Table of Contents
In this TikTok Shop review article, I’ll explore whether this dynamic platform is suitable for your eCommerce brand.
TikTok is a great way to reach and engage with a huge audience. But what if I told you there was a way for your audience to browse and buy your products on TikTok?
Introducing…..TikTok Shop.
Quick Summary
- TikTok Shop is an online eCommerce tool found within TikTok that allows you to list, tag, and sell your products through your videos and profiles.
- You don’t need a website to set up a TikTok Shop! Users can discover and purchase your products all without having to leave TikTok.
- The platform is free to setup, charges low transaction and commission fees, and integrates seamlessly with all your favorite online store builders.
What Is TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop is an eCommerce solution found within the popular social media platform TikTok.
With TikTok Shop, your audience can essentially view and purchase your products directly from your TikTok videos, profile, and dedicated tabs.
And guess what? You don’t even need a website to start selling on TikTok!
By tapping into TikTok’s powerful discovery engine, you can take advantage of features like in-feed videos, live shopping, affiliate programs, and ads.
These tools are not just features but opportunities to amplify your brand’s reach and boost your sales, making your eCommerce business more dynamic and exciting.
Basically, TikTok Shop allows both buyers and sellers to engage in eCommerce – all within TikTok!
Read more: My Top 5 Free eCom Tools
TikTok Shop Review 2024
If you’re a small eCommerce business owner, you’ve likely considered building an online storefront or selling your products on a marketplace like Etsy or Amazon.
However, you may have yet to consider using a social media platform like TikTok to sell your products!
The question is, though, is TikTok Shop any good? Let’s find out.
Ease Of Use
In terms of setting up your TikTok Shop, the process is pretty seamless!
You’ll either need to create a new account or sign up through your existing TikTok account and follow the prompts.
You’ll love TikTok Shop and its familiar interface if you already have a TikTok account!
The back-end seller homepage is well organized, with clear headers on the left side that allow you to add and manage your TikTok Shop products easily.
This is also where you can customize your online TikTok storefront, link your shop to a TikTok account, and tag products through your videos.
On the buyer’s side, accessing and using TikTok Shop is also straightforward.
This is because your audience can easily browse and directly buy your products all without ever having to leave TikTok!
The convenience of shopping within the TikTok app eliminates the need to switch between multiple platforms, offering a hassle-free shopping experience for both users and sellers.
Read more: How To Find Trending Products On TikTok.
Pricing
I have good news – setting up your TikTok Shop won’t cost you a dime! That’s right, you can set up your shop and start showcasing your products to the world for free.
However, TikTok Shop isn’t entirely free. Once you start selling, there are commission and transaction fees.
Currently, TikTok charges merchants a 2% commission fee and a 30 cents per transaction fee. But these rates are rumored to increase to 8% starting July 2024!
Key Features
What are the key features of TikTok Shop for sellers and buyers?
- In-Feed Video and LIVE Shopping: This is arguably the best feature within TikTok Shop! Your potential buyers can shop for your tagged products directly through your videos and live feed right within their ‘For You’ feed.
- Product Showcase: Think of this as a virtual store from which your potential customers can click and purchase products – all within your TikTok profile! Simply add product tiles, prices, reviews, and more. Note: You don’t have to have a TikTok Shop to have a Showcase.
- Shop Tab: This tab lets you list, manage, and sell your products on a marketplace. For buyers, they can search and discover exciting promotions, explore products related to their past activities, chat with merchants, and more.
- Affiliate Program: Feature your products in creators’ or TikTok influencers’ short videos or livestreams. This is an incredible opportunity for sellers to showcase their products to a wider audience. Creators will also love you as they’ll earn a commission for each product they sell. It’s a win-win scenario!
- Shop Ads: Set up ad campaigns through TikTok to promote your TikTok Shop! These ads could be video ads or LIVE shopping ads and can help amplify impressions and reach and boost sales.
- Fulfilled by TikTok: This super service takes care of storing, packing, and shipping your products, so you don’t have to worry about logistics!
TikTok Shop and Shopify
I mentioned earlier that you don’t need a website to use TikTok Shop.
But what if you have a Shopify store? Did you know you can supercharge your sales by selling on both platforms?
Instead of listing your products directly on TikTok, you can connect your store to TikTok!
This means your audience can discover and buy your products through TikTok, and you can continue to manage your inventory, track orders, and more through Shopify!
