Site purpose
Amazon and Blackwell’s websites both clearly show they sell books.
Blackwell’s website is focused on selling academic books, while Amazon's purpose is to sell a full range of books, plus other items. This wide range it may be difficult for Amazon users to know what it doesn't stock, leading to some users spending time searching.
Finding the site
We tested search terms "bookshop," into Google.
Amazon comes top in the sponsored links and third in the unpaid listings.
Blackwell is not on the first page of listings.
Use the search the term "bookshop academic" Blackwell is number one and the only sponsored link reinforcing it’s specialised academic purpose.
Blackwell has the word “bookshop” and it’s name in its domain, which would suggest there was some SEO planning.
Both sites have chaotic, badly written code, unfriendly to web crawlers/spiders but Amazon’s inward links, users, and spending with Google compensates for this.
Navigation
Both sites have a top left corner logo which is a “home” link.
Blackwell employs tabular navigation, as promoted by Steve Krug in the book, "Don't make me Think." Blackwell uses this method of structuring to good effect, as it shows a user where they are now and where they can go. There is additional navigation down the side, plus a smaller menu to show how you are honing in on what you are looking for.
Amazon has recently changed its navigation style from tabbed navigation to a drop down menu showing departments, or groups of product, to accommodate growing number of items for sale in various categories. On both sites have a search facility that so it’s possible to bypass the navigation.
Colour Scheme
Amazon’s colour scheme is very simple which keeps the user focused on navigation colourful content. Background is white, a convention which has proven effective in the case of other large corporations’ websites, such as Google. The full width navigation bar uses complementary colours blue for major and orange for minor elements.
Blackwell’s home page employs the use of teal blue, which gives an academic feel to the page, giving it gravitas in the minds of the users and reflecting the purpose of the website. The black gradient incorporated into the top header contributes also to this serious feel of the website.
The background on the main part of the page is a lighter shade of the same blue hue, which creates visible partitions within the page
Content
Amazon's content is driven by the user. It uses cookies, tracks your viewing, remembers your IP address and in doing so builds up a database of what sort of user you are and delivers content to you intelligently. It suggests complementary items to the one you are looking for in the hope you will spend more.
Blackwell’s website simply provides the results of your search in a vertical list with no attempt to sell you anything other than exactly what you have asked for so lingering on the site and spending more is less likely.
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