Shopping for a way to add a Facebook store to your arsenal? The new platform RetailConnect, from Wishpond, might be worth a tire kick or two.
RetailConnect allows merchants to import product data from point-of-sale systems, e-commerce sites, or storefronts on eBay, Shopify, and Google Merchant Center, into customizable Facebook stores that offer potential customers prices, locations, and product images.
Wishpond said it does not charge set-up fees for RetailConnect, nor does it require users to sign long-term contracts.
The company added that it automatically refreshes users' Facebook stores, and it monitors inventory data and updates it in real-time after every purchase, eliminating the danger of customers ordering products that are out of stock.
From the shoppers' perspective, the Facebook stores offer a universal search bar, along with the ability to browse by brand or category.
RetailConnect posts promotions and other notifications on the walls of fans of the respective brands with stores, with the hopes of luring friends of the fans, who might see merchandise or deals that interest them on their friends' walls.
Finally, merchants have access to analytics including data on the location, age, and gender of customers, as well as the number of users who took advantage of promotions, and analysis of what shoppers were searching for.
Readers, how much shopping have you done on Facebook stores?
Source: All Facebook
Monday, August 29, 2011