Does your business need a website if you already sell on Instagram?

Instagram is where a lot of Nigerian businesses find their first customers, and it works. So is a website worth it? Sometimes yes, sometimes not yet. Here is how to decide.

What Instagram does well

It is free, your customers already spend time there, and it shows your work beautifully. For being discovered and staying in front of people, it is hard to beat.

What Instagram cannot do for you

• You do not own it. A change to the app can cut your reach overnight, and a hacked or banned account can take years of work with it.
• Not everyone is there. Many buyers start with a Google search, and customers who are not on Instagram cannot find you.
• Some customers need more trust. Companies, schools, government offices and NGOs often want to see a website, a registered business name and a proper email before they pay.
• Things get lost. Prices, orders and questions buried in DMs are hard to keep track of.

When a page is enough, for now

• You are just starting and still testing what sells.
• Most sales come from people who already know you.
• Your products are simple and low-priced.

When you need a website

• Customers keep asking for your website or your price list.
• You want to take deposits, bookings or payments online.
• You sell to businesses, institutions or partners, or you are applying for grants and loans.
• You have many products, and answering the same questions in DMs is eating your day.
• You want people to find you on Google.

The smart middle path

You do not need a huge website to start. A simple, fast site with your products or services, your prices, a WhatsApp button and a way to pay is enough for most businesses. Keep Instagram for discovery and send people to your site to buy, book or learn more. Your social pages bring people in. Your website is the place you own.

A quick checklist for a good small business website

• It loads fast on an everyday phone.
• It shows what you sell and what it costs.
• It has a WhatsApp button and a phone number on every page.
• It shows your business name, location and, if you have one, your registration number.
• It takes payments or bookings if you need them.
• It is set up so Google can find it.

If most of the points under "When you need a website" sound like your business, it is time. Tell us what you sell and we will show you the simplest site that does the job.