E-commerce shops are popping up more and more over the web these days. With the use of social media, brands are able to reach audiences directly without needing to have a physical presence on the proverbial High Street. E-shops using social media channels can enhance the shopping experience for the consumer. By allowing users to share their thoughts about products, recommend products to friends and create "user profiles", this generates a bespoke shopping event each time a consumer logs in to the shop's website.
Sites like Facebook allow e-tailers and brands to utilise plug-ins and widgets within external sites that link back to each brand's Facebook page or allow Facebook Comments that show users' comments and discussion threads, with their friends comments at the top. This creates a social shopping experience enabling friends to see what each other thinks of certain products.
Brands such as Coca-Cola, Barneys New York and Coleman, have integrated applications that use e-commerce functionality, also known as F-Commerce, within their Facebook pages. If a user is on Facebook conversing with friends, they are less likely to click on a link that takes them outside the social network. Using platforms like these as their shop front, it allows consumers to shop without leaving Facebook. Other benefits for brands using F-commerce are that they can save money by not having to buy real estate or pay rent for a shop; they can use e-fulfilment warehouses to take care of the pick and pack and even the shipping of their goods. By outsourcing this aspect, it allows brands to focus and analyse the engagement from the comments on their Facebook page, which can lead to improved customer service and increased brand loyalty.
Twitter is a great resource for brands that use e-commerce. It allows consumers to interact directly with brands and shops and vice-versa. Customers just want to be heard. If they send a Tweet about a brand, whether praising or complaining, and the brand responds, the customer is more likely to continue using that brand and will spread the word to their social networks.
Brands such as French Connection with their "Youtique" are using video to create an integrated shopping experience with stylists talking about the current trends, putting outfits together. A popular e-commerce site, Zappos, share insights to the company, funny videos and announce giveaways through their YouTube channel. Customers can see the latest footwear and fashion trends and share their thoughts directly with the company.
These are just a few of the ways that brands using e-commerce can use social media to communicate with their consumers to enhance the shopping experience. From viewing the product, to ordering, to fulfillment, the process can be social every step of the way.
