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Amazon.com Makes Book Buying Easy

© Maureen Fleury

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.