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Facebook has already started testing its online store feature. The company does not intend to make the results available right away though it is known that it was a small scaled test involving less than 100 companies.
Facebook has recently announced its intention of bringing its colossal weight to bear in the market of online shopping. This test shows they are quite serious about this. The experiment was focused on the use of Buy buttons found on the pages of the yet to be named companies.
It is not yet know if Facebook is going to be the actual platform that will host the transactions themselves, though they announced the intention for people to be able to make purchases without having to leave the site at all. The products themselves are planned to be displayed in a special shop section of a trader’s page.
It is likely that the payment will be made using the money transfer capabilities of Facebook’s Messenger system, though it might have additional security features. They are also reportedly plans for an easy to use assistant that will aid people in making their purchases using this system.
Countless companies were already using the social media giant to market their products and this feature might simplify the process for both the customer and the seller. The site’s move seems to be a logical one due to the massive user-base it possesses.
In order to encourage the transition to their shopping features there will not be any commissions charged by Facebook on transactions. This might change down the line after the system is properly established. It is also unknown how this will interact with their existing add based system, though they will probably co-exist.
The company has a realistic chance of success with this idea, though some have pointed that only a small percentage of users would be interested in making purchases directly on the site. There are also worries that the social aspects will be neglected by the shift to online commerce.
Facebook is entering a titans’ market but it is quite clear it has the potential to compete with companies like Google. But only time can tell if users will transition to the shopping pages or remained focused on viewing albums and chatting with friends.
Nevertheless, Facebook has also announced that it will soon begin a second round of tests and hopefully more data will become available by then.
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