Do you need a website if you already have Instagram or Facebook?

For many small businesses, an Instagram or Facebook page is the first and only online presence. It is free, quick to set up, and your customers are already there. So is a website still worth paying for? In most cases yes, because the two do different jobs.

What a social page does well

• Shows you are active, with recent photos, offers and events.
• Lets customers message you in an app they already use.
• Spreads through shares, tags and followers.

What it cannot do

• You do not own it. The platform can change its rules, hide your posts from followers, or close the account.
• Search is weak. People who search Google for a service in your town rarely land on a profile page, and visitors without an account may be asked to log in.
• Information is buried. Opening hours, prices, the address and your services sit in old posts instead of one clear page.
• It is hard to measure. You see likes, but not how many visitors took a useful action.

What a website adds

• It can appear in Google when someone searches for what you do near them.
• It states your services, prices, hours and location in one place, in your own brand.
• It gives a clear action: a booking form, an inquiry form, a phone button.
• It builds trust. Many customers check for a website before they call a new business.
• You keep full control of the content and the customer relationship.

A sensible approach

Keep the social profile for day-to-day updates and link it to a simple website that holds the facts and the booking or contact action. A small showcase site of a few pages is enough for most local businesses such as restaurants, clinics, tutors, barbers and tradespeople. Add a Google Business Profile so you show up on the map, and link all three together.

If you are not sure what you need, send a short description of your business through the contact form and you will get a plain recommendation, including the option to do nothing yet.