Do you need a website, or is a social page enough?

Three ways to be found online

A website is a set of pages you control, at your own address. A social page is a profile on someone else's platform, where you post updates and people can message you. A listing is an entry in a directory, most importantly a Google Business Profile, which Google describes as the way a business manages how it appears on Google Search and Maps.

They are not competitors. They do different jobs, and many businesses end up using all three.

What a social page does well, and where it falls short

A social page is quick to set up and good for showing recent work. A cake maker posting finished orders or a landscaper sharing before-and-after photos can build a following that way.

But posts scroll away. A customer trying to find out whether you serve their area, what you charge to come out, or whether you are licensed has to dig through old posts, or message you and wait. Some people do not use that platform at all. And the platform sets the rules: it can change what your followers see, or how your page looks, at any time.

What a listing does well

A Google Business Profile is often the first thing a nearby customer sees. It shows your phone number, hours, reviews and a map, and lets people call with one tap. Service-area businesses can hide their address and list the areas they serve. For many local trades, it is the first thing worth setting up.

Its limit is space. A profile is a summary. It cannot explain each of your services properly, answer the questions customers ask, or make the case for choosing you over the next name on the list.

What a website does that a profile cannot

A website is the one place online where you decide what is said and how. It is where a careful customer goes after seeing your profile, to check you are real and right for the job.

• A page for each main service, so people looking for that job find the right answer
• Room to answer common questions before the phone rings
• A clear statement of the area you serve
• Proof that matters in your trade, such as a license number where your trade or state requires one
• A place your Business Profile and social pages can link to
• A quote or contact form that reaches you directly
• Pages that stay put, instead of scrolling away like posts

Who can skip a website for now

A website is not a must for everyone today. It may be reasonable to wait if one of these describes you. Even then, a verified, accurate Business Profile is worth setting up.

• You are still testing whether the business will work and your services keep changing
• You are fully booked from referrals and do not want more work right now
• You work for one or two regular clients who already know how to reach you
• You sell only through a marketplace or platform where customers already find you

What one industry survey found

One industry survey found that among small and medium businesses, 35% had a Google Business Profile and 40% had a dedicated website. That was a 2025 BrightLocal survey, a vendor survey rather than official statistics, so treat it as a rough picture. Still, it suggests many small businesses have not covered these basics, and a customer comparing a few names may find that only some of them have a profile or a website to check.

A sensible order to do things in

If you are starting from nothing, this order works for most local businesses. First, claim and verify your Business Profile, and get your name, phone and service area right. Second, set up a simple website with a page for each main service and a clear way to contact you, and link it from your profile. Third, keep a social page if you will actually post on it; an abandoned page with a last post from long ago can look like a closed business.