Firms need to start building their social media presence immediately, in light of new research from Gartner.
The analysis firm has suggested that by 2015, companies will generate 50 per cent of their web sales via their presence on social media sites and mobile applications for smartphones or tablet devices.
Vendors in e-commerce will now be offering "context-aware" mobile-based shopping solutions as a key part of their web sales offerings.
Gene Alvarez, research vice president at Gartner, says that firms who want to get a head start in this market need to scale up their ecommerce operations quickly.
"Customers are clamoring for new and easy ways to interact with the organizations they deal with, and no company should think itself immune to this new business dynamic," he said.
According to Jon Callas, chief technology officer at Entrust, "smart" companies are already creating a significant presence on social media sites as a way of enhancing their brand.
Posted by Rachel Wheeler