This is a guest post by Surj Gish, General Manager of eCommerce at GoSmile, who writes about his experience with Infused Commerce. It was originally published on his website. 

Go Smile, where I’m General Manager of eCommerce, was featured in the Jill’s Steals and Deals segment of the Today Show in late 2010. Obviously, this was huge in many ways – the traffic spike was unbelievable. The website was almost instantly brought to its knees.

I’d been talking to the folks at Infused Commerce about their Facebook Store solution, and reached out to them to see if we could get something live quickly enough to help serve the massive number of folks coming to the site as a result of the Today Show deal. Keep in mind, this was short term demand – the deal was supposed to last 24 hours, and although we had upgraded our servers in preparation for the traffic, it wasn’t enough. We were turning away site visitors – a bad experience for would-be customers, and a loss of opportunity in terms of new customers, email signups and brand reputation.

Incredibly, the guys at Infused were able to get our Facebook shop live within hours. We posted the link on our temporary home page, and by the end of the day had processed a huge number of orders through the Facebook store – almost twenty times our normal daily website order volume in a single day. The launch was a resounding success, and really helped mitigate the poor experience experienced by some folks having issues ordering on the main site.

Unfortunately, due to some issues we ran into while trying to integrate with our fulfillment partner (who will remain nameless) we had to take the store down temporarily. We thought it’d be down for a few weeks at the most, but due to a an ridiculous comedy of delays and freakouts from the fulfillment company, it took months to make the integration happen.

We finally launched the Go Smile Facebook store again last week. We haven’t been pushing it much just yet – taking a few orders and watching for issues with the fulfillment integration. But I’m planning some excellent campaigns very soon – this is a powerful tool to drive not only orders and revenue, but fan count and engagement. More to come on that soon.

Right now, the Infused Facebook shop application works in typical product feed fashion – very simple. The store itself is a Flash app that lives in an FBML tab on your company’s Facebook page. If you’ve sold stuff or advertised on Amazon, you’ll be able to set up your Facebook shop in your sleep. The Infused team sets up the store with your brand colors – you just need to provide some basic files like a logo and a “front door” image along with your product feed, and you’re ready to roll. The orders are pulled from a secure URL. Easy peasy.

I can’t say enough nice things about the Infused team. While the curent beta version of the Facebook shop sports a pretty basic feature set, they’re moving fast – they’ve made vast improvements to the product since I first talked to them a few months ago. There are other companies doing this, but it’s been a pleasure working with them. It’s a classic startup story – they’re new and hungry, with a small agile team capable of moving very quickly. Their customer service has been excellent, and they’re attentive to our needs. They eat up feature requests like candy, and in some cases stuff I’ve asked for has shown up a few hours later! The pricing is excellent, too – less than most companies give up to affiliates, and there’s no commitment.

Small brands – this is an easy, effective way to make your Facebook page a powerful tool in your customer acquisition toolbox. The buy-in is very small, and implementation is incredibly easy and fast. Do it now!

Do you want to fly away to Thailand? The eco-friendly sandal company, Feelgoodz, is giving one lucky winner a 6-night, 7-day trip to Thailand on their Eco-Tourism Adventure this October!

Step through rubber tree forests, enjoy Thai food and hospitality, and visit the city where Kyle Berner, CEO and Co-Founder of Feelgoodz, had his “Aha!” moment that started the easy-going sandal company that does social good.

Enter the 2011 Thailand Sweepstakes on the Feelgoodz Facebook page. No purchase is necessary, but each pair you purchase from the Feelgoodz Facebook shop will earn you an additional entry.

The eco-friendly sandal company is led by Kyle Berner, a self-described “t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flop kind of guy”. A graduate of Loyola University, the New Orleans-native went from working as a record producer to computer salesman to hot dog cart vendor in Austin, Texas. That’s when he learned about traveling to Thailand from a backpacker who asked him for a recommendation on nearby Thai restaurants.

Looking for adventure, Kyle sold his car, bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok and began his journey. Along with traveling, he taught English for a year in Phitsanulok. He came to appreciate how simple life was, yet how happy people were, and sought out to “give back to the country that gave so much to him”. He started his eco-friendly flip flop company in 2008 and donates 3% of profits to programs that improve the quality of life and business opportunities to people in Thailand and in developing countries around the world.

