Instagram introduced buy buttons this year. Pinterest quickly followed suit with Buyable Pins. Now Salesforce.com joins the party with a click-to-buy option in its Community Cloud, claiming it as a first among enterprise community solutions.
It’s an impressive move, according to consultant Brent Leary of CRM Essentials. “We’ve learned from Amazon the importance of constantly removing the friction that sits between consumers and their ability to quickly buy things they’ve decided to purchase. Now this capability from Salesforce puts the power and control of this capability in the organization’s hands,” Leary says.
A press release from Salesforce announcing the buy buttons says they’re a reaction to enterprise clients desirous of the revenue-driving abilities of a Facebook or Pinterest in an online community setting.
“Our goal is to make it easier for our customers to grow their businesses and today we’re the first enterprise solution that enables buy buttons for any online community,” says Nasi Jazayeri, EVP of the Salesforce Community Cloud, Salesforce. “Now any company can deliver the same click-to-buy experience as popular consumer services and grow their businesses with social commerce.”
Leary is optimistic that that’s exactly what will happen: “Making it easier to buy right in the middle of community conversations increases the likelihood a transaction will take place, if only because the proximity to purchase just got a little closer.”
