They do different jobs
Facebook, Instagram and Google Business Profile can all be useful. A trades business can use them to show recent work, collect or display reviews, post updates, answer simple questions and give customers another way to discover the business.
The mistake is treating those platforms as a complete replacement for a website. They are better viewed as routes to your business rather than the only place your business lives online.
Third-party platforms have limits
On a social network or business-profile platform, the provider controls the environment. Features can change, organic visibility can change, accounts can be restricted, and the way information is presented is largely decided for you. Even when the platform works perfectly, an older social feed can become a poor way for a customer to find a specific service, warranty detail, service area or explanation of how you work.
A website under your own domain gives you a more stable destination and far more control over structure. You can give each important service a clear home, answer common questions properly, show project evidence, explain where you work and create a straightforward route to enquire.
Think about what a customer needs before they contact you
A homeowner choosing between two electricians may want more than a phone number and a stream of posts. They may want to know whether you do rewires, EV charger installations or landlord work, which areas you cover, what previous projects look like and how to request a quote.
A well-structured website makes that information easier to browse. It can also give search engines clearer pages to understand. That does not guarantee rankings or enquiries, but it creates a stronger foundation than expecting one social profile to do every job. See What is SEO? and Will my website appear on Google?.
The strongest approach is usually to use them together
For most established businesses, this is not really “website or social media”. Your website can be the central source of accurate service information, while Facebook and Instagram show activity and personality, and Google Business Profile supports local discovery.
A practical rule
If a platform disappeared from your marketing tomorrow, would customers still have a clear, professional place to understand your business and contact you? If the answer is no, your online presence is probably too dependent on that platform.
Last updated: 9 September 2026