Just in March 2018, Instagram introduced the shoppable post option, which facilitated the purchase of the product directly from the app. This involved redirecting the Instagram user to the brand’s website, where he or she sometimes needed to register or create a new account. This step could be quite exhausting for many users over a longer period of time (imagine a situation where the user wants to buy something from three different online stores and has to register in each). Instagram responded perfectly to this problem, and the platform’s movement seems very natural.  There’s no need to click on a retailer’s website to purchase. The app introduced an amazing new feature – Instagram Shopping.

Instagram Shopping. How does it work?

Open your shop by completing the set-up process below in Commerce Manager.

• Review our Commerce Eligibility Requirements to ensure you sell eligible products and comply with our policies, like our commerce policies, terms of use, community guidelines, and more.
• Make sure your business has its own website domain. Your shop must contain product listings that are available for direct purchase from your business’s website, and you must represent the store or website associated with the domain provided.
• Check to see if you are in a supported market.
• Confirm that your Instagram profile is a business or creator account. You must connect it to a Facebook Page if you plan to sell on Instagram and Facebook.
• If you don’t have one already, set up a Business Manager account. You’ll need a Business Manager account to set up your shop in Commerce Manager. Business Manager lets you manage your ad accounts, your pages, and the people who might be working on them.
• You can choose to onboard onto Instagram Shopping by setting up your shop in Commerce Manager or a supported platform. Or, you can get started directly within the Instagram app.
• First, choose how you want your customers to complete their purchase by selecting a checkout method.
• Next, choose your sales channels by selecting whether to have your shop on Instagram, Facebook, or both.
• Add products to your shop by connecting your existing product catalog or by creating a new one.
• Finally, review your shop, then submit it to Instagram for review!

After viewing a product from a brand’s shopping post, the user sees a “Shop now” button. The only thing he has to do before closing the basket is select the size or color, and then he automatically proceeds to payment without even leaving the Instagram app. The most demanding step for the user is the first, as he must enter personal data such as name, email, billing information, and shipping address. This data will be remembered so that every next transaction is extremely fast. When you see a product that you love, you can now buy it without leaving the app. Social commerce has never been so easy!

Instagram Shopping – Simple. Convenient. User friendly.

Instagram has dramatically shortened buyers’ journey from product discovery to purchase. The entire path from getting inspired to getting the item will be much easier and faster. This can be a crucial step in decreasing the mobile gap in eCommerce. Moreover, there is a massive difference between the number of people using traditional eCommerce sites and social media platforms. Research says that we usually spend about 142 minutes daily on social media, whereas we spend only 8 to 10 minutes in online stores. While browsing social media for hours, the user can simultaneously make a quick purchase without expending additional energy… This seems like it might be killing our wallets, but it’s a dream situation for retailers and companies. It is another sales channel for omnichannel eCommerce that is a part of digitizing company touchpoints and sales channels.