64% of American adults now own a smartphone of some kind and 75% are accessing Social Media with their phones (Pew Research Center)
To keep up with the growing mobile usage, Facebook has been making changes to the platform in order to be more Mobile-Friendly for its users.
People have shifted to mobile. It’s the fastest adoption of a communication technology in history, and it’s changing how we connect with each other and discover new things. (Facebook for Business)
In a recent study, Facebook found that nearly half of the people use Facebook to “actively look for products, with a majority discovering new products in the News Feed, Pages, and Groups.” (Facebook for Business)
Earlier this week Facebook announced some new opportunities for advertisers to enable “seamless shopping” on the platform.
Easily Browse Ads
Previously when users clicked on an ad in the News Feed they were directed to a mobile website, these sites often took a while to load and not optimized. This increases the possibility that people will abandon the link.
Facebook began testing a new ad experience called Canvas. Canvas will provide a fast-loading, full-screen experience that will allow users to browse a variety of products before they are taken to the retailer’s website.
Easier Mobile Purchases
The call-to-action “Buy” button was introduced earlier this year and gives retailers a way to drive sales with users. People on a desktop or a mobile device can simply click the “Buy” button in the ads and purchase items without leaving Facebook.
Mobile Storefront
People are turning more to Business Pages to learn more about businesses, products and services. Because of this, Facebook has been adding more ways for Page owners to showcase products. They recently announced the Shop Section. This allows businesses to link to their retail website or allow Facebook users to purchase items direction on the Business Page.
Shopping Favorites
Most Facebook users are discovering new products in many different areas on Facebook including their News Feeds, Business Pages or in Groups. Facebook will soon begin testing a designated place that people can “easily discover, share and purchase products.” (Facebook for Business)
Beginning with a limited number of US businesses who are also testing the Shop section, their products will also appear in this special section.