Facebook Starts Testing On Shopping Feature

The social networking site Facebook  has announced that it is testing several and features that allow users to shop directly through its app.

Few users make purchases on mobile phones because it is slow and cumbersome, but by smoothing the process, Facebook hopes to win over more ad money. According to research firm eMarketer, Mobile purchases make up less than 2% of all retail sales.

Facebook is looking to give people an easier way to find products that will be interesting to them on mobile. It will make shopping easier and help businesses drive sales, said Facebook’s head of product marketing for commerce, Emma Rodgers.

The new features includes ads that take a user through a specific brand’s products. However by clicking over it, the user will not redirect to another site. For example, a user who clicks on an ad from a boutique could see an expanded page that displays numerous clothing items.

Businesses on Facebook will be able to display products directly on their own pages. Users will have a “buy now” button which will able them to purchase products directly on Facebook.

The 1.5-billion-member social network has also added a new section on its app that takes users directly to a shopping page. This page will have numerous brands from a select group of small businesses that will gradually expand.

Facebook is planning to ad huge money with this offering.