Amazon Explore presents a unique opportunity for shop owners to bring the perks and personability of in-person, brick and mortar shopping to the virtual world. However, Amazon Explore is not just for shopping.

There are seven different types of Explore experiences you can offer when you become an Amazon Explore host. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. 

Today, I’m going to take you through the different types of experiences you can offer as an Amazon Explore host. 

The Just One Dime team recently had the opportunity to get the inside scoop on Explore from the actual Amazon Explore team. And we got to discuss their plans for the new platform which you can read more about here. 

1. Personal Shopping

Explore’s personal shopping allows sellers with a brick and mortar store to marry the personalized nature of in-store shopping with the online world. 

Amazon wants a lot more of these hosts, so if you have a physical store, they are ready to invest in you.

How does it work?  

You, the host, give shoppers a virtual tour of your store. Throughout the tour, you point your smartphone camera at whatever items the customer wants to look at. 

When a customer wants to buy a product, they simply tap their screen and then you take a snapshot of the item with your smartphone. At the end of the session the customer pays Amazon the price of the product along with tax and shipping. Amazon then pays you in full.

For example: Shoppers can find the perfect pair of jeans at REAR ENDS.

In this experience, customers can book a live jeans consultation with a denim expert at the host’s Detroit brick and mortar store. They can consult on fit and style, browse different products, and purchase whatever they like. 

In other words, from thousands of miles away, customers can pick out all different types of jeans and have them shipped right to their front door 👖. 

The best part is, shoppers get the same personal connection and tailored service they would if they flew to Detroit and physically shopped at the store, even though they’re shopping through Amazon. 

If you don’t have a brick and mortar store, don’t worry. There’s plenty of other opportunities for you to host experiences and expand your reach with Explore.

2. Culture & Landmarks

Cultures and landmarks consist of destination tours and immersion experiences. Viewers can stroll through Prague, take in historic sites in Old Jerusalem, visit the markets of Tokyo, or even tour the ancient city of Pompeii. 

As a culture and landmarks host, there’s tons of unique ways you can present your favorite local spots and history to shoppers. For example, this host leads a mysterious legends and tales of the Spanish Inquisition tour through Madrid. 

In this experience, the host takes viewers through the streets of Madrid and talks about the role of several iconic landmarks in the Spanish Inquisition. You know, family friendly history 💀.

I would love to visit Madrid in person, but that’s not in the cards right now. The fact that I can take this tour from the comfort of my couch instead, while spending way less money than it would cost just to fly there, is awesome. 

Cultural tours are a great way to learn and experience history. I’m sure this walking tour already exists in Madrid, but if you can’t go there yourself, this is undoubtedly the next best thing. To make the process feel even more real, hosts will often provide audiences with a map, just like in a physical walking tour, so they can see what part of the city they’re virtually in.

In our conversation with Amazon, they heavily implied that they already have enough culture and landmark hosts already. That said, there’s no harm in applying to become one, especially if you live somewhere rich in history.

One of our investors at Done For You actually does this already (not on Amazon Explore). He offers cultural trips throughout the US’s East Coast, so this might be the perfect supplement for him. 

3. Food & Drink

Food and drink is where viewers can experience cooking lessons and watch expert chefs demonstrate how they create exquisite meals 🧑‍🍳💋. 

For example, you could teach audiences how to make authentic Argentinian empanadas. 

Here, a chef teaches how to make their traditional empanada recipe step by step. 

For me, empanadas are a bit daunting: They come with a big “do not try this at home” warning. I would never attempt to make them on my own. However, the beauty of Explore is anyone can watch an expert break down this intimidating, complex recipe into simple steps.

Amazon makes it even easier for viewers, too. On each food & drink experience’s Explore page, the chefs give viewers a shopping list so they can have everything they need to follow along, because who wouldn't want to taste such delicious food after watching it being made?

This is such an accessible way to learn different meals and cuisines. Viewers don’t need anything more than a kitchen, a computer, and ingredients. And all they have to do is copy what the chef in their private lesson does.

You just can’t get more authentic than learning how to make empanadas from an Argentinian in Argentina!

4. Learning & Creativity

Learning and creativity experiences are how-to guides and demonstrations. 

For example, viewers can learn digital camera mastery with a professional, New York City photographer. 

It’s one thing to watch a photography tutorial on YouTube. It’s another thing to have a personal mentoring session with an expert, from the comfort of your home. 