This seamless integration streamlines the selling process and leverages TikTok’s highly engaged audience and Shopify’s robust eCommerce ecosystem.
Using the two platforms together can expand your customer reach and drive sales while creating an immersive shopping experience!
Plus, did you know that Shopify can also connect with other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and marketplaces like Amazon?
Want to know more about Shopify? Check out my comprehensive Shopify review article here.
What I Like:
- With billions of active users on TikTok, you can reach a wider audience and boost your brand visibility, particularly within a younger age demographic.
- The streamlined buying process means viewers can easily purchase your products from videos or live sessions without leaving the app.
- Setting up a TikTok Shop is a breeze and requires no coding skills. You can confidently set up and launch your shop within minutes, knowing that the process is straightforward and user-friendly.
- You can integrate your TikTok Shop with popular online eCommerce store builders like Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and Print on Demand services like Printify or Printful.
- TikTok’s commission fees are lower than other platforms like counterparts like Amazon, allowing for more competitive pricing.
- TikTok Shop simplifies collaboration with influencers, who can promote your products through their videos, leading to more sales!
What I Dislike:
- TikTok Shop’s payment options are limited, with only debit/credit cards and PayPal available currently.
- While TikTok Shop has expanded to several countries, it remains unavailable in numerous regions, limiting sellers’ market access.
- Certain product categories, like digital items (eBooks, music, software), are restricted or unsupported on TikTok Shop.
Read more: How To Create TikTok Ads?
How To Use TikTok Shop?
To use TikTok Shop, follow these steps:
- Register and create a completely new TikTok Shop (or connect your existing TikTok account).
- Fill out all relevant information about your business and products.
- Once your application has been approved (this may take 48 hours), add your products to your TikTok Shop inventory.
- Customize your products by adding product details, pricing, and shipping information.
- Link your Shop to an existing TikTok account to build your shop page.
- Start tagging and selling your products to TikTok users!
Want to find out more about how you can use TikTok Shop? Check out my step-by-step video tutorial here
TikTok Shop Alternatives
You know, I don’t think there’s anything quite like TikTok Shop out there! But here are some alternatives that offer similar eCommerce options:
Meta
Like TikTok, you can showcase your brand and products on Facebook and Instagram (Meta).
Once your shop is live, customers can discover it through the Facebook and Instagram apps on both Apple and Android devices.
When you add new inventory, your products will appear in users’ Feeds (or the platform will prompt them with notifications to visit your shop).
Customization features are consistent across these platforms, meaning that if your shop is accessible from Instagram and Facebook, your collections are visible on both platforms.
Shops offer a unified presence across Facebook and Instagram, but I believe that TikTok Shop’s features are more advanced and varied.
Read more: How To Use Meta Business Suite.
YouTube
YouTube Shopping allows you to sell your own physical products through your video content on YouTube!
Don’t get me wrong—this is an awesome way to promote and showcase your products through long-form videos. However, there are some limitations.
The setup process is a bit clunky, you can’t sell digital products, and you must connect your online store to YouTube.
And unlike TikTok, you must have a website to sell your products through YouTube.
In saying that, there are some useful benefits!
You can access insightful analytics features to measure the performance of your tagged products and add personalized product recommendations based on those tagged products.
Read more: YouTube Advertising Costs.
Etsy
Etsy is an online marketplace perfect for small businesses and creatives wanting to sell their unique handcrafted, vintage, and custom-made items.
What truly distinguishes Etsy from other platforms like Shopify, eBay, and Amazon is its remarkable community atmosphere.
Etsy embraces and showcases creativity, highlighting exclusive products you can’t find elsewhere!
Although Etsy isn’t technically a direct alternative to TikTok Shop, the large and loyal 95 million active users means you can sell your products with minimal effort.
If your focus is on offering extraordinary gifts, vintage finds, or niche products, Etsy is your ideal eCommerce platform!
Read more: How To use Etsy To Sell Online.
Stews Final Thoughts
And that wraps up this TikTok Shop review article!
So, what did I think? Is it any good for selling your products online?
My answer would have to be…..yes!
With its rapidly growing user base and innovative features, TikTok Shop helps you showcase your products to a wide and diverse audience.
Plus, leveraging TikTok Shop can increase your business’s visibility and sales!
If you’re looking to explore new avenues for selling your products or simply don’t want to muck around with building an online store, TikTok Shop is for you.
Go ahead and give TikTok Shop a try, and let me know how you get on.
