Building Shopping Experiences on Facebook and Instagram
Facebook wants to be everyone's go-to place for news and information, fun and entertainment, live and virtual events, fundraising, gaming, and even dating. So it comes as no surprise that the company announced a major commitment to making Facebook and Instagram your go-to place to discover new products and buy things too!
Last month, the company launched Facebook Shops, a new shopping experience that turns Facebook and Instagram business pages into customizable digital storefronts.
Shops is rolling out to businesses looking to sell through Instagram, Facebook, or both! Users can browse products, save their faves, scroll through collections, and even - wherever checkout or payment options are enabled - complete their purchase all in one place!
Getting Started with Facebook Shops
Facebook Shops is essentially an extension of the existing Instagram Profile and Facebook Page Shops. A small number of business Pages that already have Page Shops enabled began transitioning into Facebook Shops in mid-May. Facebook plans to expand Shops to more businesses around the world in the coming months. Business Pages will get an alert once they're eligible to set up a Facebook Shop.
Instagram Shop will roll out later this summer in the U.S.
In the meantime, brands can prepare for the broad rollout of Facebook Shops by connecting their Facebook and Instagram accounts in Business Manager, creating a Commerce Account in Commerce Manager, and building product catalogs for selling online.
To make it even easy for businesses of any size to access the necessary tools and support needed to move online, Facebook partnered with several powerful third-party eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and others.
Learn more about creating a Facebook Page Shop on Facebook for Business site.
Who Has Access to Facebook Shops
Facebook's dream is for every Facebook or Instagram user, all around the globe, to browse, select, and purchase products everywhere Shops are available!
With different laws and regulations governing eCommerce and certain products wholly banned from being sold through Facebook, the availability of Shops depends on how broadly eCommerce is allowed in each country.
Note: All brands must be approved before they can enable Shops, and only Page Admins in Business Manager will be permitted to set them up on an account.
Facebook Shops is primarily designed to sell physical goods and a brand must be a business that primarily sells physical, shippable goods to be approved for Shops. Unfortunately, the product is not a good fit for companies offering digital products, services, or custom and handmade items.
Ways Facebook Shops Help Your Brand
Showcase Products Online and Expand Reach. While merchants of any size or budget can leverage Shops, Facebook built it with small, local businesses specifically in mind. The idea is that businesses that currently don't have an eCommerce presence now have the opportunity to quickly and easily build one. With Shops, Facebook offers brands a fully immersive mobile shopping experience that takes up the full screen, the ability to personalize products for customers, and the option to run ads with collections. Most important, it gives local businesses a way to expand their reach beyond their immediate community or location.
Access Incredible Imagery Technology. In a separate announcement, Facebook touted several new artificial intelligence and imagery advancements once limited to major retail brands that will underpin the new shopping experiences. These include 360-degree product views and detailed catalog information, sharper image training for both high-resolution and low-resolution photos, and the use of augmented reality technology to "try-on" fashion items or view furnishings in a space.
Unified Social Media Presence Across the Facebook Family of Apps. Facebook Shops connects a brand's Facebook and Instagram accounts through a shared product catalog that's visible and shoppable on both platforms. Shops will eventually be accessible through Messenger, Instagram Direct, and WhatsApp as well, which will be fantastic for offering customer service, tracking deliveries, providing support, and much more.