Facebook Messenger app is more than CHAT BOX with Business on Messenger

The social networking giant is looking to turn its messenger app into a shopping app by allowing users to shop through it. Facebook is bringing in this change via a newly designed service called Business on Messenger (BoM). However, will consumers find the mix of social networking and retail useful? Only time can answer this question.

Facebook announced this plan at its F8 conference on Wednesday. This plan, when executed, will turn customer service and shopping into a complete text-driven experience based on Facebook’s messaging function.

Individuals placing orders through retailers using BoM will receive order updates and confirmation in a single thread of the messenger instead of receiving several emails separately. To put it more bluntly, when using this new Facebook service, you will have all your order details arranged in form of an archived timeline; the timeline will contain details of every step of the shopping process including the discussions you had with customer care executives.

Facebook-Messenger-App

This change will convert the standard shopping procedure involving three primary steps of selecting, checking out and paying into a detailed conversation. Like the regular Facebook chats with friends, these shopping chats can also be resumed by either parties whenever required.

One big question that must be bothering both Facebook and potential shoppers at this moment is whether enough stores will show interest in this new service. We will have to wait for some time to get an answer; so far, Facebook has managed to get just a couple of retailers onboard.

Whenever a new technology is unveiled, a range of questions rises in the minds of the users. Usually, they begin by asking whether the technology is reliable enough. They will surely ask this question even when it comes to a technology launched by a big name like Facebook; more so because in the past Facebook has caused serious problems for users with its privacy settings.

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There are also possibilities that shoppers find it uncomfortable to shift to a comparatively complex online shopping process form the smooth and simple procedure they have been using to make online purchases for the past few years. So, Facebook’s primary challenge will be making the system user-friendly.

About the author

Nitin Agarwal

Nitin has a background in Electrical Engineering and is passionate about the Internet of Things. He covers how connected devices like smart homes, wearables, and industrial IoT are changing our daily lives. Nitin is also a DIY enthusiast and loves to build IoT gadgets.