From Facebook to the Shopping Cart in just three mouse clicks

What can we do on the social networking site Facebook? Some of the things we can do there are just plain entertainment and nothing more: finding out which of the characters from the series Lost we are, which is the best city for us to live in, test our knowledge of films or becoming a fan of anything we like (from Obama to H&M). But the other day, I found a function that I thought was extremely persuasive: it's the Topshop Fashion Fix.

The way it works is very easy:

In Facebook we can find the latest items from the British store Topshop. The function allows us to rate whether we like them or not and invite other friends to view them. Nothing new there. The interesting part of it is the "Buy at TOPSHOP.COM" link (what a pity that it's barely visible) which takes us to the product file at Topshop's online store.

The Topshop product file is extremely simple, with an exquisite display of the product where we can see everything we need to make the purchase (short description of the product, postage and packing costs and returns policy). All we need do is select the size and buy the clothes we like.

This entire process presents 4 clear advantages:

• Being where you need to be: if people are whiling away their time on Facebook, better not miss the chance of them finding you there.
• Virality: I discovered the application through one of my friends, and she has told others about it, too. Apart from this, you can send any garment you like to your Facebook friends (a great way to ask for presents).
• Stirring emotions: Seeing and rating the product (which means that you are “getting involved”) will help create the emotional link with it so that we will want to buy it.
• The ease of the entire process: the purchasing process is fun, intuitive and highly visual. Almost without realising it, you are on the point of buying it (as if you had it in your hands in the store and all you had to do was take it to the cash desk).

10/7/2008