During the last few years, e-commerce has been on a great journey. In the early days, brands sold their products to subscribers. Then came affiliate marketing, where potential customers are directed from publications to external shopping destinations, a process that has become more refined and accurate over time. The latest adaptation of this evolutionary chain is known as “embedded” e-commerce, where users can access goods directly from the publications they read, rather than being routed to an external supplier.

For publishers who have a strong brand, the possibility of profit that this variant presents is much greater compared to previous solutions, as it allows the offers to be controlled and oriented to generate monetization on their own. In addition, as an “extra”, precious operations data is retained and can, after analysis, help refine future marketing strategies.

The first goal here is that the content of the page is usually contextually aligned with the item in question - which can be acquired, instantly, through a single click, without the distraction caused by the redirection of the consumer to a third-party site, significantly increasing the conversion rate. The fact is that, as the reader is already immersed in what he is reading, the ability to provide an article inherent to the subject makes the sale much easier.

Another advantage that publishers have, in relation to virtual stores, is the existence of organic traffic that returns weekly or, in some cases, even daily. This constant traffic of potential buyers also opens the door to the implementation of a loyalty system, which includes promotions and exclusive products for subscribers, creating additional value to the content.

Despite all the explicit advantages, it is regrettable that most publishers are not using the full power of the brands they created and established in the internet environment - probably due to lack of knowledge, encouragement or adequate guidance. This makes them “down the drain” a potential source of monetization, as embedded e-commerce, without a doubt, is one more step towards closing the gap between demand and supply.