Customer involvement remains a big challenge for both online and store-based retailers. And it is important that this challenge be addressed in a proactive manner.

As Vangie Beal comments for CIO:

“The more popular social media get, the harder it can be for online [and offline] businesses to stand out enough to find new customers or reach existing ones. Social commerce is a way for any online [offline] business to leverage trendy social networks to drive sales, improve customer relationships, and enhance business branding.”

“How important is social integration with the shopping experience? According to a recent report from Reevoo, consumers spend more than twice the time on E-retail sites that provide social content compared to E-commerce sites lacking social integration. This slideshow looks at 10 social E-commerce tools to help small business retailers go beyond ‘Like’ to reach more customers and increase sales on the most popular social networks.”

Click on the image to access the slideshow of tips by Beal. NOTE: Be sure to read the text next to each slide!!

Image by lattesmile and Bordei Liana Monica