The Short Answer: You Need Both
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool. It is where many customers discover businesses, watch videos, read reviews, and decide who they want to learn more about.
But social media has not replaced websites. It has changed how people use them.
Today, social media helps people find your business. Your website helps them decide if they trust your business. The strongest marketing strategy today is not choosing one or the other. It is using social media and your website together, each for what it does best.
How Social Media Changed Customer Behavior
Over the last few years, more people have started using platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook as search tools. Some studies suggest that 30–50% of consumers now use social platforms for research instead of starting with Google.
That does not mean websites are less important. It means customers often:
- Discover you on social media
- Check your website before contacting you
- Use your website to confirm you are legitimate
Social media is fast and attention-grabbing. Websites are steady and decision focused.
Why Businesses Still Need a Website
You Own Your Website — Not Your Social Media Accounts
Social media is powerful, but it is like rented space. Your presence depends on the “landlords” approval and allowing you to stay. Algorithms change frequently. Organic reach can drop overnight. Accounts can be restricted or suspended and takes months to get back if at all. Platform rules change constantly.
Your website is the one place online you fully control:
- Your brand
- Your content/messaging
- Your design
- Your customer experience
- Your lead capture and customer data
Owning a website is like owning a home. Social media is like renting an apartment. Both have value, but only one builds long-term stability.
Your domain name is also part of your brand identity. It is what people remember, search for, and share. There is only one website associated with that domain – yours.
Websites Still Build Trust and Credibility
Customers are more cautious today than ever. With AI-generated content, fake accounts, and social media scams becoming more common, people want proof that a business is real and established.
A professional website is still one of the strongest trust signals you can have. Most consumers say they trust businesses with websites more than businesses with only social media profiles.
Social profiles build familiarity. Websites build confidence. This matters especially for:
- Service-based businesses
- Higher-cost purchases
- B2B companies
- Local businesses competing for trust
Search Engines and AI Still Rely on Websites
People still use search engines when they are ready to act.
When someone searches for:
- “Electrician near me”
- “Best restaurant in Traverse City”
- “Marketing company pricing”
They are usually close to becoming a customer.
Search engines and AI search tools rely heavily on website content to understand and recommend businesses. Websites provide structured, detailed information that social media posts usually do not.
Social media can spark interest. Your website captures high-intent traffic.
Websites Handle Business Operations Social Media Cannot
Social media platforms are designed for engagement, not business operations.
A website can support your business by providing:
- Online appointment booking
- Detailed service pages
- Permanent pricing information
- FAQ sections
- Service area maps
- Lead capture forms connected to your CRM
Social media posts get buried quickly. Website information stays organized and easy to find.
The Best Strategy: Social Media + Website Working Together
The most effective businesses use both platforms strategically.
Social Media Is Best For:
- Discovery
- Attention
- Community building
- Daily communication
- Announcing Sales or new products/services
Your Website Is Best For:
- Building trust
- Showing proof and credibility
- Converting visitors into customers
- Long-term visibility in search
Think of social media as the marketplace. Think of your website as your headquarters.
The Myth: “No One Visits Websites Anymore”
It is common to hear that websites do not matter because everything happens on social media now. But real buying behavior tells a different story.
People still:
- Research before spending money
- Compare services
- Look at reviews and portfolios
- Check business details before contacting someone
A social profile might get you a like. Your website is often what gets you the customer.
Why Websites Are Still a Long-Term Business Asset
Social media moves fast. Posts can disappear from visibility in hours or days.
Websites build value over time. Every service page, blog post, and resource adds to your visibility and credibility.
When social engagement slows down, and it always does eventually, your website is still working in the background, helping customers find you.
That is not luck. That is long-term strategy.
It is Not Social Media or a Website — It is Both
Businesses do not need to choose between social media and a website. They need both.
Social media helps customers discover you. Your website helps them choose you.
And your website is still the one place online where you fully control your brand, your message, and your customer experience.
Want Your Website and Social Media to Work Together Without the Guesswork?
Most business owners understand they need both social media and a website. The challenge is making them work together in a way that supports growth.
Your website needs to support your social traffic. Your social presence should support your website visibility. And both should support your long-term brand and customer relationships.
If you would rather focus on running your business instead of managing website updates, and technical setup, this is where Traverse Web helps. We design, build, and host websites that are built to support social media, search visibility, and customer conversion from day one.
Our goal is simple. We want your online presence to work together in a way that supports your business long term, not create more marketing stress for you.
If you would like help getting everything working together, reach out to us. You can email us at updates@traverseweb.com or call us at 231 409 5999.