Plenty of good businesses run happily on Instagram or Facebook. You post your work, people message you, the diary fills up. So when someone tells you that you need a website, it's fair to ask why. What would it actually do for you that your page doesn't already?
Here's my honest answer, after more than a decade building websites for independent businesses. Your social page is brilliant for keeping the people who already know you interested. A website is what helps the people who don't know you yet find you, trust you and book you. Most businesses that want to grow need both, but not every business needs a website today, and I'll say when I think you can wait.
What your social page does well
Social media is great for showing your work as it happens: the new menu, this week's nails, the kitchen you've just finished. It keeps regulars warm, it lets happy customers share you with their friends, and it makes it easy for people to message you.
If most of your new customers come from word of mouth and people who already follow you, that's working. Keep doing it.
Where it falls short
The trouble starts with people who have never heard of you. Someone new to the area doesn't usually open Instagram and scroll for a hairdresser. They search Google, look at the map, or increasingly ask something like ChatGPT who's good nearby. In those places, your social page often isn't the thing that gets you found.
You don't own your page
Your Instagram and Facebook pages live on someone else's platform, under someone else's rules. Meta's terms say it can suspend or permanently disable access to accounts it decides have broken its terms, and it may also disable accounts it can't confirm the ownership of, for example if it thinks someone else has used them. That doesn't happen to most businesses, but when it does, your posts, reviews and messages can disappear overnight, and with them the way people find you.
A website on your own domain name is yours. If you ever change who builds or hosts it, you take it with you.
Google gives more weight to the web
Google's own guidance on local results says that prominence, meaning how well known a business is, is partly based on how many websites link to your business. Your Google Business Profile also has a space for your website, and Google says complete and accurate information makes you more likely to show up in local searches. A real website gives other sites something to link to and gives your profile somewhere solid to point.
These tools read websites
When people ask things like ChatGPT for a recommendation, those tools can search the web and summarise what they find. OpenAI, for example, says its search crawler is used to surface websites in ChatGPT's search answers. A clear page that says what you do, where you are and how to book is much easier for these tools to read than a grid of photos with the details in your captions. I've written more about how to get your business recommended by ChatGPT.
People check before they book
Even when someone finds you on Instagram, many will look you up before they spend money. A simple, clear website with your prices or a guide to them, your opening hours, your reviews and a booking button answers their questions without a back and forth in your messages. It also works at 11pm when you're not answering.
What a small business website actually needs
It doesn't need to be big. For most independent businesses, a good site is a handful of pages:
- A home page that says in one sentence what you do, where, and for whom, with a clear button to book, call or message.
- A page for each main service, in the words your customers search for, with the town in the title.
- Your location and hours, matching your Google Business Profile exactly.
- Real reviews and real photos of your work, your space and you.
- An easy way to get in touch: tap to call, a booking link, or a short form.
It should load quickly on a phone and every important word should be in the page itself, not hidden in images. Google's own developer documentation notes that not all bots can run JavaScript, so a page that looks fine to you can look nearly empty to some automated readers.
When you can probably wait
You may not need a website yet if:
- You're fully booked from regulars and referrals, and don't want new customers right now.
- You're testing an idea and don't know yet what you'll be selling.
- You genuinely have no time to answer new enquiries.
In that case, put your energy into a complete Google Business Profile first. It's free, it shows on the map, and it's where many local customers will look for you anyway.
When you probably don't want to wait
It's worth getting a website sooner if:
- You want more new customers than word of mouth brings.
- People keep messaging to ask the same questions about prices, hours or parking.
- You've lost bookings because someone couldn't find you, or found the wrong details.
- You rely on one platform, and losing that account would mean losing your business.
- Your competitors show up on Google and you don't.
Do I need a website if I'm a sole trader?
Being a sole trader doesn't change the answer. What matters is whether you want people who don't know you yet to find and choose you. Plenty of one-person businesses get most of their new customers through a simple site and a well-kept Google profile, because those are what people see when they search.
Will a website replace my social media?
No, and it shouldn't. Think of your social page as the shop window people walk past, and your website as the shop itself. Link them both ways: your Instagram bio and Facebook page point to your website, and your website shows your latest posts and makes it easy to follow you.
A gentle next step
If you're not sure whether a website is worth it for you yet, I'm happy to talk it through honestly, including telling you if I think you can wait. I take on a few projects at a time so there's room for a proper conversation. You can see what I help with, or book 15 minutes here:
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a website if I already have Instagram?
Not always, but it helps a lot if you want new customers. Instagram is good for people who already follow you, while a website helps people who don't know you yet find you on Google and through things like ChatGPT, and it's something you own.
Is a Facebook page enough for a small business?
It can be enough while most of your work comes from people who already know you. If you want to be found by new local customers, a Google Business Profile and a simple website usually do more of that work.
Can I use my Google Business Profile instead of a website?
It's a great start and it's free, so set it up properly first. A website adds pages for each service, more detail for people deciding, and something solid for your profile and other sites to link to.
How many pages does a small business website need?
Often five to eight is plenty: home, a page per main service, about, reviews and contact. Quality and clarity matter far more than size.
What happens if my Instagram account is disabled?
Meta's terms allow it to suspend or permanently disable accounts it decides have broken its rules. If that happens, your website and Google profile are what keep people able to find and book you.
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Checked on 7 October 2026.