Introduction on How to Make a Website Like Amazon.
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Ecommerce has revolutionised the way the world does business. The proliferation of online storefront builders over the past decade has enabled entrepreneurs to reach out to wider markets than they could have built through a brick and mortar enterprise.
To date, Amazon remains the gold standard when it comes to ecommerce. After all, for nearly 30 years, it has dominated the game by offering everything from products from big brands, to digital downloads, and even beautifully crafted items from independent producers.
Amazon is the standard that many online entrepreneurs aspire to – this is why we wrote this guide on how to make a website like Amazon with coding! But there are numerous reasons why the ecommerce platform has stayed on top – and it’s success story is one that teaches a number of vital lessons.
Now, without further adieu, let's get on our guide on how to make a ecommerce website like Amazon!
How to Create a Website Like Amazon – A Bit of a Backstory
Before we delve into the specifics of how to create a platform like Amazon, let's take a trip down memory lane.
Amazon was started in 1994 by Princeton alum Jeff Bezos as an online bookstore with an initial company budget of around $10,000 from his own pocket.
It took six years for the nascent ecommerce company to turn a profit, but when it did, there was no way to go but up. The company expanded its offerings to include films on DVD, music, and toys; a bit later, electronics, clothing, and other goods became part of the inventory. From that point on, Amazon built itself to become an online retail titan.
But how has it managed to stay on top after all these years, even with the emergence of other platforms across the globe? It's all a matter of strategy, specifically aligning itself with regional players such as Souq in the MIddle East, media platforms like Beatport, and even cultural institutions like iconic Spanish football team Real Madrid.
Likewise, Amazon made it a point to stay flexible – something which enabled it to shift working paradigms to cope through the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to Start a Website Like Amazon: Business Decisions
One key consideration on how to create a website like Amazon is your business model.
Before you even consider building a website that could eventually propel your enterprise to the same stratospheric heights as Amazon, you first need to consider how to actually run your business along the same lines as Jeff Bezos when he established his mega-corporation.
In which case, we offer three key lessons by answering three questions to guide you on how to make ecommerce website like Amazon.
What's Your Value Proposition?
Next consideration on how to make a website like Amazon – what value do you offer to customers?
What are the things that draw your customers in which aren't being offered by the competition? That's your value proposition: what benefits customers get from buying products or availing of services from a particular brand or company rather than from their competitors.
In Amazon's case, Bezos made sure that everything about the platform creates situations where customers feel that they are appreciated and valued by the retailer with whom they shop. In which case, this involves several factors, including offering low prices, an extensive range of products, stress-free payment systems, localised delivery services anywhere in the world, multinational support, and a host of other useful features that would make online shopping through the platform a more pleasant experience for customers and a more meaningful endeavour for online entrepreneurs.
How to Build a Website Like Amazon – What's Your Business Strategy?
You need to be clear on your strategy before you start on how to create a website like Amazon.
We say: find a strategy that works for you or turns you a profit and stick to it. That's what Amazon did when it hit upon its longstanding Cash Machine Business strategy wherein the company works at a very tight profit margin while investing a great deal into the things that matter. In their case, it's the Three Is: inventory, infrastructure, and innovation.
Because of this strategy, Amazon has not had to borrow from banks or issue stocks as its cash flow remains liquid even in times when its net incomes come off as unstable.
But what works for Amazon may not necessarily work for you. In which case, we recommend doing your research and staying observant in order to determine what would work best for you.
Finally, What's Your Business Model?
Last but not least in this section on how to build a website like Amazon – what's the best business model?
Choosing your business model is vital on how to build a website like Amazon.
A hybrid business model, one that combines numerous methods of monetisation, is what led to sustainable revenue for Amazon over the years. In its current model, it generates its revenue through commissions, flat rates, and subscriptions.
Keep in mind, however, that it took years – and a great deal of trial, error, and research – before Amazon hit upon a winning formula. Therefore, we recommend that you sit down with your partners or management team and see what would be your winning formula for long-term success.
How to Make a Website Like Amazon: Building the Tech
Not all of us can be Jeff Bezos, or even Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs, but knowing the specific features to add to your website can pretty much set you on the path to building a digital empire.
That said, you will need to seriously think about the technology you will require to build a technology stack, as well as relevant website features that can change the game by drawing customers in, engaging them, and transforming them into a loyal, long-standing clientele.
How to Build a Website Like Amazon – What do You Need for Your Tech Stack?
A technology stack/tech stack is defined as an ordered selection or arrangement of technologies that serve as the foundation of any app. Your stack will determine the kinds of applications you can build, how many customisations you can apply, and which specific resources you'll need to create your application.
For those who need to know how to make a website like Amazon, knowing what tech to stack into your front- and back-end is critical as your end result should be a site that loads rapidly, is easy enough to use even by technology novices, is stable enough with reliable uptime, and keeps cyberattacks at bay.
What Do You Need in the Front End?
Now, the next thing to consider on how to create a website like Amazon – your front end.
