Tag: social commerce

Social media trends are leading to new opportunities in mobile commerce

| July 29, 2015

Appearance anxiety is changing the way people shop online

Appearance anxiety is having an effect on the way people, particularly young women, shop. Social media has become overwhelmingly popular among Millennials, many of whom enjoy sharing pictures of themselves online. This is beginning to change the way young women shop online, however, especially when it comes to fashion. Many Millennials are becoming concerned that they will look too stale if they have a limited wardrobe. Appearing in multiple pictures wearing the same or similar clothing as others is leading to an increase in shopping.

Millennials are becoming more interested in shopping due to what they see on social media platforms

This is called the “Instagram effect” and it may be good news for retailers. Because Millennials are feeling more pressure to diversify their fashion, they are beginning to shop more frequently, especially online. For retailers involved in mobile commerce, this trend could lead to new opportunities in the social media space. Many retailers are beginning to use social networks to try and sell products. This is often referred to as “social commerce” and it could have a major impact on the way retailers connect with consumers in the future.

Retailers may need to focus more on engaging the mobile commerce space

Social Media - Mobile CommerceThere is a risk in this, however, as retailers may give up more of their marketing and promotional capabilities to social media platforms. These platforms are beginning to play a larger role in the mobile commerce space, with several platforms introducing “buy buttons” that make it easier for consumers to purchase products online from their mobile devices. As Millennials become more influenced by what they see on social media sites, these buy buttons are gaining more popularity.

Retailers and social media companies will have to work together

Mobile commerce is well on its way to becoming a mainstream success with significant economical influence. As social media platforms begin to play a larger role in this space, retailers will have to become more conscious of how emerging trends are affecting the shopping behavior of consumers. They will also have to find a way to work effectively with social media companies in order to engage consumers.

Facebook is testing new e-commerce feature

| July 22, 2015

Facebook is testing a feature that will allow retailers to sell products directly from the social media page

Facebook is once again trying its hand in the e-commerce space. The social network has beguns testing a new feature for small and medium-sized businesses, which will allow them to sell products directly through their Facebook pages. For some, this feature will simply direct to a retailer’s website, where products can be purchased as normal. Facebook has not released information concerning which retailers are testing the new feature, but the feature is expected to be quite attractive to mobile consumers.

Breaking into e-commerce may be a difficult task for Facebook

Facebook has taken a strong interest in mobile commerce, but has had trouble entering into this sector for some time. The company has been testing various features that would enable consumers to make purchases on the social network either through a mobile device or a conventional desktop. This social commerce, as it is called, is becoming a popular concept among consumers, as many people often use social networks to research products and look for special deals being offered by retailers.

Company’s past endeavors have not yielded positive results

e-commerce - FacebookWhile consumers are beginning to rely more on social networks to purchase and research products, there is no guarantee that social commerce will find the same success that mobile commerce has had. Consumers may also not be comfortable with shopping through Facebook. The social network had tried to break into the e-commerce space in 2009 through a partnership with 1-800-Flowers. Facebook users were not interested in purchasing products through the social network, however, as they did not see it as a merchant.

Facebook will face significant competition in the e-commerce field

As Facebook enters into the e-commerce space, it will be facing strong competition from other companies that have already found some success in this field. Twitter is one such company, and Pinterest is quickly becoming a significant force in the e-commerce space. Because consumers do not typically see social media companies as retailers, these companies entering into the e-commerce space may be more of a struggle than it has been for retailers.