"I don't need a website, I have Instagram." — I hear this regularly. From hairdressers, photographers, coaches, tradespeople, restaurant owners. And I understand the thinking behind it: Social media is free, you reach people directly, and it kind of works.
But "kind of working" is not the same as "working well." And that's exactly what this article is about. I'll honestly explain why social media alone is not a solid online strategy — and why you still need your own website. No sales pitch, just facts.
Renting vs. Owning: Who Owns Your Online Presence?
Imagine you build your business in a rented shop. The rent is cheap, the location is great, you invest in the interior. Everything's going well — until one day the landlord doubles the rent, dictates your opening hours, or kicks you out without warning.
That's exactly the situation with social media. You're building your entire online presence on someone else's land.
What This Means in Practice
- Algorithm changes: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok regularly change their algorithms. Suddenly only 5% of your followers see your posts — instead of the previous 30%. This isn't a hypothetical scenario. It happens all the time.
- Account suspensions: Accounts get suspended, hacked, or accidentally deleted. Without warning. And customer support is often unreachable. There are business owners who have lost thousands of followers overnight — and with them, their entire customer access.
- Platform rules: The platform decides what you can post, how your content is displayed, and which features you can use. You're a guest — not an owner.
Your website belongs to you. The domain is registered in your name, the content sits on your server, and nobody can cut off your access overnight. That's the difference between renting and owning.
Google Can't Find Your Instagram Posts
When someone googles "hairdresser Frankfurt" or "photographer Darmstadt" — what shows up? Websites. Google Business Profile listings. Business directories. What doesn't show up? Individual Instagram posts.
How Local Search Works
Over 80% of people search online for local services before making a decision. And most of them use Google. The typical process:
- Someone searches "web designer near me" or "carpenter Offenbach"
- Google shows results: websites, Google Maps, reviews
- The searcher clicks on the first 3-5 results
- They compare, read up, and reach out
If you don't have a website, you don't exist in this entire process. Your Instagram profile shows up in Google results at best as a profile link — without context, without a description of your services, without local relevance.
Google Business Profile Needs a Website
Your Google Business Profile — that's the box with the map, reviews, and contact details that appears for local searches — works best when linked to a website. Without a website, Google can't properly categorize your offering. Your listing stays thin, and you lose visibility to competitors who have a website.
More about how good website structure improves your ranking can be found in my article about common website mistakes.
Professional Impression: Customers Expect a Website
Let's be honest: If you want to hire a tradesperson and all you find is an Instagram profile without a website — how credible does that feel?
What's Missing Without a Website
- No legal notice: Required by law in Germany for commercial online presences. On Instagram, there's no proper place for it.
- No privacy policy: Also legally required. Nearly impossible to implement properly on social media.
- No professional email address: info@your-business.com comes across differently than yourbusiness2024@gmail.com.
- No structured service listing: On Instagram, you have to squeeze your services into a 150-character bio. On a website, you can present them in detail and with clear structure.
- No customer testimonials with context: On Instagram, reviews are scattered across comments. On a website, you can strategically place testimonials.
Trust Is the Currency of the Internet
Before someone buys from you or books your services, they need to trust you. And trust comes from professionalism. Your own website with clear structure, an about page, references, and transparent services — that communicates: This is someone who takes their business seriously.
If you want to know what matters most in a professional website, read my article Hiring a Web Designer: What to Consider.
24/7 Sales: Your Website Works While You Sleep
An Instagram post has an average lifespan of 24-48 hours. After that, it's disappeared from the feed. A story? 24 hours, then gone. You have to constantly produce new content just to stay visible.
The Content Treadmill
Social media is like a hamster wheel: You have to keep running just to stay in place. Post every day, shoot reels, create stories, respond to comments, follow trends. That costs time — and time is money.
Your website, on the other hand, works passively for you:
- SEO-optimized pages get found when someone actively searches for your service — whether at 3 AM or on a Sunday morning.
- Blog articles rank for months or even years for relevant search terms.
- Your services page explains to potential customers around the clock what you offer and why they should book you.
- Contact forms receive inquiries even while you're on vacation.
This doesn't mean you should stop creating content. But the content on your website has a much longer shelf life than social media posts.
