How eCommerce is borrowing from bricks and mortar

Try as we might it’s almost impossible with current technology to replicate that ‘in-store’ feeling through an eCommerce website. For a start, you rarely shop online with your friends, but people visit physical shops together all the time.

It’s a big reason why bricks and mortar shops are still visible on our high streets. You ask for recommendations, pick out items, ask opinions and often come to a collective decision whether or not to buy. eCommerce, on the other hand, is all about convenience, choice and limitless inventory – benefits which are convincing more people to shop online all the time.

But a growing number of eCommerce shops are combining the best of both worlds: the convenience of online shopping with the social experience of a real-world retailer. They are doing this by integrating what’s called social shopping.

Here, DITTO co-founder Kate Endress shares with us the five of the big trends in how shopping online is become more social and closer in appeal to the in-store experience:

Reviews: It’s well known that consumers love seeing reviews before they buy, even bad reviews increase conversion by 67%.  Google+ and Facebook Connect have been taking reviews further by showing only reviews from people you trust. The latest trend in reviews is to have customers create video reviews. ShoeDazzle, for example, uses VideoGenie to let customers create 20 sec video reviews and it’s led to over 1,000 conversions so far.

Crowdsourcing:  Use your customers to figure out what you should stock, product-wise. A big problem for any e-commerce company that keeps inventory is not overstocking items that won’t sell. ModCloth and CrowdJewel have their users vote on new designs and only manufacture the winning designs.  Of course this can extend your lead times, but it’s a good way to get consumers invested in what you’re producing so that they are more likely to buy it down the line.

Social media curation: It’s great to see how many people like a product you’ve found but sites like Svpply, Dibsie and Fancy show curated product lists based on discoveries by users.  Some of the benefits are the content is always fresh, adapts well to trends, and encourages higher levels of engagement (adding things so others vote up your voices, seeing who has selected something, etc.).

Personal Styling: Online clothing is a multi-billion-dollar retail market and growing quickly as consumers become more comfortable with buying clothes they haven’t yet tried on. Still the biggest blocker to pushing that buy button is the question “Will this look good on me?”  Boutine lets you connect with emerging designers and share your style.  Fashionify and GoTryItOn lets you send a phone picture of what you’re debating wearing.  HonestlyNow lets you ask what people think about anything (not just fashion).  Still waiting to see more major fashion sites integrate personal styling advice on their websites, but look for that to go big soon.

Group buying:  Offering deals that only become active if a number of people buy together.  There was a huge landgrab when Groupon came out; Google Offers, Living Social, Yipit and many others quickly jumped on board.  The problem?  Overwhelming studies show these sites are not good for businesses.

They don’t bring in loyal customers.  So where does that leave businesses trying to get customers through deals?  Sites like DailyCandy have a better approach by having allowing businesses access to their mailing lists.  By not being only a deal site, they tend to attract customers who are looking for more loyalty.

Of course, in general customers that are looking for deals are by definition less loyal – so you probably want to think hard before using this social shopping strategy.

In June 2011 Kate cofounded DITTO, an ecommerce site, featuring patent pending “try-on” technology selling a curated collection of the best fashion sunglasses and eyewear.

This article originally appeared on Social Media Influence