Do I need to invest into setting up a Facebook Shop page?

Facebook has grown leaps on bounds and is now evolved beyond being just a regular social media channel. Facebook is now one of the easiest mediums that a seller can choose to advertise on to grow their customer base and build up their business.

Selling on social media is a good idea and gets visibility to your products and increases the range of customers a business reaches. We predict that by the time you reach the end of this post, you would be rushing to set up a Facebook shop page.

The Facebook Shop option that E-Commerce and other businesses find on Facebook creates a virtual store where customers can check out products at. You can list out popular products that prospective customers can check out and buy. Facebook shop also lets you customize what the end customer sees by giving you a lot of customization features. Facebook shop enables prospective customers to browse at your products and buy at their own pace.

People often confuse Facebook Shop with Facebook marketplace. Think of it this way, Marketplace is a market, which means products from multiple sellers are compiled and listed when Shop is of an individual seller. This means, Facebook Shop can show different merchandise listed by a single seller, while Marketplace lets viewers see products by different sellers. Another important difference is how Marketplace and Shop work, Shop enables the customer to make a purchase, acting as both point of sale and point of purchase. Marketplace, meanwhile only serves as a connection between seller and buyer, and is limited to being a display.

Think about it this way. You potentially have access to a resource where you can list unlimited products at no cost, enables you to connect with millions of regular users, which can be segregated at a click of a finger, with someone else managing the R and D, getting you regular reports about the number of people visiting your store, number of conversions and sales happening etc. Along with this, your products are possibly viewable to more people than possible in the vicinity of a physical store! Intriguing? These are just some of the many benefits you would get from the setting up of a Facebook Shop page apart from the option to connect to Facebook Marketplace.

Wondering how to get started?

With a Facebook shop, you can start selling your wares very quickly if you have an active Facebook account and a business page on Facebook. You would just need to confirm the details of the products you would list, assuring that they are physical goods of value, that you agree to the terms set up by Facebook for merchants, and that you have a valid tax ID and bank account.

To set up the Facebook shop page, you would first need to log into your Facebook business page, and find the shop option to open the shop tab. This shop tab enables you to look at the set-up process.

Second, you would need to read the pop up with the details of the set-up process. Then, you will need to enter the information requested about your business. You would also be requested for information about the states you operate out of and your tax ID number.

This would then lead you to a page where you need to select the kind of products you wish to list from a drop-down list and enter details about your business model. The page will also ask for the contact details of someone representing your business, which could be you, or someone from your team.

The second last part of this step is where you would be asked for details about your shipping and return policies, and an email ID that customers could use to get in touch with you or one of your team members.

Facebook has rules in place stating that shop owners need to ensure that orders are shipped in three days from the date of placing an order, and that the consumer should get their requested order within ten days of the order being placed. Facebook Shop only allows domestic orders, and you will need to provide shipping information to the customers.

The last part of this step is where you would be required to accept Facebook’s rules for merchants which includes their terms and conditions.

In the third step, you would be required to enter details about your bank account where you would receive payments. After completing the second step and selecting set up payments, you would need to submit tax information requested by the page. You would need to also enter all requested information relating to your business before moving on to the next step.

The fourth step will let you add products to your Facebook Shop’s display. Here you can list products and upload products and product information. This is including but not restricted to photos, videos and other visuals with titles and descriptions detailing information relating to the products you have listed.

A benefit here is that you would be able to enter the price and the number of units you have on hand, helping you keep an eye on stocks and replenish whenever necessary. You can also select the shipping options you offer and share posts to your business page and other Facebook related groups and platforms. Just remember to set post visibility to everyone.

Congratulations! Your Facebook shop is all set up and you can easily add products whenever you want.

Once you’re done with setting up, you can manage listings, and look at orders received, simple.

With all this information, we can confidently say that a Facebook shop will definitely be a positive game changer for your E-Commerce based business.