Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Social Media (3)

How many people do you currently know who check their Facebook accounts every single day? Are you also active in different social media networks? It's definitely a BIG thing that you ought to take advantage of for your online business.

Unlike what many believe, social media optimization is not as simple as opening a Twitter account and posting something every day. It's not as easy as inviting your friends and website visitors to like your Facebook page.

Optimizing your business via social[...]

A lot of online entrepreneurs have always used Facebook for social media marketing. But have you ever considered taking your customer service to a whole new level through this popular and valuable platform?

At one point or another, you've probably experienced a customer giving feedback or voicing out a concern on your Facebook page. Sometimes it's even done publicly in a comment. Hence, you cannot just ignore such things. You ought to be thankful that people are actually trying to interact.

To this day, Twitter remains to be one of the top-performing social media networks and an unquestionably powerful marketing tool for online businesses. This is why it's essential for you to learn how to build your own Twitter followers.

As the experts say, it's not just all about the numbers. It's more of the quality of those numbers. What percentage of your followers can you consider relevant? Hence, this is the reason you need to understand the tips that work in bringing in these relevant[...]

Embracing social media is part of a strong online marketing plan. And if you think you can stop at Facebook and Twitter, think again! Instagram is used by over 150 million people and counting. Although Instagram is an entirely visual platform, small businesses can use it to build customer relationships and influence sales, it just takes a little bit of strategy.

Here are some tips for establishing a strong Instagram presence:

Nobody can contest the ever-growing popularity of YouTube. It is not just the most popular video-sharing site by a landslide, but the second most visited website in the world (only behind Google, which owns it). Viral recordings, music videos, movie trailers, short documentaries, and clips of cute animals represent only a portion of the billions of hours of content on the site.

YouTube is the place to be for many web users, especially after the implementation of a system for monetizing[...]

According to research, customers spend 20-40% more with companies that they have social media engagement with. And, in a lot of cases, the only reason consumers know about a brand is via social media, which is why maintaining a strong presence online is essential — vital if you’re an eCommerce seller with a digital business. Although most businesses tend to focus their attention (and money) on the big social media players (think Facebook and Instagram), there’s still good reason to leverage[...]

Ask 80's parody powerhouse Weird Al Yankovic about the power of viral marketing.  Weird Al is back with a new album, and to launch his new album, he created a viral marketing campaign featuring 8 videos in 8 days.  Word Crimes, a parody of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines, received over 9 million views on You Tube in approximately one week.  Weird Al's new album is poised to potentially debut in the Number 1 position on Billboard's 200 Chart this Wednesday, July 23.  So you may be asking, what[...]

Would you like to be recognized online as a credible author? Perhaps you're also wondering why there are some articles that show up on search results with photos of the authors. Well, this is one of the perks of Google Authorship. It makes people believe more that you are an authority figure and that your website is legit and relevant.

I tweet. You tweet. We all tweet. That’s a reality of the modern world, and like it or not, reputations are often established and destroyed in 160 characters or less.

Did you know that e-commerce, which already accounts for 8 percent of all retail states in the U.S., is expected to outpace sales growth at brick-and-mortar stores over the next 5 years, reaching an incredible $370 billion by 2017?

“Sharing is caring.” – Your Kindergarten Teacher

Believe the hype: social has a hold on business. Both online and in-person businesses everywhere have jumped headfirst into social media. Online merchants are among those businesses that have found immediate results within the world of social commerce. Social sign-in, Facebook stores and Pinterest wish lists are among the many places where retail resonates with social media users.

Facebook now has a billion active monthly users, creating a giant opportunity for online merchants. Now online stores using 3dcart can use this opportunity to their advantage with “Share Your Purchase,” a new feature available to all 16,000 3dcart merchants with the software’s Facebook Connect add-on.

Many online retailers know that Facebook pages are important for building brand awareness and customer loyalty. They also help to engage your customers and provide real-time feedback on what they like and want more of from your brand.

With the introduction of Login with Facebook, online stores realize that they can increase conversions with the use of social logins. So when we came across this great infographic from Monetate, we knew we had to share. Not only does their research reinforce how important it is for merchants to consider Facebook Connect, they share some interesting statistics on how customers PREFER social logins.

Can you think of an online sign-up process that DOESN'T require an email address for completion? Its almost as assumed that a user has an email address, as they do a home address. And with good reason, today almost every online user does. With an email address a merchant can reconnect with users post-purchase, reach out after an abandoned cart  or send them a coupon for their next purchase. While capturing emails adds a layer of communication to you customer relationships, it doesn't tell[...]

Starting an eCommerce brand may seem like a good (or even easy) idea. However, you’ll quickly realize that it can get complicated – especially in terms of getting customers through your virtual door. Finding your audience is an ongoing process and, unfortunately, at the beginning it can be painfully slow. Thankfully, there are ways to boost your brand’s visibility – and not all of them cost a ton of money. In the case of LinkedIn, promoting your brand doesn’t have to cost any money.