E-Commerce and Facebook Messenger: A Match Made in Heaven for Retailers

Businesses will soon be able to sell their merchandise using easy steps on Facebook Messenger.

The clever application is called “Businesses on Messenger,” and the concept is beautifully straightforward: customers will be able to order the desired product through instant messaging. This could mean that once the platform is ready to go, Facebook will join the club of other successful shopping portals like Amazon.com and Ebay.com.

• Shopping will be made easier thanks to “Businesses on Messenger”
• Two retailer partners so far
• Paypal-like platform to be implemented as well

According to US gambling news, the new application will have the means to host thousands of retailers; virtually there will be no boundaries to their number. Since everyone uses Facebook on a daily basis, people will also be more prone to become customers via the social network site. Moreover, an immense amount of shops available in one place is a force to be reckoned with.

Shopping applications are downloaded and soon fade into oblivion

The problem with most shopping apps (unlike mobile betting apps,) is that people download them, maybe use them a couple of times, and then they slip our minds. However, with every function and retailer collected into one bunch, customers will be more likely to use the platform. For the time being, there are only two partners that are experimenting with the new app.

Zulily marketing vice president told Forbes, “We’re excited to be one of the first retailers to partner with Facebook to utilize Messenger as a platform to communicate with our customers.” Ex-Paypal President, current Messenger executive David Marcus denounced the fact that each time somebody buys something, it leads to an army of confirmation e-mails and clicks, something that would here be eliminated.

Ordering a shirt has never been easier

David Marcus even made a demonstration of how easy it really is to place an order via the Messenger app. He ordered from Everlane, Facebook’s second partner, and got the confirmation instantly on the Messenger surface. He even went as far as to make some modifications to his order, all in the same place. The time it took was much less than if he had to do all of this via e-mail.

Facebook also plans to implement a surface much like Paypal. The main idea of the procedure is that people will be able to send money within Messenger to their friends and family. Facebook Messenger users will just connect their accounts with a debit card and then transfer money without fees. Knowing that there are 500 million active Messenger users, Facebook expects the function to become extremely popular.

Shipping, deciphered

Another great feature of “Businesses on Messenger” will be the vast degree of customer support: people will be able to connect with and talk to sales representatives to figure out delivery times and fees. Parcel tracking will also be done using the application, this way, customers will not have to be redirected to a third website to see the status of their orders. Every step of the process will be much faster.

One thing that is a vital part of Facebook (and most websites,) is the presence of advertisements. Usually, the ads come up relating to our recent searches, but these are not localized. Online gambling sites in the US report that thanks to Facebook’s location settings, retailers will be able to send potential shoppers an array of offers that will be in the area where they live. This way, ads will be more personalized.

For the time being, the service will be free of charge

The other retailer partner presently working with “Businesses on Messenger,” is Everlane. Basically, Facebook would be the one giving support to online shops by providing them with a means to communicate with customers. Retailers will be in possession of all the control when it comes to the actual purchases and the execution of orders. Currently, Facebook will not be taking any fees for the service.

However, the process of implementation will not be as easy as if one walked into a luxury casino to place bets on their favourite numbers. The app is still being developed, and it could be ages before even the first two partners, (Zulily and Everlane) will gain full usage. In spite of the first few bumps in the road, “Businesses on Messenger” can be the first social-retailer service that shop owners and customers will adore.