Reasons Why Retail Is Shifting Towards Contextual Commerce

ecomerce getting prominentThe world has gone virtual, so it’s expected that retailers can realize an influx of transactions via their online eCommerce sites. The mistrust that once existed when it came to online transactions no longer exists. So open up your digital channels.

One method of doing so is by utilizing contextual commerce methods, which is offering online shopping through other digital channels, specifically social media platforms. Doing so is found more effective than using a merchant eCommerce site for revenue.

This is now possible because of the refinement of collecting “big data,” the demographic information that’s extracted from devices such as desktops, smartphones, and tablets, which tracks user behavior.

What’s captured are precise consumer expression, this when they’re searching for and purchasing digital and physical products online.

Making The Connection
What social contextual commerce does is helps in connecting merchants with consumers, this both online and offline, by presenting transaction options at the precise moment of purchase.

Closing the gap on the relationship between search and discovery, and they buying the product, offers unprecedented potential for merchants. This to locate new customers, and targeting them with the exact message, resulting in increased conversions.

Social Media Content
Social media platforms now gather vast amounts of demographic data on every whim and interest, which includes our product searching and browsing history, such as what we’ve purchased online previously.

To the consumer, social media is a valuable resource to interact with friends and family, to discover new things on a peer basis, which includes new products and services to research and buy.

This trust and discovery is what’s so valuable to the retailers. Know that every search or link clicked on social media for this reason is being traced, this to categorize your every movement.

This data is being captured as unique preferences, while these choices may also be influenced by your friends and family, which develops that trust while creating relevancy.

Once this trust is developed, consumers are then able to make seamless purchases with just a few taps, this rather than needing to click to another site, enter credit card and shipping information, etc. Transactions which once took minutes, now take seconds.

Retailers And Social Media
Retailers can now easily take advantage of this by placing and activating a “Buy-Now” button, directly on these social media platforms, such as on their newsfeed.

To effectively participate in these channels, what retailers need is to determine how to merge their digital commerce by linking it with their existing social media strategies, along with their other broader advertising business models.

So what needs to be developed are ways on how to optimize their social media strategy, this to help their most targeted buyers down the path.

Creating Interactive Product Experiences Which Are Distinct
Platforms such as Facebook now makes it easy for users to comment, share, like, review posts, all while seeing the details of the product image.

Retailers are taking advantage of this by enabling their marketing to be shareable, while working within the context of the users experience, this directly within that channel.

This is found to be a far more engaging form of marketing, as it develops trust with the consumer, as what buyers find are reviews, feedback, and peer interaction from others more authentic and trustworthy than traditional online marketing.

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What these ready to buy consumers who read the testimonials from other consumers who’s bought and experienced the product, does is assures their doubt.

Engagement Based Loyalty And Incentive Programs
What’s becoming common is implementing engagement based loyalty programs, as all social media platforms present ample ways and opportunities to introduce this type of engagement.

For instance, offering a program on Facebook such as “Share a product post with 50 of your friends, and get 20% off your next purchase.” What this does is develops deeper relationships with their existing customers, while also attracting new ones.

To enable this on any of the social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, or Instragram, begin by offering your best most loyal customers the opportunity to tell their friends and family about your products and services, and make it easy and rewarding to do so.

Have social media links which are displayed prominently and as frequently as possible on your website, as well as on your mobile site.

Make it as easy as possible for these shoppers to tell everyone they know, how great your product, service, or website is. Then combine they doing so with loyalty reward programs, which further encourages them to spread the love, and they will do so willingly.

Have Prominent Seamless “Buy Buttons”
Once a user sees a product that they like online, what’s created is a flash micro moment, a split second where a decision needs to be made to purchase that product or not, usually not, this is when retargeting comes in.

So when it comes to social media marketing, always make sure that the “Buy Button” is visibly prominent, and supplemented with meaningful information regarding your products.

Never assume that these prospective customers who finds you on social media, will immediately check out the contextual experience. Make sure that the purchasing process is as simple as possible.

Consistency Across All Channels
Create a seamless natural shopping experience in all your channels. Retailers can easily integrate with trusted payment authorities, which enables quick checkout, this regardless of the platform.

For instance, PayPal’s “One Touch” checkout is how buyer apprehension is instantly removed from the checkout process in any context, which includes your eCommerce and mobile commerce sites.

So the time to get on board is right now, this if you’re a retailer or an affiliate. Now is the time to implement contextual commerce, this by simplifying the shopping experience for consumers.

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