Boost Online Shopping With Social Sharing

Who’s the most likely to shop online—men or women? Sure, conventional stereotypes paint men as tech-lovers who gravitate to the simplicity of online shopping , and women as born shoppers who simply love shopping in any form. However, when it comes to the highly desirable Millennial generation, which boasts $2.45 trillion in global purchasing power, the answer to who does the most online shopping might be as well be “both.”

Specifically, a recent poll found that while men shop online more, women’s online purchases have more influence. Although Gen Y men make 27.1 percent more purchases than women of the same age, women’s purchases generate a whopping 52.6 percent more referral traffic to ecommerce websites than men’s do.

It’s all because of social sharing—the phenomenon of letting your friends on social media know what you just bought. Even though Gen X women are just as likely to share their ecommerce purchases on social media as Gen Y women, Gen Y’s social shares are far more effective at generating traffic to those ecommerce sites. Perhaps this is because Millennials are more likely to have lots and lots of social media friends. The study reports that Millennials who have more than 900 Facebook friends generate up to 5.75 clicks through to an ecommerce store for each purchase they share.

How can your ecommerce store take advantage of the social sharing trend?

1. Make it easy for your customers of all ages to share their purchases. Look for shopping cart software or website design that offers the ability to share a purchase on popular social media sites right after it’s completed.
2. Don’t stop at the point of purchase. After the product is delivered, send a follow-up email asking customers to share their purchase on social media. Again, include an easy-to-click social media button.
3. You can also email customers encouraging them to write a review for the product and/or your ecommerce site and share that on social media. Remember to make it simple with social media buttons.

Do you detect a theme? Make it simple to share their interactions with your ecommerce site, and consumers of all ages—but especially those in the always-social Millennial age group—will do so. That can mean more clicks (and sales) for your ecommerce website.

Let Web.com build you the perfect ecommerce website.

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