Not too long ago, we launched a Facebook app on our Consumer page called Tag Team. Some of you may have tried it or have seen blog posts like the one from sites like Social Commerce Today. This app will help you find Dell products and accessories based on reviews from other customers and how they are using it. If you're already a Facebook member, click on the image below to go directly to the opening page:
Back when we invited customers to Dell for CAP Days, one of the clear requests we heard from customers regarding Dell.com is that we need to make it easier for them to find the system or accessories that will meet a specific set of needs.
Besides the request from CAP Days attendees, there's any number of studies that show most customers trust the opinions of their friends and family a heck of a lot more than what a company tells them. Here's one of my favorite Hugh McLeod cartoons which illustrates that point beautifully.
How do we make it easier for customer to find the system they need based on how they plan to use it and augment that with content that's written by our customers instead of us? The Tag Team app is our first attempt to bring those things together. We know a lot of our customers use Dell.com to research what kind of machine is right for them. That usually means starting with a product, browsing the product page, then digging into ratings and reviews from other customers. With Tag Team, you can start by thinking about how you will use the machine and find the reviews from customers who are using reviews for that same thing.
It allows you to search for system reviews from other customers via one tag (or several) that they chose in their reviews. In other words, the tag cloud and the reviews you see in the app are driven by the community, not by Dell. Whether you're looking for a laptop that's good for gaming or a desktop that's good for video editing, just click on those tags to get started to see what products have the best ratings. You can also sort by desktops, laptops or a combination of both. You can also sort by accessory types.
In the screenshot below, I chose the Gaming tag and filtered by All Desktops, Featured Reviews First. You can also sort reviews several ways: chronologically, helpfulness, high or low, etc.
From here, if I select the Studio XPS 7100, it brings me to that products deep dive page. From there, you can ask your friends, ask Dell, or go right to the Dell.com product page for that product.
Speaking of Dell.com, because the Tag Team app is tied to Ratings & Reviews on Dell.com, it pulls data directly from there. And that also means you can write a review of a Dell product or accessory without ever having to leave Facebook. Shortly after you submit your review in Facebook, it will appear on Dell.com for that product.
I'll use my review of the Studio XPS 7100 desktop that I purchased shortly after we introduced it as an example. Let's say after you've ordered a system and had some time to kick the tires on your new Dell. You can go back to the product deep dive page, and click on the Write a Review link. You'll see something like this:
From here, I filled out my personal info and submitted my review. Not too much later, my Studio XPS 7100 review I wrote in the Dell Tag Team Facebook app on Dell.com. The beginning stages of integration between Dell.com and social information.
You'll see more things like this coming from Dell soon. Personally, I can't wait. Two main reasons I'm excited about this: 1) It's community-driven in a way that help potential customers and 2) it represents another step toward making Dell.com more social, or blending e-commerce and community. More to come on this topic.
Feel free to try it out and let us know your thoughts.