Business owners have spent plenty of time stressing about social media over the past few years, with the debate usually centering around Facebook and Twitter. But, as it turns out, Pinterest may offer the best bang for the click.
Pinterest users are 79 percent more likely to purchase items they saw pinned to Pinterest boards versus what Facebook users see on their newsfeeds, according to a social commerce survey by SteelHouse.
While nearly all respondents answered 'yes' when asked if Facebook or Pinterest affected their online shopping habits, only 33 percent of Facebook users said they've purchased a product after seeing it on a Facebook ad, friend's wall or newsfeed, while 59 percent of Pinterest users said they have purchased an item they saw on the corkboard-style site.
Still, Facebook remains number one when it comes to sharing information. Over 50 percent of respondents said they regularly share their purchases on Facebook, followed by Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Have you gone mobile? Some 43 percent of consumers said they've downloaded a retailer's mobile app, with 32 percent primarily using it for browsing, 22 percent for making purchases and 26 percent for earning discounts and deals. However, consumers still prefer to make purchases directly from retailer websites compared to their mobile apps. With that, consumers emphasized the importance of online reviews and star rankings. 72 percent said they always read reviews prior to making a purchase. On a five-star rating scale, those surveyed said the lowest star ranking they would accept on a potential purchase was three stars. Continuing their engagement, 68 percent of shoppers said that they regularly rate and review products, so make sure your customer service is up to snuff.