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

Selling on Facebook Shop (Facebook Store) is a way for businesses to sell products online by reaching Facebook’s network of over 2 billion users. They give businesses another avenue for selling online. They are a good opportunity for small businesses that sell products that have a Facebook following to increase sales through the platform.

How Selling on Facebook Works

Facebook Stores are set up through a Facebook Business Page, where businesses are able to create a new, online storefront. To begin, you will first need a Facebook Business Page. After you set this up, you will build out your store presence, add products, and become active on Facebook by posting on your page, participating in relevant Facebook Groups, and even using Facebook Ads or Boost Posts to increase exposure.

In order to capture sales through a Facebook Store, businesses will need to be active on the network with a sizeable following. Those followers will be the users exposed to your Facebook Store, making it a great avenue for businesses that maintain a very active Facebook presence. Products can be advertised through feeds for easy exposure.

A Facebook Store is best for small businesses that aren’t well-known outside of Facebook and therefore do not necessarily see a high volume of direct sales orders from their website. With a well-designed store, attractive products, and regular engagement with followers, however, small businesses can see a dramatic increase in sales from their Facebook Store.

How to Sell on Facebook in 5 Steps

Facebook Stores are created through your Facebook Business Page. If you don’t already have one, start by creating one. Then, add the Shop feature to your page by clicking the Shop button from the left-hand menu, which updates your business page to a shopping template. From there, add products and manage your new Facebook Shop.

Here’s how to 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 is built using a Facebook Business Page. 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

2. Create Your Shop

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

Go to Shop from Facebook Business Page

If the Shop Option Is Missing

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 change the templates available to you through the settings option.

Open Settings

Go to “Settings” to change your template to enable the “Shop” option.

Find Settings in 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 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 Facebook Business Page

Apply Shopping Template to 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 Facebook Store

3. Build Your Facebook Store

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

Agree to Merchant Terms & Policies

Facebook requires all merchants to agree to their terms and policies. Click the check box 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 to direct buyers to. This can be done using an ecommerce platform (listed below).

Select Checkout Method for 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 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 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 the 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 and 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 outlines how to easily connect to your Facebook Store.

Top Ecommerce Platforms for 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 Facebook Store

5. Market Your Facebook Shop

Once you have added all of your products to your Facebook Store, you will want to continue being 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 using 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 to connect with friends of your followers and grow your network.

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 on Facebook with a Facebook Shop

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

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, 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 business with lagging website sales but a significant Facebook following an opportunity to increase sales. 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.

Visit BigCommerce