The front end is your “public face:” the interface that your visitors and, eventually, customers will engage with on a regular basis. But this doesn't mean that front end tech should be about aesthetic value: it's all about making interaction easy and appealing enough to ensure that customers won't just come back, but they'll be singing your praises to others and draw them in.
For this, you need to consider website builders or use platforms that require coding. Such technologies include:
- HTML. Hypertext markup language or what we simply refer to as HTML, as well as cascading style sheets (CSS). When used together, they deliver instructions to your browser engine as to how your website ought to be displayed; and
- JavaScript (JS). One of the core technologies that makes up the basis of the modern internet, is what enables your customers to shop, finalize purchases, and even leave reviews on your website. While numerous scripting languages have arisen from the original JS, make it a point to use one of the more advanced iterations of the technology to ensure that you're working with a current technology that will enhance your site's engagement and efficiency levels.
How to Make eCommerce Website Like Amazon – What Do You Need for Your Back End?
The back end of your website is what holds it together and ensures that it runs properly; essentially, this is where your server comes in. There are three specific technologies that are necessary for creating an effective back end framework:
Server
Your server is the part of the website that handles customer requests from a whole range of devices including desktop and mobile computers, as well as smartphones and tablets. For ecommerce sites that hope to eventually scale up into full-scale digital marketplaces, developers should consider the likes of Puma and Nginx;
Programming language
Your programming language, as well as your technical framework, serve as the basic logic upon which you'll build your website. When used correctly (or if you're using a more advanced/appropriate language), you'll end up with a secure, rapid-loading, and fully scalable site; and
Database
A proper working database to retain the necessary information to ensure that your site is always in top form.
How to Make a Website Like Amazon: The Features You Need for a Global Digital Marketplace
So how to make a website like Amazon that caters to a global market?
Amazon essentially created the definition of a digital marketplace – and one that took the world by storm, as a matter of fact. But that said, when Bezos and his team created what eventually became Amazon, they didn't just throw stuff into the platform willy-nilly. They chose features that would make online shopping easier for site users, transforming the uninitiated into regular customers – and it's a formula that keeps sending the platform all the way to the bank.
You might be asking, is there a way how to create a website like Amazon for free? There are several platforms you can use to make this possible. But to come close to Amazon's winning formula, your site will need the following features:
Supplier and customer profiles
These contain all the necessary information regarding site users on both sides. In the case of suppliers or vendors, their profile panel should contain items like shipping and delivery methods, payment gateways, as well as store descriptions and product listings. Buyer profiles, on the other hand, are simpler as these contain their purchase history and personal wishlists;
Admin Panel
Why is the admin panel important on how to make a website like Amazon? The administration panel / admin console is your ace in the hole when it comes to managing your website. Here, you can customize just about everything fees, listings, as well as product and seller categories.
Advanced search bar
This is another important tool on how to make a website like Amazon. An advanced search bar which makes navigating through pages and listings much easier for everyone using your website.
Product pages
Comprehensive product pages which give customers detailed information regarding products sold through your ecommerce hub. These shouldn't just contain a bare-bones description and the price of the item, but also the benefits or advantages they can give users, how these items should be used, even how they work.
How to make a website like Amazon and achieve this? Technical specifications (size, ingredients / components, working features) should definitely be included here, and – if you look at the now-standard Amazon product page – you also ought to offer customers a roster of alternatives if the products they want aren't in stock or to give them an opportunity to compare prices and features to make better purchasing choices;
Payment gateways
Another important thing on how to make ecommerce website like Amazon is having payment gateways. These are importance since they give users a good selection of options as to how they want to pay for their purchases allows them to use the most convenient one for them. These include global portals like PayPal and Stripe, as well as credit / debit card and cash on delivery.
Rating system
A rating and review system as this doesn't just enable users to offer their opinions regarding products they've bought and used. It also builds a user community as people can share their thoughts with other users, and gain insights as to which products are best in specific categories;
Notifications
Got notifications? You get noticed! Sending notifications through email or platform-based direct notices grabs customers' attention towards seasonal promotions, new releases, and restocking;
Logistics
Logistics, specifically in the form of shipping options or even delivery schedules, is one of the most important features you can place in your website. Knowing what form of shipping can get products to customers in the quickest and most secure manner will go a long way to securing customer loyalty. This is what makes it important with how to make a website like Amazon.
Conclusion on our guide on how to make a website like Amazon.
Now to wrap up our guide on how to make a website like Amazon!
Let's be honest: there is no such thing as a single, silver-bullet solution that can propel a simple ecommerce hub into a tech titan like Amazon. But the tips on how to make a website like Amazon we have featured in this post will help you think about the things you need. It will also help you on how to organize them, how to deploy them, and even ensure that anyone who surfs onto your site become a fan and, eventually, a loyal customer.
That's all for now:
If you've read all the way through this guide on how to build a website like Amazon, we are thankful. We hope you now have an idea about how to create a eCommerce website like Amazon! We have a large collection of articles, guides, and comparison reviews of eCommerce solutions, web hosting providers, website builders, and more! Feel free to check them out;
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