Guide
Do I need a website if I already have Instagram?
AiThrive Solutions · Updated
The short answer
Yes, if you want people who don't follow you yet to find you and trust you. Instagram shows your work to people who already follow you. A website is what appears when someone searches Google for what you do, and it is the one place online that you fully own and control.
What does Instagram do well?
Instagram is good at keeping you in front of people who already know you. It shows your work, your behind-the-scenes and your personality, and it makes it easy for customers to message you.
It is a strong place to show your business. It is a weak place to be found by someone who has never heard of you.
What can a website do that Instagram can't?
- Be found on Google. When someone searches for what you do in your area, Google shows websites and Google Business Profiles, not Instagram posts.
- Answer questions in one place: what you offer, who it's for, where you are, how to book and what happens next.
- Belong to you. Your website stays where it is if a platform changes its rules, its feed or your account access.
- Build trust on first contact. Many people check for a website before they call a business they don't know.
- Collect enquiries properly, with a form or a WhatsApp button that brings the details you need.
When is Instagram on its own enough for now?
If almost all of your customers come through people who already know you, and you are not trying to reach new customers yet, Instagram alone can work for a while.
The moment you want to grow beyond your existing circle, run ads, or be compared with other businesses, the lack of a website starts to cost you enquiries you never see.
What does a small business website need?
Not much, as long as each part is done properly:
- A home page that says what you do and who it's for in one sentence.
- A page for your services, with what is included.
- An about page with real people and real photos.
- A clear way to contact you: a WhatsApp button, a phone number and a short form.
- A mobile-first design, because many visitors arrive on a phone.
- Google basics: a page title and description for each page, and a linked Google Business Profile.
Should the website and Instagram look the same?
Yes. Someone who finds you on Instagram and then checks your website should feel they are in the same place. Use the same logo, colours and tone on both. Link to your website from your Instagram bio, and to your Instagram from your website.