Make the most of your bio link with this free and easy site builder.
You only get one link in your Instagram profile, so you want to make it count. And a new free service from Envato aims to help you do just that with an easy-to-build site that's designed to look its best within Instagram's own mobile web browser.
Milkshake is a lightweight mobile website builder that's the work of Envato co-founder Cyan Ta'eed and her team, and grew out of a desire to help people, predominantly women, to build their own personal brands and at the same time start to monetise their social media presence (see our post on how to make money on Instagram for more tips, or if you're after some inspiration take a look at our roundup of the best Instagram design feeds).
Available now for iOS – with an Android version to follow – Milkshake is pitched as the perfect tool for anyone who needs a site without having to spend ages on it. Creating a Milkshake-powered Insta site takes just four steps: firstly you pick a Card, a basic template for your page layout. Next you add the content you'll need, and then you can instantly experiment with designs by hitting Milkshake's 'Shake it up', which applies a fresh on-trend look with every touch. And when you've built all the pages you need and you're finally happy with your site, simply publish it and add the link to your Instagram bio.
Whether you just want a standalone site that's an extension to your Instagram account, or a handy platform that links to all your other sites, Milkshake looks like a great way to do it without too much effort. And as an added bonus, Milkshake sites are designed to be swiped through like Instagram Stories (see our guide to Insta Stories), so when visitors click on them within the Instagram app, they'll be presented with a friendly and familiar look and feel.
Milkshake gives you heaps of ready made designs to try out
Milkshake was conceived as a fun and empowering tool to help women turn their ideas, hobbies and ambitions into businesses, and to further help along these lines Envato has also launched its own School of Instagram. It shares tips and lessons from top influencers who have used Instagram to create their own brand, and aims to help people up their Instagram game so that they can create the best Milkshake site possible.
Jim McCauley is a writer, performer and cat-wrangler who started writing professionally way back in 1995 on PC Format magazine, and has been covering technology-related subjects ever since, whether it's hardware, software or videogames. A chance call in 2005 led to Jim taking charge of Computer Arts' website and developing an interest in the world of graphic design, and eventually led to a move over to the freshly-launched Creative Bloq in 2012. Jim now works as a freelance writer for sites including Creative Bloq, T3 and PetsRadar, specialising in design, technology, wellness and cats, while doing the occasional pantomime and street performance in Bath and designing posters for a local drama group on the side.
