Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Social Media (4)

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 you[...]

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.

This week Google+ finally launched their Pages feature, which allows users to create branded pages for businesses. Check out 3dcart's Google + page here!

By now, you’ve probably heard of the recent success of group coupon websites like Groupon and Living Social. The average Groupon has earned $8750 in revenue from roughly 350 sales. The average Groupon discount is roughly 56%, providing businesses with a convenient way to market and attract local customers by reaching out to them online.

Perhaps the greatest contributor to the smash success of a website like Groupon is its mass support in social media. Today, customers are looking for daily[...]

While most people tend to assume that the ads they see on Facebook don’t work, the reality is that, for many online businesses, they do. And not only do they just “work,” but they can be highly effective, making Facebook one of the top places businesses and brands go in order to generate leads and find new customers.

You don't have to be a coffee drinker to appreciate the marketing strategies that grew Starbucks into a multibillion-dollar company since its founding in 1971. Once a small coffeehouse in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks now has over 27,600 locations all over the world, spanning 6 continents. It's a classic success story of a small business growing into a global household name, and represents the ambitions of millions of entrepreneurs everywhere.

Running an online business is hard work, but the possibilities for online marketing are limitless!

For most online businesses, social media presence isn't just recommended – it’s necessary. If you don't have a strong profile on every popular and relevant platform, you'll miss out on a huge audience.

But, if you can build the perfect Facebook Business Page, you’ll capture more customers than ever before.