[Ecommerce] #SocialMedia : The best platform to sell?

Ecommerce, also known as electronic commerce or internet commerce, is the process of buying and selling goods or services on different Internet platform (mobile applications, Social Media, etc.). Social platform as Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat, etc has understood the importance of e-commerce in their areas by trying to implement buy buttons on their platforms.

For example, The Social Networking Facebook introduced Marketplace, a place where you can buy and sell your product with your local community. Pinterest, the social curationwebsite for sharing and categorizing images found online,  rolled out an option called ‘Shop the Look‘ Pins, which identify specific items within a Pin image and connect users to purchase pages for each relevant product. Recently, Instagram has launched its “Checkout feature”, a function that will allow users to buy products directly from a brand’s shoppable post without leaving the app. It is a beta test of the e-commerce integration only available in US.  

Many businesses use social media use, on their social networks, Social Media E-commerce strategies to target their consumers before they visit online stores. The goal of Social Platform is to remove the final barrier between desire and purchase. Except to purpose to advertise the product for brands, Social Platform has always to convert followers on buyers via their platform. They effectively acting as the channel for both advertising the product and for completing the e-commerce transaction.

However, The big challenge is payment.  Social Media site has  to inspire trust and ensure people with the commercial content. They have to  be able to secure and hold customer data. People are very reluctant with their privacy. Jason Nathan, group managing director for data at dunnhumby  said: “And will they be able to have customers part with their payment card details on a platform that has no heritage in holding that data? For a true see now, buy now experience, customers need to trust Social Platform as Instagram with that data.”