ShopSocially adds dimension to the way most people shop. The internet has become an excellent resource when searching for customer reviews and ratings as well as information on new products. ShopSocially takes that fact and makes it more personal and honest by providing a platform that allows users to help each other shop. Friends can request information from other friends about past purchases and share information on their own recent purchases. While doing so, users earn badges for their activity on ShopSocially. The concept behind ShopSocially was born out of two main observations. The first is that most people have a tendency to check with friends and family members who have bought an item they are interested in purchasing. For most people, this is viewed as the single most honest way to get a reliable review about a product. The other observation was that most people enjoy sharing their experience after buying a product. This exchange of shopping information can provide the most detailed and honest overview of available products to help a consumer get more value for their money in a way that is fun and engaging. There are many review websites and retailers online however ShopSocially is none of those. It is a social networking website centered on shopping. The information gathered by users comes straight from other users that they know. By relying on actual people a consumer is familiar with, the reviews and recommendations stay neutral and unbiased. There is never a concern about the honesty of the information provided. Users can get more involved by sharing information about their purchases and reading the reactions of their friends. With a cheerful green and orange color scheme, ShopSocially welcomes people in a friendly manner. The fun, stylized graphics help share insight into how ShopSocially works. The layout is neatly spaced and easy to navigate, even for the first time user. A search bar is available right on the homepage so users can get started looking for specific brands or products. Signing up for ShopSocially is very easy. Users simply click the blue Facebook account button at the top right hand corner of the page. The registration process works through Facebook, linking both profiles. Unfortunately, ShopSocially requires a Facebook account to register. Those without may have to create one to use the application. ShopSocially is still in its beta stage, so this may change in the future. For now, a Facebook account is required for registration. Shopping can get expensive, and ShopSocially encourages its users to spend their hard earned money where it counts: on the products they want rather than on a subscription to the site. There is currently no registration fee or monthly membership fee to use ShopSocially. It is entirely free and no premium account currently exists. This makes it easy to ask friends and family members to sign up as well so users can share their purchase information with those that they know. Anyone who loves social networking and making purchases could get into using ShopSocially regularly. Even those who only make purchases on occasion can utilize the ShopSocially community to help make good choices. Those who choose to use the site often can earn status through badges and ranks earned by performing certain activities on ShopSocially.

• Ask friends shopping questions about specific items and brands
• Request recommendations for the best models and brands of an item they plan to purchase
• Share details about a recent purchase and read about other’s reactions
• Link ShopSocially to Facebook for easier sharing
• Earn Shopping God status through activity on the site
• Review recently commented on items as well as most commented, most liked and featured merchandise

http://shopsocial.ly/