If your store has solely been confined to a brick-and-mortar presence, you’ve no doubt felt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

But Facebook, until now primarily a communication and digital advertising platform, has launched a new service that will allow small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) a chance to sell their products directly through its platform. This is different from Facebook Marketplace, which is designed for sales between users.

If you primarily sell physical products, and/or you’re new to online commerce and have been hesitant to move into online sales for whatever reason, Facebook Shops can offer you a way to expand your business base while at the same time retaining customers who may have been reluctant to shop in person these days.

 

Facebook to the rescue

“Right now many small businesses are struggling, and with stores closing, more are looking to bring their business online,” the company said in a statement. “Our goal is to make shopping seamless and empower anyone from a small business owner to a global brand to use our apps to connect with customers.

“That’s why we’re launching Facebook Shops and investing in features across our apps that inspire people to shop and make buying and selling online easier.” It added, “We want to give people a place to experience the joy of shopping versus the chore of buying.”

To further entice shoppers, Facebook promises it will not share information on purchases with friends or anyone else without the user’s permission. In addition, the site offers features like loyalty programs to stores where customers shop most often. It will soon add live shopping that will allow customers to buy products during a Facebook Live event.

Finally, Facebook Shops offers shoppers its augmented reality (AR) technology. This allows them to virtually see how a product will look on them or in their homes, helping increase conversions. It also employs artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify and tag products in photos. Shoppers can link product photos in their Instagram and Facebook feeds.

“Shops are going to be able to use our AI to create better, more personalized experiences than you’re going to have almost anywhere else,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said during a livestream announcing the new service.

 

Advantages for the retailer

The Shops look and feel like a Facebook page. They will be accessible not only through Facebook but also the company’s other apps. Instagram Stories, Messenger and WhatApp will all allow customers to make purchases and chat with you directly. If you already advertise through Facebook, it can be relatively simple to augment the foot traffic in your business through an online store.

The tools available to the retailer on the Facebook Shops platform include promotion, sales, marketing, conversion and customer feedback, providing complete end-to-end e-commerce support.

Facebook Shops is free to retailers if sales are processed through its existing platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, BigCommerce, and others. For those who don’t already have such access, they can use Facebook’s Checkout feature. This will cost the retailer five percent per shipment, or 40 cents for items under $8. This “processing fee,” however, is still lower than what eBay or Amazon charge their merchants.

Users’ payment methods and shipping information will be stored within the platform, thus taking this burden off the retailer.

 

Easy setup

The process for setting up an online shop is fairly straightforward. There are several forms provided to walk you through the process. If you already use an e-commerce platform such as BigCommerce or Shopify, you’re halfway there. Otherwise you can start from scratch through Facebook’s Commerce Manager to set up your account.

Once you create a product catalog, you can add products manually, through data feeds, or by connecting to the Facebook pixel. The platform also allows you the ability to customize the look and feel of your shop. And, you can create a seamless appearance across platforms. If you already have a Shopify account, for example, you can easily integrate it with your Facebook Shop.

Finally, the Facebook/Instagram platforms provide various avenues to advertise and promote your products. You can reach existing fans as well as new customers.

If your brick-and-mortar store was hit hard by the pandemic like millions of others, Facebook Shops just might be the solution you’re searching for.

If you need help getting started with Facebook Shops, or you just want to learn to make the most of your foray into the world of online commerce, let our social media management experts guide you toward enhanced sales and a more effective online presence.