Tag: Facebook

Facebook continues pushing into the e-commerce space

| August 19, 2015

Social media company hopes to find success with latest e-commerce initiative

Facebook is moving forward with its latest push into the e-commerce space. The social media company has had trouble in this sector before, as its previous e-commerce projects have proven to have little impact and failed to attract support from consumers. Facebook may have found a way to effectively engage consumers, however, with its new shopping feature that it has begun testing with a small number of merchants.

Merchants will be able to sell products directly through Facebook

With Facebook’s latest attempt to break into the e-commerce space, brands will be able to display their products on their Facebook page. Consumers will be able to find information about these products and make a purchase without having to leave the page itself, making digital shopping more convenient. This is not a new concept for Facebook, of course, as it first began inviting brands to use the social media site as their business gateway in 2009.

Company’s previous e-commerce endeavors have failed

e-commerce & facebookBy 2011, Facebook had convinced several large companies, including Nordstrom and GameStop, to open digital stores on the social media site. Through these stores, the brands would sell products, but consumers would be directed to a dedicated e-commerce site operated by the merchant they were purchasing products from. The initiative proved to be fruitless, however, as merchants saw no significant increase in sales or engagement. The companies participating in the initiative closed their digital stores on Facebook within a year.

Social media companies see great promise in the e-commerce space

Facebook is not the only social media company that is trying to find success in the e-commerce space. Twitter and Pinterest have also begun experimenting with “buy” buttons, with their focus leaning more toward mobile consumers interested in shopping online. Even search giant Google is focusing more heavily on the e-commerce space, giving merchants a way to sell products directly through display ads. These companies have, thus far, seen limited success in their endeavors, but they have high hopes for the e-commerce space, especially when it comes to the number of growing mobile shoppers.

Facebook is expanding the mobile Internet

| July 31, 2015

Project aims to bring Internet access to developing countries throughout the world

Facebook is working to expand mobile Internet access in developing countries. the Company has become involved with Internet.org, a project that works to make the Internet more accessible throughout the world. Over the past 12 months, the project has brought Internet access to more than 9 million people across 17 developing countries. These countries have limited Internet access due to the costs associated in running an expansive network. Facebook now intends to expand the mobile Internet through the project.

Facebook is adopting a greater focus on the mobile space

Facebook has a strong focus on the mobile space. The social media company has seen a dramatic rise in smartphone ownership throughout the world and many people are now beginning to use their devices to access the social network. Facebook now plans to offer free basic Internet service to mobile users in the 17 countries Internet.org has had an impact. Providing this service will allow more people to access the social network on their smartphones and other mobile devices.

Providing free Internet access could be a good customer acquisition tool

Mobile Internet - FacebookChris Daniels, vice president of product for Internet.org, notes that the initiative is a customer acquisition tool. The initiative will provide mobile operators with the ability to provide consumers with a small amount of free data in the hopes that these people will be converted to paying subscribers in the near future. According to Facebook, the project has lead to a 50% increase in customer base for mobile network operators.

Expansion of mobile Internet may bring mobile commerce into the forefront

Facebook’s efforts may also lead to the expansion of mobile commerce. As many people are beginning to rely more heavily on using their smartphones to shop, they are using social networks in order to find out more information about products they are interested in. As the mobile Internet continues to expand, consumers are likely to use their access to shop online. Facebook has already begun investing in the mobile commerce space, hoping to provide consumers with the services that can help them shop online.