The US is in for a treat, Facebook is expected to expand shops and Instagram checkout in addition to rolling out a shopping tab. 

Disruptions to in-store shopping have caused major shifts in the e-commerce industry. 

According to Facebook, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shift to online shopping has rapidly accelerated, with an estimated 85% of people worldwide now shopping online. We want to make shopping easier for people and empower anyone, from an entrepreneur to the largest brand, to use our apps to connect with customers and grow their business.”

What is Facebook ‘Shop’? 

We had previously written a blog post about Facebook Shops, read about it here. 

Facebook goes on to say that this new feature will make it easier for users to find products from their favourite businesses, discover new businesses and make purchases – ultimately a one-stop-shop. 

This feature is currently being tested in the US and can be accessed in the menu bar and selecting ‘shop’, as shown below. 

How do Facebook and Instagram online stores work?

Facebook Shops, launched in May 2020, and Instagram Shops, launched in July 2020, makes it possible for businesses to sell their products on both Facebook and Instagram.

Facebook business users in the US will be able to utilise Facebook shops in the coming weeks. Additionally, users will be able to use messaging and measure their results using new insights on the app, as well as other customisation features.

Other features include:

• Commerce manager, where new insights to measure results will be featured
• Automatically create shops for new businesses
• For featuring single or groups of products, there will be a new design layout 
• The ability to preview collections as they are designed in real-time

What does the Instagram Checkout expansion mean?

Once this expansion happens in the US, customers will be able to browse through the business catalogue of their products and make instant online purchases – all while staying on the Instagram app.

Businesses will need to have Facebook Shops and use Facebook Commerce Manager in order to use Instagram Checkout. Additionally, if a business uses Shopify or BigCommerce, they will be eligible for Instagram Checkout.

To help businesses reduce costs, Facebook will waiver all selling fees until the end of the year.

How to use Messenging for Facebook Shop?

Facebook has introduced a new messaging button on Facebook Shops, allowing users to message their desired business through Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct or WhatsApp – as if online shopping has not gotten any easier! 

Within the chat, customers can even view products. From there, they have the option to share with their friends and family to get their opinion before purchasing. 

As stated by Facebook, “Messaging through Shops combines the in-store experience of being able to ask a salesperson questions with the convenience of online shopping. Messaging allows businesses to provide personalized assistance so people can make more informed decisions about their purchase.”

This new feature is currently being tested on Instagram Direct and Messenger, and will soon be testing on Whatsapp. 

How will shopping online live work?

Since Facebook is making many impossibles possible, they are now making it easier for businesses to sell their products during a live stream. 

A live shopping experience will now be available for businesses to easily set up using the Facebook Live Shopping feature. Businesses will be able to feature their products from their shops and sell directly from their live stream. Additionally, Instagram Live Shopping will be expanded to businesses and creators in the US who use Instagram Checkout. 

Why do we care?

With this new feature being expanded into the US, businesses will be able to increase their consumer base and create brand awareness for themselves, making it easier to shop with a click of a button. The shopping experience will change for their customers and this will result in more people making purchases online due to the current disruptions to shopping. 

Facebook is making it possible for both businesses and customers to keep doing what they enjoy, customers by being able to shop and businesses to sell products and have happy customers,! The ultimate goal is to increase sales and have happy customers while gaining more users to Facebook’s family of apps.

Tags: digital marketing, eCommerce, facebook, Instagram