Businesses can now include a direct 'call-to-action' button on their Facebook pages, which will appear to the left of the Like button.
Yesterday, the social networking giant began rolling out this new feature, which it's touting as "a new way for people to interact with businesses." With a single click, Facebook users will be able to book a reservation, play a game, sign up for subscription services, or shop online among other options.
"Businesses like yours now have a better way to get people to their websites," the company wrote in a blog post announcing the new feature, adding that its inclusion will "help your audience clearly understand the action you want them to take after seeing the ad." (There are currently seven distinct call-to-action options: Book Now, Contact Us, Use App, Play Game, Shop Now, Sign Up, and Watch Video.)
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The Dollar Shave Club, a retailer that delivers shaving supplies by mail, tested the feature in a three-week trial run, and (in a blog post on Facebook, naturally) gave it a glowing review: "The Sign Up call-to-action button delivered a 2.5X higher conversation rate versus other comparable social placements aimed to drive new user acquisition," wrote Brian Kim, the company's director of acquisition.
For businesses, this new feature is a welcome improvement, allowing users to more seamlessly do whatever the selected call-to-action button specifies.
And of course, there's something in it for Facebook, too. As The Wall Street Journal notes, the call-to-action button allows the social network to easily track how users interact with businesses outside its platform -- i.e. how they spend their time and more importantly, their money.
Facebook's call-to-action began rolling out yesterday, and will appear in the U.S. over the next few weeks before going international next year.
Related: Twitter Unveils New Ecommerce Feature
Laura Entis
Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.
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