Does anyone fell the same way as me about Amazon? I mean I love Amazon. Anything I can think of, I simply have to go on amazon.com and booommmm, it's at my doorstep. The convenience, the ease, the vast selection, make shopping anywhere else almost impossible. On the one hand as a budding entrepreneur the Amazon story inspires me but the other hand, as an entrepreneur it scares me too. And this is why:

WHY LOVE

I love Amazon because it's easy. You just go to amazon.com, you hit search and whatever you are looking for will just pop. Not only will it pop up but different options. The cheap option, the middle option, and the expensive option. It is competitive and competition breeds excellence and this is what has allowed Amazon to grow from strength to strength and eclipse all competition.

WHY FEAR

So Toys "R" Us has closed. It's official. I grew up believing that Toys "R" Us was a magical place, and we were always on our way there. Going there was like a dream come true. Going there represented a childhood where possibilities were endless. And now that's gone. I cannot say that it's all Amazon's fault but like blockbusters (taken over by Netflix), Woolworth's, and Radio Shack, these companies failed to adapt. These companies didn't know how to keep up with the trends. They failed to stay relevant and meet their bottom line as they compete with Amazon. These companies going out of business have consequences, the more companies that go out of business the higher unemployment will be.

But, is it possible for companies to stay agile and savvy online and have massive success taking advantage of new ways to sell and interact with customers.

WHY HATE

If you are a small company, Amazon could easily eclipse your business. Savvy business owners, like online entrepreneurs, are using Amazon to their benefit. Like the early Youtube adopters, early Amazon adopters have managed to take these platform and use it to their benefit which has allowed them to succeed. Here are some things that they did that contributed to their success.

Embraced the new direct-to-consumer model.

While Amazon has made traditional channel selling obsolete, it has also created opportunities for agile, direct-to-consumer companies. These companies differentiate themselves from Amazon and thus have found success. If you're looking for a specific product, you can find it on Amazon pretty easily. When you want that unique, je n'ai sais quoi, Amazon isn't the best option. You might pore over pages of products and feel overwhelmed or dissatisfied by the choices.

Kinkless, for example, is the first jewelry preservation system that can protect your jewelry anywhere and anytime. The founder's inspiration is to ensure your memories are forever safe with Kinkless.

These companies typically have smaller teams with low overhead, unique merchandise, and successful customer acquisition tactics. Many of these brands are generating over $10 million in sales each by using e-commerce platforms and social networks to keep expenses to a minimum.

Quickly iterate with customer feedback.

That old adage of the customer is always right seems to have faded and it has consequences. People nowadays work hard for their money. Thus if they are going to spend their dinero and if they have feedback after purchasing and the feedback goes nowhere, they are not likely to come back and can you blame them?

Direct-to-consumer brands are able to engage with customers one-on-one, and then make sure the feedback gets to the right person. They're also able to change the product much faster if there is a problem.

Adapt to new ways of buying.

Consumers are increasingly buying more goods online. Statistia predicts there will be 2.14 billion digital buyers globally by 2021. And according to Nielsen, seven in ten Internet users trust the brand website and consumer opinions over traditional forms of marketing and advertising.

Now companies incorporate social media into their selling strategy. They find out what makes their customer tick and they then go to where they are and they appeal to them by using their motivation to buy.