Forrester: ‘Future of Social Web’ is commerce
Where is social media headed? To the bank for those who take advantage of the coming opportunities. Buying habits have shifted over the decades from in-person (Woolworth’s) to catalogs (printed and online) to online stores (Amazon) and now to social websites.
Examples: Alvenda allows people to buy flowers from within the Facebook Fan Page of 1-800-Flowers. Similarly, Payvment allows consumers to buy from multiple businesses on Facebook using one shopping cart.
The process is as simple and safe as the major online stores with one big difference: People are telling others about their shopping experiences and about products and services.
The same happens in the real world; people recommend restaurants, retailers, doctors and lawyers to their friends. The shift to the online world is part of the evolution of business in the 21st Century.
The rise of social commerce is good news for investors in Facebook and Google and even better news for businesses and professionals that are first to hop on the trend.
