What social does better than a website
Social is better at discovery: people find you without looking for you. It is better at proving the business is alive, because you post often and the work in progress is visible. And it is cheaper to start, because it asks for nothing but time. For a hairdresser, a bakery or a tradesperson with a full calendar, that can be enough for years.
What only a website can do
- Let people who are already looking for your service find you, at the moment they look. Social has no search with intent the way Google does.
- Give you an address nobody can switch off. An account can be blocked without explanation, a domain cannot.
- Answer questions once, instead of in messages every day.
- Take orders and bookings without arranging each one by hand.
- Look credible when somebody checks you out before a larger job.
When it is fine not to have one
If the calendar is full, if work arrives by referral, and if you are not planning growth, a website is a cost that solves no existing problem. Better then to open a Google Business Profile, which is free and covers local search, and see whether calls arrive. That is the cheapest test of whether you need a site at all.
When it is time
When you spend hours answering the same questions in messages. When you start paying for ads. When customers ask whether you have a website. And when you realise everything known about you sits on a platform where you are a guest.
If you are unsure, describe the business: we will say honestly if you do not need a site right now.