So check out Feelgoodz on Facebook, enter for your chance to win a trip to Thailand, and help improve the world one pair of flip flops at a time.

Luxury apparel designer, Donni Charm, launched a 24-hour sale of their most popular products using a Facebook pop-up shop.

Announced to a national television audience, the Denver, Colorado-based company hosted the sale using a shop on the Donni Charm Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/donnicharm/).

The shop, hosted by Infused Commerce (http://www.infusedcommerce.com/), allowed visitors to browse an exclusive selection of Donni Charm scarves and purchase securely without leaving Facebook.

“Offering our products right from our Facebook page gave us a chance to connect directly with our customers, which meant not only revenue but also more Facebook fans who we hope will buy from us in the future,” said Joey Mosko, CEO of Donni Charm.

In addition to a fully functional social commerce store, Infused Commerce provided custom features to the Donni Charm Facebook shop including coupon code functionality and inventory management. Total set up time took under 4 days to complete.

“Even with customizations, Infused Commerce set us up with a Facebook shop quickly and affordably,” Mr. Mosko added.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network with over 600 million users, is becoming a direct commerce channel as brands seek to maximize their social media investment and deepen relationships with customers. With full e-commerce functionality, Facebook shops give brands the opportunity to host special offers for their fans.

Fans, in turn, are beginning to find exclusive deals from brands that aren’t offered anywhere else.

According to the independent research form, eConsultancy (http://econsultancy.com/), special offers and shopping are the highest reasons why people follow brands on Facebook, along with activities such as following events and leaving feedback.

“Brands like Donni Charm are ahead of the curve when they host product sales on their Facebook page,” said Arthur Tew, Director of Operations at Infused Industries, the social commerce solutions provider of Infused Commerce.

“Customer experiences on Facebook are not only engaging but also rewarding when fans share discoveries with their networks,” added Mr. Tew.

“The benefits of participating in social commerce can be tremendous.”

Taking early action on the enormous opportunities involving social networks and e-commerce will give your organization an advantage in the competitive e-commerce environment.

Infused Commerce provides social commerce technology and services to host secure, branded, fully functional stores on their Facebook pages and promote fan base growth through sales.

Call us at 1-888-879-9562 to learn more or sign up today.

As the number of Facebook users surges past 600 million people, companies have the opportunity to connect with a special breed of customers, their fans.  

How can brands make the most of it?

Here are three ways brands can create great customer experiences and make the most out of social commerce:  
 

1. Provide incentives for brand interaction

Your fans are special advocates of your brand. When they “like” your brand, they are personally showing support of your brand. Many fans are customers that shop based on value, customers who continue to purchase from you long after seasonal sales have ended and who talk with their friends about how great your brand is … don’t you think they deserve a reward?

Think free shipping, instantly redeemable coupons, or chance to win a sweepstakes.

 
2. Reward fans through Facebook-only discounts

Through your Facebook shop you can provide special offers that delight your fans. You might offer your most popular product on sale for a limited time. Just before the sale, announce to your fans to stay tuned to find something very special just for them. Encourage them to tell their friends to “like” your brand so they can get in on the deal — and you can grow your fan base.

Post an update to your Facebook page to let your fans know when your sale launches. Also, send an update to your Twitter followers and an email to your existing customer list that links directly to your Facebook shop.

 
3. Reward fans with sneak peeks at upcoming products

Fans want to feel like brand insiders, not just everyday consumers.

The athletic lifestyle retailer, Roots Canada, used their Facebook shop to preview their spring collection, giving fans special access ahead of the retail crowd. As a result, the company experienced growth in their fan base, higher online sales and more signups to their newsletter. The first-look appeal drew crowds to their Facebook shop to expanded their social media reach.

Provide exclusive access to products before they are released to standard retail channels. Fans will not only purchase, but also tell their friends.
 

Creating Social Customer Experiences

Incorporating social commerce in your marketing mix will help your brand create exciting and innovative customer experiences.

Providing incentives for brand interaction, rewarding fans with Facebook-only discounts and offering sneak peaks at upcoming products will not only enhance connections with your fans, but also drive home the sale.

Taking early action on the enormous opportunities involving social networks and e-commerce will give your organization an advantage in the competitive e-commerce environment.

Infused Commerce provides social commerce technology and services to host secure, branded, fully functional stores on their Facebook pages and promote fan base growth through sales.

Call us at 1-888-879-9562 to learn more or sign up today.

