Facebook and Instagram’s new Shops are going to be a shift in a new and more convenient direction. For a long time, both these platforms supported e-commerce but are taking things to a new level now. Facebook’s Marketplace and Instagram’s shopping via featured posts were aimed at making online shopping easier.
Now, they introduce Shops that will make things much more convenient for sellers as well as buyers. With Covid-19 forcing shops to close their doors, this online trading opportunity might save many a small business.
The new tools that these platforms offer go beyond what we’ve been able to do before and could allow a business to open a complete online shop. The convenience of shopping while using Facebook or Instagram is just too good to pass up.
Facebook’s New Shops
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, knows that his company’s new features won’t undo the damage that the Coronavirus has done. But he hopes it will help suffering businesses. Plus, these features will be useful even when the world can breathe easy again. Online shopping is not something that will go away any time soon.
Instagram’s New Shops
More than one million businesses are already signed up for Instagram’s new feature, according to TechCrunch. These companies can create a Facebook Shop without paying. They simply upload their product catalogue, choose products to feature and then customise the shop with a cover image. They can even choose accent colours.
Once that is done, visitors of their ‘shop’ can browse, save and order their products. Small fees will be added to each purchase by Facebook. The platform will be making its real money from advertising. Shops can be in featured stories and ads.
Facebook and Instagram’s new Shops will be consistent, no matter on which platform they are used. The only difference will be how Shops are discovered – through a product-tagged photo on Instagram or Facebook’s Marketplace.
Instagram Shop will also be launched soon. This will allow users to browse through products directly from Instagram Explore. They will then be able to have a shopping experience that is simple and convenient.
More Information on Facebook And Instagram’s New Shops
Merchants will be able to link and feature their live videos from their Facebook Stores to the Shops. Loyalty programs will also be connected to Facebook accounts, enhancing users and sellers’ experiences.
Partnership
Facebook has partnered with Shopify, Cafe24, Channel Advisor, Feedonomics, BigCommerce, Tienda Nube and CedCommerce for the new Shops.
Because of this, merchants can use these platforms to better manage their Facebook Shops. Ads tied to those shops will also be simple to handle. With Shopify, merchants can manage their Facebook Shops’ inventory, products, orders and more with ease.
How Easy Are Facebook Shops To Use?
We have searched through available data and found that it won’t be very difficult to make use of the new Shops. Creating such a shop is free and simple and companies can select the products they want to feature in the shop from their own catalogue.
Merchants can customise the feel and appearance of their shop with the colours they prefer and a unique cover image. This allows for very convenient and easy commerce. In addition, this will make creating a great digital marketing strategy a lot easier.
People will be able to find these shops on a business’ Instagram profile or Facebook Page. They can also be discovered through ads or Instagram Stories. Products can be browsed and saved before making any commitment to purchases. This can happen either on the app or on the business’ own website.
If buyers need any help, they will be able to reach out to merchants through Instagram Direct, Messenger or WhatsApp. Questions, delivery tracking and other support are made so simple with this feature.
It is even planned to make it possible for buyers to make a purchase within a WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger chat. This is the convenient and user-friendly future we’ve all been dreaming of for the commercial industry.
More Planned Features
Brands and merchants will be able to tag products from their catalogues or shops before they go live. These products will be shown to potential buyers so they can learn more about them. This will help promote new products and get a feel for the market’s response to them. This is a feature that is still being tested and will be available in the coming months.
Rewards are also another feature that is being tested. This will be available in the form of points and similar promotions. Merchants can reward their loyal supporters and they’ll be able to keep track of their rewards.
Conclusion
It is obvious that the world is ready to enter a new phase when it comes to commerce and trade. With technology helping us make the most of wireless shopping, small businesses won’t have to fear closing their doors forever. Trade can continue through the use of Facebook and Instagram’s new Shops.