"I've already got Instagram, so what do I need a website for?" It's one of the questions we hear most often from people who run a shop, a practice or a bar. The short answer: they do two different jobs, and it's worth working out which one you're missing.
What Instagram does well
Instagram is great for getting noticed by people who don't know you yet, and for staying front of mind with those who already do. It shows what goes on behind the scenes, your new products, your people. It builds habit and goodwill.
But it has three limitations:
- It isn't yours. The rules, how many people see your posts and even access to your profile all depend on the platform.
- It doesn't show up when people search. People who search Google for "dentist near me" or "bakery for birthday cakes" don't usually end up on an Instagram profile.
- Information gets lost. Opening hours, prices, services and how to book end up buried under dozens of posts.
What a website does well
Your website is your home online. It gathers the information a customer looks for before deciding: what you do, roughly what it costs, where you are, how to get in touch. It can show up in Google searches, and you can send ad campaigns to it and measure who actually gets in touch.
On its own, though, it doesn't bring in visitors: without someone searching for it or a link leading to it, it's a shop window on an empty street.
So where do you start?
It depends on how customers find you today.
- If they choose you through word of mouth or because they're passing by (cafés, hairdressers, local shops), start with your Google Business Profile and Instagram. A simple website, even a single page, comes straight after.
- If they look you up before buying (professional practices, tradespeople, home services, B2B), start with the website. Someone about to hire you wants to read, compare and see whether you can be trusted.
- If you sell products, you need both: Instagram to make people want them, the website or online shop to let them buy without having to message you.
A rule of thumb: Instagram creates the desire, the website clears up the doubts. If customers keep asking you the same questions, you're missing the second one.
How to make them work together
- Put the link to your website in your bio, pointing to the most useful page (bookings, catalogue, contact), not necessarily the home page.
- Use the same colours, the same logo and the same tone of voice: anyone moving from one to the other should feel they're in the same place.
- On your website, show your best posts as proof of what you do, but don't embed the whole feed: it slows the page down and sends people away.
- Check where your enquiries come from every month: it tells you where to invest next.
If your budget is tight, one thing done well beats two done by halves. The right choice depends on your business, and we can help you make it.
