Articles | Social Shopping: The Evolution of Online Shopping?

When trying to buy a product online, what does the average American consumer do? No, he/she does not go straight to an online store and place an order. They get information on the product or service they want. Consumers look for information about features, pricing, availability, warranty, shipping and delivery options, as well as competing products. However, the product information provided online is mostly commissioned articles written by online stores and the manufacturers themselves. More often than not, the information provided focuses more on the benefits and it is seldom that the downside is mentioned.

Meanwhile, word-of-mouth is a common marketing method to advertise a product or service. The mere fact that product or service endorsements are made by ordinary people lends a certain level of credibility to it. For example, when made to choose between a friend who has used the product for some time now and a celebrity endorser, most people are still sensible enough to take their friend's advice.

With the rising popularity of social media and online shopping websites, a new method of e-commerce was born - social shopping. Social shopping combines elements from social media and online shopping to create an environment wherein shoppers can interact with like-minded people (social media part) and commit informed decisions when making purchases online (online shopping part). Imagine a website wherein people can share their experiences and opinions on various products and services, just like Facebook for shoppers.

The secret behind the success of social shopping is based on four facts:

9 out of 10 customers research on the items they want to buy before going to the online store to purchase it. Meanwhile, 3 out of 4 customers use reputable websites to make their purchases. In addition, majority of online shoppers consider the Internet as their most trusted source of information regarding products and services.

Recommendations made by peers possess credibility. Word-of-mouth marketing is widely utilized in social shopping websites. People post product service reviews, opinions, and recommendations mostly based on first-hand experiences. Moreover, visitors of social shopping websites are able to access information on product trends, as well as hard-to-find product information.

Social shopping websites cater to different tastes, interests, ages, and personalities. Given the variety of products and range of services being offered online, there is practically something for everyone. This creates an environment where consumers have the opportunity to voice out their opinion based on their experiences

Social shopping websites create an ideal environment for entrepreneurs to thrive . As previously stated, word-of-mouth marketing is a powerful tool in building up businesses. Once a business gets enough exposure and positive rep, sales tend to pick up.

Both customers and retailers can benefit social shopping in terms of the interaction and information that users provide. Its impact on how e-commerce is done can not be ignored. The future of social shopping looks promising at this point and as technology continues to improve, so will social shopping.