When the Twitter Buy Button launched in September 2014 with such well known brands, retailers and artists as Burberry, The Home Depot and Pharrell on board, a lot of people were convinced it would take off instantly. But five months later not a lot of uptake can be seen and even Twitter itself has taken a step back and downsized its focus to movie and concert ticket sales for the near future.
We’ve taken a long look at what might have gone wrong and areas that Twitter might be looking to improve. Below are some of the points of friction for the retailer and the consumer that we think lie at the center of the Twitter Buy Button’s current failure.
Fulfillment: Did you know Twitter must approve your fulfillment center? Not using Fancy or Gumroad? Then you’re not using Twitter Buy Button.
Payment Processing: Twitter says you can’t link with your current merchant account. They impose their fulfillment preferences on your business, which is limiting.
Fees: When you make a sale, Twitter, the fulfillment partner and credit card processor all have their hands out for their cut. This can drive up the cost of your social commerce efforts so much that it may no longer seem viable.
Viral Sharing: It’s a shame that clicks of the Buy button are not shared and purchases cannot be viewed by followers.
Security and Trust: With credit card breeches top of mind for consumers, it’s disappointing to know how accessible credit card data is in Twitter account settings.
Charge Mystery: Charges on a buyer’s credit card will list the processor’s name, NOT the merchant’s name, which can lead to confusion.
We’d like to hear from you, though. What do you think is attributing to Twitter Buy Button’s slow progress and can it be fixed?