No Full Control Over Your Presentation
On Instagram, Instagram decides how your profile looks. The profile picture size, the grid layout, the story display, the order of posts — all predetermined. You have exactly zero influence over the design.
What You Control on Your Own Website
- Colors, fonts, layout — all matching your brand
- The order of information — you decide what visitors see first
- How you showcase your work — full-screen photos, before-and-after sliders, video embeds, anything is possible
- Where calls-to-action go — a "Get in touch" button exactly where the visitor is ready
- The user experience — how your site feels, how fast it loads, how the navigation works
Your website is like your storefront. On social media, you're one picture in an endless gallery.
Website vs. Social Media: A Direct Comparison
Here's an honest side-by-side comparison so you can see the differences at a glance:
| Criterion | Website | Social Media |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Full control over design, content, features | Platform dictates layout and rules |
| SEO / Google Visibility | Can be optimized for search terms | Almost no Google visibility for individual posts |
| Professionalism | Legal notice, privacy policy, own domain | Often looks unprofessional without a website |
| Reach | Organic via Google, builds over time | Dependent on algorithm, short-lived |
| Content Longevity | Blog articles rank for months to years | Posts disappear from the feed after 24-48 hours |
| Cost | One-time investment + low ongoing costs | Free to use, but high time investment |
| Ownership | You own everything — domain, content, data | You're a guest on someone else's platform |
| Conversion | Optimizable with CTAs, forms, landing pages | Limited (link in bio, DMs) |
The table shows: It's not about what's "better." Both channels have strengths. But social media without a website is like a megaphone without a shop — you can be loud, but people don't know where to go.
The Best Solution: Both Together
I'm not saying: Delete your Instagram account. Quite the opposite. The strongest strategy is combining both.
Website as Hub, Social Media as Amplifier
Here's what this looks like in practice:
- Your website is the home base. All important information lives here: services, pricing, references, contact options, blog content.
- Your social media profile shows behind-the-scenes glimpses, current projects, quick tips — and links to your website when it's time to go deeper.
- When someone discovers you on social media, they click the link in your bio — and land on your website. There they can take their time to learn more, build trust, and get in touch.
- When someone googles you, they find your website. From there, they can visit your social media channels to get a more personal impression.
A Concrete Example
Imagine you're a photographer in Frankfurt:
- On Instagram, you post your latest shoots, behind-the-scenes stories, and client reactions. This creates connection and shows your personality.
- On your website, you have your full portfolio, pricing packages, an about page, client testimonials, and a contact form. This is where interest turns into a booking.
- On your blog, you write articles like "What to Wear for Your Photo Shoot" or "5 Tips for Natural Family Photos." These articles get found through Google and bring new visitors — months after publication.
This is how the channels complement each other, rather than one replacing the other.
What a Website Costs You — and What It Brings You
A common argument against a website: "It's too expensive for me." Understandable. But let's look at the numbers.
A solid starter website costs between €1,500 and €3,000. Ongoing costs: about €10-30 per month for hosting and domain. That's less than €1 per day.
Now the counter-question: What does it cost you NOT to have a website?
- Lost customers who can't find you on Google
- Lost trust because you don't have a professional online presence
- Lost time because you have to explain via DMs what could be on a website
- Dependency on platforms that can change their rules at any time
A website often pays for itself through a single new customer. If you're a tradesperson who lands a €5,000 job because someone found you on Google — then the website investment has paid for itself with that first project.
When Social Media Alone Might Be Enough
I want to be fair. There are situations where social media without a website can work:
- You're a hobby seller without commercial intent
- You sell exclusively through marketplaces like Etsy or Amazon
- You're an influencer whose business model is the platform itself
- You're testing a business idea and want to validate demand first
For everyone else — freelancers, self-employed professionals, small and mid-sized businesses — the rule is: A website isn't a luxury. It's the foundation.
Conclusion: Social Media Is the Megaphone, the Website Is the Shop
The question "Do I still need a website?" has a clear answer: Yes. Not because social media is bad, but because it's not enough on its own.
Your website is your digital home — the one place on the internet that belongs to you, that you control, and that works for you. Social media is the amplifier that brings people there.
The strongest online presence happens when both work together: A professional website as a solid foundation and social media as a channel for building reach and showing personality.
Want a website that can do more than just "exist"? Then check out what I offer — or get in touch directly. Together, we'll figure out the right solution for your business.