Amazon.com Makes Book Buying Easy

Many people are hesitant in buying a book online because they feel that they do not have the opportunity to look at the book like they can at a bookstore. In addition, the first visit to Amazon.com page can be overwhelming.
I hope I can help demystify an Amazon.com page by pointing out some key features you will find on any page on the site. Once you get the hang of it, you will find that navigating around Amazon.com is quite simple.
There are various ways to search for a product at Amazon.com. Every page has a search box so you don't have to go to the home page each time. You can search within a specific product line or search the entire site. If you want to look at exercise books, then you would select books as your product and exercise as your keyword.
The results page has a list of every book that fits the keyword. Each book description has the price, author, title and a picture (unless the graphic is not available) and the availability. To find out more about the book, you just have to click on the picture.
Some pictures have an additional graphic that says Look Inside.
There is an old saying you can't judge a book by its cover so Amazon.com has a wonderful feature that allows you to look inside a book.
Many books have a special graphic Look Inside attached to the picture of the book. Below the picture is a link that takes you to another page where you can view several pages from the book.
Try it and see:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764516698/suite101-20
In this example, you can view 56 pages. You have to agree that these samples will give you a good idea of what is inside. When you go to a bookstore, it is natural to browse through a book before you buy. When you are buying online, you now have this same convenience at Amazon.com
Whenever you select a book, Amazon.com always has a suggestion for a related book so you can buy the two of them for one price. This is their Better Together offer. The best thing about this is the deal you get. There is even a deeper discount when you buy the two books.
In the above example, the book PC for Dummies sells for $17.49 with a list price of $24.99 and the other book Upgrading and Fixing Your PC for Dummies sells for $15.39 with a list price of $21.99. Both of these books retain their discount, whereas some vendors will charge you full price for one of the books. This can save you money and both items count towards your shipping discount.
Suppose you have looked at a book and you want to see what else is out there before you make a decision. Customers who bought this book also bought lists books in the same category that have been recently purchased. Only the first five items are listed on the feature page, but you can click a link to see the complete list of books. It will also give you cross-links to other products (such as DVDs or software) that are related in subject matter. This is definitely a time-saver because you don't have to do another search.
The Sponsored Links is a nice little feature where you can take advantage of specials at other sites. Some of the specials are on merchandise or services. In the example of the book PC For Dummies, there is a link to a site that offers free PC diagnostic tools. Many of these sponsored links are hard to find so Amazon.com has made surfing the Net a bit easier for you.
Our Customer's Advice is an opportunity for customers to recommend another book. It doesn't always mean that the book in question is not good but perhaps there is a book that is easier to understand or geared to a select audience. This is important when it comes to reference material.
If a customer seems to have written an unfair review, other customers have the opportunity to dispute or question the write-up. This can certainly enable you to make a decision on buying a particular book, thus saving you time.
The Editorial Reviews are written by publishers, magazine owners, web site owners and other professionals. This is where the author gives more personal insight into his/her book. Readers have the opportunity to find out more about the author. In the case of reference books, this can validate the credentials of the author. This is similar to reading the back cover of a book when you are browsing through a bookstore.
This is where the rubber meets the road in Customer Reviews. Amazon.com customers are invited to review the book and give it a rating. Not all the reviews are favorable towards a book so this is where honesty prevails. Word of mouth is sometimes the best recommendation and Amazon.com allows their customers to voice their opinions.
Now you have found a book or two, what do you do next? If you are still shopping around but don't want to forget what you had found, you can use the Add To Wish List button. This helps you keep track of some possible purchases without you trying to remember what you wanted. The Wish List is only a tracking device and is not a commitment to purchase. You can add or remove items as you go along.
To create a Wish List, you have to register with Amazon.com. They have a secure server and the information you give will be tracked and automatically processed when you make your purchase. Once you have set up a Wish List, you can do more shopping or proceed to the checkout. You do have the opportunity to delete items from the Wish List before you buy. You can leave the Wish List alone for a long time and it will be there for you when you log on to Amazon.com again.
The Check Out is very easy to follow. Your information is displayed and you can edit it. You can also specify a different address for delivery if you are purchasing the item as a gift. You can also ask for the item to be gift-wrapped. When you think of the hassle of buying gifts for people out of town - wrapping it and arranging for shipping - it is all done for you at Amazon.com
All you do is follow the straightforward instructions for purchasing your merchandise and then you are done. Within 24 hours, you will receive an email confirmation of your order. You will be given a URL to access in order to track the shipment of your order. When the item has been shipped, you will receive another email. In a matter of days, the item quickly arrives at its destination.
I hope this article will help you feel more at home with Amazon.com. It can be overwhelming at first but once you start roaming around the site, it will all become second nature to you. There are always good deals at Amazon.com, such as free shipping with a minimum purchase or coupons for money off your next purchase. Some departments offer a free gift or two-for-one deals. Here is the current special at Amazon Books.
For your convenience, I have put in a search box that will help you get where you want to go at Amazon.com. (© Maureen Fleury)