Facebook - eCommerce Catalog Browse [Support]

[brightsoftware]

Yes, it works by all data being automatically generated by the plug-in directly from the products table in the Zen Cart system. Therefore by disabling the caching the app will automatically collect the new prices every time a customer views the your installation of the Facebook app.

[stevefriedman71]

I tried to update the fb browser to the newer version but now, the browser is gone on the fb page... I updated both, the files and the sql. (i used uninstall sql and then install)

[brightsoftware]

The installation of the new version will have generated a new plug-in key, therefore the Facebook app will need updating with that new key for it to start working.

Also if you have previously manually edited the /admin/includes/languages/english.php language file to add:

define('BOX_CONFIGURATION_ECOMMERCEBROWSER', 'Facebook eCommerce Browser');

This can now be removed, as it is now created by the extra_datafiles in the admin/includes folder on the new version of the plug-in zip file.

If that doesn't work please can you create a support ticket, with Shop and Facebook URL and Version on ZenCart, so we can help resolve the issue. http://support.ecommercebrowser.com/

[dgent]

Found a glitch. If I log into my facebook account and install the app, the shop page comes up blank in a box around 50pixels high, and so do all other peoples shop apps on Facebook. If I log out of facebook, or log in using an account that doesnt have the app installed, I can view any of the stores perfectly.

Also this means I cannot edit the settings to enter my key. A box flashes up for a split second, and then vanishes when I click 'settings'

[brightsoftware]

We have noticed recently that if you are acting as the page (rather than a person) the app page sometimes appears blank or only 50px high as Facebook doesn't initiate the app.

If you switch to viewing as a user, you will be able to see the items on this page. As long as the user is an administrator of the page you will still be able to access the app settings.

Unfortunately, this is a Facebook bug that affects a large number of Facebook apps, not just ours. This issue reoccurs every 8 months or so on Facebook. It has been raised on the Facebook developer forum as a bug, and they normally resolve the problem in a month or so. However, as mentioned above, you can easily get around this by administering the app as a user, not as the page.

This doesn't affect your customers' view of your product list page, they would still be able to view your products.

[schoolboy]

Pity that the app does not embed the store into FB. It's basically a series of linkbacks to your site product info pages. From a UX point-of-view, the App is therefore clunky, as it:

Takes users away from facebook completely
Does not add the product to the cart (when "Buy Now" buttom is clicked it goes to site's product info page) so an EXTRA click action is needed.
Does not allow MULTIPLE add-to-cart actions inside of Facebook... what if a FB visitor is interested in SEVERAL products on display in the FB screen? He/she has to toggle backwards and forwards between FB and the webshop...

All these confusing actions make this App rate poorly in the UX stakes, and I would hesitate using it on my clients' websites.

We have used Vendingbox more successfully, as it embeds the actual store into FB and all purchase and checkout happen inside FB.

PS: This is NOT an advert for vendingbox! I have no commercial interest in vendingbox.

[dgent]

Pity that the app does not embed the store into FB. It's basically a series of linkbacks to your site product info pages. From a UX point-of-view, the App is therefore clunky, as it:

Takes users away from facebook completely
Does not add the product to the cart (when "Buy Now" buttom is clicked it goes to site's product info page) so an EXTRA click action is needed.
Does not allow MULTIPLE add-to-cart actions inside of Facebook... what if a FB visitor is interested in SEVERAL products on display in the FB screen? He/she has to toggle backwards and forwards between FB and the webshop...

All these confusing actions make this App rate poorly in the UX stakes, and I would hesitate using it on my clients' websites.

We have used Vendingbox more successfully, as it embeds the actual store into FB and all purchase and checkout happen inside FB.

PS: This is NOT an advert for vendingbox! I have no commercial interest in vendingbox.

True, I had a look and you could just install a duplicate zencart folder running off your original database, stylised to fit the Facebook window and run it in an Iframe in the Facebook HTML page app.. The only issue is trying to get Paypal to open up in a new tab instead of the original.

[schoolboy]

Here's one of our TRIAL SITES for vendingbox on Facebook.

[brightsoftware]

Thank-you for your feedback. The idea behind the app was to develop a plug-in that makes it quick and easy for people to market their products in Facebook and drive customers to their existing store, rather than create a duplicate store inside Facebook.

We believe that a fully embedded Facebook store dilutes your brand, as people end up getting used to buying from Facebook rather than directly with your store. A similar issue occurs with the Amazon Marketplace, where customers do not realise that they are actually making purchases from a third party business. This is fine in the short term, but you end up with a business where you are locked into Facebook. If Facebook decided in a couple of years that they wish to develop their own shop system and stop third party apps, they would have you over a barrel - as your business has become dependant, rather than a strong individual brand linked via Facebook.

However, you are correct - many of our competitors' systems will allow you maintain a complete shop in Facebook. This means that you carry out your sale via their system, usually at a cost of a commission or higher monthly fees. While this can mean that the whole shopping experience is within Facebook, it can have additional disadvantages of stock control maintenance; and on a busy shop with the system with only updating hourly, it can result in double selling of the same items when stock levels are low.

We hope that you can see that we have given this issue a great deal of thought, and why we have decided to build our app in this way. We do, however, see the benefit of being able to build up a basket within Facebook, but as our app is built to work across multiple store-stype (not just Zencart), this is trickier for us to implement.

[schoolboy]

Thank-you for your feedback. The idea behind the app was to develop a plug-in that makes it quick and easy for people to market their products in Facebook and drive customers to their existing store, rather than create a duplicate store inside Facebook.

The vendingbox system is your ACTUAL ZENCART STORE rendered in Facebook, The vendingbox app uses everything in your exiting ZC store, and shapes it for Facebook. It is not a "duplicate" store.

We believe that a fully embedded Facebook store dilutes your brand, as people end up getting used to buying from Facebook rather than directly with your store.

Can't agree here... the facebook interface can be styled to look very similar to your ZC store. And besides, it is simply an additional CHANNEL. The advantage is that it's all being run of your original ZC database and file system.

A similar issue occurs with the Amazon Marketplace, where customers do not realise that they are actually making purchases from a third party business. This is fine in the short term, but you end up with a business where you are locked into Facebook. If Facebook decided in a couple of years that they wish to develop their own shop system and stop third party apps, they would have you over a barrel - as your business has become dependant, rather than a strong individual brand linked via Facebook.

Facebook may not even be in business in a few years from now... It's been a disaster since their stock listing (share price has lost 50% of its initial "value"), so yes... it is dumb for any retailer to put all their eggs into one basket. But the vendingbox app plugs into many other systems (wordpress blogs, forums, plain html sites.

However, you are correct - many of our competitors' systems will allow you maintain a complete shop in Facebook. This means that you carry out your sale via their system, usually at a cost of a commission or higher monthly fees. While this can mean that the whole shopping experience is within Facebook, it can have additional disadvantages of stock control maintenance; and on a busy shop with the system with only updating hourly, it can result in double selling of the same items when stock levels are low.

Because vendingbox runs of the ZC database in real-time, stock (and everything else) is managed in real time... it is NOT a "duplicate" of the original ZC site... it IS the original site.

We hope that you can see that we have given this issue a great deal of thought, and why we have decided to build our app in this way. We do, however, see the benefit of being able to build up a basket within Facebook, but as our app is built to work across multiple store-stype (not just Zencart), this is trickier for us to implement.

Others have done it very successfully, so keep working at it and good luck!