Facebook News, Updates & Features: Social Networking Giant Set to Unveil New Shopping Feature

Facebook

Facebook is currently testing out two new features for the social networking site.

The new additions, Shopping and Services, are designed for businesses to advertise their products on Facebook, Mashable reported.

Facebook began testing the Shopping page earlier in July of this year. Once this officially rolls out, users will be able to make purchases from retailers directly, according to BuzzFeed.

For PC users, the Shopping feature will appear beside the Timeline, About and Photos tabs. Mobile device users, on the other hand, will be able to access it through a new section.

The second feature, dubbed as Services, caters to businesses that do not provide physical products. Instead, this is for those that provide various services such as plumbing, general repair and personal grooming.

"The new features for Pages reflect our belief that no matter if you're a plumbing company, a flower shop, a non-profit or a brand, your Page should house the information people are looking for, help you communicate with your customers, and support your unique goals," Facebook said in a press statement according to Mashable.

To make it easier for users to interact with the retailers and other businesses, Facebook will also launch new call-to-action options such as Send Message, Contact Us and Call Now. These buttons will appear on each business' page so users will be able to reach them more easily.

Aside from these, a Donate button will also be included in the pages of non-profit organizations.

On the retailers' side, page administrators will also be allowed to create and save a template of responses for questions commonly asked by users.

Currently, the new features are only in their testing phases and are only available to a handful of users. But Facebook noted that it is planning to fully release it soon and expand their other features within the next few days.

These new features will be made available to all Facebook users through a future update.

According to Benji Shomair, the director of product marketing for Facebook's Pages, the company decided to add the new features to accommodate the growing needs of users.

Since more and more people are beginning to shop online, the new Facebook features will let them connect with various kinds of businesses and retailers in a more practical manner.

"What we're seeing is an evolution in consumer behavior on our platform," the executive said according to Adweek. "As mobile has grown, they're interacting with more businesses too."