Is Instagram enough? Why businesses still need a website

Many businesses, especially salons, cafés and tradespeople with beautiful projects, are active on Instagram and ask themselves: do I even need a website? The honest answer: Instagram is a good channel, but not a replacement.

What Instagram does well

• Showing photos and videos of your work, continuously and with little effort.
• Keeping regular customers up to date, for example with offers or free appointments.
• Showing personality: team, everyday life, behind the scenes.

Where Instagram reaches its limits

• The account does not really belong to you. Meta's rules apply, and a blocked or hacked account can be gone overnight.
• Reach is not guaranteed. The algorithm decides how many people see your posts.
• People without an Instagram account are often asked to log in after a short time.
• Basic information gets lost: opening hours, prices, services and directions are hard to find in the feed.
• People who search Google for a service in their town mainly see websites and the map area, individual Instagram posts rarely show up there.

What only a website can do

• It is your own address, printed on your vehicle, invoices and business cards, and it stays.
• It answers the questions before an enquiry in one place: what do you do, roughly what does it cost, where are you, how do I reach you?
• It can be found on Google for your services and your location.
• It looks professional, especially for larger jobs. Anyone spending a lot of money takes a closer look at a business.
• Contact form, booking, legal notice and privacy policy are under your control.

By the way: in Germany, the legal notice requirement under § 5 DDG also applies to social media profiles used for business. A clearly visible link to the legal notice on your website is a simple solution. This is not legal advice.

How they work best together

• The website is the headquarters, Instagram the shop window.
• Link to your website in your Instagram profile and to Instagram on your website.
• Do not add an automatically loading Instagram feed to your website without consent, because it sends data to Meta. A simple link is enough.
• Show your best Instagram photos on your website too. They stay visible there permanently.

Frequently asked questions

What about Facebook?

The same applies to Facebook: a good channel, especially for older audiences, but not your own platform.

Is a one-pager enough to start with?

For most businesses, yes. A page with services, photos, contact details and opening hours covers the essentials and can grow later.