Online:
Visits:
Stories:

By SiteProNews (Reporter)
Contributor profile | More stories

Story Views
Now:
Last Hour:
Last 24 Hours:
Total:

Instagram Launches Shopping Tags Enabling Users to Buy From Photos

Tuesday, November 1, 2016 12:18

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.

Instagram has found a way to make the ads on its site useful rather than bothersome.

The social media site announced it will begin testing a new shopping experience next week that will not only permit users to learn more about products seen in ad images but also direct them to the company’s website to make a purchase.

“Most mobile shopping experiences today take people from the shop window right to check out—without giving consumers the opportunity to consider a product and get more information,” reads an Instagram blog post. “However, in an internal survey, we learned that the vast majority of purchases take a day or longer, with only 21 percent of purchases made within a day. Knowing that Instagrammers are open to discovery on the platform, and that people take time to better understand the products they’re interested in, this test gives our community valuable steps along their shopping journey before they make a purchase.”

Twenty American retailers — including Kate Spade, JackThreads and Warby Parker — will share posts with “more depth,” so users can easily review, learn about and consider the items that catch their interest. Posts that are part of the test will have a ‘tap to view’ icon on the bottom left corner. Once tapped, a tag will appear on various products in the post and as many as five products and their prices will be displayed. Once a tag has been chosen, a new detailed view of the product will open complete with important product information. If the consumer taps the Shop Now link he or she will go directly to that product on the business’ website.

Initially, the new shopping experience will be available only to a small group of iOS device users within the U.S. “As we roll out further, we’ll explore product recommendations, ways products are showcased to shoppers, global expansion and the ability to save content so Instagrammers can take an action later,” the post reads. “We want to understand how to deliver the most seamless shopping experience for consumers and businesses on Instagram, and ultimately mobile.”