In this session, the host walks viewers through everything they need to know about cameras, and if something doesn’t quite work, the host can help troubleshoot on the spot. This means viewers can ask as many questions as they need: What’s this button do? What’s the FStop? What are apertures? Should I opt for a wide or a long lense? 

The expert can answer all of this and more in real time 📸. 

This is actually kind of what we do here at Just One Dime for Amazon FBA. We teach sellers—we coach them in real time, in one-on-one sessions—over video chat. So this experience is a lot like that but for photography.

Visit JOD.com/freedom and apply to work with our team and get this same, personalized level of coaching. 

5. Wellness & Beauty

Wellness and beauty consists of health demonstrations and tips. These sessions are perfect for audiences who want to learn new contouring techniques, try organic makeup, perfect the latest hair styles, or just enhance their health and beauty knowledge 💄. 

Wellness and beauty is not just for hair and makeup, either. Viewers can practice different types of breathing exercises, mindfulness, yoga, or even something as cool and unique as learning meditation techniques from Kyoto’s Zen Buddhist temple.

In this experience, viewers practice meditation and calming techniques—which I honestly need to practice a lot more—with an expert all with the backdrop of a historic, Buddhist temple .

Some of the Just One Dime squad have been to Kyoto. They’ve told me how it’s so beautiful, it was such a great experience…but they didn’t get to do this. They didn’t get to actually practice Zen Buddhism at a Buddhist temple, with a certified Buddhist expert!

But now Amazon is bringing this entire experience, something even beyond what most tourists would do in Kyoto, into the home.

6. Events & Entertainment

Events and entertainment are various types of shows. And these are live programming because Explore is always live; there’s nothing recorded. And because each session is live, it is totally unique to each audience.

Viewers who don’t live somewhere cool like the live music capital of the world, Austin, TX, and don’t have that access to live shows can instead enjoy this type of entertainment virtually. 

For example, viewers could book a live showing for Magician Ty Gallenbeck presents: Magic is...Virtual. 

For anyone who thought that all magic on TV was just camera tricks, this show would undoubtedly remove that assumption. You can’t dub or edit anything in or out of Explore experiences, meaning this magic is completely live 🪄🎩. 

When shoppers book this experience, they can see from the experience page that the host, Ty Gallenback, is the star of Mind Blown at The Madeline. So he has credentials. 

With Amazon Explore, viewers will almost certainly get a top quality experience with hosts who know what they’re doing. So if you want to become a host, you still have to apply. Amazon is not just going to let anyone in. If you‘re good at what you do though, this is for you.

7. Nature & Outdoors

With nature and outdoors experiences, we’re talking wildlife and other environmental tours, which, of course, might include animal meet and greets. 

Can’t fly to San Diego and visit their top-notch zoo? 

Why not try getting up close and personal with wild animals at the Costa Rican Toucan Rescue Ranch 🐒?

Not every nature and outdoor experience includes this, but in this particular experience viewers get virtually close to the animals. 

And that’s not all. The host will demonstrate how they take care of animals and nurse them back to health, and even teach viewers cool facts like what the animals eat, etc. Plus, this is an entirely authentic Costa Rican experience. The animals are indigenous, local fauna.

Another cool thing about this experience is viewers are already inside of the enclosure. It’s not like at the zoo where you know the lion’s behind a fence, far away, and asleep. Instead, viewers can interact with and get seriously close to wild animals.

Furthermore, the price is unbeatable: $27 is insane. This would cost a ton more—$275+—in person. Instead, audiences don’t have to pay for gas, or a plane ticket, the animals are right there on the computer.

I can’t imagine an animal lover not wanting to take advantage of this! 

What’s funny to me is I’ve heard so many would-be sellers tell me they want to sell on Amazon, but their passion is an activity that doesn’t translate well to an Amazon store or a product. 

Ta-da!

If you’re into zoology, or botany, or astrology, or anything like that, you have a unique opportunity to sell your craft as an experience—not a product—to millions of Amazon shoppers.

Amazon Explore is expanding Amazon’s reach to sellers who are more interested in adventures over products.

Amazon Explore is truly changing the way we can interact with the world around us. And it’s a fantastic opportunity for both new and established sellers to expand their reach and offer an unbelievable customer experience. 

And if you have any more questions about Amazon Explore, reach out to them via email at explore-shopping@amazon.com.

But before you apply, let me know: Which type of experience do you want to host?