When it comes to paid advertising, keeping track of different metrics and analysing results is key.
And how can you do that when running Facebook ads, you ask?
Simple; you use a Facebook pixel to track different actions visitors perform on your website after clicking on one of your ads.
Just like how you add salt to your french fries to make them taste better, adding a Facebook pixel to your WooCommerce website can help you get more out of your Facebook Ads and improve the overall performance of your e-commerce business.
Whether you’re a small business owner just starting out or a seasoned pro, understanding how to use a Facebook pixel on a WooCommerce website is key to taking your e-commerce game to the next level.
Without further ado, here’s what you need to know about WooCommerce Facebook pixel setup.
What is a Facebook pixel?
A Facebook pixel is simply a piece of code that you can add to your website to track visitor actions and behaviour so that you can ultimately measure the effectiveness of your Facebook Ads.
That code allows you to track important events such as product views, add to carts, and purchases, so you can better understand the actions people take on your website after clicking on your ads.
Using that information, you can create Custom Audiences for retargeting, so you can show different ads to people who have already interacted with your e-commerce store.
Why you need to use Facebook pixel on a WooCommerce website
As mentioned, setting up a WooCommerce Facebook pixel can have a plethora of benefits. Here are some of them:
Tracking and optimisation
One of the main benefits of using the Facebook pixel on a WooCommerce website is that it allows you to track and analyse customer actions on your store. By tracking essential metrics and events, such as page views, “add to cart” actions, and purchase conversions, you can gain a deeper understanding of how your customers interact with your website and optimise your Facebook ads accordingly.
Want an example?
Say you’re running an ad for a shoe company (let’s call it “Shoester”). After installing a Facebook pixel on your store, you notice that seven out of 10 people add Shoester to their carts, but only two people continue the checkout process.
So, what does that mean and what can you, as a small business owner, do with that information?
Well, it means that the ad copy is working (since people are clicking on your ads), and the product copy is also working (since people are adding that product to their carts), but there’s a step missing in your funnel (since people aren’t checking out). So, there are several actions you can take, such as:
- Creating an abandoned cart email campaign to support your Facebook Ads campaign
- Retargeting people who abandoned their cart using Facebook Ads
Need proof that it works?
Fitness, an e-commerce health food retailer, reported that they saw the following results after using the Meta pixel along with the Conversions API:
- 16% increase in purchases
- 14% decrease in the cost per customer acquisition
- 7% decrease in the cost per impression
Quite interesting how a Facebook pixel can help with all of that, huh?
Retargeting
Another key benefit of using the Facebook pixel is that it allows you to retarget website visitors with highly targeted ads. By creating custom audiences based on specific behaviour on your website, you can show targeted ads to customers who have abandoned their cart or viewed a particular product, increasing the chances of them coming back to complete their purchase.
Lookalike audiences
The Facebook pixel also allows you to create Lookalike Audiences, which are groups of people who share similar characteristics to your existing customers. This can be a powerful way to expand your reach and acquire new customers who are likely to be interested in your products.
How to set up a WooCommerce Facebook pixel
Setting up Facebook pixel on a WooCommerce website is a simple process that involves using one of two WordPress plugins. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to set it up:
Step 1: Create a Facebook pixel
Creating a Facebook pixel isn’t that complicated. Here’s how to do it:
1. Head over to Facebook Ads Manager, which is a central hub through which you can manage all your campaign-related tasks
2. Login or create an account if you don’t already have one
3. From the left menu, click on “Events Manager”
4. Click on “Connect e data source”
5. Select “Web” then click on “Get Started”
6. On the next screen, select “Facebook pixel” and click on “Connect”
7. Now, name your Facebook pixel then click on “Continue”
8. Next, you need to choose how you want to install your pixel code. You can either do it manually using the code Facebook provides or use a Partner Integration. We’ll explain both methods in the next sections
Step 2: Add the Facebook pixel to your WooCommerce website
Now that you’ve created the pixel, you can proceed to the actual setup process.
There are two ways to do this; you can use either a plugin Facebook provides or a third-party plugin to add the pixel code yourself.
Set up the WooCommerce Facebook pixel using a plugin
1. From the previous screen, click on “Use a partner”. Then, scroll down and select “WordPress”. From here on, it’s just a matter of following Facebook’s prompts
2. Select the optional actions you want to add to your Facebook pixel then click on “Continue”
3. From the next screen, click on “Download” to download the WooCommerce Facebook pixel plugin
4. Head over to your WordPress dashboard then open the “Add New Plugin” page from the left menu
5. Click “Upload Plugin” then “Choose file” and select the file that you just downloaded from Facebook. Finally, click on “Install Now” and activate the plugin
6. Set the settings as needed
7. Go back to the Facebook Ads Manager and enter your website’s URL to verify that the pixel is working correctly
Set up the WooCommerce Facebook pixel manually
Using the plugin provided by Meta is the easiest way to add Facebook pixel to your WooCommerce website, but if you’d rather add the code yourself, we got you. It’s important to note that even for this method, you’re going to need a plugin to simplify the process.
