Sell on Instagram without an online store: Step by Step Guide

Orders arrive by private message. A client asks the price in the comments, another texts at eleven at night, a third wants to know if there is still chocolate cake for Saturday. You sell — but each sale costs ten messages, and half of the people give up in the middle of the conversation. And opening an online store, with a monthly fee, stock management and studio photographs, makes no sense for those who make cakes in the kitchen at home, sell clothes, piece by piece or provide services by appointment.

The good news: you don't need a store. You need three things that are set up in an afternoon: a link page in the bio that shows what you sell, a WhatsApp link that brings the customer already in the middle of the conversation, and a simple way to receive the money. This guide shows you how to make each step.

What you need — and what you don't need

• Precise: From an Instagram account with real photographs of what you sell, WhatsApp (preferably the business version, which is free), a link page in bio and a way to receive payments.
• Not accurate: online store, own website, social network manager or ad budget. All this can come later when sales justify it.

Step 1: Assemble your window in the bio link

Instagram just gives you a link to your profile. If this link is your generic homepage — or worse, if there is no link — the person who saw your cake in Reels has nowhere to go. The solution is a link page in the bio: a simple showcase with your products, prices and a button to order.

In Kortilink you create this page in minutes: one block per product or category, photography, price and contact button. You can have several pages — one for birthday cakes, one for ordering candies — and scheduled blocks: the Christmas showcase appears on December 1st and disappears by itself on the 26th, without having to remember. And the page opens quickly: there are 3 orders and 19.4 KB, against the 109 KB of the Linktree. In mobile data, this difference is a customer who expects or a customer who gives up.

After creating the page, paste the link on your profile. If you have questions about how to edit the bio, the Instagram Help Center explains the process for Android and iPhone.

Step 2: Create a WhatsApp link with the already written message

Here's the trick that most sales recovers. Instead of writing "Send DM to Order", you give a link that opens WhatsApp with the customer's message already written. The person just has to click on Send. Less friction, less dropouts.

WhatsApp calls this "click to chat" — the official operation is described in faq.whatsapp.com. The problem is that the raw link is long, ugly and doesn't tell you anything about who clicked. The free generator at kortilink.com/whatsapp solves the three things: you write the number and the message, and you get a short, presentable link with a click count — to know if people are really to use the button.

What to write in the pre-filled message

The message that the customer sends should save you a conversation turn to the two of you. Examples by type of business:

• Cakes: "Hello! I want to order a cake. Date: ___ · Flavor: ___ · Number of people: ___"
• Clothes: "Hello! I saw a play on Instagram and I want to know if it's still available. Reference or Description: ___"
• Services: "Hello! I want to score ___ . I have availability at: ___"

The blanks invite the person to fill in before sending. You receive a structured order instead of a loose "hello".

What to say in the automatic answer

On WhatsApp Business, activate the greeting message to respond to the second the request arrives. A formula that works:

"Hello! Thanks for the message 💛 I answer in person between 9 am and 7 pm. To speed up, confirm me now: the date you need it, and the delivery or survey zone. Prices and photographs are in the bio link."

Three rules: it says when you really answer, asks for the information you lack, and points it back to your page — where are the prices that avoid the eternal question "how much does it cost?".

Step 3: Close the sale and receive payment

For customers in Portugal, MB WAY or combined transfer on WhatsApp work well at first. But there are two cases where you need more: when you want to receive before from producing (order signal), and when the customer is abroad — the aunt in France who wants to send a cake to the family, the customer in Switzerland who buys at distance.

To do this, Kortilink connects your page to Stripe: Add a sales block with a fixed price, the customer pays by card and the money falls directly into your Stripe account. Kortilink charges 0% commission on sales — paying only the platform subscription, and the value of each sale is yours in full. You can compare the plans at /pricing.html.

Step 4: Measures what works and adjusts

To sell blind is to work the double. Two tools give you eyes:

• Analytics by country and device: If 30% of the clicks come from France, you have the diaspora to buy — highlights international shipments or deliveries to family members in Portugal.
• A/B test per block: Don't know if "ordering cake 🎂" sells more than "ask for a free quote"? Tests both versions in the same block and lets the numbers decide. In Kortilink this is done by block, without external tools.

Three bugs that kill sales on Instagram

1. Respond "Price by DM" without giving the link. Every person who has to write you first is a person who can give up. Responds with the price or the direct link of WhatsApp.
2. Leave the bio outdated link. A link to a campaign that has already ended burns confidence. Uses scheduled blocks so that the page updates itself.
3. Take a response. Who buys on impulse cools in hours. The automatic greeting message holds the customer until you arrive.

And when the business grows and comes from a tool like Linktree, the change process without losing anything is explained in this migration guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a publicly traded company to sell like this?

Selling regularly in Portugal requires an open activity in the finances and issuance of receipts or invoices, even on an individual name. The simplified regime covers most small sellers. In case of doubt, he confirms with an accountant — it is a half-hour conversation that avoids scares.

Does Kortilink keep my sales percentage?

No. The Kortilink commission on sales is 0%. You pay the platform subscription and the customer's payment goes directly to your Stripe account, without an intermediary to withhold value.

My clients are in the diaspora. Does this work for them?

Yes — that's where this method shines. The WhatsApp link works from any country, card payment via Stripe accepts customers abroad, and Analytics by country shows you exactly where the clicks come from, to adapt the offer.