Ecommerce sites should be focusing their attention on utilising social networks, the author of a new report has suggested.

Jeffrey Grau, who has written Social Commerce on Facebook, Twitter and Retail Sites, stated that online retailers should pay attention to the fact that an increasing number of web users are spending time on such web pages, eMarketer reports. Mr Grau, who is also a senior analyst at the news source, noted that transactions made over social media platforms are still in an "early stage", adding that ecommerce through social networks needs to be developed further.

"People are spending more time on social networks and are able to conduct more of their regular activities on these platforms. Ecommerce on social networks has barely tapped that potential," he was quoted as saying. Citing recent figures from Internet Retailer that showed 56.8 per cent of online retailers in the US maintain a presence on Facebook, Mr Grau noted that "forward-thinking" sites are looking to increase their activity on such portals in an effort to sell goods at the internet-based places where customers spend most of their time.

The Interactive Media in Retail Group recently noted that online shops based in the UK are becoming increasingly popular with overseas customers.