How to create a Facebook shop page: 7 step guide to selling on Facebook
Did you know that Facebook Shops were set up in 2020…right around the pandemic? It should come as no surprise, as people flocked to the internet to buy online. Indeed, many things have changed since 2020. But Facebook Shops are here to stay.
As a small business owner, your product needs a little extra exposure online. If people buy from you there, all the better. Boost your business with better exposure and grab the opportunity to sell more. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Facebook’s ecommerce tips and tricks.
What is a Facebook shop?
Meta launched Facebook Shops to help customers find products and services faster, make purchases without leaving Facebook, and buy only from trusted brands. Starting your own Facebook store gives you access to Meta’s massive audience, which is an incredible chance to boost your business.
Dive in as we explain how to create a Facebook shop, how to manage it, and what images to use for store promo.
Why sell on Facebook?
For starters, let’s find out why you need Facebook to help you generate sales. After all, there’re lots of e-commerce platforms you can use, and you probably have your own website. Why start a shop on Facebook as well?
To start with, take a look at the numbers provided by Statista:
- Facebook has currently reached 3 billion monthly users, which makes it the most-used online social media in the world
- The platform already hosts 250 million Facebook Shops worldwide
- Facebook Shops platform has 1 million active monthly users and counting
To help you navigate your way around this topic, Facebook has a business platform with detailed instructions on how to start a Facebook shop and what tools to use for its promotion.
Log in to your Facebook Business account to explore Meta Business Suite.
Another benefit is Facebook Shop’s functionality, which is convenient for both sellers and buyers.
For example, if you set up a Facebook checkout on your store page, it will be easier for your customers to shop because they can buy right then and there. And by eliminating the number of checkout steps, you increase the chances of people actually making a purchase. Which is your ultimate goal, right?
Before creating a Facebook shop: Check Facebook page requirements
The shop registration process is not complicated, especially since Facebook guides you through it step-by-step with user-friendly popups.
However, before setting up a store on Facebook, you should learn about the restrictions and requirements. For more details, we recommend checking the Facebook Business platform, but here are some of the key points you must consider beforehand:
- You must have a Facebook profile and a Facebook Business page linked to it.
- Your Facebook page must have at least 2000 likes
- All products should be physical; no digital items are allowed. However, you can promote your services
- You must have a Tax Identification Number (for US-based businesses only)
- You must have a valid bank account with your Facebook name.
In addition, when creating a Facebook store, you must apply for approval. So, if you want to avoid any potential problems and improve your chances of getting approved, start doing the following in advance:
Prove that your Facebook business page is active and has high social engagement. To do so, you can post daily, experiment with various content, and try contests and giveaways.
Interact with your followers. Reply to their comments and messages, ask them questions, and encourage them to rate your page. This will help you expand your audience since comments and likes are shown in people’s feeds, even if they are not following you on Facebook.
Develop effective Facebook marketing and content strategies. Check out our ultimate guide on how to grow your Facebook business page organically.
How to create a Facebook store in 7 steps
Once you’ve sorted it all out, you can create a Facebook shop by following this 7 step guide:
Step 1: Set up a shop and edit your profile
First, go to your Facebook Business page and find the “Shop” tab on the left menu. This option is available for most Facebook Business pages, however, it depends on your Facebook shopping template. If you can’t find this tab, you can go to Settings and click “Templates and Tabs”, then “Current template”, and “Edit”. This way, you can activate the Shopping template, and the “Shop” tab will automatically appear on the left menu.
Setting up a store on Facebook is easy, thanks to a series of popups with simple instructions. At this stage, you must enter all the basic info about your shop: business category, country, tax information, etc. Note that this process varies for US and non-US businesses.
Step 2: Choose your checkout options
There are three checkout options for your Facebook Shop. Facebook recommends the first one, but you can decide what works best for your business.
- Checkout on Facebook and Instagram. Note that this method is only available to US-based businesses. You must have a bank account and a business address in the USA to make it work.
- Checkout on your website. Make sure you have Page authorization to redirect the checkout to your company’s site.
- Checkout with messaging. This method allows customers to contact you via Messenger or WhatsApp, but it will not set up a checkout method for your shop. For this option, you must plan your own payment and order processing system. Also, make sure you have a WhatsApp business account.
