Suppose you’re one of the 78% of us consumers who made purchases through discoveries on Facebook in 2018 or the 19.7 hours/month Android users spend on Facebook.
In that case, you are already familiar with the power of this social media platform.
With 2.93 billion monthly active users (as of October 2022), Facebook has become a go-to for businesses large and small to connect with current and potential customers.
So, if you want to start an online shop on Facebook, here’s how to get started in minutes.
What is a Facebook shop?
A Facebook shop is a storefront that is integrated into a Facebook page. This allows businesses to sell their products directly on Facebook. Setting up a Facebook shop is quick and easy and can be done in minutes.
Businesses of all sizes can benefit from having a Facebook shop.
For small businesses, it can be a great way to get started in e-commerce without investing in a standalone website. For larger businesses, it can be a way to reach more customers and make sales on the world’s largest social network.
What’s more? Integrating a Facebook shop with an existing website is also possible. This can give businesses the best of both worlds: the reach of Facebook and the functionality of a traditional website.
Is Facebook Shop Different from Facebook Page Shop?
It is easy to get confused by the two. Facebook Shop is a tool that allows businesses to sell products directly on their Facebook Page by adding a storefront.
As such, you can checkout with an item without leaving the platform.
Facebook Page Shop is a separate tool that allows businesses to sell products on their Facebook page. The users click the items and checkout on the page owner’s website.
The main difference between Facebook Shop and Facebook Page Shop is that Facebook Shop is designed to be used as a standalone tool. In contrast, Facebook Page Shop is designed to be used alongside a business’s existing website.
What Makes Facebook Shops Best Place to Sell Online?
1. You can reach a larger audience with a Facebook shop than with a brick-and-mortar store.
Facebook boasts over 2.5 billion active users, nearly 30% of the world’s population. With an online shop on Facebook, you can sell to anyone with an internet connection—regardless of location.
2. Setting up a Facebook shop is quick and easy.
You can create a professional-looking online store on Facebook in minutes without any technical skills or experience required.
3. You can sell products directly on Facebook.
Facebook Shops allows you to list and sell products on your Facebook Page, making it easy for customers to browse and buy your products without ever leaving the social media platform.
4. Customers can message you directly through Facebook Messenger to ask questions or place orders.
With a Facebook shop, customers can get in touch with you easily via Messenger to ask questions about your product, which makes buying decisions easier and more convenient—ultimately leading to more sales.
5. Facebook Shops is integrated with Instagram Shopping.
Instagram has over 800 million active users, making it a powerful sales platform for businesses of all sizes. With Facebook Shops, you can list your products on both Facebook and Instagram—giving you twice the exposure and potential to reach new customers and increase sales.
6. Facebook Shops is free to set up.
Unlike other eCommerce platforms that charge monthly fees, listing fees, and transaction fees, Facebook Shops is completely free to use—meaning you can keep more of the profits from your sales.
- You can track your customers’ interests and demographics more easily with a Facebook shop.
- Customers can easily share items they find in your Facebook shop with their friends, which helps to increase your reach even further.
- A Facebook shop is typically less expensive to set up and maintain than a physical store.
- You can operate your Facebook shop from anywhere in the world, whereas a physical store requires you to be geographically located near your customers.
Downsides of Facebook Shop
1. Some people are not comfortable shopping on Facebook.
This is because they perceive it as less secure than other eCommerce platforms. However, Facebook has made its platform more secure, such as encryption and fraud protection.
2. There are limits on what you can sell on Facebook Shops.
For example, you cannot sell alcohol, tobacco products, or weapons on the platform.
3. You need a Page for your business to create a shop on Facebook—not all businesses have one yet.
4. It is not entirely free.
Selling on Facebook attracts 5% of each sale over $8 as a transaction fee. Well, not so free after all.
5. You must understand how Facebook works to make the most out of your shop.
This social media platform is constantly changing, so you must be proactive to keep up with the latest features and updates.
Not to mention Facebook regularly tweaks its algorithm, which can impact your reach and visibility on the platform.
Your reach is only as good as your Facebook marketing efforts – if you don’t put enough effort into promoting your shop, many people won’t see it.
6. Facebook Shops is still fairly new.
This means there are bound to be some kinks that need to be ironed out.
For example, you cannot currently list service-based products on Facebook Shops. So if you are selling anything other than physical goods, this platform is not for you—at least not yet.
How Do You Create a Facebook Shop?
You should be ready to start an online shop on Facebook. But before we start, there are some requirements you need to fulfill:
- Have a Facebook profile and a Facebook Business page linked to it.
- Your Facebook page must have at least 2000 likes.
- Your products should be physical; no digital items are allowed.
- Your business must have a legal permit to operate in the country from where you’re selling.
- You must have a Tax Identification Number (TIN).
- You must have a valid bank account with your Facebook name.
With that in mind, there are two ways to start an online shop on Facebook; through Commerce Manager and by integrating a Facebook shop with an eCommerce platform like OLITT.
How To Start An Online Shop On Facebook Commerce Manager
Step 1: Log in to your Facebook page
Head over to your Facebook Business Page. You need admin rights to make these changes to your Page.
On your left, click Manage Shop.
