for this, there is three pages of different related to the Itouch, from cases to the actually ipod, i then clicked on the Ipod Itouch 16gb, which is the best Itouch with more space on, there are five big images on the Itouch so you can have a look what you are getting, also as you are on the page you can have a look on people reviews and what they htink about apple new installment, as you go down the page you can see a few details about the Itouch there isnt much details and this is good as this doesnt bore you reading a big article, also on the page tells you how much it is and if they are in stock, and it also tells you how many there are form other shops and new and used ones and tells you the cheapest price, also there is recommended items that you can buy with the Itouch which automatically adds up for you,

as you can see from the image you can see how the pages are set out when there is the item on the page, from the image, there is the images for the item on the left with a range of different view adn also where you can click for supersize images, also down the center of the page is where the priceing adn information about the product is and also the delivery infoormation aswell, also to the right of the page is where you can carry out the transaction and here you can add the item to your shopping basket.

this is the second part of the page, here the structure is set out where Amazon offers you promtotions like buying a Ipod you can buy it with another product and get money off, also on the bottom of the page there is the information where others amazon member have brought.

this image shows another part of the page, the structure here shows the tecnhinal details of the product, heer it is in a list and not a borign long paragraph which doenst bore the cutomser and this saves time and so the customer will pruchase the item quicker.

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this is a image of Amazon customer services details on how to contact them by phone, here you have to inpu tth eorder details same as the Email customer service, and then you have to state what the issue is, then you come to the tab button where it says call me then once you have pressed this then there are a range of numbers that are relavant to your issue, then amaozn states the advantages of calling the, which entcies customers that they are getting a better option by phoneing them rather than emailing them.

as you can see from the homepage Amazon layout is very easy to use, as everything is clearing layed out and is easy to read, also the catgories are along the top of the page where you can then find sub-topics that are in the topic adn are relvant or an easier way to cut the hassle is to use the search bar where you can find whatever you are looking for, alos as you can see from the picture there are the goods down the middel fo the page and then there are the servcies that amazon offers on the right wheer the credit card is and amazon prime which are services that beenfit the customer who use amazon.

What is e-commerce?
E-commerce is a online shopping website that allows the users to carry out transactions between the company, e-commerce has become increasingly popular over the last few years the reason for this is because website like Amazon, Tesco and Play have become more popular as this is a cheaper alternative than buying in the store most of the time. Amazon is a website that allows users to buy anything from goods to some services, Tesco is a online shopping website that allows the user to buy there weekly shopping and also Tesco offers services like insurance and loans, Play is a website that allows the user to make transactions, they sell electronic goods like CD’s, DVD’s, Games and gadgets aswell. All of these websites have become more popular due to saving time and saving money.

Transaction websites
A Transaction website is a website where a transaction is carried out between the customer and company from either goods or services. A transaction website has to collect details of the customer and collect the payment.

This is a screenshot of the homepage of play.com. As you can see from the homepage it is very similar to Amazon but play.com is a smaller website compared to Amazon, but in a few years to come play.com will grow even bigger with selling more goods and it will start to sell services to people online which will grow the company even bigger. As you can see there are Christmas offers and also it shows you pick of the week, which encourages the user to look on that pick, also there is a search facility, and there are many other advertisement articles around the page.

This is a screen shot of Tesco homepage, as you can see it has many different options that the user can take, at the top of the page there is the goods that a customer can buy and also the services that the user can take up. Also you can access you club card if you have one and also there are many other things you can do at the bottom of the page. Also Tesco have started their advertisement campaign for Christmas as you can see from the homepage there is festive advertisement that will encourage customers to purchase goods off Tesco.com

This is screenshot of the homepage of Ebuyer.com, ebuyer is a company that sells electronic products from laptops to office supplies. Ebuyer is a very simple and cheap website, that is very popular, as you can seen from the picture the layout of the homepage is very similar to Play.com and Amazon.com, as there are the different categories at the top of the page, also it shows more advertisement and especially around Christmas time as this is the time where most people purchases goods, before you buy anything you have to set up an account with the company but this is very easy and quick this process if the same as Tesco.com, Play.com and Amazon.com, the reason for setting up an account with these companies is because you can access the account anytime and you can store all your details and you know they are safe and secure. You can search for a particular item with the search facility which is easy and quick as you don’t have to go through all the categories.

