Do I need a website if my business is already on Instagram?

Give Instagram and your website different jobs

Instagram is a natural place to show what you are doing now: a fresh cut, a finished set of nails, a bouquet leaving the studio. People can follow along, discover your style and start a conversation.

A website gives someone who is already interested a more organised view. They should be able to find your main services, useful examples, your location or service area, and a clear way to book or enquire. Those details stay together even when your latest post is about something else.

• Instagram: discover the work

  New work, personality, behind-the-scenes clips and conversations.

• Website: understand the offer

  A selected portfolio, service details and answers to practical questions.

• Booking or contact: take the next step

  Your existing booking service, an email, a call or another appropriate contact route.

Three signs a website would help

Look at the questions you receive before someone books. Repeated questions are useful clues about what your online presence is missing.

• You keep explaining the same basics

  If every enquiry starts with where you work, what you offer or how to book, put those answers in one place and send that link.

• Your best work is buried

  A portfolio can keep representative work visible without asking visitors to scroll back through months of posts.

• You want a link that works beyond Instagram

  A website address can go in a referral message, an email signature or on a business card. The recipient can understand the offer without navigating your profile.

When it is reasonable to wait

If you are still deciding what you sell, or your existing profile and booking page already answer every important question, a website may not be your next priority. First make the service, the work and the next step clear.

It is also worth being specific about the problem you want to solve. A website will not fix an unclear offer, create a portfolio you do not have or guarantee more bookings. Start with a small, useful site when you can say what it needs to do.

What your first website actually needs

Begin with a clear introduction, a selection of work, your core services and a contact or booking route. Add location and practical details where they matter. A concise page with accurate information is more useful than a large site with empty sections.

Choose photographs that help a visitor decide whether your work suits them. For a florist that might mean different arrangements or occasions; for a barber, a range of cuts and hair textures. Write service descriptions in the words a first-time customer would understand.

Can a website help people find you on Google?

A public website gives Google pages it can discover and understand. Clear descriptions of what you do, useful images and sensible links help explain the content. Publishing a website does not guarantee that it will be indexed, rank for a particular search or bring in enquiries.

Think of the website as a useful destination first. Keep its information accurate, link to it from the places you already use and build on the real questions customers ask.

Further reading: Google's SEO Starter Guide.

Start with the work you have already posted

OnShow uses the available photos and business information on your public Instagram profile as a starting point for a private website preview. You review the result and edit the details before deciding whether to publish.

Your website is separate from your Instagram feed. New posts do not automatically update it, so keep your services, prices and contact details current in the editor. You can keep using Instagram alongside it.