Facebook – is it About to Launch a Service Similar to Groupon?
Most people have by now heard of Groupon. But arguably even more people have heard of Facebook. Now it would appear that the latter company is planning to create something similar to Groupon for its own ends.
The idea will be tested initially in several locations in America. If it is successful it will be rolled out across more of the country and perhaps even the world. Several areas including Dallas and San Francisco will be targeted first, with Facebook providing deals from local companies on its site. For example, if you are in Dallas you might see promotions for Dallas-based businesses nearby when you log into your Facebook account.
It remains to be seen how popular the service will be. But it is certainly a good opportunity for Facebook to take advantage of having so many millions of users and to try and monetize that in some way.
According to news reports there will be several businesses offering their deals every day to begin with. But of course if these businesses succeed with the new idea this will be rolled out to more businesses in the future too.
Perhaps the biggest question is whether Facebook will be able to succeed in providing a positive experience for both the user and the business. Groupon has had several instances of bad press in recent months, so Facebook will undoubtedly want to avoid going down the same route. We shall be watching.