The website that I will be looking at is the online shop Amazon. Amazon is a e-commerce company, Amazon.com is based in Washington. For UK users you can order things online form the UK and the items you buy will come quick, also you can buy things off the Amazon.com and they come from America. Amazon allows the user to buy many goods in different categories. Amazon is one of the most popular online shopping website on the internet. The main reason for this is people are finding it easier to sit at home and order things online rather than going out to buy it and in most cases the customers can get a good which is cheaper off the internet.
The reason why I will be looking at Amazon is because it is a large website that offers many options from goods and services, and I have brought items off Amazon before that was straight forward and I know how the process of buying items online off Amazon.


Website Link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/

Amazon is accessed by many different people all over the world, and many people use Amazon around this time of year as Christmas is approaching and people are looking to buy goods cheaper and buying online is an easier way than going out and buying presents. Also there is different themes that Amazon has scattered about on its pages, there is the Christmas theme at the moment. The different themes that they have make it more pleasant shopping experience for the customer. Amazon sells many goods that high street stores have which makes it easier as you can just sit at home and order goods rather getting up and going to buy it from a store, Amazon sells goods from books to shoes and baby items to home and garden.

Amazon not only sells goods but also offers different services like the Credit card plan it offers,Amazon Prime, and The Customer Vote,

Credit Card Plan

Also amazon had a credit card that you can have aswell, and you can recieve many benfits from this and can get money off your purchases. Halifax is the offical bank that sponser this service, and its really easy to set up one you just fill in your details and then a form shoudl coem back adn then you can follw the stages, by doing this when you pay for goods with this card you rceiev a percentage off the item and initally you get money off when you sing up for one asweel therer are also many other benefits from setting up a credit with amazon.

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this is a screenshot that show the homepage of the wishlist, the wishlist is the application that allows the user to store items that thye want and they can send this to other user for like birthdays or chistmas present it is used mainly around christmas time. also with a wishlist you can enter your birthday in for people can see this and then purchase this ietm for you, you can enter dleivery address for you the user so people can then can send a present easily without asking for the address, you can also edit how many you want and at what priority you would like that to be, you can alos put comments in aswell which can be seen by the person who is buying the good,

this image shows the Amazon wedding list which allows the couple to be to input items that they want into a list, firstly they need to input all their detials like the place of the wedding date of the wedding adn the names of the bride and groom this allows people to get an exact idea of what thye want and also they can buy cards and have the bride and groom names in the card,

below is a image of the Wedding list details that needs to be inputted into the database, this is for the people who are buying the gifts, Amazon has set up the Wedding list in order to enage both the buying and the reicever which then allows people to scan through amazon and on their way they could find a item that they want and purchase it, this engages the customer as Amazon is not only helping the customers but they are getting more people to bu items online.

Amazon allows the user to order anything on their website, they can now order magazine subsriptions, this is a gift that can be order for any one and you pay for the whole subscription first, here you can choose how many issues you want, the ordering is no different to ordering a normal good like a video game you just click add to basket and then follow the stages just like ordering anormal product and then wait for confirmation email to come and there will be mroe details.

Amazon also is like a community for cusotmer to recommend items to on and other thye just simply tell adn friend button and then they write a message in and write their email in aswell and this directs them to the page, this enegages both the sender and reciever of the email, and then makes them both to have a look on Amazonm, amazon is really easy to use and is clear where products are and people wont get bored browing through the website, adn thats why is is very successful.

below is a screen shot to the stages of telling a freind of an item on amazon and the stages are easy to follow.

Amazon customer service is very effective, the reason for this is so that more people can come back to the online shop adn purchase goods, so they can retain its reputation level,

this is a screenshot on the customer service page, this page allows the users to go through different tabs for either Express, EMail or Phone, and each of these topics thee are sub-topics where they can either choose to contact amazon in different ways this helps t retain its customer popularity as it caters for everyone.

