Have you ever asked yourself “do I need a website for my business?” when you’ve already got a busy Facebook or Instagram page? You’re not alone. Lots of companies keep everything on social media and never build a proper home online.
Running a business from social media alone used to work fine. But lots of customers now want to check if a business is real before they buy. Most people see a business with a proper website as more credible than one that’s only on social media.
So, do you need a website? If you want more people to find you on Google and feel confident buying from you, yes. You don’t have to give up social media. It’s great for getting attention. But your website is where people go to find out more.
Social media gets you noticed. A website gets you trusted.
What Social Media Can (and Can’t) Do for Your Business
Don’t get us wrong. Social media is an important tool for growing your business and reaching new people. It’s where people discover your brand and where you keep in touch with new and existing customers. It acts as a brilliant marketing asset to get your name out there, and plenty of businesses make sales through it.
What social media can’t always do is make important information easy to find. If someone wants to check your opening hours, your prices, your products or where you’re based, they don’t want to scroll through months of posts or send a message and wait for a reply. That’s a big benefit of a website, as everything a customer needs is in one place.
So social media shouldn’t be the only thing handling your online presence. That’s exactly where a dedicated website comes in.
The Problem with “Rented Digital Land”
When you build your whole business on apps like TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, or even rely on marketplaces like eBay, you’re operating on what’s known as “rented digital land”.
You can spend months creating great content and growing a following, but you don’t own the platform or its algorithm. That means:
- Your account can get locked or banned, and your digital shopfront goes dark
- The platform can change its rules, and you’ve got no say in it
Imagine your account gets locked the week before Christmas. For lots of businesses, that’s the busiest time of year. Customers can’t reach you there and you can’t reply to messages, so you could miss out on sales while you wait for the platform to get back to you.
So why do you need a website for your business if social media is working? Because it’s yours. It gives your business a permanent home. It’s a space where you’ve got more control over your content and layout, and can shape everything around what your business needs.
This is where we can help. Our web design team builds websites around your business, so customers have somewhere to find you, whatever happens on social media.
Overcoming the Social Trust Barrier
With scams on social media so common, a lot of people want to check a business properly before they buy, and a website gives them somewhere to do that.
You can see why people are careful. In June 2026, Lloyds reported that “Of the fraud reports Lloyds customers make, around seven in 10 (68%) are shopping scam cases, starting on a Meta platform, such as Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp.”
It’s a similar story elsewhere. In September 2026, Which? surveyed 1,501 UK fraud victims and found that “The majority of online scams reported in our survey were spread through social media (55%).”
So it makes sense that people look for more than a social media page. A 2022 survey by Squarespace and YouGov found that “79% of Brits agree that a business with a well-designed website is more credible than a business with just a social media page”.
A website gives customers the things they look for before handing over their money, like your address, contact details, reviews and delivery or returns policies. Having all of that in one place helps customers feel confident they’re dealing with a real business.
Without a website backing up your social media, you could be losing customers right at the last step, just as they’re deciding whether to buy.
Getting Found on Google
Social media pages can show up on Google, but you can’t control which posts appear or how your business looks in the results. A website gives you your own pages that you can customise around what your customers are actually searching for.
To see what this looks like locally, we ran four Google searches from Hull on 19 October 2026: “plumber Hull”, “florist Hull”, “hairdresser Hull” and “cafe in Hull”. We only counted the main page-one results, not the ads or the map at the top.
For “plumber Hull”, 5 of the 9 results were businesses’ own websites and the other 4 were directories, guides and news sites. For “florist Hull”, 7 of the 9 were businesses’ own websites. Neither search had a single social media page on page one.
Across all four searches, only 2 of the 35 page-one results were social media pages. The cafe search was the exception, with guides and review sites like Tripadvisor taking most of the top spots, so review sites are worth thinking about too. It’s only a small snapshot, and Google results change day to day, but it shows that business websites still come up far more than social media in local searches.
And it’s not just about being found. The same Squarespace and YouGov survey found that “Seven in ten (69%) Brits admit to looking up a business’ website before shopping, visiting or eating there.”
This is where SEO comes in. Put simply, it’s how you show Google what your business does and where you’re based. That comes down to things like the words on your pages, your page titles and how fast your site loads. It can’t promise you the top spot, but it gives you a much better chance of being found when people nearby are searching. If you’re not sure where to begin, our blog on local vs national SEO is a good place to start.
