How Social Commerce Can Benefit Your WordPress Site

Social media in business can sometimes rub consumers the wrong way. Most people don’t want to see ads lining the side of their Facebook feeds. They also don’t want a constant barrage of promotions from your blog, business, or eCommerce website.

Social networks are drastically different in their demographics, content and the way people use the platforms. But in general, people are using them to network, laugh, be inspired, talk about issues, and maybe buy a thing or two.

And that’s what some businesses don’t understand. Buying is often the last item on the list of things to do for a social media user. However, that doesn’t mean you should completely avoid social commerce if you’re running a business WordPress site.

So that begs the question, how can social commerce benefit your WordPress site?

Automated Tools Make it Easy for Syncing and Inventory Management

One of the questions webmasters have about social commerce is how do you go about syncing up your inventory with the social websites? Is there some Facebook app you have to work through in order to present a beautiful Facebook store?

The answer to that is there are plenty of apps, but no official Facebook solution.

For example, a favorite is the Shopify Lite plan, which provides eCommerce buttons for your WordPress site, along with a shop section to share and sell your products on your Facebook page.

Another option to go with is called Ecwid, which has a free plan and one of the easiest integrations for WordPress stores. Basically, you get to add an eCommerce store within a matter of minutes. A shopping cart is presented on your WordPress site, allowing for customers to sift through products and make purchases.

Ecwid also provides a full Facebook store, meaning that all of your WordPress site products are synced with the Facebook page, keeping you on your toes when it comes to inventory. Not only that, but Ecwid offers support for many other social and marketplace options like eBay, Amazon, Blogger, and Tumblr, all of which integrate seamlessly with WordPress.

There’s no denying the power of plugins like WooCommerce. The only problem is that WooCommerce doesn’t have an immediate tool that launches a Facebook store or anything like Buyable Pins on Pinterest. Therefore, you’re required to find an alternative plugin or extension like the WooCommerce to Facebook extension from StoreYa.

This gem allows for a wonderful Facebook store, but the company also has options for Twitter selling, Instagram store galleries, YouTube tabs, coupons, and Pinterest selling.

Social Sales Mean Social Shares

Social commerce benefits a WordPress site in many ways, but the primary ways it does so is by being where customers are and taking advantage of sharing.

Think about making a sale on your WordPress site with WooCommerce. You might have some social sharing buttons on the product page, but not that many people are going to share that with friends. Not only that, but your website isn’t exactly going to be a hub for your customers to visit every day.

However, Facebook users spend hours of time on the social network, and the same can be said about Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. So it makes sense that you can often get more traction by creating a store on Facebook.

In addition, the person buying an item from your social store is already in that social environment. They might be more willing to share what they bought or start following your page in this situation. Regardless, people like talking on social media, so if the goal is to get them talking about your WordPress site, you’re on the right track.

You Can Combine Great Content and Product Offerings

One of the ways to stand out with Facebook and Instagram (and all of the more visual social networks,) is by creating and sharing stunning photographs. For example, a custom shoe store is more likely to intrigue customers with beautiful shots of its boots and shoes on people in the wilderness as opposed to the boots in front of a white background.

In short, social media gives you an excuse to get creative with your content. You may have skipped creativity with your website product pages, but there’s little chance in making sales like that on social media.

Some companies use their WordPress blogs to make tutorials, lists, and other content, all with the idea of selling more products. For example, let’s say you own a hardware store, so you’re trying to sell more plungers. Making a Facebook post prompting people to buy more plungers has no business being on Facebook. After all, that’s not what Facebook is all about.

However, if you make a blog post or infographic outlining how to plunge a toilet, you start to offer useful content to your customers. Not only do you make people happy, but you can promote your plungers in the blog post or infographic. You can often even link directly to your social commerce page.

The Right Social Sharing Makes Your Brand More Personable

There’s no denying that getting on social media makes your brand more approachable; that is if you approach it correctly. As we mentioned above, customers are more likely to spend more time on Facebook than your WordPress site. However, you can direct them to your site with the help of places like Facebook and Instagram.

But we keep talking about social shops and sharing opportunities. What about customer service? With tools like Facebook Messenger and regular old Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter comments, customers gain access to a more personal version of your company.

You might think that your site’s knowledge base or support center is good enough, but put yourself in a customer’s mind.

I personally dislike calling a company, and I assume that sending in an email will get me a slower response. However, companies often respond quickly and somewhat casually to me when I make comments on social media or send in messages.

The same can be done for any WordPress site, and you’re not forcing your customers to stray away from their comfortable social settings.

Are You Ready to Utilize Social Commerce for Your WordPress Site?

Social commerce can be beneficial in many ways. Sometimes all you’re trying to do is find more business for your current eCommerce website. Other times you’re more interested in expanding your WordPress blog with some merchandise sales on Facebook. Regardless of the scope of your endeavor, you’re bound to find successes through social commerce. The best part about selling through social media sites is the fact that it generally doesn’t cost any money to launch.

If you have any questions about taking advantage of social commerce for your WordPress site, let us know in the comments section below.