So…. you’ve decided to open up a store on Facebook. Great! Now what? Selling on Facebook is a good idea. With over 700 million users on the platform, it’s not a bad place to promote your business. When starting any kind of new business or organization there are several factors to consider before you dive in and start selling on Facebook direct to your fans.

Things to consider before selling on Facebook:

First things first, how do you want to set up your Facebook store? There are two main ways in which Facebook allows companies (and people) to set up pages on the platform: a Facebook app or iFrames. Each method has its pluses and minuses.

iFrames - Back in March of this year, Facebook switched its markup language to iFrames.  The cool thing about iFrames, they are pretty easy to set-up and offer a seamless user experience for those familiar with Facebook. The downside is real estate. When working with iFrames you have 520 pixels to make it work.  If you are a small business with a small budget, iFrames is the way to go.

Apps - Facebook Apps allow you to really use the functionality of Facebook to sell your  goods. Apps allow you to integrate into most features the platform has to offer and your real estate increases. Facebook apps allow you to work with a whopping 760 pixels. The biggest disadvantage to Facebook Apps — they are not easy to set-up or maintain. If you are thinking about creating an app, you might want to hire an expert. Delta Airlines uses an app to sell tickets through Facebook.

Another thing to consider when setting up shop on Facebook; what kind of store works best for you and your company? There are several ways people sell goods on Facebook. Think about your budget and the resources you will have available to operate the store once it is set up. Here are a few ways in which you see stores take shape on Facebook:

• The Store Front: The Store Front on Facebook is like an interactive window dressing. For the most part the Store Front looks like an f-commerce store but does not provide the functionality; it simply links back to a brand’s e-commerce site.  Store Fronts are easy to set up with less programming (because there is no back-end), all the while increasing brand exposure on the web.

• The Mini-mart: Mini-marts look and operate just like a full-fledge f-commerce store, they just don’t sell a brands full product line.  Most Facebook “mini-marts use the platform to offer exclusivity and special offers to their fans. This is a great way to build brand loyalty and create a buzz around your Facebook presence.

• The Full Monty: The Full Monty offers up the whole f-commerce experience that a brand can offer inside Facebook.  This means all full product, shopping cart and the checkout process are all handled within Facebook. Advantages include increasing customer exposure to a full range of products and frictionless commerce with the promise of higher conversion rates.

For the most part, opening a store on Facebook means hiring an developer or agency to make it happen. It’s nice to have experts around to show you the ropes and answer any questions you might have. If this option is out of your budget, there are some companies that offer f-commerce “software packages” that are very user friendly and cost effective. Check out our previous write-up on HATHWAY favorite, Payvment.

Bottom line, selling on Facebook is a great way to expand your business and meet consumers where they hang out. With a little web development-savvy, any brand can take sales to Facebook. Are you interested in selling on Facebook. Give HATHWAY a call. We know Facebook.