Photo by Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash

You read that correctly. Facebook just recently launched their new feature in the US that allows user’s to order food through the social media website. You can use this feature on both on the website and in the app! They have partnered up with Delivery.com and Slice to be able to deliver food right to your doorstep; My initial reaction was indifference. There is already so many options in ordering food through a mobile app or through a website (i.e. Uber Eats, Amazon, GrubHub). Facebook seems to be following the trend for ease of service in the food industry, teaming up with popular services and participating restaurants.

Facebook is known for being the front runner in Social Media and they’re attempting to make the site more than it’s original intention. In 2016, they released the Marketplace feature which replicates Craigslist.com, a popular platform used to purchase and sell personal items. If you look at the left sub navigation menu, there is a long list of useful features that most people overlook such as the ‘Saved’ tab, ‘Payment History’, ‘Jobs’. The ‘Order Food’ feature is nested in the same list as those listed. Will this feature be as popular as others?

Since the feature was recently released, the participating restaurants and choice in types of food are lacking. Looking further into the option the user will find that Facebook uses a GPS feature which shows the user what restaurants are available to order from in your area. They can filter and advance search to specify what you’re looking for. The user can add locations, choose pick-up or delivery, set a price range, and check if a restaurant is open. On the feature’s page, you’ll notice the different types of cuisine offered to the left. It makes it easier for the user to search for the kind of foods they’re are craving if they cannot figure out what restaurant they want to order from.

If you’re curious about this tool, click here to try it for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/order_food/

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Page

Student Author - Fall 2017