Online shopping platforms will soon have a new challenger from Facebook, called Facebook Shops and Instagram Shops. In one of their biggest move into e-commerce, Shops will enable businesses to list the products they are selling and connect with more customers on both platforms. Users will be able to find Facebook Shops on a Business Page or Instagram profile; they can also find them through stories or ads. Users can browse and place their orders without leaving the Facebook app if the business has enabled checkout in the U.S.
Facebook aims to help small businesses get online quickly and hassle-free so that they can start selling without worrying about the technical aspects of an e-commerce store. Facebook will also make it easy to design your shop and build your brand through customisable collections. You can also manage your digital storefront from one place. Shared collections across Facebook and Instagram give customers a unified online shopping experience in both apps. Any change you make to a shared collection in your shop goes live on both.
According to Facebook, "Now, we’re making it easier to shop for products in real time. Soon, sellers, brands, and creators will be able to tag products from their Facebook Shop or catalog before going live and those products will be shown at the bottom of the video so people can easily tap to learn more and purchase. We’re starting to test this with businesses on Facebook and Instagram, and we’ll roll it out more broadly in the coming months."
Facebook has been dipping its toes in e-commerce through Marketplace and Business Pages shop but that has always felt like an experiment in most cases. This latest approach is very different and marks Facebook's real attempt in entering the e-commerce business, taking the fight to Amazon and eBay.
Facebook is also partnering up with Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, ChannelAdvisor, CedCommerce, Cafe24, Tienda Nube, and Feedonomics to assist small businesses to get the needed boost especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
It is highly likely the global Covid-19 pandemic has pushed forward the Facebook Shop feature to help small businesses that are struggling at this moment to build and grow their Facebook Shops for the global market.
Facebook is also testing a loyalty program for your users to enjoy special discounts and build loyalty for the long term for businesses. Businesses will be able to manage and track their loyalty program from Facebook itself.
For now, Facebook Shops is rolling out in the US and will gradually make its way to more countries in the coming months.