Buy with just one click

Experts say shopping from your smartphone, tablet or computer will soon be faster, easier and possibly more secure.  You'll be able to order stuff from retail, social media, and even search engine websites with the click of a button.

Ever heard of a buy button? It's the next big thing in shopping. So what are buy buttons? And are there any pitfalls?

Most of busy salon owner, Diane Wright's, shopping is done between clients, on her iPad or smartphone. When Diane finds something she likes, she simply clicks on these buy button icons, and it's shipped right out.

"It makes it faster and easier and it's just a quicker way to get to everything," Diane said.

Okay, first, so… what's a buy button?

"Buy buttons work by pretty much exactly as they sound," according to Nick Holland with Javelin Research.

Just like Paypal and Amazon's payment buttons: enter your credit card and shipping info into the sites and it's saved for future purchases.  Experts predict similar kinds of buy buttons will soon be popping up all over the internet.  

"Buy buttons are definitely, I would say exploding," Holland said,

Facebook, Twitter and Google are now trying their own buy button systems.  You just click on a product that appears in an ad, a post, or in a search engine query-and you too can get one click shopping and shipping. 

John Breyault of National Consumers League said, "If you make it easier for a consumer to buy something they see when they're searching online, on their mobile device then those shoppers become much more valuable then advertising become much more valuable. It's an extra revenue for retailers."

The days of stumbling through your wallet to dig out your credit card for every online purchase could be changing. And mobile smartphone shoppers, industry insiders say, may be more likely to buy on their devices.  Because it's not a pain to enter all that payment and shipping info on a phone's tiny keypad.   
 
"It's better for the retailers because they convert more people from shoppers into buyers," Breyault said.
  
And if consumers make sure a site offering buy buttons is well known and reputable- experts tell us, shopping using their buy buttons may offer some security protections. That's because, as experts point out, your credit card info usually stays in their payment processing system- and the retailer doesn't get your card number.   
 
Holland said, "You have your details stored in safe environment as sanctioned by the card networks themselves and the information is delivered on demand."

Diane says the ease of using a buy button actually intrigued her to try new retailers. 

"I'm liking their products and what I they have to offer. So it's been a good exposure."

Experts say if you're not familiar with a site offering buy buttons, be sure to do some research and check the company out before you enter any personal information.   Also, if you tend to be a shop a holic, make sure "buy buttons" don't make shopping "too" easy for you!