Researching an Organization

Online retailer, Zappos markets footwear, clothing and other apparel accessories. Zappos was founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurm; they specialize in oddly sized, wide & narrow and unique footwear. Shoes account for about 80% of their business. Eventually the growth of the online retailer led to a buyout by Amazon in 2008.

Zappos has made various achievements but can also be recognized for their social media involvement. They put prominence on generating legitimate relations with their followers and patrons. See a capture of their website below. It lists all of the primary social media connections. They ask for customer email addresses for newsletter receipt and discount information. A patron can follow Zappos on Instagram, which provides a visual connection with the products and trends. There are also other quick links to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the Zappos blog.

Let’s focus on their Facebook site and its effectiveness for a moment. We can see that all roads intertwine. No matter what outlet you visit there is always the opposing connection. Zappos specifically asks their customers to be a “like-like” relationship. First you are asked to like their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/zappos, and then it leads to adding your email to their bulk mailings and circles to other outlets, so forth. This is an effective way to make sure that customers are getting notification through as many outlets as they favor. US & World News Reporter, Kimberly Palmer describes the Chief Executive Tony Hsieh as an “avid Twitterer” (Palmer, 2010).

They also employ a tactic that provides a specific set of content only after a patron becomes a fan. It seems or becomes exclusive for those who enter or sometimes share. A requested comments section lets a customer share their opinions about products they’ve seen or purchased, which become unpaid advertisement. Also, they focus on making a customer the spotlight each week calling it “fan of the week” which encourages further connection and assures the patrons that the customer is primary.

In the nature of improvement I could suggest that Zappos move into a video media platform as well. An idea that I like but am not sure exists is a widget where customers could leave live testimonials. A customer could log in and post a video to be reviewed by the company and the company could in turn post it to one of their media platforms. People like to see the body language in a testimonial; in times it speaks more truth than the words. It also shows that everyday Americans are enjoying the conveniences of ordering from their homes with success.

Palmer, K. (2010). The Secrets to Zappos’ Success. US News and World Report. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/articles/2010/08/10/the-secrets-to-zappos-success

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