Facebook Introduces Shops

Ever since the Coronavirus pandemic hit the nation hard, there has been a massive correlated influx of online presence. When the lockdown was in full swing and the vast majority of Americans found themselves in quarantine, there was nowhere else to turn to buy products but the internet.

Even as life slowly starts to return to normal, experts predict that the pandemic will have shifted the way that we do things much more permanently. You could call it the next industrial revolution; where almost everything we do is done remotely or online, even more so than before.

True to form, Facebook has decided to jump on the tech-train and create a way for people to better connect not only with friends and those they love but also with the products and brands that mean the most to them. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has announced the launch of Facebook Shops: a platform that allows businesses to set up a single online store that customers can easily access. It is essentially a way of creating a virtual storefront, as business owners can select featured products, as well as customize images and accent colors.

The Facebook Shops platform has the ability to reach a hugely dynamic customer base, as it is easily accessible from both Facebook and Instagram. For struggling small business owners, the timing could not be more perfect. COVID-19 has impacted small businesses inexorably, so the introduction of Facebook Shops gives them a way to advertise and sell their products whilst still practicing smart social distancing.

Because people can read about these businesses, view their catalog of products, and purchase items all without leaving the Facebook platform, the chances of landing a sale through Facebook Shops are massively increased. And for small business owners, there’s even more good news.

The platform is free! It does not cost anything to get your e-business up and running using Facebook Shops. You will, of course, be expected to pay for successful transactions. However, selling through Facebook and Instagram puts your products in front of tens of millions of people, which means setting yourself up to sell online through the platform is time well spent.

Leave it up to Mark Zuckerberg to innovate the online shopping experience. Not only is Facebook Shops already a pretty revolutionary platform for businesses, but they also are not done adding features just yet. Live Shopping is also expected to be added to the platform at a later date. A feature that will allow users to click on a product from a post or Instagram live video, and then purchase that product immediately and directly through Facebook.

Facebook did not do it alone though. They are working closely with well-known online shopping partners like Shopify, Big Commerce, ChannelAdvisor, CedCommerce, and WooCommerce. These partnerships were designed to give small businesses as much support as they need to be successful in selling online. But if you want to keep it simple, then that is still a possibility. It is up to the owner of the shop to decide how much they want to integrate with partner platforms.

All in all, Facebook Shops has the potential to be a life-raft for small businesses who were drowning in the wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Not only is it free to get started and easy to set up, but it allows you to personalize your e-business and reach an expansive target audience. Furthermore, because shoppers never have to leave the platform to buy a product or enter credit card information more than one time, the chances of completing transactions are significantly higher, making Facebook Shops well worth a try for any brand wanting to expand their business.

Want to start selling your products on Facebook? Get in touch with eCommerce specialists at Rizzo Young Marketing.