Amazon or Brand Website: Where Should You Buy Things From?

What is Amazon?

Amazon is the most popular online marketplace in the world, as well as a provider of cloud-based system services. A website and platform where you can quickly purchase and sell items.

Amazon.com (AWS) is a large cloud-based program that is continually expanding. Amazon Web Services, the first AWS service, was established in 2006 to provide online services for websites and custom applications. Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) and Simple Storage Service (S3) are the foundations of Amazon's comprehensive and expanding Web services offering.

Why Choose Amazon to Buy Stuff?

1. Ease of use

For newbies to eCommerce, Amazon is designed to be relatively straightforward to use. When you sign up for an Amazon account, you'll be put through an onboarding setup process that will walk you through the essential actions you'll need to complete to get started shopping. To help you further, a selection of online tools and video tutorials are now accessible.

2. Customer service

Everything might be perplexing for first-time internet customers, so having Amazon's customer care on your side is a huge benefit. Customer service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by email, chat, and phone. They ensure that your purchasing requests are never interrupted and are there to assist with any problems that may arise. In the Amazon Group forums, a large community of specialists may provide you advice, guidance, and support.

3. Payment Compatibility

Most payment providers and their gateways are simple to connect to your Amazon account. Amazon Pay accepts credit and debit cards. Credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, and JCB are currently accepted.

However, only a few businesses accept Amazon gift cards. You may only be able to use Visa or Mastercard credit cards in specific instances.

Brand Website

A brand website is typically built on SaaS platforms like Shopify, Wix, Shoplazza, etc. Brands may communicate with customers directly through their official website, bypassing Amazon's constraints.

As a customer, the ease and convenience of shopping from Amazon are undeniable. We've grown so accustomed to purchasing from these eCommerce behemoths that we don't even evaluate the details of each transaction. There are, however, a few people who are mindful of every purchase they make. They would rather purchase from a brand's website than through an online marketplace like Amazon.

Why choose a Brand Website?

1. Assured Authenticity

As bizarre as it may sound, authenticity is a crucial concern when making an internet purchase. Have you ever encountered many Amazon sellers selling the same item? Although we believe the items are listed by brand, this is done by resellers or wholesalers sometimes.

There is no verification process to go through before receiving the items. We have no way of knowing if the things on Amazon are genuine. It's no surprise that more consumers visit brand websites.

2. Strong Brand Loyalty

Every one of us has a favorite. It makes no difference what brand it is, how much it costs, or how old it is. Comfort, brand honorary degrees, confidence, or simply a preference for the logo design are all plausible explanations. Many buyers choose to stay on a company's website for the sake of brand loyalty.

Yes, such clients are recognized by corporations for their unwavering dedication. Customers who use Starbucks' loyalty programs are rewarded for their continuous support. You get points when you add your Starbucks card to your coffee purchases. And when you achieve a certain point level, the coffee behemoth rewards you with free beverages and sweets. You will also enjoy a free drink on your birthday.

Therefore, technically, consumers who buy from brand websites often get more benefits.

3. Larger Accessibility of Products

That's right. You read that accurately.

In other markets, the whole product inventory is hidden. The best is usually kept in the brand website's online flagship store. Brands simply want to advertise what sells rapidly and may be discounted in the first row on marketplaces.

The best products are for serious buyers who go to the work of researching and picking things for which they are ready to pay a premium rather than being attracted by discounts.

Conclusion

Brand Website, in my view, would be an excellent choice for customers who prefer to buy from a brand's website since they know they're obtaining a genuine and original item and would have a diverse selection of items.

However, if you have Amazon gift cards or want 24/7 customer care, Amazon is an excellent option.

(Contributed by Muhammad Zeeshan & Hermes Fang)