Consumers want more from the traditional online experience. As consumers ourselves, we’re familiar with this – we want to relate to and feel valued by the vendor from which we are purchasing. Additionally, we like to incorporate ourselves in the buying experience — making a more interactive transaction. As consumers, we increasingly interact with retailers through a variety of social networks and other online outlets. A recent report, the “2011 Social Commerce Study,” conducted by Shop.org, comScore and Social Shopping Labs, evaluates how online shopping is directly influenced by social media,  and the impact of social media on consumers’ online behaviors and habits.

According to the survey, 42 percent of online consumers have “followed” a retailer via Facebook, Twitter or the retailer’s blog. On average, consumers actually follow six retailers at any given time.

Respondents indicated they follow brands for a variety of reasons:

  • 58 percent follow companies to get deals and savings
  • 49 percent do so  to receive updates on  products or services
  • 39 percent follow companies for information on contests and/or events

What do these findings mean for online merchants? Simply, social commerce is directly impacted by social media.


Consumers view the online shopping experience as larger than just the act of purchasing. Today’s buyers are influenced more by the recommendations of friends than methodically crafted marketing materials. They weigh whether or not to buy based on recommendations from their peers on social networking websites, rather than formal reviews.

In order to build a comprehensive online shopping experience, it is imperative that sellers understand what’s driving their buyers. Digital commerce is a huge market and Plimus can and will help you get started. We’ll assist you in building a comprehensive processing solution that completely addresses the needs and desires of your consumers and incorporates social media into every offering.

We’re ready, are you? Let’s get started today!