Coming Soon…Easily Make E-Commerce Purchases From Within Facebook
On their quest to rule the web, Facebook is making it easier for consumers to stay within the app to make e-commerce purchases.
This past summer, Facebook officials confirmed news reports that they were in the midst of testing this capability among a small number of users and retail/e-commerce companies. So, how does this work?
Well, when it comes to the mobile app, the shopping feature will show up in a new shopping section on the page. On desktops, however, the shopping section will show up as a separate tab in the same area where you find Timeline, About, Photos and other tabs.
Online retailers will get the choice of deciding where they want the actual conversion to take place if a user wants to buy a product. They can either be directed to the company’s website, or the transaction can remain within the confines of the Facebook app.
When it comes to keeping transactions within the app, the customer experience won’t be much different from the checkout process that occurs with Facebook ads that implement the buy button feature.
Customer Shopping = Engagement? Facebook’s Motives Behind This Move
This move is perfectly timed with a seemingly industry-based shift by social platforms to increase engagement (and, of course, revenue) through native shopping experiences. For example, Pinterest rolled out buyable pins not so long ago, and Google recently announced it’d be testing out a buy button in its search results.
Facebook, of course, is not one to be outdone. That’s why in early 2015 the social giant added peer-to-peer payments in Messenger and rolled out a business version of the messaging app as well. Some reports also suggest that the network is in the midst of adding a shopping assistant feature into Messenger.
Will Facebook Make Money Off These In-App Conversions?
At this time, it doesn’t appear as though Facebook has any concrete plans to make money directly off shopping transactions. What this does, however, is push the company’s overarching goal of keeping users within its app for as long as possible.
How Can You Get On The Forefront Of This New Feature By Facebook?
Facebook’s popularity – alongside the popularity of other networks – has made it clear that social media has a significant role to play in the future of online retailing. With more than a billion users, Facebook is, for all intents and purposes, the Google of the social world, which is why it’s worth investing time and energy into maximizing your retail strategy within the app.
OperationROI can help. Our expertise within Facebook positions us to assist our clients in developing a strategy to maximize their reach and impact from the social network giant. Learn more by contacting us at 1-888-277-5429, or by filling out our contact form.
