Facebook closer to having online shops while Instagram steps up advertising

Facebook pages moved closer to replacing small business websites Tuesday, announcing features designed to make it easier for shops to hawk their wares.

Changes to business pages at the leading social network included raising the profile of features that allow customers to take actions such as booking an appointment or browsing, and allowed for more customized approaches to layouts.

"We're adding new features to pages to make it easier for the more than 45 million active businesses on Facebook to highlight important information and reach their goals," the social network said in an online post.

The new features were particularly tuned for mobile devices, which have become preferred tools for accessing Facebook.

Business pages can also now feature sections and tabs to showcase merchandise or professional services.

Meanwhile, just a day later, Instagram unveiled plans to expand its offerings to advertisers, opening up possibilities for global marketing efforts on the Facebook-owned photo-sharing network.

"Starting this month Instagram is open for business and available to advertisers large and small," Instagram said in a statement.

The expansion will allow advertisers to launch global campaigns in a variety of formats including video ads of up to 30 seconds.

Instagram, which was acquired by Facebook in 2012, has had only limited advertising opportunities up to now. In 2013, it began with a small number of "sponsored" posts by well-known brands such as Michael Kors and Adidas.

"We're excited to announce that starting this month, advertisers both large and small can run campaigns on Instagram. In addition, ads are now available in more than 30 new countries -- including Italy, Spain, Mexico, India and South Korea -- and will be launching in markets around the world on September 30."

Instagram has more than 300 million users around the world and is seen as a potential growth segment for Facebook, which has nearly 1.5 billion users.