Twitter tests button to allow for users to make online purchases

Wednesday, September 10, 2014 - 13:14 by Graham Miller

Twitter is undergoing some major changes at the moment, with executives attempting to implement ideas that will allow this major social networking site to actually make a profit. And one scheme which is being tested in the US involves a ‘buy now’ button attached to relevant tweets.

The idea is that advertisers and retailers will be able to embed the button directly into tweets and users who see it, and are interested in the product or service, can simply click to buy it via safe shopping online, according to the Telegraph.

Since this button is only being used as part of a trial, most people will not see it appearing in their timelines quite yet. But if it is rolled out further afield, the impact could be considerable.

Everything from t-shirts and electronics to digital music downloads are set to be marketed via this method. And, no doubt, there will be attempts by celebrities to use the service to help encourage people to purchase their latest releases.

Hopefully, the buy now button on Twitter will mean that even small businesses and individuals will be able to sell their wares via safe shopping online using a service that most people already trust. And as Twitter fights to raise the amount it makes from advertising, this seems like a route it will inevitably take.

Venerable social networking service, Facebook, has managed to make online ads work in its favour and is raking in the cash at the moment, so Twitter is clearly aware that it needs to pull the same trick. While long term users may be annoyed by the changes that this will involve, if they want their favourite social network to survive then they will have to grin and bear it.