Set up a shop on Facebook or Instagram? Now you can!

The coronavirus accelerated the shift from offline to online worldwide. Many physical shops had to close their doors, and Facebook responded by introducing Facebook and Instagram Shops.

There are 10.4 million registered Facebook accounts in the Netherlands. So there is certainly enough potential reach on Facebook, and your business may well have many followers too. Still, only a small group actually clicks through to your webshop. By offering products directly on Facebook, you respond to this well.

Facebook Shops, who is it suitable for?

Facebook announced Facebook Shops on 19 May 2020. It is an additional service for Facebook and Instagram. Shops can use Facebook Shops for free to sell their products within the social media environment of Facebook and Instagram. It works together with WooCommerce, Shopify, Bigcommerce, Cafe24 and ChannelAdvisor.

Facebook Shops is especially suitable for smaller businesses that do not yet have a webshop of their own. It is an ideal way to test whether products catch on before you actually start a webshop.

Of course, businesses that already have a webshop can also make use of the Facebook Shop. This way you may reach a different audience and convert the followers of your page into customers. Because the products are already on Facebook, they are already one step closer to a purchase.

Another advantage of using Facebook Shops is that it ties your customers to your Facebook page. Followers will check the page more often to see what is in the shop. This way you also gain fans straight away.

Other advantages

As mentioned earlier, you do not need an existing webshop to use Facebook Shops. Anyone can use it, as long as you sell products.

Further advantages of Facebook Shops are:

• Products can be added without limit
• Create different categories for a well organised shop
• Communication can take place directly through Facebook
• Always have insight into your statistics via Facebook
  
  

Setting up Facebook Shops, what do you need?

You do not need much to set up a Facebook Shop. First of all, you naturally need a Facebook account and a Facebook business page. Most businesses already have these, and otherwise you can easily create them.

Furthermore, you need to have a business that sells physical items, as it is not possible to sell digital or downloadable products.

And that's it! You will of course still need to set up the shop and link a few details, such as a valid bank account. But that is all you need to set up Facebook Shops.

Note: At present, Facebook Shops is only being tested in America. It is not yet known exactly when Facebook Shops will come to the Netherlands. It is expected within the coming months.

Once Facebook Shops is introduced in the Netherlands, we will be happy to explain how you can use Facebook Shops for your business.