We live in a world now where online shopping is taking over. It was reported in a survey by Big Commerce that 67% of Millenials, 56% of Gen X, and 41% of Baby Boomers prefer to shop online than in-store.
It is also true that many people are active on social media. In 2019, more than 2.95 billion people were engaged on some platforms of social media worldwide. Combining the two creates one of the best platforms for convenient online shopping and an easy way to get consumer insights!
The social media sites Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, have already been using this marketing strategy called social commerce. This has changed how we use social media as a business platform, as well.
We’re going to go over some things to know about what customers want with social commerce.
Understand Your Target Customer Profile
Different age groups use social media differently. Knowing which age group your potential clients are in will give you insight on which platform you should focus on.
If your customers are between the ages of 30 to 64, you should work with Facebook because it was reported that 79% of people 30 to 49 and 68% of people 50 to 64 are active. If your target market is a little younger, you should consider Instagram as 75% of people 18 to 24 are active there.
With social commerce, you want to make the process as easy as possible for your customers. Providing an online check out function on their preferred social media platform will make them happy and more likely to purchase your products.
Easy Navigation
We live in a time where we can get any answer we want in a matter of a few clicks. Your social commerce should be that easy too. The idea of having your customers order and purchase your products right through a social media platform is to make the procedure easier for them!.
It cuts out the step of them having to be redirected to your homepage; everything they need is connected to the social media page. Your customers should be able to view a product, then with one click be taken to a check out page.
Having easy navigation will increase sales as well because people who are impulse shoppers won’t be able to resist how easy it is to get all they want and need in just a few clicks.
Quality Photographs
You want your business to come off professional and attract customers to want to buy your products. If you create an eye-catching advertisement with good quality photos of your products, then you’ll likely get more sales.
It’s true we’re visual people when shopping. It was stated that 59% of shoppers think that visuals are more important than text information when online shopping. Your potential clients want to see pictures of your products.
You should invest in a good camera and set up an area to photograph your products. The area should be clean, not too distracting, and have quality lighting. Let the item be the focal point and highlight it’s best parts. This could be as simple as draping a clean white, grey, or black sheet over a chair.
The best lighting will always be natural lighting. However, setting up a few spotlights for your product’s stage will do as well. You can use your phone’s flashlight or get desk lamps. The better your photos are, the more likely your customers will click on them.
Post Customer Reviews
Before buying something, we like to know that others enjoyed their experience with the company and products. 91% of consumers aged 18-34 take reviews as personal recommendations. Incorporating reviews from real clients with the items, photos, and information will likely please customers.
The potential shoppers won’t have to look anywhere else or ask around about your company. All of their answers will be right there. When they get the reassurance to purchase the items from other shoppers, they’ll be more likely to buy it. Consumer insight examples are a valuable sales tool; don’t discount their power.
The Bottom Line
Social commerce is new to the online shopping market, but it’s likely to grow in the future. If you want to put your business online, this is a perfect way to create a seamless way for your customers to purchase your products.
Remember to understand who your target audience is, make navigation straightforward, upload high-quality photos, and post real client reviews of your business. By doing this, it’ll make your current customers happy, and new ones start shopping with you!
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