The Impact of Social Media on eCommerce
When the World Wide Web came into being, businesses all over the world decided to take advantage of it. Potential customers were found and using the right keywords and phrases, businesses began to attract those in their target customer base.
Fast forward a few years and you started to see social media sites appearing. Not only were people able to get in touch with others around the globe, but businesses were also able to do the same.
However, the impact of social media on e-commerce has not always been clear. Let’s take a good look at the impact some of the most popular social media sites have had on e-commerce.
Raising Brand Awareness
Social media allows businesses to reach people all over the world. Every single brand has the ability to raise its own awareness. What this means is that brands such as shops and online casinos, for example, can reach customers they wouldn’t have reached otherwise.
If someone is looking for a new casino to join, for instance, some of the best options are listed here and on social media. This platform can introduce people to casinos that they may not have known about. Social media sites explain wonderfully how entertaining casinos are, what they offer and what you could be missing out on.
Brand awareness has never been as good as it is now, thanks to social media.
Connecting Brands and Consumers
These days, it is very easy for brands and consumers to form a connection. Gone are the days when the only connection a consumer would have is if they shopped in a store. Now, brands or someone representing them can talk directly with a consumer. This is vital in terms of consumer satisfaction. It can make a consumer feel as though they are cared about and that they matter. This can be priceless for any brand.
There’s a real chance for consumers all over the world to feel connected to a brand – this is something that many brands have struggled with over the years. Recently, however, it has become much easier to reach prospective customers, and brands everywhere are taking full advantage.
Improving Traffic
Social media can help to improve traffic to a website. This is because social media pages and accounts can include a link to the site in question. This means that those who visit the social media page or pages can easily find the associated store.
Even if all someone does is take a quick look at an online store, it can make a huge difference. Every online store wants more traffic. The more visitors a store has, the higher it will be on a search engine results page. Stores that appear on the first page of search engine results are more likely to be visited.
Managing Online Reputation
One of the positive impacts that social media has had on many businesses revolves around the subject of reputation. Let’s imagine that you sell shoes online – if you have a dissatisfied customer, they may be quite vocal when talking about their displeasure. This is where social media can make a huge difference.
Many social media sites allow customers to leave reviews and feedback. This means that the one negative bit of feedback could be drowned out by the positive feedback. Of course, all businesses should expect to receive some negative feedback from time to time – it is impossible to please everyone all of the time.
Dealing with that negative feedback is easier than ever. Should you wish to, you could show how you tried to help the unhappy customer. You could also ban them from the site if they become abusive. On a happier note, you can proudly display the five-star feedback that you have received. Potential customers are likely to be impressed if you have a lot of good reviews. It can encourage them to shop with you rather than your competitors.
Charts and Patterns
The impact of social media on e-commerce is only recently being understood. We can look at charts and patterns that show us just how e-commerce is being affected. We can understand what we’ve done wrong and how we can attract more customers. While social media was originally created to bring people together, it has worked wonders for businesses everywhere. Chances are, social media will continue to do the same for many years to come.
If you have not yet added your business to social media, it’s time to start. Give your business the chance it needs to reach people you may not have otherwise reached. Who knows where social media could take you?
This article has been scheduled in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
