Few companies so far have tried turning their brand pages on Facebook into online storefronts. Facebook pages been used almost exclusively as marketing tools — to build brand awareness generally, or to help drive traffic for specific promotions or special deals offline or on their main sites. But not to actually sell stuff directly.
Taking that rare step is Equator Estate Coffees & Teas, which is launching an online store on its Facebook page allowing fans to buy artisanal coffees without leaving the site.
“Social media is rapidly becoming a critically important vehicle for talking with our customers. Now, with our new iFanStore, we’ve opened up an entirely new sales channel for our seasonal, specialty blends,” said Helen Russell, CEO and co-founder of San Rafael, Calif.-based Equator, in a statement.
The company’s iFanStore is powered by San Francisco-based e-commerce technology provider Milyoni and offers a half dozen coffee blends including Columbia La Eternidad and Mocha Java, ranging in price from $12.95 to $14.95. Adding a social flavor, the storefront also lets customers share purchases with friends on Facebook and other social properties including Twitter.
Michael Straus, a spokesman for Equator, said the company had a clunky online store on its own site and was looking to integrate its social media strategy with e-commerce, making a shop on Facebook seem like a good fit. (Equator is now also revamping the store on its own site.)
Online Media Daily has the full story.
