Do I need a website if I have Instagram?

Plenty of businesses start on Instagram, and some do very well there. So is a website still worth it? Usually, yes. Here’s why, and when it can wait.

People search, and search shows websites

When someone types “dentist near me” or “bakery in Brooklyn” into Google, the results are websites and Google Business Profiles, not Instagram posts. Without a site, you’re missing the people who are actively looking.

You own the address

Your Instagram account lives on someone else’s platform, with their rules and their algorithm. A website on your own domain is an address you control. If a platform changes, your customers can still find you.

Some questions need a page, not a post

Prices, opening hours, services, the menu, how to book, where to park: these are hard to find in a feed. A website puts them one tap away, which means fewer repeated questions in your messages.

It makes you look established

For many customers, a clear website is a sign that a business is real and here to stay. It matters most when people are about to spend money or trust you with something important, like their health or their home.

When you can wait

If you’re testing an idea, sell only through direct messages, and don’t yet have fixed prices or hours, a simple profile may be enough for now. Once customers start asking the same questions, it’s time for a site.