A new semester of graduate school is upon us and I’m excited to be sharing case studies and thoughts, all related to my course this semester: E-Commerce.

Welcome & Thanks for Staying!

In today’s rapidly changing world, it comes as no surprise that companies are searching for creative and unique ways which will keep their brand at the top of consumers’ minds.

Technological advances now make it easier for consumers to browse the web, consume content, and even go shopping (or pay bills).  As these advances continue to grow, so do consumer expectations for their favorite brands.

Standard customer services are no longer enough to retain the most loyal consumers; brands and businesses must ensure the overall customer experience is an exceptional one from the very beginning.

E-Commerce is not limited to bringing brick-and-mortar locations online, as they also include other forms of doing business such as utilizing social media platforms to engage with consumers and learn more about them.

Our first case study, “Pinterest: A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words” gives a glimpse into the intersection of social media and E-Commerce.  Founded in 2009, Pinterest started as a virtual scrapbook, which allow users to “pin” interests, ideas, and other content to their boards.  Their database consists of images, videos, and articles that users can consume and pin to their own boards, sharing it with the world.

With millions of categories to choose from, Pinterest has transformed themselves from being a social network to a visual search tool, with the hopes of competing against other E-Commerce companies such as Google.  The platform continues to grow today, with over 175 million monthly active users worldwide as of June 2017.

According to Pinterest – Most members are women, with nearly 40% of new signups being men.  This shows that Pinterest has remained on top of consumers’ minds, with a whole new demographic joining the platform.

It will be interesting to watch Pinterest compete in their new frontier of Search Advertising, as we learn more about consumers and the importance of exceptional customer experience in the world of E-Commerce.

Cover Photo Source: https://www.vengaglobal.com/blog/5-tips-international-ecommerce-website/