Facebook is a great social tool. Because of this many persons use it to conduct
sales. While it offers a great social experience it is not suited for a shopping
experience. Facebook is ideal for marketing and advertising. However, it cannot
help you manage the sales process.
There are several requirements in the online sales process. This includes product display, product information, the sale price, a payment mechanism, delivery options and after sales support. Sellers using Facebook as a sales channel are unable to integrate the above requirements. The first three are normally seen on the page wall. The other requirements are normally stated in the about page or provided, if a customer ‘inboxes’ the seller.
The shopping experience on Facebook is very disjointed. In this way, Facebook is really used as a catalogue rather than an online store. You scroll though the posts, see what you like, contact the seller and arrange for payment and delivery.
There are several requirements in the online sales process. This includes product display, product information, the sale price, a payment mechanism, delivery options and after sales support. Sellers using Facebook as a sales channel are unable to integrate the above requirements. The first three are normally seen on the page wall. The other requirements are normally stated in the about page or provided, if a customer ‘inboxes’ the seller.
The shopping experience on Facebook is very disjointed. In this way, Facebook is really used as a catalogue rather than an online store. You scroll though the posts, see what you like, contact the seller and arrange for payment and delivery.
What
differentiates the use of Facebook in this way is the social benefit. Facebook
lends legitimacy to an operation, especially, where there are numerous
followers or likes and the page is quite active. Some sellers do a very good
job of showcasing their wares and have engaging posts. Hence, Facebook is used
for product identification and seller evaluation. Often not much product information
is provided. The other steps in the sales process (payment, delivery and after
sales service) are handled offline or face-to-face.
There are major drawbacks to Facebook as a catalogue. Firstly, there is a lack of organization. Items cannot be grouped of categorized. Hence, shoes are found in the same basket containing clothing and accessories. Secondly, a search mechanism is absent. Items posted previously may have shifted in their relative positions due to comments made to the subject post or other posts. In addition, as new posts are made older posts are pushed down. Hence, finding an item you saw previously can be difficult.
There are major drawbacks to Facebook as a catalogue. Firstly, there is a lack of organization. Items cannot be grouped of categorized. Hence, shoes are found in the same basket containing clothing and accessories. Secondly, a search mechanism is absent. Items posted previously may have shifted in their relative positions due to comments made to the subject post or other posts. In addition, as new posts are made older posts are pushed down. Hence, finding an item you saw previously can be difficult.
Many sellers
are not aware that Facebook has third party shopping cart apps. For example, ECWID and Shopify.
These apps provide a real online shopping experience for customers. Many of them
have a free option where you benefit from the full features of the app with a
few restrictions. Typically, the pricing
plans are tied to the number of items displayed. Prices are relatively low.
Personally, they offer tremendous value for money.
The apps are
relatively easy to set up. Within a day your storefront can be up and running. Features
include storefront display, integration of standard online payment systems like
PayPal and a robust back office system to manage orders and fulfillment.
Including an online payment system is not necessary. That is, the apps allow you to offer traditional payment options like cash-on-delivery and bank deposits. They allow Facebook sellers to conduct sales in a professional manner and give their storefronts a well-deserved facelift. Yes, they are customizable.
The benefits of the apps go beyond the aesthetics. They provide a cheaper alternative to building a website. Successful Facebook sellers eventually migrate to a website, mainly, to better manage the sales process when demand increases. This can be a nightmare and there is always the challenge of migrating customers from Facebook to the new website. Because these apps allow you to professionally manage the sales process in Facebook there is no need to build a website which can take a long time. With these apps sellers can market to customers in Facebook and manage an integrated sales process in Facebook.
Including an online payment system is not necessary. That is, the apps allow you to offer traditional payment options like cash-on-delivery and bank deposits. They allow Facebook sellers to conduct sales in a professional manner and give their storefronts a well-deserved facelift. Yes, they are customizable.
The benefits of the apps go beyond the aesthetics. They provide a cheaper alternative to building a website. Successful Facebook sellers eventually migrate to a website, mainly, to better manage the sales process when demand increases. This can be a nightmare and there is always the challenge of migrating customers from Facebook to the new website. Because these apps allow you to professionally manage the sales process in Facebook there is no need to build a website which can take a long time. With these apps sellers can market to customers in Facebook and manage an integrated sales process in Facebook.
The apps save
you time, money and of course, the headache of building a new website.
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