Do You Need a Website If You Have Instagram?
Yes, if you want customers who don't already follow you. Social media is good at keeping existing fans engaged. A website is what new customers find when they search, and what they check before deciding you're legitimate. Most small businesses do best with both, each doing its own job.
What social media does well
Instagram and Facebook are excellent for showing your work as it happens, staying in front of people who already know you, and answering quick questions in messages. If your followers buy again and again, social media keeps you top of mind for free.
What social media can't do
It doesn't catch people who are searching. When someone types "accountant near me" or "wedding cake [your town]" into Google, the results are mostly websites and Google Business Profiles. Social posts rarely appear for searches like that, so a business that lives only on Instagram is invisible at the exact moment a new customer is looking.
You don't own it. Your page lives on someone else's platform. Algorithm changes can cut how many of your followers see your posts overnight, and an account that gets hacked or suspended can take years of work with it. A website and its domain name are yours to control.
It's hard to make the case for buying. A feed is a timeline, not a sales page. Customers who want to know what you offer, what it costs, where you are and why to trust you have to scroll for it, and most won't.
It looks less established. Many people check for a website before they call a business they've never used. Having only an Instagram handle makes some of them wonder whether you're a real, lasting business.
Social profile vs website vs Google Business Profile
| Social profile | Website | Google Business Profile | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Found by new people searching | Rarely | Yes | Yes, in Maps and local results |
| You control the content and layout | Partly | Fully | Partly |
| Good for showing services and prices | Weak | Strong | Basic |
| Good for staying in touch with fans | Strong | Weak | Weak |
| Cost | Free | Small monthly cost | Free |
The setup that works for most small businesses
Treat your website as home base: your services, prices, proof and a clear way to contact you. Use social media to bring people there, and a free Google Business Profile so you show up in Google Maps. Link all three to each other.
When social media alone is enough
If nearly all your customers come from word of mouth and already follow you, and you have no plans to grow beyond that, you can get by without a website for a while. The moment you want strangers to find you, it stops being enough.
Getting a website without the hassle
A website no longer has to be a big upfront project. Our guide to what a website costs compares the options, and our checklist of 10 must-haves shows what a good one needs. GoWebRise builds yours with a free demo first, live in days. See plans.