Social networking has become the ultimate platform for business development. In order to excel in growth, companies turn to these sites as outlets for promotion and customer feedback. ShopTab, a “Facebook Store” founded by Arizona residents Bret Giles and Jay Feitlinger, allows businesses to conveniently sell their products through the Facebook website.
With thousands of store owners in more than 50 countries, 40 currency options and an impressively low cost, customers use ShopTab as an answer to modern retail strategies.
“Whether you’re a person or a business, if you want to have a transaction, we provide a commerce engine to do that,” says Kevin Gralen, president of ShopTab.
Gralen explains how the product is unique to typical social network investments, as it provides an ROI, or return on investment. ShopTab allows businesses to utilize social media to its fullest potential by providing an outlet for substantial revenue.
Gaining a 40 percent store increase since June 2011, ShopTab proves to be a successful resource for clients looking to expand. With the international growth of Facebook itself, ShopTab has expanded internationally as well.
Whereas a year ago, most of the business was U.S.-centric, this month probably 40 percent will be U.S. and 60 percent will be the rest of the world,” Gralen says.
Aside from the focus on international growth, partnering with other companies has contributed to the success of ShopTab.
“We have a partnership with a company called ProStores, which is owned by eBay,” Gralen says. “Their customers can click a couple of buttons and immediately start a Facebook Store.”
ShopTab receives the most traction through these business strategies. Two additional partners have been signed in the past few weeks, also contributing to the growth of international connections.
Because ShopTab is established through Facebook, Gralen notes the importance of maintaining the social media appeal through blog posts and Twitter. Video content creation is also coming into play, which will demonstrate marketing suggestions for clients. ShopTab is not only for selling, but promoting businesses socially.
Clients experience different results with ShopTab, and Gralen encourages businesses to test the social networking waters before fully committing.
“The ones that get the result are the ones that invest in building their fans and their social presence,” Gralen says.
If your company has yet to establish a fan base, social networking skills and relatively consistent sales, ShopTab might not be useful just yet.
“When they’re socially savvy, they love what we have,” Gralen says.
With that being said, some smaller companies have also excelled through the use of ShopTab. In fact, some case studies have been established to determine the most efficient ways of helping smaller clients.
The success and exponential growth of ShopTab serves as a model for other entrepreneurs interested in reaching their company goals. Gralen encourages others to thoroughly understand their business model before moving forward. Everything from the value of your products to the transaction value for your clients should be considered.
He also stresses the importance of an open mind when starting a business. Take into account customer feedback and suggestions. Much of the ShopTab application has changed due to valuable client input.
Entrepreneurs have great ideas, but customers usually give you the best feedback,” Gralen says.
Based on its own customer feedback, ShopTab will soon establish sales resources for real estate agents and property managers as well.
For more information about ShopTab, please visit www.shoptab.net.
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