Facebook has announced new e-commerce features within its app and on Instagram. Following the launch of Facebook Shops in May where users can browse products from their favourite brands and creators, Facebook is bringing a similar feature to its app. Facebook has just rolled out a new tab in its main app called Facebook Shop. Similarly to Instagram Shop, which launched in July, users can find various products from different businesses. The new feature is being tested in the US.
In the coming weeks, Facebook said it is making it available to any eligible business and will be adding customisation features, messaging and new insights to help businesses measure results. New tools will be available for businesses running Facebook Shops, which will include new design layouts, the ability to automatically create Shops if you’re a new seller and new data in Commerce Manager.
Expanding Instagram checkout
In addition, Instagram has said that all sellers in the US will be able to use the Instagram checkout feature in the coming weeks, managed through Facebook’s Commerce Manager or partner platforms Shopify and BigCommerce. Instagram will waive its selling fee for checkout for the rest of the year due to the current economic climate. Checkout is a feature that helps people shop inside Instagram or Facebook without leaving the app and remembers payment information so you don’t have to enter it again.
The company has also been testing a live shopping experience that allows businesses to provide personalised assistance so people can make more informed decisions about their purchases and businesses can easily show off products from their shop in a live video.
A new messaging button on Shops makes it easy for people to message businesses through Messenger, WhatsApp or Instagram Direct. Customers can view products within the chat. Instagram said it is testing this feature on Messenger and Instagram Direct currently and will begin testing on WhatsApp shortly.
Instagram Live Shopping is now available to all businesses and creators using checkout in the US.