this screenshot shows the E-mail tab which allows user to contact Amazon through email, here you need to add in the Order number or if you dont have ti to hand then you can just click the tab buttong where it says choose order or items by pressing this button it takes you to your account and you can pick any of your items that you contacting Amazon for, then you need to state what issue you it is, you just click the drop down box and then choose from a range of issues, then after you picked you issue then you have a box where you can write you message on whta it is regarding and then after you have finished this you can then click send E-mail and then the process is compltet and then Amazon will send you an Email confirming this and then it says when they will contact you,

this image is a screen shot of

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this screenshot shows making a transaction on Amazon as you can see from the image it is a simple process in making a purchase you just click on add to shopping basket and it adds it to you account which you can then pick how many you want and also you can find new or used items that come up when you click on the item and you can sometimes get discounted goods from sellers online at amazon which is good as you can get some goods really cheap this way like the PS3 for £200 which is £100 cheaper than buying it from other websites online.

also this page shows you the delivery status and how much time will it take to come and also it shows you when it will arrive if you purchased it before a time stated by amazon, it also says about christmas delivery and when will it arrive which gives you a better understanding when ordering goods.

this screenshot shows the shopping basket online at Amazon here it shows the list of items that are in your electronic basket, here you can choose the quantity, you can remove the item from the basket, proceed to the checkout where you can pay for the item, also as christmas is comeing you can get amazon to giftwrap the present aswell you can just click the tab box where it says giftwrap, also Amazon encourages you to make another purchase as christmas is coming up this would wnat you to make another purcahse as if you already have just spent £300 on a item like the PS3 then another £50 wouldnt make a difference of games or acceroices for the item, it is shown under the heading Customers who brough this item also brought these items.

this is a screenshot f of the payment process of Amazon, you have a number of different stages from putting your address in and to putting the type og payment method in aswell. this image shows that you need to put in your address where you wnat the item to be delivered to, also if you already have an address on the account, it automatically comes up with that address which saves time as you dont have to keep putting your address in.

after you inputted you address detials you can then choose the delivery option that you want, amazon entices you to spend more on the more expesive delivery option which is highlighted in green, this makes you wnat to select this tab box, also it attracts customer by putting font in BOLD like the word FREE which can instantly make you click it.

after putting in the delivery option then you need to make the payment through credit card, here you need to input your credit card details like the long card number, expiry date, issue date, issue number, the secuirty numbers on the back of the card, or if you dont like paying via credit crad then you can select the tab box and put a cheque in the post but this take a long time to do as you need to send it off wiat till it clears then they send the item after 10 days due to the christmas period it take longer with weekends for cheques to process. after puttign you credit card details into the system then you will recive an email confirm you process and this email gives you a summary fo what you have purchased and at what price and quaniity and how long it will take to deliver to the address. if the payment doesnt go through then they will email you make.

Amazon also has a application that you can send gift certificates to people this allows them to buy goods off amazon which are from the sender, its like vouchers but online, this is good as you dont have to go into the store and buy vouchers as you can jsuts end them across the internet, and then reievec them and purchase anything you want but it has to be within the sender price.

this stage of the gift certificate allows the sender to input details liek the quanity how much they are sending, the name of the person, the recipents email, and the sender can type a message with that certificate.

this image show another application that Amazon offers it is called Amazon wishlist, this bascially allows the user to scroll through a number of items and select them to their wishlist then this wishlist can be sent to offer amazon user that you know.

Coursework

This is a screenshot of the second stage of setting up an account, as you can see from the screens hot you just simply add in you email address and select the box as No, i am a new customer and then click on sign in tab, which processes you to the next stage in setting up an account.

this screen shot shows the stage in changing some of your details to something different, this secures you account as you can change the password when ever you like to stop people hacking into your account, this enhances the secuirty of your account.

these screenshots shows your account and you can access many different departments to your account, from changing you payment details like credit cards, addresses, password etc. also you can access your order history, and wishlist, you can track your orders, each department is under different topics from Where My Stuff, Account Settings, Delivery and returns and Need help.

Amazon has many different ways to entice and enage its customer to return for another shopping trip, there is a new way to entice its customers, its called Amazon Customers vote, this is something that customer particpates in to obtain a good for a discounted price, it works like you vote for an item out fo the three items given, and then you vote one and there are 250 avaiable units that go to selected people for a discount price, so in order to obtain one of these items you need to be lucky and have a Amazon account.

this screenshot shows how the Amazon voting system works and what to do, this a short bit of information but eneages the read further also on the side of the page it advertises more items which are discounted christmas present.