Online buy and sell has never been more exciting, with the launch of Gocart, a new app that brings a social element to Internet shopping.
The concept behind Gocart is as simple as it is innovative. Like many buy and sell websites, the app is a platform for users to post buy and sell ads. It enables users to buy and sell virtually anything, from clothing, to gadgets, food, rentals. What makes Gocart different, however, is that it is targeted to both your social network and location. This way, the interactions are more personal, and vendors you buy from are your friends, people that your friends trust, or people nearby.
Using the app is pretty much basic instinct for anyone with a social media account. If you can use Facebook – and these days, virtually everyone can – you’ll be able to use Gocart with ease. Imagine something as mundane and commonplace as your News Feed but focused on buy and sell.
Signing up on the app is done through Facebook, so your friends on the network who are Gocart users will be auto-followed upon sign up. Through the app, you can post four types of ads: For Sale, Looking For, Promos and Events, and For Rent. The ads you post will then appear on your followers’ feeds. At the same time, you’ll be able to see posts of people you follow. Users can ‘bump’ the ad – an action that is pretty much the same as ‘liking’ – giving the ad more exposure on people’s feeds. An ad with numerous bumps can also make it to the ‘trending’ page, giving it an even wider reach.
Just like other social networks, users also have the option to add hashtags to the ad, making it discoverable to people who are not part of their network. The feed can be toggled between posts nearby and from people followed by the user – making it even easier to find the best and most convenient deals. Posts can also be filtered by type and radius – so you can easily narrow down the ads you see on your feed depending on what you are looking for. Of course, there’s also a good old search bar, which lets you search users, posts, and tags, so you can find exactly what you need even if it doesn’t turn up on your feed.
A nifty chat feature gives users the opportunity to chat to vendors, ask questions about the product, and figure out which payment method works best for both parties.
The app is set to revolutionize online shopping, not only through its mobile-first strategy which is perfect for todays’ always-on-the-go netizens, but also through its easy sign-up and accessibility, which levels the playing field for entrepreneurs who are just starting out.
Gocart is the brainchild of three Filipinos studying and working in the United States. One of the founders, Albert Litton is something of an online buy and sell savant, having frequented buy and sell websites since he was in high school. One of the problems he observed while using those websites is the difficulty in trusting vendors, because on those sites, they are virtually strangers. His solution? Make buy and sell social by integrating the familiar format of the social networks people know and love. This way, trust issues are eliminated, and the entire experience becomes on the whole more efficient – and fun.
A business major at the University of Southern California, Albert met Mico Abrina, a computer engineering major and programming wunderkind (he started programming at age 12), at a Filipino club at the university. Albert pitched his idea to Mico who was instantly sold on it. In need of one more developer on the team, they asked Albert’s friend, Edgar Mamerto, who brought to the team his experience in project management for a Los Angeles-based tech startup in the online dating and social networking industry.
Balancing their university commitments (and in Ed’s case, his day job), the team pulled off all-nighters in their apartments after work and school, pouring time and effort into bringing the idea to life, and making it as efficient and user-friendly as possible. For the Gocart team, those sleepless nights are about to come to fruition. The app is out now on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Those who’d like to know more or get in touch with the team can check out gocart.ph.
Gocart.ph
Website: https://gocart.ph/
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ph.gocart
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gocart-sell-shop-social/id1042970481?ls=1&mt=8
