Do I need an ecommerce website if I have stores set up on IG and FB?
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 8:55 am
With the rise of Instagram and Facebook stores, which offer users the option to search, find and purchase products from social media, many business owners are left wondering whether they need an online store at all.
If you decide to close your online store, you should know that you have to apply marketing strategies oriented to social networks, for which you must train yourself, take advantage of your creativity to conceive an exceptional strategy and differentiate yourself from your competition.
If you want to continue with your online store, even if you create your stores on these platforms, you are making the right decision, especially because there are always unfortunate days when these social networks go down and you lose sales. But that is another topic.
However, don't be in a hurry to give up your e-commerce website, as it is not an easy decision and requires careful study. Therefore, if you want to get answers to this question, we invite you to continue reading.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
Benefits of Facebook and Instagram shops
Discover the benefits offered by these virtual platforms:
They are easy to use and give visibility to your brand
It's easy for your customers to research where to buy their favorite products. They no longer have to search through screenshots or reviews for online stores that interest them.
As this is a new feature for Facebook and Instagram, your products will gain increased visibility compared to products in your online store, which often require the creation of landing pages so that users can find them.
They shorten the buyer's search
Checking out stores that have a presence on social media shortens the buyer’s journey and removes the barriers between viewing products and purchasing them. Facebook and Instagram stores were created with the purpose of increasing conversion rates.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
They seem to be reliable for users
Users do not need to click through to their preferred social media apps to make purchases, which is why they perceive these networks as safer compared to websites they have not previously reviewed.
They store customer data
When customers make their first purchase on Instagram and Facebook, these apps save their data in case future purchases occur. This is another way to remove barriers to this process, also reducing the presence of abandoned carts.
They highlight and promote various products
If you are the one in charge of managing these stores, you have the possibility of tagging up to 5 products per image, and even 20 products in a post with a carousel format, which means that you can show your own catalogue of a complete collection.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
They give authenticity to your store
This is especially true if you use user-generated content in your feed, to show other us panama mobile phone number list rs how much they like your products.
Reasons to keep your online store despite having a store on Facebook or Instagram
Although having a store on Facebook or Instagram generates multiple benefits, they do not replace virtual stores. Here are some compelling reasons why you should keep your online store:
Is your social media store really yours?
One of the reasons you still need your online store is the concept of ownership versus renting. Through your online store you are the absolute owner of it, so you have complete freedom over how you run this space and the data you collect from your customers.
You also own your page URL, inventory, product descriptions, and how your products are presented . However, with social media platforms, you are “renting” that property, and therefore have no control over customer data.
And without being able to control this or other elements of your Facebook or Instagram store, you're likely to be stripped of your site at any moment, especially if Facebook decides to change its processes, removes the store feature, or decides you've violated one of its policies.
If you decide to close your online store, you should know that you have to apply marketing strategies oriented to social networks, for which you must train yourself, take advantage of your creativity to conceive an exceptional strategy and differentiate yourself from your competition.
If you want to continue with your online store, even if you create your stores on these platforms, you are making the right decision, especially because there are always unfortunate days when these social networks go down and you lose sales. But that is another topic.
However, don't be in a hurry to give up your e-commerce website, as it is not an easy decision and requires careful study. Therefore, if you want to get answers to this question, we invite you to continue reading.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
Benefits of Facebook and Instagram shops
Discover the benefits offered by these virtual platforms:
They are easy to use and give visibility to your brand
It's easy for your customers to research where to buy their favorite products. They no longer have to search through screenshots or reviews for online stores that interest them.
As this is a new feature for Facebook and Instagram, your products will gain increased visibility compared to products in your online store, which often require the creation of landing pages so that users can find them.
They shorten the buyer's search
Checking out stores that have a presence on social media shortens the buyer’s journey and removes the barriers between viewing products and purchasing them. Facebook and Instagram stores were created with the purpose of increasing conversion rates.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
They seem to be reliable for users
Users do not need to click through to their preferred social media apps to make purchases, which is why they perceive these networks as safer compared to websites they have not previously reviewed.
They store customer data
When customers make their first purchase on Instagram and Facebook, these apps save their data in case future purchases occur. This is another way to remove barriers to this process, also reducing the presence of abandoned carts.
They highlight and promote various products
If you are the one in charge of managing these stores, you have the possibility of tagging up to 5 products per image, and even 20 products in a post with a carousel format, which means that you can show your own catalogue of a complete collection.
Facebook and Instagram shopping
They give authenticity to your store
This is especially true if you use user-generated content in your feed, to show other us panama mobile phone number list rs how much they like your products.
Reasons to keep your online store despite having a store on Facebook or Instagram
Although having a store on Facebook or Instagram generates multiple benefits, they do not replace virtual stores. Here are some compelling reasons why you should keep your online store:
Is your social media store really yours?
One of the reasons you still need your online store is the concept of ownership versus renting. Through your online store you are the absolute owner of it, so you have complete freedom over how you run this space and the data you collect from your customers.
You also own your page URL, inventory, product descriptions, and how your products are presented . However, with social media platforms, you are “renting” that property, and therefore have no control over customer data.
And without being able to control this or other elements of your Facebook or Instagram store, you're likely to be stripped of your site at any moment, especially if Facebook decides to change its processes, removes the store feature, or decides you've violated one of its policies.