Ask Beth - Do I really need a website?
- Beth Dunlop
- Jul 15
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 30
Q: “I already have a Facebook page and an Instagram – do I really need a website too?”
Great question, and I hear a version of it a lot. Short answer: yes – and here's why.
Social media is fantastic for staying in front of people who already know you, but you don't own that platform, and not everyone searching for a business uses Instagram or Facebook to find one. A lot of people still go straight to Google, and increasingly to AI tools like Claude or Gemini, to find local businesses. If you don't have a website, you're invisible to all of that traffic.
A website is also the one place that's entirely yours. If a platform changes its algorithm, restricts your account, or simply goes out of fashion, your business doesn't disappear with it. Your hours, services, prices, and story are all still there, under your control.
The good news is that it doesn't need to be complicated or expensive. A simple one-to-three-page site with your hours, location, what you offer, and a way to contact you covers most of what small businesses need. Free or low-cost tools (Wix, Squarespace, Google Sites) can get you there without hiring a developer.
Keep the social media – it's doing real work for you. Just don't let it be the only front door to your business.
Have a question for a future column? Send it to Beth@RisingTideBusiness.ca. If you're ready to take the next step with your online presence, book a free 15-minute review – I'd love to help you get your website set up.
– Beth
Rising Tide Business Services
