Facebook is taking window shopping to a whole new level! The e-commerce industry is booming with no plans of slowing down. Consumers are shopping from their laptops, tablets, and smart phones for household essentials, Christmas gifts, pet supplies and so much more! A recent survey revealed that over 85% of consumers shop online, but surprisingly only 2% of them are shopping from their smart phone. Facebook has plans to enhance their mobile app and increase their ad features so users can successfully and conveniently shop while browsing their own social media page.
Announced last week, Facebook is testing several new ad features that allow users to shop directly through its app. In an effort to not only move further into e-commerce and compete with Amazon, but to also gain more ad dollars, they hope to make the mobile shopping process much simpler. Consumers have stated that they choose to shop via their laptops over smart phones because of the difficult and long process it can be. “We’re looking to give people an easier way to find products that will be interesting to them on mobile, making shopping easier and help businesses drive sales,” said Emma Rodgers, Facebook’s head of product marketing for commerce.
The plans include features that take a user through a specific brand’s products without redirecting them to another site, as well as allowing businesses to display products for purchase directly on their own pages. Facebook will install a “buy now” button on these pages, with the help of Shopify, making it easy for consumers to see a product they like and purchase immediately.
With a 1.5 billion-member social network, Facebook anticipates an overwhelming response to their new features. This will certainly have a positive effect on the e-commerce industry, meaning many businesses will be looking to outsource their fulfilment needs or find a 3PL provider that can grow with their business. Just add another excuse to spend more time on your phone…Facebook shopping coming soon!
If you have questions regarding fulfillment and distribution of your products, contact TAGG today!