For many new businesses, the first step in creating an online presence is setting up social media. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are easy, free ways to keep consumers updated on your latest news and deals. But what sets some companies apart is their creative use of ecommerce. More than just an online shopping cart or potentially creepy remarketing tool, ecommerce is evolving in consumer convenience, marketing, and product availability.
Take Starbucks’s and Twitter’s new Tweet-A-Coffee program. Users can send followers and friends a $5 Starbucks egift just by adding @tweetacoffee to their tweet; simple and effective, especially for impulse gifters.
Even services are easier to come by online, via Google Helpouts, which provides miniature webcam meetings between the skilled provider (Mandarin tutor, guitar instructor, pastry chef, and so on) and the consumer in need. Patrons can get help and ask questions specific to their needs, rather than have to browse through dozens of online tutorials or Youtube videos.
What will be the next ecommerce hit? How are you creatively utilizing ecommerce in your business?
