Amazon sent me an email this morning.
They said they shipped order # X
worth Y dollars
and that it would arrive
by Z date.
They didn’t say what they’d shipped.
To figure that out,
I have to log into my account.
This omission of key information
is done deliberately.
It drives customers to their site.
Once customers are there,
Amazon has additional opportunities
to sell them more product.
Amazon can do this,
without explanation,
because they’re the dominant player.
People assume the omission is deliberate,
isn’t merely a mistake
or sloppiness
or trickery.
Customers might justify it
as a privacy issue.
A smaller business has to be
more careful about doing this.
Perhaps there’s a statement
in the email
saying the items ordered could be viewed
via a specific link.
Or some other indication
is used.
Omission of key information
CAN be a powerful strategy
but wield it carefully.