Facebook Launches New Marketplace for Buyers and Sellers (Watch)

Facebook is launching a new marketplace tool to help people buy and sell items directly on Facebook’s mobile apps. The feature doesn’t provide assistance with things like payments or deliveries. So it’s not a full-featured eCommerce platform. But it does provide an interesting opportunity for product buyers and sellers.

Since Facebook is already such a popular platform for consumers, it would make sense for them to shop there too. In addition, Facebook already has a messaging platform in place, along with personal profiles that can offer buyers a sense of security if they have to meet with someone to complete a purchase.

Facebook’s Marketplace is probably not something you want to use to facilitate the majority of your small business’s sales, since it doesn’t have a lot of the features necessary to provide an efficient experience. But there is something to be said for meeting customers where they are.

You Won’t Get Found Online If You’re Not There

The more that people have to go out of their way to shop with you, the less likely you are to make any sales. So if you can provide products or at least some information about products on sites or platforms where you know your customers already spend time, whether that’s Facebook or elsewhere, it could provide a big benefit in the long.

Image: Facebook