Five ways to display Instagram feed on websites / EC sites

Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active accounts globally, and over 33 million in Japan, and this number is increasing year by year.

Many of you who operate stores, e-commerce sites, or service websites probably already have accounts, but are you displaying the images posted from those accounts on your own website?

While Instagram is primarily used for disseminating information through photos and videos, many websites, especially those run by B2C companies, are creating content that incorporates Instagram posts.

If you're using WordPress for your website, there are plenty of easy-to-use plugins for things like Instagram feeds. However, while general website tools are feature-rich, they cost around 20,000 yen or more per month, which is a burden for individuals and small businesses.

Therefore, in this article, we will introduce methods for displaying your Instagram feed on your website, focusing on free options.

• Benefits of displaying your Instagram feed on your website
• Three ways to add widgets to your website for free
• SnapWidget
• Instagram API ＋ instafeed.js
• Snapppt
• summary

If you already have and are managing an Instagram account, you can expect some traffic from Instagram to your website. However, by installing a widget on your website, you can also expect traffic in the opposite direction, increasing your chances of gaining fans and likes. Furthermore, users who directly access your website are often relatively interested in your content and products, so if you provide a wide pathway from your site to Instagram, you can promote your Instagram account and generate even more interest.

Even a minimalist, simple website can look stylish when it displays square, uniformly sized Instagram images side-by-side. This is especially effective on simple websites, as it allows for a more visually striking and appealing presentation. Additionally, incorporating seasonal images makes it easier to convey a sense of regular updates than a blog.

Displaying images on your website encourages you to post images that align with the design and image of your own site, leading to a natural increase in branding effectiveness. While most Instagram users primarily view content on mobile devices, viewing posted images on a larger monitor than usual may encourage users to pay more attention to how their images look and to the fundamental Instagram principle of "creating a consistent look in posted images," potentially improving their photography skills and making their posts more refined.

Now, let's introduce some services that can be used for displaying feeds.

1.Instafeed

https://apps.shopify.com/instafeed?locale=ja

Ease of use: ★★★
Customizability: ★★☆
Responsive ○

[Plan Price]

• Free: Free
• Pro: $6/month
• Plus: $20/month

This feed app is recommended for those who operate an e-commerce site using Shopify.
(If you are not using Shopify, please skip this section!)
Among the various feed apps available, this one offers basic functionality for free and is easy to implement.
First of all, this feature perfectly addresses the need to link and display your company's account.

By the wayOur corporate websiteIt's also built with Shopify, and we're using this app to display the feed.

There are two paid plans available, allowing you to change the layout from the default, filter posts by specific hashtags, and upgrade as needed for additional features.

https://snapwidget.com/

Ease of use: ★★★
Customizability ★★★
Responsive ◎

[Plan Price]

• Free Plan: Free
• Lite Plan: $6.60/month
• Pro Plan: $11/month
• Developer Plan: $55/month

A globally popular embedded widget.
This tool can generate a widget that automatically displays photos posted on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
It's as easy to use as Facebook's official widgets, allowing you to create widgets quickly.
Creating and customizing is easy, and installation is as simple as pasting code. It's free, fast, and incredibly easy.

Problems with SnapWidget
SnapWidget is free to use, but the links to loaded images will point to a page provided by SnapWidget, not to Instagram itself.
With a paid subscription, you can send directly to Instagram starting at $6 per month, and with plans starting at $10, you can even retrieve data for each hashtag.
While this is unavoidable within the free service limits, it's not ideal for websites where image is crucial, such as those for companies or brands.

Therefore, I will also introduce another method.
It's a bit more challenging, but clicking on the image will take you directly to Instagram, and there are no ads.

Ease of use: ★☆☆
Customizability: ★★☆
Responsive△

[Plan Price]

• Instagram API usage fee: Free
• instafeed.js plugin usage fee: Free

"Instagram API"to the JavaScript plugin"instafeed.js"How to display it on the site by linking it with [another system/platform].
It might seem a little difficult if you don't have some knowledge of HTML and JavaScript, but you can set it up if you follow the steps.
Since it can be installed on any e-commerce platform that supports Javascript (*), it can be implemented on virtually all e-commerce sites.
*This includes marketplace types (Rakuten, Yahoo! Shopping), shopping cart ASP types (Makeshop, ShopServe), and open-source types (WordPress, EC-CUBE). In fact, we were able to implement it on Makeshop without any problems for both PC and mobile display.
While responsive design and customization can be done extensively with HTML and CSS knowledge, the size and number of images displayed can be easily adjusted by simply modifying the code.

The procedure is as follows:

1. Log in to Instagram and create a client to retrieve the API.
2. Get your Instagram user ID
3. Obtain an access token
4. instafeed.jsを使用してウェブサイトに設置

Precautions when using the Instagram API
*The Instagram API has required approval since June 2016.
For normal use, you will be using a restricted test mode called "Sandbox Mode." Even with these restrictions, simply placing a widget on a website is unlikely to be approved; the review process seems quite strict, requiring submission of a video demonstrating the app's functionality.

The main limitations in Sandbox Mode are as follows: - Only the most recent 20 data entries can be displayed.
- Up to 500 calls per hour
- You cannot retrieve data from other users.
It appears that this will continue to be usable without problems for typical-sized websites and e-commerce sites.

Ease of use: ★★★
Customizability: ★★☆
Responsive ◎

[Plan Price]

• Essentials: $50/month
• Standard: $200/month
• Prime: $600/month
• Enterprise: $2,000/month

Like SnapWidget, Sauce is an embedded widget, but Sauce is a tool for e-commerce sites that allows users to purchase products directly from the widget.
By integrating with Sauce, you can select images you want to display on your site from those you've posted on Instagram, create a profile page (Instagram Shop), and connect Instagram with your e-commerce site. If you upload many outfit photos, you can also use it like a catalog where customers can purchase items directly.

Ease of use: ★★★
Customizability: ★★☆
Responsive ◎

[Plan Price]

• The cost varies depending on the plan.
  Price details need to be confirmed → Contact us here 

This service, which can be integrated with Instagram and is a tool for utilizing UGC (User-Generated Content), is gaining market share in Japan, and we have also implemented it.
The fees are not publicly disclosed and require an inquiry, but it does offer the benefit of support throughout the implementation process.
This service is not just a simple feed display service; it allows you to collect and utilize user-generated content (UGC), making it ideal for businesses aiming to maximize sales and cultivate user loyalty.

By prominently featuring Instagram on your store, you may increase the number of users who follow you on Instagram and gain more fans. It can be used in a variety of ways, from simply as a feed to a gallery or catalog. Creating these touchpoints allows you to convey your shop's worldview and strengthen the connection that encourages repeat visits. Even if you haven't fully utilized Instagram before, please give it a try!

GO RIDE provides e-commerce website creation and operation services. Please feel free to contact us.Here