With 130 million people engaging with Instagram shopping posts every month, having a presence on Instagram is essential for any eCommerce business. Setting up an Instagram shop is a strategic move to boost sales and expand your eCommerce store development. Instagram has been increasingly emphasizing online shopping in recent years. It’s crucial to take advantage of the opportunities it offers. To get started, you need to understand how to set up an Instagram shop and leverage it to drive more sales for your business.

What is Instagram Shopping?

Instagram shopping allows businesses to sync their eCommerce products to their Instagram account and create shoppable posts. It transforms regular posts and stories into opportunities for customers to browse and purchase products directly on Instagram.

Viewing Products on Instagram

By tagging products in posts, like tagging a friend, Instagram adds a shopping bag icon to the image. When users tap on the photo, they can see the prices of the featured products. They can access the product pages by tapping on the product labels. By embracing this feature, you can fully leverage the potential of Instagram shopping and enhance your eCommerce store development.

Viewing Catalog on Instagram

Additionally, customers can view the entire product catalog by clicking a button on the profile, offering a seamless shopping experience. When customers want to buy a product, they are redirected to the merchant’s eCommerce store to complete the purchase, thus enhancing your eCommerce store development. eCommerce store development includes integrations that can manage ad campaigns, track orders, and gain insights into sales and traffic generated from Instagram. These eCommerce store integrations simplify expanding the audience through Instagram and Facebook ads.

Ease of Shopping

The most significant benefit of Instagram shopping is the ease it provides for customers. Instead of requiring them to visit a particular website, the products are conveniently available on Instagram, where they spend their time. This smooth shopping experience enhances eCommerce store development, increases conversions, drives more sales, and ultimately leads to greater profitability. Spearmint Love’s founder and CEO, Sherry Lott, reported a 25% traffic increase and an 8% revenue increase attributed to shopping on Instagram after implementing the feature.

Who Can Use the Instagram Shopping Feature?

As part of your eCommerce store development, you can create a shop and use the Instagram shopping feature. There are a few eligibility requirements to consider. Firstly, Instagram shopping is currently limited to selling physical goods, so selling services is not supported. Additionally, your business location in a country that promotes Instagram shopping is essential. It’s essential to have the latest version of Instagram installed on your device to ensure compatibility. You can verify this by checking if the shopping bag icon appears in the top corner of your Instagram posts.

How to Use the Instagram Shopping Feature?

1. Set up Facebook Business Manager: To begin the process of adding Instagram Shopping, it’s essential to have a Facebook Business Manager set up. If you’re unfamiliar with this tool or haven’t still need to create an account, it’s a straightforward process. Visit business.facebook.com and follow the steps to set up your account. You’ll also need to have a Facebook Business Page set up. This page is a hub for your business on Facebook, and Instagram will connect it to your Instagram shopping account.

2. Convert Instagram Profile to a Professional Account: Converting your Instagram profile to a professional account allows access to business tools and the ability to run ads. To transform your Instagram profile, open the Instagram app and navigate to the profile associated with your business. Tap on the hamburger icon in the profile and select “Settings.”

From there, tap on “Account” and choose the option to switch to a professional account. When prompted, select a category that best represents your business. It helps users understand your business and enhances your eCommerce store development. After that, confirm your contact details to make it easier for customers to reach you.

3. Connect Facebook Business Page to your Instagram account: To connect your Facebook Business Page to your Instagram account, go to the “Settings” menu again. Tap on “Account” and then select “Linked Accounts.” Now, you can link your Instagram account to your Facebook page. Choose the Facebook page representing your shop, ensuring it is associated with your Business Manager.

4. Sync your eCommerce website with your Instagram shop: Using Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and such eCommerce store development websites will allow you to sync your entire product catalog. They eliminate the need to add each product from your eCommerce store development site manually. For example, in Shopify, you can go to your Shopify dashboard and locate the “Sales Channels” section.

Click on the plus icon and select “Facebook” from the options. It will initiate the integration process between Shopify and Instagram. Navigate to the product manager within your Shopify dashboard. Select the products you want to make available on Instagram. In the drop-down menu, click on “Make Products Available” and choose the option for Instagram. This action ensures that your selected products are synced with your Instagram shop.

5. Get your Instagram account approved: After completing the previous steps for your eCommerce store development, the next stage is to wait for your Instagram account to be approved. This process typically takes a few days, but once approved, Instagram will notify you. It will allow you to start tagging your products on the platform. Upon receiving the approval notification, you will need to confirm which Facebook shop you want to connect to your Instagram profile.

To do this, you can either tap on the “Get Started” option within the notification itself. You can navigate to Instagram’s business settings and click on “Shopping.” In the settings, you will be able to select the specific Facebook shop that you wish to use in conjunction with your Instagram profile.

Once this step is complete, all your eCommerce store development products will be synced across Instagram, Facebook Shops, and your Shopify store. This integration ensures that your product catalog is accessible across multiple platforms, expanding your reach and attracting new customers.

Conclusion

If you’ve ever wondered how you can monetize your presence on Instagram after your eCommerce store development, there are various avenues available to you, even if you currently have a modest following. By setting up Instagram shopping after your eCommerce store development, you now have a powerful tool to promote sales and provide a seamless shopping experience for your audience.

By tagging your products in posts and stories, you can effectively showcase your offerings and encourage potential customers to purchase. It will ultimately drive your eCommerce store development to growth and success.

To maximize the potential of Instagram for your eCommerce store development, consider reaching out to the experienced professionals at Vserve. With their expertise, you can unlock new opportunities and strategies to grow your venture on the platform.

This blog is inspired by the video ‘How To SELL On Instagram: Set Up An Instagram Shop In 15 Minutes or Less’ by ‘Learn with Shopify.’