You can easily make your own “Linktree” on your very own website or Shopify store without having to pay a fee, or be forced to flash a linkr.ee logo at your readers and clients. And, shocker, it takes about 4 minutes to do!

Don’t get me wrong, I think Linktree offers a great service for those without a website of their own. The Linktree concept evolved out of frustration with Instagram’s one and only profile based link. While Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest offer multiple links out of each post, Instagram’s goal is to keep its users captive like characters trapped inside a snowglobe.

As a workaround, millions of users employ Linktree to help their readers and fans find blog posts, other social media pages, products, and event schedules.

If you’re a complete luddite that relies on web designers to create even the simplest elements on your site then stay with Linktree.

But if you’re able to make a few simple tweaks and update links on your own, this exercise is for you.

You can easily make your own “Linktree” on your very own website or Shopify store without having to pay a fee, or be forced to flash a linkr.ee logo at your readers and clients. And, shocker, it takes about 4 minutes to do!

There are many advantages to creating an Instagram Link Page that is native to your own website.

Increase Traffic and SEO Rankings:

If you’re a blogger or have a website that thrives on traffic, this is one quick way to divert those precious first clicks onto your webspace, rather than Linktree’s. The fewer links you put between your readers and your website the better.

Linktree Can Be Unreliable:

Instagram has been marking certain Linktree links as spam and making them non-clickable which makes you, the unsuspecting user look entirely unpro, and your readers will most likely just navigate away and forget about you.

Linktree has also been known to crash, leaving your links in the ether somewhere.

Instant Analytics:

From your own web analytics you can see when readers/users have clicked on your links, where they headed, and how long they stayed on your site.

Great Branding:

Instead of stock buttons and a generic background, you can create a custom look that integrates perfectly with your brand. You can also include elements such as a quick backgrounder, headshot, brand logo, and an email signup right at the bottom of your list of links.

You Can Direct Shoppers to Various Categories of a Sale or Event:

If you have a big sale or promotion, it can be daunting for shoppers to navigate their way through various departments on your site. Offering multiple options can clarify where they should go by using a block of links like the one below:

If you have your own website or store, there’s really no reason to use Linktree at all.

It’s so easy to create a link landing page on Wordpress, Squarespace, Shopify, or Wix that it’s a no-brainer. This of course doesn’t apply if you’re strictly on eBay, Etsy, or another such selling program, in which you don’t have access to page creation. It also doesn’t work if you have a password protected site that readers cannot access freely.

Create Your Own Quick Link Page.

It’s so easy, but sometimes the simplest tasks can seem daunting. Here’s our current Quicklink page as an example, but you can also add videos, headshots, and more.

Here’s a step by step:

Create a page in Squarespace, Shopify or Wix

Create a page and name it.

Add buttons of your choice using either the native “insert button” or a premade button such as these below:

In Squarespace you’ll be given a button creation form in which you’ll pick the size, orientation, link copy, and link. You can also choose to open in a new window, or the same window.

In Wordpress and Shopify, you will create a blank page; give it a name; insert an image you’d like to use for a button; choose “center” orientation; click the link button and add link url; choose “open in new window” or not. Press save. Preview the page!

If you’re concerned about an unwieldy amount of linkage or text in your footer don’t. If you have a truly mobile compatible site, which you absolutely should, your footer links, no matter how many or long or chunky should compress neatly into menu links by category when viewed via the Instagram browser.

You can also skip the button creation altogether and just create a list of center aligned text links. Depending on your theme or css these should be readily visible on a smartphone. The advantage “buttons” offer is they stand out a little better on small devices.

Name your link page anything you like. Suggestions include:

Quicklinks

Welcome

Instagram links

Hello

Hello from Instagram

Once you’ve created your page, grab the link and just cut and paste it into your Instagram profile. You can do this in the app, or most easily using the desktop version of Instagram. Cut and paste the “live link” ie not the one from inside your store or website which will take your readers nowhere. Make sure it’s the full web link ie: http://www.boxwood360.com/quicklinks. I mention this because I see incorrectly formatted links on sites pretty continuously. Remember to check all your links after you set them.

Get onto your Instagram page, open Edit Profile and paste your live link into your profile. You’re all set! Remember to edit often and add links to your most recent posts, featured products, and new videos so there’s always something new to discover.

Keep that traffic that you’ve worked so hard for (and paid for with ads) to yourself! As the Linktree website itself says, “You Only Get One Link, Make It Do More”…. indeed!!