How to Sell Products on a Facebook Shop in 5 Simple Steps

Selling items on a Facebook Shop (Facebook Store) is a way for businesses to sell products to Facebook’s network of over 2 billion users. Facebook Stores are created through your Facebook Business Page. Add this feature to your page by clicking the “Shop” button from the menu, updating your Business Page to a shopping template.

If you’re looking to sell on a Facebook Store, using an ecommerce platform such as BigCommerce is a good option in order to centrally manage sales and inventory, as well as implement a secure checkout. BigCommerce plans start at $29.95 per month with no commission, making it an affordable ecommerce platform that integrates with all of your sales channels. Start a free 15-day trial.

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Here’s how to specifically create a Facebook Store in 5 steps:

1. Set Up Your Facebook Business Page

If you don’t already have a Facebook Business Page, you will need to begin by setting one up because a Facebook Store acts as a Facebook Business Page template. For step-by-step instructions on how to set one up, go to our article on creating a Facebook Business Page.

Create a Facebook Business Page

One way to maximize the reach and impact of your Facebook Business Page is to work with an official Facebook Marketing Partner like Hibu. Their services help you convert Facebook traffic, saving you time and frustration while potentially increasing revenue. Contact a Hibu representative today.

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2. Create Your Facebook Shop

Start by looking to the left-hand side of your business page for the menu option denoted “Shop”, as illustrated below. If you see it as an option, click it to begin the storefront creation process.

Go to Shop from Your Facebook Business Page

How to Display the Shop Option

In some cases, businesses may find that the “Shop” option is not shown on the menu to the left of their business page. To make this available, you’ll need to change the templates available to you through the settings option.

Open Settings

Go to “Settings” and change your templates in order to enable the “Shop” option.

Find Settings On Your Facebook Business Page

Select Templates and Tabs

In the left-hand menu, find and click the “Templates and Tabs” option. From the Templates and Tabs page, click the “Edit” button to change your template to a shopping page.

Edit Your Facebook Business Page Template

Find & Select the Shopping Template

Scroll down through the list of template options to find the “Shopping” template. Click “View Details” to open the Shopping template. Then click the blue “Apply Template” button in the bottom right-hand side of the pop-up screen.

Select Shopping Template for Your Facebook Business Page

Apply Shopping Template to Your Facebook Business Page

Return to Homepage & Select Shop Button

Return to your Facebook Business homepage by clicking “Page” from the upper left-hand side of the screen. From there, select the “Shop” option from the left-hand menu.

Click Shop to Create Your Facebook Store

3. Build Your Facebook Store

Building out your Facebook Store involves reviewing Facebook Store policies and setting up your checkout and currency options. This ensures that the shopping experience is easy and streamlined for all of your followers.

Agree to Merchant Terms & Policies

Facebook requires all merchants to agree to their terms and policies. Click the checkbox to agree and click “Continue.”

Agree to Facebook Merchant Terms & Policies

Select a Checkout Method

You will be prompted to choose the way you want your customers to check out of your Facebook Store. Facebook no longer lets users complete purchases from Facebook, so you have the choice to either let customers “Message to Buy“ or “Check Out on Another Site.“ You will most likely want to choose the “Check Out on Another Site” option as “Message to Buy” is less straightforward and doesn’t lead to immediate checkouts, thus affecting overall sales.

When you select “Check Out on Another Site,” be sure you have a shopping portal set up in which to direct buyers. This can be done using an ecommerce platform. We discuss these platforms in the section below.

Select Checkout Method for Your Facebook Store

Set Currency

Select the currency you normally deal with. If you’re based in the U.S., then it will automatically be set to U.S. dollars. Click “Save” in the bottom right to continue.

Select Currency for Your Facebook Shop

4. Add Products to Your Facebook Store

Click the “Add Products” button to begin adding the products you wish to sell through your Facebook Store.

How to Add Products to Your Facebook Shop

Make sure your product images are compelling and clear. Also be sure that you can deliver all of the products you have available. The easiest way to do this is to use an ecommerce/inventory management platform, though Facebook does allow you to manually add products as well.

Connect an Ecommerce Platform

If you’re using an ecommerce platform to manage your inventory, you’ll want to connect that platform to your Facebook Store in order to keep your inventory organized in one centralized place. If you’re not currently using an ecommerce platform, it is highly recommended you do so to avoid inventory issues that could arise from selling on multiple platforms. BigCommerce is a great ecommerce platform that makes it easy to connect with your Facebook Store.

Top Ecommerce Platforms for Your Facebook Store

Manually Add Products

If you choose not to use an ecommerce platform such as BigCommerce, you will be prompted to input all the details of each individual product for sale. Complete all required fields, such as images, price, and descriptions, with as much detail as possible. You can even share specific products on your business page if you want added exposure.

