Facebook Marketplace Lets You Sell Locally – Challenges

As of the second quarter of 2016, Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) had 1.71 billion monthly active users. It could be selling everything under the sun by the time the company finishes monetizing its site. The second version of Marketplace, which was first released in 2007, is the new venture. The Marketplace is only available on mobile this time around, which will go a long way in Facebook’s push to boost mobile engagement from the 50-minute average it currently enjoys.

Marketplace 1.0

Facebook had a mere 50 million users when the first Marketplace was launched, and Craigslist, eBay, and others had the secondhand market pretty much sewn up. However, before eventually shutting it down in 2014, the company did not give up on the website, adding Oodle and other investments.

According to the company, the Marketplace was later turned into For Sale Groups in February 2015, and 450 million users buy and sell items on the site.

Marketplace 2.0

The success of For Sales Group and Facebook needs to increase mobile interaction and new monetization opportunities; all the roles played in the new Marketplace, which receives a lot of attention from the company. Facebook can expand globally and add a desktop edition if everything goes according to plan, with the ultimate goal of monetizing the website.

After we’re sure we’ve built up a great product experience for customers, we’re going to look at adding companies if it makes sense, according to Marketplace product manager Bowen Pan, “and after that, we’re going to look at how we could potentially monetize the surface,” as TechCrunch’s Josh Constine informed them.

How to Use Facebook Marketplace

Tap the shop icon at the bottom of the Facebook app to enter the Marketplace, and you can start searching for items you want to purchase or post an item for sale.

As Marketplace opens, with a Browse to Buy feature that filters feed of products you can purchase from groups or communities you belong to, it shows you listed items near you. You can filter the search by location, category, and price if you don’t see something you want. You tap the picture to get additional information from the seller when you find what you want, which includes the name and profile photo and the general location.

Posting an Item for Sale

All you have to do is take a snapshot of it and add it from your camera roll if you want to sell anything at the Marketplace. Name and define the item you would like to sell, and set the price. You then confirm your position and pick a category so that it can be identified and shared easily.

The Platform Products section keeps track of current and past purchases so that you can access saved items and everything you have submitted for sale and buyer messages.

Comparison to Craigslist and eBay

On Monday, eBay stock was sent lower by the announcement of Marketplace, and most media have highlighted the possible threat to Craigslist, the perennial peer-to-peer shopping site. But comparing Facebook with anyone else is very unfair since no one has 1,71 billion users.

Facebook will take the time to develop this platform before it becomes the go-to source for peer-to-peer shopping; to make it possible, it has the resources and infrastructure. And when it does, there are going to be very few businesses that can compete.

The Marketplace can provide shoppers with peace of mind and a sense of security that they can not get anywhere, notably Craigslist, by integrating the seller’s details with their Facebook profile.

The Case for the Small Business Owner

In this section, Facebook has a lot of rivalries. eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, Amazon, Alibaba, Oodle Marketplace, Bonanza, Sell.com, eBay Classifieds, eBid, and Rakuten are just some of the businesses against which it will be heading.

These are all places small companies have used to market their goods and services at one point or another. You’ll always be able to do the same with Marketplace, but better results can be given by the opportunities to use Facebook’s marketing solutions. Since the Marketplace is only in beta, it is still too early to comment about the possibilities, but the future looks promising once it is open to everyone.

Availability

If you’re over 18 and live in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, you’re in luck because you can buy and sell goods using Marketplace on your iPhone or Android smartphone. The company said it would continue to grow to more countries and platforms, including a desktop edition in the coming months. It is completely free as far as pricing is concerned.

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