What customers ultimately buy...
Amazon has a cool new feature on many of there pages called “What do customers ultimately buy after viewing items like this?”
Seems pretty self-explanatory... After folks view one item, what item do the eventually buy... Joe Wikert noticed this as well and calls it “Wisdom of the masses”...
I guess it might be, but I am struggling with what it might mean about the Framework Design Guidelines, that Jeff’s CLR via C# is more attractive to 41% of those that visit the Framework Design Guidelines page... Here is the snap-shot as of tonight:
41% buy
CLR via C#, Second Edition by Jeffrey Richter $37.79
25% buy the item featured on this page:
Framework Design Guidelines by Krzysztof Cwalina $44.99
15% buy
Programming Windows Presentation Foundation by Chris Sells $26.37
6% buy
Developing Application Frameworks in .NET by Xin Chen $31.49
6% buy
Enterprise Solution Patterns Using Microsoft .Net: Version 2.0 : Patterns & Practices by Microsoft Corporation $18.89
Does it mean that for most folks looking at this page, CLR via C# is a better choice? (That maybe, Jeff’s book is certainly more general in nature than the FDG).
If you look at Jeff’s book, 17% of folks eventually bought the FDG... If you compare our relative Amazon sales ranks, it actually might be the case that Jeff is sending more business my way than I am him his ;-)
And check out Chris Sells’ book.. 44% of folks eventually buy Jeff’s book, 26% mine followed by 15% staying right there and clicking “Add to Shopping Cart”. The thing I think is way cool, is that it seems there are a set of folks out there trying to collect the “full WinFX” trumpery with
WPF - Programming Windows Presentation Foundation
WCF - Programming INDIGO
WF - Presenting Windows Workflow Foundation
What I would really like to know, is for what books is FDG more likely to be bought? Would that tell me some information about who is finding out about the FDG and possibly where some untapped market might be?
Oh, and one other thing, notice these percentages never add up to 100... it must be the long tail thing.. I’d love to know what is there... A new type of google-weirdo thing where I’ll find out a certain percentage of folks opted to not buy my book, but they bought Elite Classic Aviator Sunglasses Glass Lens - 1041 Gunmetal/Emerald or Scrubs - The Complete Second Season or Up...
At any rate, it is good to know Amazon is watching this data.. I notice they have a few package deals to offer if you are having trouble making a call... you want-to-bet that these are automatically created based on the same data? Check out the Better Together option on each page.
Enjoy it!
Comments
- Anonymous
April 23, 2006
Don't be fooled by the 'Better Together' package, the goods are the still the same price. - Anonymous
April 23, 2006
"CLR via C#" is definitely a better choice than your book if you haven't read it yet... but that's because it's a better choice than ANY other .NET book! Every .NET developer ought to have read it before anything else, and specifically before an advanced book on design guidelines like yours.
That said, I definitely recommend that people read "Design Guidelines" right after "CLR via C#". :) - Anonymous
April 24, 2006
Sounds like you should be getting a cut of the sales of Jeff's book, apparently you're helping sell it :-) - Anonymous
April 24, 2006
Thanks Peter... yes, I agree.. I will mention that to Jeff next time I see him ;-) - Anonymous
April 24, 2006
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
April 25, 2006
What customers ultimately buy. And you work for MS? - Anonymous
April 25, 2006
Utz -- good call.. thanks.. I will fix it.. - Anonymous
April 28, 2006
WCF - Presenting Windows Workflow Foundation
WF - Programming INDIGO
I think you got them mixed up - Anonymous
April 28, 2006
Utz -- thanks! fixed... - Anonymous
April 28, 2006
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
June 01, 2009
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