eCommerce expo follow-up

For anyone who was at BroadVision’s eCommerce expo presentation on eCommerce and Social Networking in London on 29th October, you might be interested in the sources of some of the information I quoted.

Apple registered a patent in April entitled Enhancing Online Shopping Atmosphere, in which they point out:

one drawback of online shopping is that the experience can feel sterile and isolating. Customers in such an environment may be less likely to have positive feelings about the online shopping experience, may be less inclined to engage in the online equivalent of window shopping (e.g., will not linger in front of a display), and may ultimately spend less money than their counterparts who shop in physical stores.

This is discussed in more detail on MacNN who ask whether this means Apple will open a store in Second Life. But I think it is just as applicable to social networks.

I mentioned that Facebook make $30 million a year from those stupid “virtual gifts” – more details from Inside Facebook from September.

And you can find the Ted Baker Facebook app I mentioned here.