Is doing e-commerce on Instagram alone enough, or is a website a must?

We dealt with the exact same issue selling handmade leather bags in Turin. Relying strictly on DMs, we were plateauing at around 3,000 EUR a month. The very first month after launching a barebones store and putting the link in our bio, revenue jumped to 5,100 EUR. Turns out a third of those orders came in after 11 PM from buyers who just didn't want to chat with anyone.

Launching a website doesn't automatically solve everything. Legal obligations like Italy's cookie regulations, distance selling terms, consumer return rights, and electronic invoice integration can give you major headaches. Talk to your accountant and make sure to factor these bureaucratic expenses into your setup costs.

If building a full website feels daunting right now, use secure payment services that offer checkout links as a first step. Link a ready-made, one-click order and card payment page to your profile; it'll immediately save you from chasing wire transfers.

buyers in france and germany definitely expect card payments. when you send an iban over dms people back off thinking it's a scam. even a simple landing page adds credibility to your brand.

For cross-border e-commerce activities across the European Union, consumers' statutory right of withdrawal and data privacy standards must be clearly stated. Providing these terms through proper legal disclosures on your own website prevents potential legal disputes.

How many of those 55 incoming orders are coming from outside Italy? If international sales make up more than 20 percent, forcing bank transfers means you're losing at least half the traffic coming from ads or posts right at the door.

Last year, a ceramicist selling exclusively through their profile had their account suspended overnight due to a copyright complaint. The appeal took two weeks, and during that entire fortnight, not even existing customers who had placed orders could reach the workshop. That was the day I realized everyone needs to be operating on their own domain.

Social media is rented property; a website is real estate you own. Get your site up and running without wasting time.

The opposite happened to me, that's why I'm writing. When you try to change everything at once, nothing settles.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

This is exactly what we experienced. When making a decision, also write down the cost of reversal.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

we need to make a distinction here but mistakes made on the e-commerce on instagram side are usually reversible but expensive.

the harder it is to reverse a decision the slower you should make it... like thats all, sorry if I went on too long.

This approach has a cost, which isn't discussed. If you don't write this down from the start, it leads to arguments later.

That's all, sorry if I went on too long.

Thanks, that was the answer I was looking for. If you get three different answers on a topic, the question was asked wrong.

If I were you, I'd go this route.

I'm curious too. like if you don't write this down from the start it leads to arguments later.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

The most overlooked point about e-commerce on instagram is this: Any unwritten clause becomes a point of disagreement later, as both sides remember it differently.

Measure first, then divide. When the order is right, the debate ends.

this is exactly what we experienced and tbh changing habits is harder and more expensive than setting up a system.

a two-week notebook guides you more than a six-month forecast then btw that's all, sorry if I went on too long.

I'd appreciate it if you shared the outcome.

just a heads-up. the harder it is to revverse a decision the slower you should make it.

just leaving this note, it might be useful.