Major brands are providing fans with exclusive access to products using “pop-up” shops on Facebook.

Roots Canada, a leading athletic lifestyle retailer, is using a Facebook pop-up shop to preview its spring collection with astounding results: an increase in the number of Facebook fans, higher online sales and more subscribers to its newsletter. Rachel Roy, a designer whose products are found only in Macy’s and through the company website, also saw success with a three-day pop-up shop on Facebook — inventory of limited edition styles sold out well in advance of the sale’s end date.

The Facebook pop-up shop is a digital evolution of the pop-up retail model used by brands such as Target, JC Penny and Nike to showcase collections and interact with customers on a new level. These pop-up stores spring into existence in temporary locations like New York’s Rockefeller Center, Union Square in San Francisco, even along Vancouver’s Seawall and feature products, right where their customers are, for limited periods of time such as a few weeks or an entire season.

Trendwatching.com, the independent trend firm who coined “pop-up retail”, describes the phenomenon:

“These initiatives have a tendency to pop up unannounced, quickly draw in the crowds, and then disappear or morph into something else, adding to retail the fresh feel, exclusivity and surprise that galleries, theatres and Cirque du Soleil-adepts have been using for years (Source: www.trendwatching.com).”

What makes physical pop-up stores successful also applies to Facebook pop-up shops. Brands can open a pop-up shop on their Facebook page as a way to introduce products, offer discounts to exclusive audiences, and grow their fan bases. Facebook pop-up shops can feature sales for days, weeks, or months to meet the brand’s marketing objectives. However, what’s new to the digital realm is that people move to become fans in order to purchase coveted items ahead of the pack or at promotional prices, growing the brand’s social media reach as fans gain exclusive access.

“How do I set the default tab on my Facebook page?”

As a question we frequently hear from clients, we thought we would write a short post to demonstrate the steps to set the default tab on your Facebook page.

Doing this helps to make sure your embeddable store is first viewed when your customers visit your Facebook page.

To start, go to your Facebook page by typing in the web address (http://www.facebook.com/yourpage) or by navigating to “Account”, “Manage Pages”, then selecting your page.

1. First, click “Edit Page” underneath your logo.

2. Second, click “Manage Permissions” in the left-hand navigation, find “Default Landing Tab”, choose the tab you wish to set as the default landing tab, and click “Save Changes”.

That way, your customers will see your store when they first enter your Facebook page – and begin shopping.

Go Smile, the Smile Beauty company, partners with Infused Industries to open a store on the company’s Facebook page to help deal with the massive traffic spike resulting from Go Smile being featured as one of Jill’s “Steals and Deals” on the Today Show.

Go Smile, the Smile Beauty company, achieves success with their Facebook store, powered by Infused Commerce.

After being featured as one of Jill’s “Steals and Deals” on the Today Show, the company’s e-commerce website was overwhelmed with enormous traffic resulting from the consumer response. The demand surge for their best-selling product, the Smile Whitening System, exceeded order processing capacity even after upgrading servers and staffing additional customer service representatives.

That’s when shoppers went to the company’s Facebook Page looking to get in on the deal.

Using Infused Commerce, the company quickly set up a store allowing consumers to shop on their Facebook Page without leaving Facebook.

“We experienced a tremendous response to this groundbreaking Facebook e-commerce functionality,” says Surj Gish, General Manager of E-Commerce at Go Smile.

“Infused Commerce immediately helped us capture sales and serve our Facebook community in a way that added value to our brand and our customers,” adds Mr. Gish.

During the product promotion, 37% of all visitors to the Facebook store made a purchase.

Your best customers are those who advocate for your brand – they buy your latest wares, tell friends about your new products, and “Like” your brand on Facebook to let the world know how they really feel.

What if you could reward your best customers while increasing your bottom line? With Infused Commerce, you can. Open a store on your Facebook page to introduce new products, increase your fan base, and offer exclusive discounts to your fans (they really love a deal!).

Sign up today and jump into social commerce with Infused Commerce!

Image Source: Flickr

Facebook is now the world’s most visited site, surpassing traffic to Google.com for the first time in 2010.

With users representing every age group and lifestyle, you can be sure that people visit the site for a number of reasons: posting status updates, seeing what their friends are up to, playing games, and shopping. Among the many gratifications of Facebook, new shopping experiences will be one to watch – and for companies to be a part of.

