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This article was published on August 13, 2015

Salesforce turns customer support forums into shops, with a new Buy button


Salesforce turns customer support forums into shops, with a new Buy button

Cloud software giant Salesforce is adding a new feature that will allow users of its Community Cloud to add their own Buy buttons.

Joining the likes of Facebook, Google, Twitter and Pinterest, Salesforce is part of a growing list of companies that recently announced the introduction of Buy buttons.

Its Community Cloud platform is for businesses to build websites that customers and the company can interact on. The idea with this new feature is that companies using the platform can add the new e-commerce feature to customer support sites and forums as a way to entice a sale on the spot instead of redirecting someone.

For example, if you were looking up how to fix your coffee machine, you might see a suggestion to buy a new one directly on the help forum instead, which is probably the easier option.

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The new feature also extends to services, allowing people to directly ‘sell’ their expertise online as well.

Salesforce is currently working with e-commerce companies Bigcommerce, CloudCraze and Demandware on the initiative.

It is currently being tested by TripAdvisor, Neil Young’s PonoMusic and the Deloitte Digital Hub. The company says it’s aiming to make the feature available openly in early 2016.

➤ Salesforce Launches Buy Button for Community Cloud, Transforming Every Community into a Place of Business [PR Newswire]

Read next: Salesforce buys smart calendar, Tempo

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