 Chris Crum writes for Small Business Resources about what's new for small business. Chris was a featured writer with the iEntry Network of B2B Publications where hundreds of publications linked to his articles including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, LA Times and the New York Times.
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Facebook Offers Tips for Improving Online Transactions
Image via Facebook There’s no getting around the fact that most small businesses must rely on Facebook as a way to reach social media users. For many consumers, this is the primary way they interact with a business and learn about promotions and other updates. While Facebook doesn’t always make it easy for businesses to play the social media marketing game without shelling out money for advertising, they do offer small business users useful advice to help them thrive on the platform. Recently, Facebook took to its business blog to offer tips for improving online transactions. As more and more small businesses turn to the web out of necessity amidst a global pandemic, now is a good time to learn from such recommendations. Considering mobile users Most people access the web on their mobile devices, so your online marketing efforts should focus on them. "People expect a seamless shopping experience when using their phones and other mobile devices — especially during checkout," Facebook says in the post. "Make sure the checkout process on your website is mobile-responsive, if not mobile-first. This also includes browsing products, adding items to cart, and putting in the order. To double down on a mobile user experience, explore new opportunities like Facebook Shops, which makes it easier for people to shop on their phones." 1 This past May, Facebook introduced Shops as a new online shopping experience. The offering allows businesses to create an online store for free on Facebook and Instagram with relatively little effort. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with this feature yet, it’s a good time to start. Optimize Your Ads When it comes to Facebook, the effectiveness of your ads is potentially the most important component in increasing your sales. The company offers this formula for a successful ad that’s worth paying attention to:
Images via Facebook for Business blog How easy is your checkout process? As Facebook notes, a complicated checkout process means more customers are likely to drop off before completing their purchase. Make sure you’re making things as easy as possible on them. The Facebook Shops offering can help with this, but it also applies to the process on your website. Look for ways to simplify things and have people test it out and give you feedback. Consider the amount of information you require. Do you really need to collect date of birth or job title? If this is data you can benefit from, that’s one thing, but otherwise, you’re lengthening the process and increasing the chance the customer will abandon their shopping cart. It’s also a good idea to provide customers with as many payment options as possible. If you don’t offer a customer’s preferred method, they might just find another business that does. The speed of your site Something as simple as how fast your site loads can make or break a sale, so business owners should ensure they have good page speed. Utilize a tool like Google’s Page Speed Insights to determine your site’s performance and gain tips on how to improve it.2 As COVID-19 continues to impact businesses’ ability to reach customers, online tools like social media and e-commerce websites are as critical as ever. Be sure you offer the best experience possible because on the web, your competition is always a click away. Read other business articles |