Own Your Data and Customers
When your business is only on social media or a marketplace, the platform has most of the information about your customers, not you. One of the biggest ways having a website benefits your business is that a lot more of that becomes yours.
First off, you get better analytics. You can see who’s visiting your site, what they’re looking at, where they came from and when they leave. So you can see what people are actually interested in and what’s putting them off.
You also get better marketing. With your own website, you can:
- Build your own email list and send offers straight to your customers, instead of hoping the algorithm shows them your posts
- Automatically follow up with people who sign up or leave items in their basket
- Get existing customers to come back and make additional purchases
- Run deals for the right people
All of that gives you more chances to turn visitors into paying customers.
Customers can also make their own accounts on your website, so they can save their details, see their past orders and come back to buy again.
Then there’s the money. Selling on marketplaces and social media usually means paying fees on your sales. On your own website, more of that money stays with you.
It’s also worth getting one sooner rather than later. Your website only starts collecting visitor data from the day it goes live, so the sooner you have one, the sooner you can use that data to plan your marketing and adverts.
Want to sell online without handing over a cut of every sale? We build eCommerce websites that put you in charge, so your customers, your data and your profits stay with you.
Website vs Social Media: Use Both
This isn’t about picking one or the other. Social media and a website do different jobs, and they work best together. That’s one of the benefits of website marketing. Social media brings people in, and your website does the work once they arrive.
Think of social media as your shop window. It’s how people notice you and get a feel for what you’re about. Your website is the shop itself. It’s where they come in, have a proper look around, check you’re genuine and decide to buy.
So don’t stop posting. Just make sure there’s somewhere for people to go once they’ve found you.
How TH3 Can Help
If you’re thinking about getting a website, the good news is it doesn’t have to be a massive project. Not every business needs a big online shop, and the right website depends on what your business actually does. One of the advantages of creating a website for your business is that it can start small and grow with you.
A tradesperson might need a small site with their services, reviews and a way to ask for a quote. A salon might want online booking, so customers can pick a time without having to message. And a shop might need a full eCommerce website so people can buy straight from the site.
Our team builds all of these, from smaller sites to get you started to full eCommerce websites. You can see how we’ve helped other businesses in our case studies.
Ready to give your business a home online that’s truly yours? Get in touch with our team in Hull or York, and we’ll look at where you are now and what would make the biggest difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a website?
Yes, if you want more people to find you on Google and feel confident buying from you. A 2022 survey by Squarespace and YouGov found that “79% of Brits agree that a business with a well-designed website is more credible than a business with just a social media page”. A website gives people somewhere to check you’re a real business before they buy.
Does my business need a website if I’m already on social media?
Yes. Social media is great for getting your name out there, but you don’t own the platform, so if your account gets locked or banned, your digital shopfront goes dark. A website gives your business a permanent home where you’ve got more control over your content and layout.
Do I need a website for my small business?
Yes, especially if you rely on local customers finding you on Google. In four Google searches we ran from Hull on 19 October 2026, only 2 of the 35 page-one results were social media pages. Without a website, a local business like a plumber or florist could be much harder to find.
How do I make or start a website for my business?
Start by working out what you need your website to do, whether that’s showing your services, taking bookings or selling online. From there, you can build it yourself with a website builder or get a web design team like TH3 to build it for you. If you’re not sure where to begin, our guide to 7 smart questions to plan a better website is a good place to start.
How much does a website cost for a small business?
It depends on what your business needs. A small site for a tradesperson will usually cost a lot less than a site with online booking or a full eCommerce shop. The easiest way to get a clear price is to book a chat with our team for a quote.
What can I use instead of a website?
Nothing fully replaces a website. Social media and directories like Checkatrade help people find you, but you don’t own or control them. Use them alongside a website, not instead of one.
Do I still need social media if I have a website?
Yes. Social media is where people discover your brand, and your website is where they go to find out more and buy. Think of social media as your shop window and your website as the shop itself.
Why do customers trust websites more than social media?
A big reason is that scams on social media are common, so people want to check a business out before they buy. In September 2026, Which? surveyed 1,501 UK fraud victims and found that the “majority of online scams reported in our survey were spread through social media (55%).” A website gives customers somewhere to check your address, contact details, reviews and policies before handing over their money.
