Facebook Pumps Up Appeal Of Marketplace At F8

The Facebook Marketplace is growing up.

News from the social media’s F8 conference on Tuesday (April 30) said Facebook will soon let Marketplace sellers “ship items anywhere in the continental U.S., while (consumers will) be able to pay for purchases directly through the platform. As such, sellers who are happy to ship their goods will be able to cater to customers on the other side of the country. Buyers, meanwhile, should have access to a broader selection of items and perhaps some peace of mind through purchase protection for eligible items.”

That is only the latest addition and upgrade to Marketplace as Facebook tries to become a bigger player in eCommerce, with enhancements being powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Late last year, for instance – on the two-year anniversary of Marketplace – the social media network operator rolled out price range suggestions and auto-categorization features to make it easier to sell things.

Marketplace was certainly not the only area of focus at F8 on Tuesday.

The social media platform, in the words of another report, “unveiled a redesigned app and rolled out its dating feature to 14 more countries as it tries to boost user engagement on its social network. The revamped app makes it easier for users to engage with groups of people who share similar interests.”

Facebook-owned Instagram also will see changes, according to Facebook at F8. According to one account from the conference, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said “the company’s popular photo- and video-sharing app, with more than one billion users, is getting three major enhancements: curated product collections, donation stickers and a revamped camera interface.”

WhatsApp is also getting a few feature, according to another report: “Facebook took the wraps off of Product Catalog, which will allow users to see what’s available from businesses participating in WhatsApp Business when the feature rolls out later this year.”