Driving traffic and sales from Instagram to your online store is hugely valuable. However, getting users to click from Instagram to your site can be difficult.
Shoppable Instagram images provide the perfect solution – allowing users to instantly purchase your Instagram products directly on your website with just one click.
In fact, according to Oberlo, shoppable Instagram posts see a 33% higher conversion rate than regular product images. And shoppable ads through Instagram checkout have 2x higher conversion rates.
As the social commerce market explodes in popularity, shoppable images will become a crucial tool for retailers. This step-by-step guide will teach you how to seamlessly add Instagram shoppable images in WordPress to boost your ecommerce sales.
The Growing Importance of Social Commerce
Experts forecast huge growth in social commerce adoption and revenue in coming years:
- Global social commerce revenue is projected to reach $604 billion by 2027, up from $492 billion in 2022 (Insider Intelligence)
- There are over 130 million Instagram shoppers currently, spending over $10 billion on the platform annually (BusinessofApps)
And shoppable Instagram posts and shopping tags are key drivers behind Instagram‘s booming commerce success.
As social platforms make buying directly through their apps more seamless than ever, adding Instagram shoppable images on your website provides a crucial omnichannel experience – allowing users to discover and purchase your products on both Instagram and your site.
Benefits of Using Shoppable Images
There are several key reasons to add Instagram shoppable images to your WordPress site:
- Higher Conversion Rates: Shoppable posts convert better with instant checkout. Conversion rates on products tagged shoppable are 33% higher (Oberlo).
- Improved User Experience: Allow users to purchase items seamlessly without leaving your site.
- More Sales: Increase average order size by connecting Instagram product discovery with on-site checkout.
- Leverage Instagram Traffic: Convert Instagram‘s 1 billion+ users into customers with frictionless buying experience.
Let‘s see how easy it is to implement shoppable images in WordPress.
Step 1 – Install Instagram Feed Plugin
To enable Instagram shoppable functionality in WordPress, you‘ll need the Smash Balloon Instagram Feed plugin installed.
Smash Balloon Instagram Feed Pro is the best premium solution for adding shoppable links and embedding Instagram content in WordPress.
Why Choose Smash Balloon?
| WordPress Default | Smash Balloon Instagram Feed Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Shoppable Images | ❌ Not possible | ✅ Easily add shoppable links to Instagram posts |
| Auto-Sync Images | ❌ Manual embed only | ✅ New Instagram images added to your feed automatically |
| Filter Images | ❌ No filtering option | ✅ Display images based on hashtags, keywords, etc |
| Customize Visual Design | ❌ No customization options | ✅ Tailor feed layout, style, spacing fully to your brand |
| Display Instagram Bio & Avatar | ❌ Not included | ✅ Can showcase Instagram profile data directly in feed header |
Once installed, head into the plugin‘s Settings area and activate the Pro version using your license key:
Fig 1.0 – Activating Smash Balloon Instagram Feed Pro
Step 2 – Connect Instagram Account
Next, you‘ll securely connect the Instagram account that you want to pull shoppable images from.
Navigate to: Instagram Feed > Add New
Select User Timeline as the type of feed content to sync:
Fig 2.0 – Connecting an Instagram User Timeline feed
Then click Add Source, choose Personal or Business account type, and use the Login with Facebook option to securely link accounts:
Fig 2.1 – Using Facebook login to securely authenticate
Once connected, your Instagram images will automatically sync to your WordPress site for display.
Step 3 – Make Images Shoppable
Navigate to Settings > Shoppable Feed and toggle the slider to the ON position to enable shoppable functionality:
Fig 3.0 – Turning on the shoppable feed functionality
An Add button now appears on all Instagram posts:
Fig 3.1 – Adding shoppable links to Instagram posts
Click Add and enter the product URL or external link you want that specific Instagram image to link out to when clicked.
For example, your Instagram post showcases a particular product available on your WooCommerce store. You would enter that product page URL here so users clicking that image navigate directly to that product page to purchase.
Repeat this process of adding product links for all Instagram images you want to make shoppable. The link will only be clickable on your website, not on your actual Instagram profile.
Step 4 – Customize Instagram Feed Design
Using the Customize tab, tailor your Instagram feed visual design like:
- Feed layout type (set as gallery, carousel, highlight reel etc)
- Color scheme
- Post spacing and image sizes
- Header and footer customization
Fig 4.0 – Customizing the Instagram feed design
Match your feed styling with your existing website design for a seamless user experience.
For shoppable feeds, recommended best practices are:
- Use Carousel Layout – Allows buyers to easily flip through product images
- Link Out in Hover State – Reveals external product URLs without having to click through
- Minimal Design – Draws focus to shoppable images for higher conversions
Step 5 – Display Shoppable Instagram Feed
Finally, display your shoppable Instagram feed seamlessly using WordPress‘s Instagram block:
Fig 5.0 – Adding Instagram feed via WordPress block
Or simply insert the shortcode onto any post, page or widget area.
You can also embed your shoppable Instagram feed into your homepage hero or product category pages.
Now start driving more qualified traffic to your product pages from Instagram and increase sales today!
Let me know if you have any other questions on setting this up.
