"Trust" is likely the most defining factor when it comes to selling products online. Consumers will not purchase products from a merchant that they mistrust.

Social media can help overcome a consumer's reluctance to purchase products due to lack of trust. It can foster interaction between an ecommerce site and its customers. It can facilitate customer reviews, feedback ratings, and shopping experiences. Consumers can tell the world whether they "Like" a merchant, or a product. And merchants can share details of themselves, such their names, faces, outside interests, and provide easy methods for consumers to communicate with them.

Taking these factors into consideration, I'll compare some of the popular ecommerce portals and see how w...