Selling on Facebook through Shopify and BigCommerce

Is Facebook Shop A Good Idea for Your eCommerce Business? 

In light of the world’s increasing time spent online, Facebook and Instagram knew they needed a way to help local businesses to get their products online. That’s why they are teaming up with some of the internet’s top eCommerce engines like BigCommerce and Shopify to create Facebook Shops. 

What is it? 

With Facebook and Instagram Shop, there there is a cohesive set-up for all shops. Facebook describes the customizations businesses are able to do: “Businesses can choose the products they want to feature from their catalog and then customize the look and feel of their shop with a cover image and accent colors that showcase their brand. This means any seller, no matter their size or budget, can bring their business online and connect with customers wherever and whenever it’s convenient for them.”

What are the benefits? 

While this hasn’t rolled out totally, we can make some assumptions about the benefits merchants can expect, the first of which being that since the use of these platforms is growing during this time, you’re basically putting your product where people are spending their time. A few of the other benefits we’re looking forward to are: 

• From what we can tell there will also be the ability to “browse” new shops and allow you to be discoverable by users who don’t like your page. 
• Live Shopping will also be available using the live video features on both apps, both of which are becoming increasingly popular during the time of the pandemic. We see some awesome benefits of this, giving businesses the opportunity to provide a more personal connection and people can easily tap to shop. 
• You’ll be able to use Facebook Messenger, Instagram DM and WhatsApp to directly chat with customers and respond to questions or comments they may have. 
• Checkout is available through Facebook Shop or your own website, giving you control over where your users are sent. 

Who Can Use It? 

Starting now, Facebook Shop is currently available to select merchants, while Instagram Shop will be available starting this summer. You’ll be able to set-up directly through your Facebook Business manager. 

According to Shopify, one of the direct partners with Facebook for this initiative, “Here's what you can expect: If you already have access to product tags through the Instagram sales channel, Facebook Shops will automatically become available to you in the coming weeks and you will be directly notified. Facebook Shops can be created on Instagram, with a version for Facebook coming soon. If you haven't set up product tagging on Instagram yet, Facebook Shops will be available to you in the coming months.

What does this mean for businesses? 

If you’re not already using Facebook or Instagram for your business, now’s the time. This is an exciting step for those in the eCommerce world, and this is your chance to be at the front end of what’s happening. While this definitely doesn’t negate the importance of having a solid website for users to learn more about your brand and business, you can consider this a new channel of marketing to find and reach new customers. 

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