Facebook Adds A New Shopping Discovery Tool

With only a couple of months to go before Xmas, Facebook is gearing up to please major e-commerce websites. Today, the social network is adding a bunch of new shopping tools that promise to boost e-commerce on the platform.

Also Read: The Net Set – The First Social Shopping Network

Forget the “Buy” button that you can see on other social platforms, this time Facebook is bringing in the heavy artillery to please the big e-commerce players. And it is all about mobile, of course.

Facebook may have started with the idea of connecting with friends and families, but nowadays it has become a platform where we actually spend more time interacting with products and brands. In fact, a recent survey by Facebook suggested that nearly half of users come to Facebook to actively look for products.

Nowadays, nearly half of users come to #Facebook to actively look for products.

Click To Tweet

If you like our stories, there is an easy way to stay updated:
Follow @wersm

So now Facebook is bringing in more native features that are going to make it easy for users to take the next step and buy those products directly from its interface. Carousel Ads have been a huge success for retailers, with some reporting up to 50% lower cost-per-conversion and higher click-through rates than other online advertising solutions.

Do More On Facebook Before Heading To A Retailer’s Website

Facebook is really good at advertising. We know that. Thanks to all the data it gathers about it users, Facebook is able to target audiences like no other platform. But often, ads redirect to third-party websites that are not always optimised for mobile browsing, and this is when most people drop off.

That’s why Facebook has been testing Canvas, a new ad experience that helps businesses drive any advertising objective without having to redirect to their own sites straight away.

[quote]After clicking on an ad, users will get a fast-loading, full-screen experience where users can browse through a variety of products, before going to the retailer’s website to purchase them.[/quote]

But the most important new feature of all, is the new “Shopping” section within Facebook’s mobile app.

A Single Place For Product Discovery And Distribution

On Facebook, we see products we like, everywhere: In the Newsfeed, on Pages, and even in Facebook Groups. And it can sometimes be overwhelming.

The new #shopping section regroups all the products you might have come across on #Facebook.

Click To Tweet

If you like our stories, there is an easy way to stay updated:
Follow @wersm

So over the next few weeks, Facebook will be testing a new dedicated “shopping” section that will regroup all the products you might have come across during browsing and that you may wish to buy. Of course, because Facebook knows so much about each and everyone of us, the products you will find in that shopping section will very likely be the ones you would want the most.

This new section will be tested among a limited amount of users for now. So don’t get all panicky if you cannot find it on your Facebook tomorrow. You might just have to do your Xmas shopping the traditional way again this year.