Manually Add Products to Your Facebook Store

5. Market Your Facebook Shop

Once you have added all of your products to your Facebook Store, you will want to become active on Facebook to grow your audience and drive sales. One of the most effective ways of doing this is by actively participating in Facebook groups, but you can also increase sales by advertising and creating interesting content.

Here are four ways to market your Facebook Store:

• Use Your Network – Start by inviting your friends to like your Facebook Shop and then create content that motivates shares, such as offering a promotional product that users receive when they share your post.
• Grow Your Audience with Facebook Ads – Advertising on Facebook can be an affordable and cost-effective way of reaching new people in your target audience.
• Participate in Facebook Groups – Find Facebook groups that are relevant to your business and have an active network of users who are in your target audience. Be active in these groups to position yourself as a thought leader and to grow awareness.
• Create a Facebook Group – If you have a number of followers, it may be worth creating your own Facebook Group. Invite your followers to join your group and suggest that they invite their friends to join as well.

Creating a Facebook Store is not enough to guarantee sales; businesses must keep their stores up-to-date and consider regular promotions and user engagement to ensure that they stay top-of-mind for Facebook users.

Tips on How to Sell Better on Facebook

When learning how to sell on Facebook, you should also learn the best practices and tips in order to maximize your sales. Things such as keeping your branding consistent, using quality content to promote products, offering exclusive deals to Facebook fans, and consistently marketing your business will help you increase revenue.

Here are the top tips for selling on Facebook:

• Customize Your Facebook Store to Match Your Brand – By customizing your Facebook Store, you can make it reflect your business’ branding, which is something you want to keep cohesive, no matter where you’re selling.
• Use Multiple Images per Product – The more information you can give a customer about the product they’re considering buying, the better. Use a minimum of three images and keep in mind that the higher the price, the more images you should use.
• Offer Exclusive Deals – Give your loyal Facebook audience an incentive to purchase directly through Facebook by offering Facebook-only deals.
• Use Messenger as a Customer Service Vehicle – Many sites now use live chat as a form of live customer service, and you should use Facebook Messenger the same way for your Facebook Shop.
• Use Facebook Ads to Increase Reach – Facebook Ads can be a good way to get in front of users who are on Facebook but are not currently aware of your business. For more tips on Facebook advertising, read our 25 tips from the pros.
• Collaborate with Other Businesses – Find mutually beneficial businesses to partner with, allowing you to co-promote each other’s products and double your audience.
• Tell a Story – What makes Facebook a unique platform for selling is that it’s a platform created for telling stories. Try doing more than pushing products—use a story to provide more background and context that can help increase your sales.
• Keep Inventory Up-to-Date – The best way to ensure your inventory is accurate and up-to-date is by using an ecommerce platform such as BigCommerce to manage products in one centralized place.
• Continue Marketing Efforts – Creating a Facebook Shop alone isn’t enough to sell products. You’ll need to keep up your marketing efforts on Facebook to increase your fans and sell products.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Much Does Using a Facebook Shop Cost?

There is no cost to create a Facebook Shop or to list products. The costs a business will incur come from the payment processor they use, such as PayPal, and if they use an ecommerce platform to manage their products.

What Are the Rules for Selling on Facebook?

For the most part, the rules for selling on Facebook are pretty straightforward, with prohibitions against selling illegal goods, weapons, or adult content. Facebook is known for frequent updates, so it’s best to go direct to the source to find the latest Facebook Commerce Policies.

What Is the Difference Between a Facebook Shop and Facebook Marketplace?

The main difference between a Facebook Shop and the Facebook Marketplace is that Facebook Shops are for businesses to sell products and the Facebook Marketplace is a place for individuals to sell products. Think of the Facebook Marketplace as Facebook’s version of Craigslist, where people list their own goods for sale.

How Much Does Facebook Advertising Cost?

Using Facebook Ads to promote your Facebook Shop can be a good way to increase awareness of your brand, traffic to your page, and sales for your store. Facebook ads are considered cost-effective, as they run on a cost-per-click basis so advertisers only pay when a user interacts with their ad. Get more details on Facebook advertising costs.

Bottom Line – How to Sell on Facebook

Facebook Stores give businesses an opportunity to increase sales by selling online to a large network. Facebook stores cost nothing to create or use, making them a risk-free investment that takes very little time to set up. Small businesses that sell products online looking for another sales channel should try selling on Facebook.

Those selling products on multiple platforms, such as their own website, Facebook, Amazon, or Google Shopping, should use an inventory management tool to avoid the headache of managing many individual inventories. BigCommerce is a great ecommerce platform that makes it easy to manage multiple sales channels, saving you a great deal of time for as little as $29.95 per month. Try it free for 15 days.

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