And then click on Start shop setup.
You will be redirected to a Commerce Manager onboarding landing page. Click next to move to the next step.
Step 2: Choose a Checkout Method
Here, you need to decide how you want your customers to pay.
- Checkout on another website: Your customers will only browse your products on Instagram or Facebook. But checkout and pay on another website.
- Checkout with Facebook or Instagram: Your customers can browse and buy products right on Facebook or Instagram platform. Also, remember this is available in some countries.
- Checkout with messaging: If you don’t have a website, you can use this option. Your customers will be redirected to send messages through Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.
Your checkout method determines where customers provide their payment info when they want to make purchases from your shop.
Step 3: Choose Sales Channels
Where do you want to sell from?
If you don’t have a Facebook page, you can create one. Otherwise, just click “Show all accounts” and pick one from the list.
Remember, you need admin rights to add any account as your sales channel.
Step 4: Connect a Business account
You’ll need a business account to manage your Facebook shop from the Commerce Manager.
If you don’t have one, go ahead and create one. You only need the business name, the business manager’s name, and their work email address.
Step 5: Add Products
Select a catalog with the products that will appear in your shop. Your catalog is where you’ll manage details about your items, such as images and website links.
Select the shop catalog you want to use.
- The Service catalog is for non-tangible services like hair cutting, house cleaning, designing, and consulting.
- The Product catalog is for selling tangible items that need to ship out to buyers.
Make sure you pick the right one because you can’t edit this later.
Step 6: Add Shipping Destinations
Add the countries or regions you ship to. You can add more or edit these later in settings.
Remember, Facebook Shops aren’t available in every country or region.
Finally, Preview your shop and ensure all fields are correct. Read and accept the Seller Agreement.
You will wait for between 24 hours to 48 hours for your Facebook Shop to be approved unless there are issues with it.
How to Integrate Facebook Shop with OLITT
Read also: Top 3 Best Online Store Builders (Free & Paid).
OLITT is one of the fastest-growing eCommerce platforms currently used by over 9K merchants.
And for good reasons:
- OLITT allows you to collect payments on your Landing Pages and Websites using ready-made Stripe and Paypal Payment Integrations.
- You can sell unlimited products, which means more chances of you making money online.
- Connect Multiple Custom Domains
- Ticket & Live Chat support
- SEO & Marketing tools
Now, to sell on OLITT.
- log in to your Olitt dashboard
- Click Manage on your selected online shop
- Select Products
Online shop products menu
- Select sell on Facebook button
- Login to Facebook using your account details.
- Select Business Manager from the options provided.
- Click the link provided to be redirected.
- Under the commerce manager, select Get started
Facebook Commerce manager
9. Select the Create a Catalog option
Facebook catalog choices
10. Click the Get started button to proceed with the set up.
11. Select catalog type as E-commerce
Setting up a catalog on Facebook
12. Click Next
13. Select Upload product info.
14. Select the Catalogue owner as your business account.
Alternatively, set the catalog owner as personal if no business account exists.
Catalog settings on Facebook
15. Add the preferred catalog name
16. Click the Create button to save the information.
Now, your catalog is successfully created.
18. Add items to your catalog and request Review on Facebook.
Add items/products on your catalogue
Fill in the product details required for your catalog
Click update to save product details on catalog.
Repeat the procedure for all your products as guided on video.
19. Request Review for your products by clicking request review at the bottom of the page.
20. Once a review is successful, you can sell directly from your online shop with Catalogue.
21. To sell from your online shop, return to the online shop dashboard
22. Click manage shop and select products to sell on your Facebook catalog
23. Click Post products to Facebook catalog
Post to the catalog from your online shop.,
Best practices in selling on Facebook
To increase the chances of making a sale on Facebook, businesses should:
1. Use high-quality product images
Make sure to use clear, high-quality images of your products when creating ads and posts on Facebook. People are more likely to purchase a product if they can see it clearly and understand what it is.
2. Use compelling copy
Your ad or post should tell a story compelling people to buy your product. Be sure to focus on the benefits of your product and how it can solve someone’s problem.
3. Offer discounts or coupons
People love getting a deal, so offer them one! You could create a coupon code specifically for Facebook followers or run a sale on your Facebook page.
4. Use effective call-to-action phrases
Your ad or post should tell people what you want them to do, such as “Buy Now” or “Shop Now.” Be sure that your call to action is clear and easy to understand.
5. Answer queries promptly
If someone asks a question about your product on Facebook, be sure to answer it as quickly as possible. If you take too long, they may lose interest or purchase from another seller.
Conclusion
Setting up a shop on Facebook is quick and easy and can be a great way to reach out to potential customers on the social media platform. Here are the steps to take:
1. Decide what products you want to sell.
2. Choose a name and profile picture for your shop.
3. Create a cover image for your shop.
4. Set up your payment methods.
5. Start listing your products!
6. Promote your shop on your other social media channels and through word-of-mouth.
7. Keep an eye on your analytics to see how users interact with your shop and make changes accordingly.
Selling on Facebook can be a great way to reach out to potential customers already using the platform. By setting up your shop and promoting it effectively, you can start seeing some sales come in!