It's a fair question, and I won't give you the self-serving answer. For some businesses, at some stages, Instagram really is enough. For others, leaning on it alone is quietly losing them work. Here's how to tell which one you are.

When Instagram alone is genuinely fine

If you're just testing an idea, your sales happen entirely through DMs, and you're not trying to be found by people who don't already follow you — a polished social profile can carry you for a while. No shame in starting there.

When it's costing you

A few signs you've outgrown social-only:

• People can't find you on Google. Search happens off social. No website usually means no presence in search and no chance at the local map pack.

• You're sending the same DMs over and over. Hours, pricing, services, location — a website answers these once, automatically.

• You don't own your audience. The platform owns your followers and can change the rules — or vanish — overnight. Your website and email list are yours.

• You want to look established. For higher-value services, a real website is often the difference between "looks legit" and "not sure about this one."

The middle path

It isn't all-or-nothing. A focused 3–5 page site that you genuinely keep up to date beats a sprawling one you ignore. Start small: a clear homepage, what you offer, proof of your work, and an easy way to get in touch. Keep using social for what it's great at — showing up daily and building relationships — and let the website do the jobs social can't.

Not sure where your business sits? Tell me what you're doing now and I'll give you a straight answer — even if that answer is "you're fine for now." And if you do need one, here's what a website actually costs.