Instagram to Your Online Store: Boost Traffic Today

The only way you don’t understand how Instagram is the perfect avenue for flowing traffic to your website is if you don’t really use Instagram. If you do, you’ll understand how rapidly social commerce flooded the platform and our feeds. Sprout Social recently released data that tells us 29% of users make purchases on Instagram, and at least 130 million users tap on Instagram shopping posts.

There’s a massive market growing, and we’re only really at the start of it.

Brands and influencers are sharing bio links, website links are included in every promotional post, and regular feed ads are now the norm. But what we love about Instagram is that the regular feed ads, paid for by companies, aren’t in your face. And Instagram has an algorithm that means you only really see ads based on posts you’ve stayed looking at for too long, or interacted with, or people you follow.

Instagram is making it really easy to streamline the customer journey from the app to your website. Read on to find out how.

Create Amazing, Relevant Content

It doesn’t even need to be that complicated. Creating amazing and relevant content that follows trends with shopping redirect links included is the basics. Instagram allows you to insert click-through links onto feed, story, and reel posts, so you always have the opportunity to direct customers to your website.

Instagram is still a content-first platform. People follow brands that entertain, inspire, or teach them something. Nobody follows a brand just to see “20% off, buy now” posts every day. Although who are we to deny a cheeky discount post when it’s related to something we’ve had our eye on?

A few things to keep in mind:

Short-form video is winning: 44% of users prefer to learn about new products through short videos (DSMN8). If you’re not making Reels or Stories, you’re already behind. Reels reach 726.8M users, get 1.36× more reach than standard posts, and get 35% of screen time (Cropink).
Trends can be your friend: Not every brand needs to lip-sync trending audio, but if you can adapt one to your business and make it viral, or even semi-viral, you’ll see temporary boosts in your click-through rates.

Content has to feel like it belongs on Instagram, not like you copied and pasted a banner ad from your website.

Use The Link in Bio Feature

The issue with Instagram and TikTok is that they give you one clickable link in your profile bio. That’s it. No clickable captions, no clickable comments. Just one link.

But the link in bio isn’t a limitation — it’s an opportunity. Tools like Hopp by Wix (Hopp by Wix is the best linktree alternative and indeed our favorite Linktree alternative) let you expand that single link into a landing page full of multiple destinations, as well as an online store that can essentially function as a full website – which means you may not need one! Website, product catalog, discount code, newsletter sign-up — all in one. They’re excellent for increasing revenue potential and trust amongst your Instagram community. Click here to learn more about link in bio tools.

Similarly, you can also add smart promotions through pre-rolls. You can assign them to any URL you share that directs someone to your website.

These two features are excellent for directing and monetizing your traffic.

A few tips:

Keep it clean: Three clear choices are better than ten messy ones. “Shop now,” “Book a call,” “Download the guide.” That’s enough.
Update regularly: Ensure your bio reflects product and website updates. There’s nothing worse than clicking a “shop new collection” button that takes you to outdated stock.
Track it: Good link-in-bio tools give analytics. See what customers are clicking, then focus on that.

Focus on Instagram Reels

Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok, and the algorithm pushes them hard. If you’re trying to move customers from scrolling to shopping, Reels are an excellent investment of time.

Some numbers:

Reels are reshared more than 4.5 billion times per day (Hootsuite).
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, and most say short-form content drives the best ROI (Wyzowl).
The hashtag #InstagramReels alone has billions of views.

Reels work because they feel authentic. Over-edited, overly polished ads don’t work. Show your product in use, do a quick tutorial, film behind-the-scenes content, or follow a trend and make it work for your brand.

Examples:

A skincare brand showing day 1 vs. day 30 results.
A bakery doing a frosting reveal with trending audio.

Side note: consistency beats virality. Everyone wants the one Reel that goes crazy, but regular posting is what builds the trust.

Use Instagram Insights

Instagram Insights is free, built in, and gives you the data to see what’s working and what isn’t.

It answers questions like:

When is your audience most active?
Which posts are driving profile visits?
Which Reels get saved and shared?

If you want to streamline the customer journey and understand how to move traffic to your website, you have to know where people are dropping off. Are they liking posts but not clicking the bio link? Are they clicking the link but not staying on your site? Pair Instagram Insights with Google Analytics and you’ll see the full funnel.

Focus on reach, saves, shares, and clicks. Those are the signals that people are moving from Instagram to your store.

Influencers and Collaborations

This one might be more of an investment, but influencers have a massive influence (believe it or not) over their following. If you can secure an Instagram Reel or post from an influencer with 100,000 followers, the natural traffic flow to your website will skyrocket.

The influencer marketing industry is expected to reach $24 billion in 2025 (Influencer Marketing Hub). It just works so well. And we know big 100,000+ followers influencers might be out of reach, but micro-influencers with 10k–50k followers aren’t. And they often drive higher engagement than the big names.

Collaboration ideas include:

Sponsored posts where the influencer shows your product in action.
Co-branded Reels or Lives that let you tap into their audience.
Affiliate partnerships with custom discount codes.

Match influencers to your niche. A food blogger promoting a kitchen gadget feels natural. And collaborations don’t have to be with influencers only. Partner with complementary brands. A fitness apparel store teaming up with a nutrition brand is a prime example of double exposure at its finest.

Instagram and social commerce are helping brands grow their business and direct traffic to their website with minimal investment. It’s one of the most effective marketing channels, and with some consistency and a bio link, you will see natural traffic and click-through rate increases.

Q&A

I’m not getting any clicks on my link in bio. What can I do?

I think you should first look at how you’re directing your feed to your link in bio. Are you mentioning it in stories, feed posts, and reels? Make your link in bio as visible as possible. If that doesn’t work, change your call to action and make it more appealing to your traffic.

How many Instagram Reels should I post each day?

I don’t think there’s any specific right or wrong number. As long as you’re posting weekly, preferably more than once, I’d say that’s enough. You don’t want to overdo it and look spammy or without any presence. Aim for two a week and increase slightly as you wish to, without posting more than once per day.

Should I pay for Instagram ads?

If you have the money, absolutely. The CPC for Instagram ads is between $0.00 and $0.25. Impressions cost slightly more.