1. Head over to the plugin store from your WordPress dashboard and search for WPCode
2. Install and activate the plugin
3. Go back to Facebook Ads Manager and click on “Manually add pixel code to website”. Copy the generated code to your clipboard
4. Return to your WordPress dashboard and open the new “Code Snippets” menu on the left and click on “Add Snippet”
5. Click on “Blank Snippet” and paste the code you got from Facebook
6. Voila! Now, you have to test whether the pixel is working as it should. We’ll explain how to do that in the next step
Step 3: Make sure everything’s running smoothly
After you set up the Facebook pixel, you’ll want to test it to make sure it’s working correctly. The easiest way to do it is by using the Facebook pixel Helper Chrome extension. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the Chrome Web Store
2. Look for the “Facebook Pixel Helper” extension and install it
3. Open your WooCommerce store then click on the extension in the top right corner of your browser’s screen. Something along the lines of “One pixel found on PLACEHOLDER store” (as shown in the picture below)
4. Open a different page of your website then recheck the extension. A new event (Page View) should be displayed
5. Perform any other action (such as completing the checkout form), and another event should be added. We’ll talk more about events and how to set them up later in this article.
If you get similar results, it means that the pixel is working correctly.
Step 4: Set up events
Pixel events are specific actions that visitors take on your website, such as adding an item to their shopping cart or making a purchase. By setting up these events, you can better evaluate how your ads are performing and target them more effectively to users who are most likely to convert.
How can you set up events?
To set up Facebook pixel events, you will first need to install the pixel code on your website and verify that it’s working perfectly as explained above. Once that is done, you can create custom events within your Facebook Ads Manager to track specific actions on your website.
What events can you track using a Facebook pixel?
Facebook pixel offers a plethora of standard events you can use to track different types of user actions on your WooCommerce store. Those standard events include:
- ViewContent: Triggered when a user views a specific product or content on the website. You can use this event to find out which products or articles are most popular among users
- Search: Triggered when a user conducts a search on your store. This event can be used to track which keywords users commonly use
- AddToCart: Triggered when a user adds an item to their shopping cart. You can use this event to track which products are most likely to be purchased by users
- AddToWishlist: Triggered when a user adds an item to their wishlist
- InitiateCheckout: Triggered when a user begins the checkout process
- AddPaymentInfo: Triggered when a user adds payment information during checkout
- Purchase: Triggered when a user completes a purchase. This event can be used to track overall revenue and conversion rate
That’s not all
In addition to these standard events, you can also create custom events to track specific actions that are unique to your business. For example, you can create a custom event to track when a user subscribes to a newsletter or when they watch a video on your website.
Not only that, but you can also use Event Parameters to gather more information about the actions you’re tracking. For example, you can use parameters to track the value of a purchase or the contents of a shopping cart.
What can you do with that data?
You can use the data collected using the Facebook pixel to achieve a plethora of goals. Here are some examples:
Boost your conversion rate
By analysing the aforementioned data, you can find out if you’re hitting the jackpot with your conversion rates.
Let’s say you fired up Facebook analytics to find out that 100 people viewed your product, 10 added it to their cart, and 3 purchased it.
With this information, you can focus on converting those 10 people who added the product to their cart into actual buyers. Who knows, you might just go from a conversion rate of 3% to 10% or more!
Alternatively, you can focus on the three people who completed the checkout process and work on retargeting them with your ads to turn them into repeat customers!
Refine your target audience
Knowing who your ideal customer is can help you make the most out of your ad campaigns. For example, you might find out that your products are especially popular amongst 25–35-year-olds. In that case, you can target your ads specifically to this age group and watch the sales roll in!
Adjust your ad spend
If you’re spending your hard-earned cash on ads, you want to make sure your ad spend is going to the right place. With data on which campaigns are driving the most conversions, you can channel your budget to the ads that are getting the job done, and cut back on campaigns that aren’t performing as well. It’s all about making every penny count!
Improve your product offerings
The data generated by setting up specific events can also give you insights into which products are flying off the shelves and which ones are just collecting dust. Based on that information, you can make improvements to your product offerings to better meet the needs and wants of your customers. More happy customers = more sales!
You run your business, we’ll run your ads
Running Facebook ads and managing an online store isn’t as simple as you’d think, which is why you may find yourself needing some help. If you do, book a discovery call with us, and we’ll explain how we can optimise your Facebook Ads campaigns and help you get the most out of them.
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