Street Fight Daily: Facebook and Google Embrace ‘Buy’ Buttons

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…

Facebook Will Soon Add a ‘Buy’ Button So You Can Shop From Facebook (Business Insider)
Although Facebook’s just testing its so-called “shop section,” the move makes sense, given its recent introduction of peer-to-peer payments capabilities, new ways to let stores communicate with people via messages, and its increasing dedication to keeping people within the Facebook ecosystem as much as possible.

Google Starts Testing Buy Button (Mashable)
Purchases will appear as a “Buy on Google” or “Checkout” button with some items. If a mobile user clicks on that button, which will usually appear below the search result item, they’ll end up in a retailer-branded site where they can purchase the product. The site and purchase process will be hosted by Google, while the retailer will maintain the transaction connection to the customer.

2015 ‘Michele’s List’ Shows Strengths — And Weaknesses — of ‘Indie’ News Sites (Street Fight)
Tom Grubisich: There are encouraging and even bullish numbers in the performance of independent community news sites as reported in the 2015 “Michele’s List” survey. But other numbers indicate that “indies” are having a difficult time generating enough revenue to ensure stability.

20 Years of Amazon: 20 Years of Major Disruptions (USA Today)
In its 20 years, Amazon has been at the forefront of innovation, changing the way we shop, buy, read and live. Here are some of the major lifestyle disruptions that Amazon and its products have led.

Why Uber Is Buying Map Companies (The Next Web)
Fundamentally, Uber is a localized logistics company on a massive global scale. As such, it faces the same challenges that air traffic controllers and FedEx confront each day: how do you move people and things quickly, efficiently, safely, and effectively?

Local Tech Businesses Diversify to Serve a Wider Range of SMB Needs — But Do They Really Know Their Customers? (Street Fight)
Mo Yehia: GoDaddy, First Data, Square, Groupon, and Yelp have between them acquired 60+ companies in recent memory. The once one-dimensional category leaders in web hosting, payments, deals, and reviews are now barely recognizable. These companies fought to stay relevant, adding new products that span the gamut from apps to analytics and capital to commerce. But why?

Local-Business Searchers Welcome Mobile to the Neighborhood (eMarketer)
According to polling conducted in April, 38% of mobile users said they were impressed when they found a local business with a website designed for mobile; 25% said the same in 2013. One-third of respondents said all local businesses should have websites designed for mobile.

MyNeighbor Lends Services To Residents (Capitol Hill Times)
Seattle-based MyNeighbor is a mobile app designed to facilitate the borrowing and lending of goods and services between neighbors. MyNeighbor found that the primary reason people don’t borrow or lend is because they don’t know what their neighbors need or would be willing to lend; the app is designed to promote those connections.

Target Goes for Local Cool (Wall Street Journal)
In a program dubbed “Local Pride by Todd Snyder”, set to roll out in 15 Boston Target stores next week, designer Todd Snyder has created a collection of T-shirts and other products that play off uniquely local proclivities. (Subscription required.)

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