Enter the Age of Social Shopping

Plenty of research exists on the shopping habits of consumers and most have come to the same conclusion: the “New Consumer” investigates their purchases for Products or Services online prior to conducting a transaction.  They Google, Bing, Tweet (and many other acts of Social Media investigation) to find what they are looking for.  Then, they ask their Social Media networks for their ideas and opinions.

Never before have people had so many options to choose from and so many places from which to gather word of mouth “yays and nays” on products and services.  People are going mobile, online and to social media to access a powerful network of people who can make or break your sale.

What’s a Business to do?

Ensure you communicate a consistent message and brand on various consumer touch points, such as your website, Twitter Account and Facebook Fanpage.

Consumers are also looking to social networks for deals.  So provide relevant deals/coupons or offers on each of the media channels you choose.  If you offer the deals (along with the possibility for product/service reviews) right on your website, people never have to leave and can simply complete the entire process on your site.

So what does this mean for you and your business?  It means you have to be Findable and brand yourself on as many social media outlets as possible!  Ensure you communicate the same messages on each of the outlets you choose.  Also, make sure your SEO is up to date so people can find you…in the Age of Social Media, if you are not Findable, you are not shoppable!