TikTok business accounts have more features than personal accounts, including the ability to link to an external website. However, some users have reported issues adding a website to their business account. When they try to add a URL in their account settings, it does not save or the link does not show up on their profile.
This prevents business accounts from driving traffic to their website or online store. It’s a frustrating limitation since linking your website is a key feature of TikTok business accounts. Users want to take advantage of this to promote their brands and products.
Why Add a Website?
There are several key reasons why having a linked website can benefit TikTok business accounts:
Driving traffic to your site. Adding a website link makes it easy to drive TikTok viewers to your external site for more information, sales, etc. According to Hootsuite, linking to your website can help generate leads and sales.
Professional branding. A website link looks more professional for a business account and can reinforce your brand identity and legitimacy across platforms. As per PlannThat, it creates a consistent experience for your audience.
Lead generation. Your website is a great place to capture leads through calls-to-action, email signups, etc. By driving traffic to your site from TikTok, you can increase conversion opportunities. TikTok’s support site notes website links enable lead generation.
Current Limitations
Currently, only certain types of TikTok accounts are able to add a website link in their profile. According to TikTok’s support page, “Personal Accounts that meet certain requirements and Business Accounts can post a website link on their profile.”
One of the main requirements is that your account needs to have at least 1,000 followers before you can add a website link. As explained by Buffer, “If you have under 1,000 followers, you won’t see the website field as an option.” This minimum follower threshold restricts many smaller accounts from being able to link out to an external website.
So in summary, under the current limitations only larger, business, creator or promotional accounts have the ability to add a clickable website link in their TikTok profile. Regular personal accounts with less than 1,000 followers cannot link out.
Workarounds
Since not all TikTok accounts currently have the ability to add a website directly in the profile, there are a couple workarounds you can use to link your TikTok profile to your website:
Linking to Your Website in Bio
One option is to link to your website in your TikTok bio. To do this, edit your profile and add your website URL in the website field. When users visit your profile, they’ll be able to click the website link to visit your site (Source).
The main benefit of this method is it’s simple and easy for users to find the link. However, the downside is that you miss out on the opportunity to include a longer bio text.
Using Link Stickers in Videos
Another workaround is using TikTok’s link sticker feature to add clickable links to your videos. To do this, when creating a new video, select the sticker tool and add the link sticker. You can then paste your website URL and position the sticker where you want it.
Link stickers allow you to drive traffic to your site directly from your videos. However, the stickers can sometimes disrupt the viewing experience or distract from your main video content (Source).
So in summary, while not ideal workarounds, linking in your bio or using link stickers can help direct TikTok users to your website until more accounts get direct website linking capabilities.
Pros and Cons of Link in Bio
Using a link in your bio is currently one of the main workarounds for adding a clickable link to your TikTok account. Here are some of the pros and cons of this approach:
Pros:
- Still allows a clickable link – Even without the website feature, you can include a URL in your bio that users can click on and be directed to an external website. This maintains some ability to drive traffic outside of TikTok.
Cons:
- Not as visible and requires extra steps – The link in your bio is not very prominent within the app. Followers have to deliberately click on your profile and bio to find the link, which many users may not think to do or bother with. It takes more effort than just swiping up or tapping a website link.
Overall, while far from ideal, a link in your bio provides a basic way to direct at least some TikTok traffic to your site or other destination until more robust website integration is available for all accounts.
Pros and Cons of Link Stickers
Link stickers allow creators to directly link to a website from their video. This provides a seamless way for viewers to access more information or products showcased in the video. Simply tapping on the sticker opens the linked website in an in-app browser, without having to exit TikTok or find the link in a profile bio. According to TikTok, adding stickers with links boosts traffic to linked sites by an average of 10%.
However, link stickers can also be distracting or annoying for some viewers. Stickers popping up on screen during a video disrupt the viewing experience. Some users complain stickers feel like ads or promotional content. Excessive use of link stickers may cause viewers to disengage. It’s best to use link stickers judiciously and place them appropriately so as not to detract from the main video content.
https://www.tiktok.com/@svgondemand/video/7255269057665223982
When Will All Accounts Have This Feature?
As of March 2023, the ability to add a website link is still rolling out and only available to some business accounts. According to a TikTok spokesperson, “We’re testing out the ability for TikTok Business accounts to link out to external websites in order to make it easier for people to learn more about businesses and products they discover on TikTok” (Yoke Network). There is no set timeline for when this will be available to all business accounts.
Some speculate the gradual rollout is to test how the website links impact user experience and engagement before expanding it more broadly. TikTok likely wants to ensure the links provide value to users rather than being overly promotional or disrupting the app’s experience. As they analyze the results from the initial group of accounts, they can refine the feature before enabling it for all accounts.
Tips for the Future
If you’re eager to add a website link to your TikTok profile, here are some tips to keep in mind while you wait for this feature to become available:
First, focus on growing your audience organically on TikTok before worrying about driving traffic elsewhere. Producing creative, high-quality content tailored to the TikTok platform will help you build a loyal following. As your audience grows, there will be more people to click your link when the option is available.
In the meantime, make use of the current options you have to link out from TikTok. Add your website URL to your bio or use link stickers in your videos to direct viewers. While this takes extra effort compared to a clickable website field, it allows you to start directing traffic now.
Keep requesting the website link feature through TikTok’s feedback channels. While frustrating, try to be patient as TikTok rolls out features. Reminding them of user demand increases the chances it will become universally available faster.
Conclusions
At this time, TikTok does not allow all users to directly link their website to their TikTok business account profile. Only certain accounts that meet eligibility requirements set by TikTok are able to utilize this feature. For most users, the options are currently limited to using your bio link or stickers in videos to redirect traffic.
While not ideal, creative workarounds like linking in bios or stickers can still effectively drive TikTok audiences to your website. Optimizing your profile and content for natural discovery and clicks is key. While third party tools exist, proceed with caution as TikTok does not officially endorse or integrate with these.
As TikTok continues expanding its ecommerce capabilities, direct website linking on profile pages will likely continue rolling out gradually to more users and account types. Keep an eye out for future feature announcements and testings. With patience and persistence, there are still effective ways to get the results you want until then.
Key Takeaways
Summing up, the key reasons why you currently can’t add a website to a TikTok business account are:
- TikTok has not yet rolled out this feature to all business accounts.
- The ability to add a website is still in limited beta testing.
- Standard business accounts don’t have access yet – only accounts upgraded to a “Pro” account can link a website.
Until the website linking rollout is completed, the best alternatives are using your Link in Bio or posting links in stickers on your videos. Both have pros and cons to weigh.
As for when all business accounts will be able to add a website, TikTok has not provided an exact timeline yet. The feature is expected to become available more widely over the course of 2023.
The best advice is to keep checking your Account Settings periodically for the “Add Website” option. When it appears, you’ll know your account has access. In the meantime, make the most of Link in Bio and link stickers as strategies to connect your viewers with your website.