Finding a deal, being one of the first to buy, and sharing cool products with friends are just a sampling of interactions that will introduce products and get customers buying in 2011.

What shopping experiences would you like to see, or be a part of, as social commerce grows on Facebook?

The Internet Summit 2010 hosted in Raleigh, NC was two days full of discussions, best-practices, and forward thinking on where the Internet economy is today and where it’s going.

Among the highlights were half-day sessions conducted by leading practitioners who shared cutting-edge thinking while providing hands-on guidance to thematic disciplines in high-tech such as:

• Social Media – Creating a Social Media Power Plan
• Search
• Customer Experience, Usability & Design
• Analytics

I was particularly impressed with Jim Tobin’s opening session covering social media strategy, “the most important element of success”. My notes from his content-packed session are included below to give you insight on how a leading social media agency charts strategy – so you can apply today’s best practices for your brand.

Jim Tobin of Ignite Social Media
Image Source: Andy Beal via Flickr

Creating a Social Media Power Plan

Jim Tobin, President of Ignite Social Media and best-selling author of Social Media is a Cocktail Party, led a packed room for the Social Media Intensive along with Eric Boggs (Argyle Social), Jeffrey Cohen (Howard, Merrell and Partners), Marty Taylor Collins (Microsoft Emerging Media), Myles Kleeger (Buddy Media), and Chris Moody (Phonebooth.com).

The speakers presented their approach to social media as they deliver value to their clients and their companies. Topics included creating a strategy, setting campaign goals, identifying which media to use for what, integrating social media, and measuring social media to make financial and brand sense.

Social Media: Tools and Technology

Jim laid the foundation by identifying the thirteen tools and technologies that comprise “social media”. When developing your brand’s social media strategy, you should be aware of how these tools might fit into your plan.

1. Monitoring tools (Radian6)
2. Publishing tools (WordPress)
3. Social Networking Sites (Facebook)
4. Micro-blogging Sites (Twitter)
5. Widgets (ReverbNation)
6. Collaboration Tools
7. Photo Sharing (Flickr)
8. Video Sharing (YouTube, Vimeo)
9. Personal Broadcasting (Justin.tv)
10. Virtual Worlds (SecondLife)
11. Social Commerce (Groupon)
12. Location-Based Services (FourSquare, GoWalla, TriOut)
13. Social Bookmarking and News Aggregation (Delicious, Digg)

Key Questions to Ask When Charting Your Strategy

When charting the course of your strategy, you want to focus on how social media can add value to your business. To bring all of the possibilities into focus, Jim presented key questions to ask on behalf of your or your clients’ business:

• What do you want to gain from a social media plan?
• What does your business offer that people are likely to want to discuss?
• What is your current business model and how will social media impact it?

Honing In

As you build the case for how social media makes business sense for your brand, you want to clearly identify the audience with whom you seek to communicate and how you will go about engaging with them. Your social media plan should address four areas as described by “POST”:

• People: Who are you communicating with and why do they care?
• Objectives: What are the objectives of your social media plan?
• Strategies: What activities will enable you to meet these objectives?
• Technologies: What technologies will you use to meet these objectives?

Your Social Media Power Plan

Describing how his leading agency develops social media plans, Jim shared the Ignite Method:

1. Discovery: Identify the real message behind what you are trying to accomplish
2. Community Analysis: Finding out where your audience spends time online and identifying topics of discussion
3. Goal Setting: Set goals to measure campaign success, including “soft goals” such as views, “likes”, fans, and followers
4. Engagement Plan: Develop the plan for implementing the campaign, including timeline and resources
5. Metrics: Identify metrics used to gauge success
6. Implementation: Execute your plan

Jim’s approach to social media clearly delivers value to the clients his agency represents. Brands like Microsoft, Intel, The Body Shop, Disney, and Nature Made have entrusted their campaigns to his agency, Ignite Social Media. By following the guidelines presented by Jim Tobin and the observations shared by his team on the Ignite Social Media Blog, you can develop a strategy to maximize the use of social media to accomplish your business objectives.

As brands recognize the value of Facebook going into 2011, opportunities to include commerce in their social media strategy will create added value for brands and consumers alike. Infused Commerce can help brands and agencies sell products on Facebook, all without customers leaving the page. To learn more, reach us at 1-888-879-9562 or via email at andy@infusedindustries.com.