I have an Instagram account. Do I still need a website?

Many small businesses first reach their customers through Instagram. Products and services are shared there and questions are answered by direct message. While this works, a common question is whether a website is needed at all.

The answer depends on how the business reaches its customers and on its plans for the period ahead.

When Instagram alone may be enough

When most customers discover the business on Instagram and sales are completed through messaging.
In visually driven businesses such as a patisserie, café or design studio, during their early period.
When the business is newly established and its services are still taking shape.

Even in these cases, creating a Google Business Profile is recommended. The profile allows the business to appear in Google Maps and in search results with its address, opening hours and reviews. It is similar to being listed in a neighbourhood directory. Someone looking for the business can find the basic information without going to Instagram.

What a website provides

Visibility in search engines: Someone searching for a service on Google is mostly shown websites and business profiles. Instagram posts appear in search results only to a limited extent.
Organised information: Service details, frequently asked questions and contact information are presented in one place, permanently. On Instagram this information is scattered across posts.
Forms and business email: A quote or appointment form and an address such as info@yourcompany.com give customers a formal way to reach the business.
Legal pages: A personal data notice for businesses that collect personal data, and a distance sales contract and return conditions for those selling online (both required under Turkish law), are published on the site.

What happens if the account is closed?

An Instagram account is like a rented shop. The shop window can be arranged as you wish, but the building’s rules belong to the owner. The platform can change its rules or suspend the account, or the account can be taken over by unauthorised people. In such cases, access to followers and past posts can be lost.

A website is like the business’s own shop. This requires the domain to be registered in the business’s name. If a problem occurs with the social media account, customers can still reach the business through the site.

How do the two channels work together?

Instagram and a website serve different purposes. Instagram is used for current posts and communication with followers; the website is used for permanent information and for visitors who arrive through search.

The link in the Instagram profile points to the website.
The website links to the Instagram account.
Frequently asked questions are answered on the site, and messages refer people to that page.
Campaigns and new products are announced on Instagram, with details on the site.
The logo, colours and typefaces are kept the same on both channels.

Checklist

What results appear when the business name is searched on Google?
Has a Google Business Profile been created, and is its information up to date?
Do several authorised people have access to the Instagram account, and is two-step verification enabled?
Is the domain registered in the business’s name?
Are customers’ frequently asked questions answered in writing somewhere?
If personal data is collected through a form or booking, has a personal data notice been published?
If the business sells online, have a distance sales contract and return conditions been published?

The Piron’s approach

Social media management and a website can be run together for the same business. The work begins by assessing which channels the business uses to reach its customers. When a website is built, the visual language of both channels and the links between them are planned together.

For information about your social media account and website, please get in touch through our contact page.