Visit this page for detailed info on checkout methods.
Step 3: Create and set up a Business Manager account
Now, select your Business Manager account or create a new one. Learn more about Meta Business Manager permissions on this page.
Step 4: Create a product catalog
Once you’ve set up your Facebook store, you can create catalogs. Choose a Product or Service catalog type, depending on your business. When building your catalogs, you can upload individual products and create collections.
Then, provide each item with additional info: the name of your product or service, description, price, shipping options, and photos and videos.
The best tip for the Facebook Shop catalog would be to use consistent visuals for all items. For example, make sure all your catalog images have the same background. You can change it without re-shooting your entire collection.
Use our background remover tool to erase the backdrop from a photo and select a new background from our library afterward.
We recommend adding watermarks and your Facebook shop logo to all pictures to prevent any issues with copyright. You can easily create your own watermark in VistaCreate. Upload your logotype to VistaCreate and change its opacity, scale, and positing on your image in just a few clicks.
➡️ Learn more about VistaCreate Brand Kits feature!
We have more tips on creating stunning visuals for your catalog and promo in the next section of the article. Keep reading to learn the coolest hacks!
Step 5: Choose a shipping and return policy
When selecting shipping methods, choose between Standard, Expedited, and Rushed options.
➡️ Read this Facebook article to learn how to manage your shipping methods.
As for returns, Facebook has a 30-day minimum return policy which is one of the reasons why people love shopping there. Also, note that Facebook buyers are allowed to cancel their order within 30 minutes of purchase if you haven’t marked it as shipped yet.
Step 6: Enter your payment details
Now it’s time to link your bank for payment. Enter your account numbers along with the name on the account and your bank routing.
Step 7: Review your shop details and wait for approval
You’re almost done! The last step is to review all the data and submit your Facebook store for approval. Usually, this process takes 24 to 48 hours, unless there are issues with your Facebook shop. In such cases, contact Facebook Business support to fix it.
Woohoo, I’ve created a Facebook Shop! What do I do next?
Congrats, you’ve made it! Now that you’re done with creating a Facebook store, you can start your promo.
Customize your store’s look
Here’s what Facebook suggest you to do:
- Add, remove and arrange featured collections and products
- Choose a collection to feature at the top of your shop
- Change the color of your buttons
🔥VistaCreate’s Pro tip: When working on your shop’s look, remember to preview it. Your goal is to create a cohesive look where all images and web design elements adhere to the same visual aesthetic. This trick will make your Facebook shop appeal to potential buyers and stand out among other stores.
Create branded visuals for your shop
If you have brand colors and fonts you use all over your marketing channels, apply them to your Facebook Business page and store, too. This will boost your brand recognition and help you maintain consistency.
To make on-brand visuals quick and easy, build your own brand kit with your logo, colors, and fonts using our Brand Kits feature.
With a kit, you can apply your branding to any design and customize ready-made templates in VistaCreate in minutes.
➡️ Find out how to make your designs unique if you work with templates in our guide.
To do so, choose a template that suits your purpose, change all its colors and fonts to your branded ones, and add a logo. Visit this page to learn more about Brand Kits and create one!
Content formats to promote your Facebook Business page and shop
You’re probably familiar with Facebook content formats: posts and video posts, static and video stories, and Reels. But to make the most of your content, we strongly recommend building a Facebook marketing strategy to help you promote your Facebook Business page and store.
Read this article to learn how to do so.
Let’s look at Facebook content you can use to promote your shop:
Facebook posts
Browse more Facebook post templates
Facebook stories
Browse more Facebook Story templates
Facebook cover
When you’re promoting a new collection, update your Facebook profile image and cover. Grab one of our templates to design a static or video cover for your Facebook Business page and shop.
Browse more Facebook covers templates
Last things to know
If you’ve used our guide to create a Facebook Shop page, pass it on to someone that will find it useful.
You’ve been on quite the journey. But the most exciting part begins after you’re done with the formalities and actually get to showcase your product and start the promotion.
Make your store stand out by creating stylish catalog images — adjust color and contrast, edit the background, and add a logo to your product photos using VistaCreate.
Want to outshine competitors and gain exposure with unique content? You can easily create it using our pre-made templates and advanced features.
Start your Facebook shop and make your first designs today!
