Not every business needs a large or expensive website today. A photographer who gets enough private bookings through Instagram can start there. The same can be true for a local barbershop that is found through Google, Instagram, recommendations and walk-ins.
As a business grows, the question usually changes from “Do I need a website?” to “What kind of website fits this stage?” Sometimes one clear page with services, contact details and a booking link is enough. Sometimes you need cases, prices, forms, a webshop or a CRM connection.
My rule is simple: look at how customers find you, what they need before deciding and what risk you carry if one external platform disappears.
When can a website wait?
A website is less urgent when nearly every customer arrives through one clear channel and finds enough information there to get in touch. This is common when your offer is simple, you are still testing demand and a missed enquiry is not yet a major problem.
Your organisation matters too. If you work alone, serve one type of customer and do not need to distribute enquiries between employees or locations, Instagram or a Google Business Profile may be enough for now.
In this phase, your budget may be better spent on the product, service or good visuals. Do not build a website just because it feels like something a business “should” have. Treat waiting as a temporary choice, because customers, information and the cost of a missed enquiry change as you grow.
Photographer or videographer: from scattered links to one portfolio
A photographer who books small private shoots through Instagram does not immediately need a large website. The profile shows style and recent work, and customers can send a message. If that route works, there is no urgent reason to make it more complex.
The practical problem appears when you repeatedly send the same combination of a portfolio, a YouTube or Drive video, a price list and package information. A first website can simply be an online shop window: your best work, types of shoots, prices or packages, common questions and one clear way to enquire.
This does not replace Instagram. It puts information that is currently spread across posts, messages and files in one calm place. The website becomes more valuable when you want corporate clients, agencies, events or higher-value productions. A selected portfolio, process, terms and business contact details then communicate more than a social feed.
A local barbershop can start small
A small barbershop with a simple offer may only need Instagram, a Google Business Profile, recommendations and walk-ins. If customers only need the address, opening hours, photos, prices and a booking button, a large custom website is probably too much.
One owned page can still help. Put the current information, booking link and short service explanation there so customers do not have to piece it together from different profiles. There is a lot of space between no website and a large custom project.
Sometimes one good business page is enough
A first website can be a digital business card. One page is often enough for:
- a short explanation of the business and audience;
- the main services or products;
- prices, packages or how you calculate a quote;
- address, opening hours and contact details;
- photos, examples or a few relevant cases;
- a booking link, enquiry form or order button;
- company details and links to legal information.
A Chamber of Commerce registration does not by itself mean that you must build a website. If you do have one, Dutch KVK guidance says your registration number should be shown on it. Consumer-facing businesses must also make certain company details easy to find before a purchase; the exact requirements depend on what and how you sell.
For self-employed people, a website can also support how the business presents itself to the market. It does not prove that someone is an entrepreneur, and not having one does not prove the opposite. It is one part of the wider picture: independence, risk, clients and how the work is offered.
Signals that you are outgrowing Instagram or Google
There is rarely one decisive metric. Signals tend to accumulate:
- more enquiries than you can handle neatly in direct messages;
- larger or business clients who need information before contacting you;
- the same questions about services, prices and terms again and again;
- employees who need enquiries distributed in a consistent way;
- several services, cases or offers that need separate explanations;
- a need to measure where enquiries come from or connect forms, payments, planning or a CRM;
- dependence on one platform starting to limit growth.
Revenue is not the only measure. More enquiries, a larger team and larger assignments usually require a sales process you can manage yourself.
From platform profile to an owned process
A marketplace, Instagram or Google Business Profile can be exactly right while its workflow fits your business. They become less useful when you need more control: an independent webshop, a form instead of scattered messages, or a CRM that records every enquiry.
At that point, a website is not a status symbol. It solves a problem the existing channel no longer handles well. Keep the platforms that help, but do not let one of them be your only contact point. An owned domain, an opted-in email list and a second contact channel reduce the risk.
What if Instagram is temporarily unavailable?
You do not fully control a social account. It can be hacked, disabled or blocked, and you can lose access to the linked email address or phone. Followers are not a customer list that you can simply export.
A website and domain give you another place to be found. Keep your email, phone, form and current social links there. A website still needs hosting, renewals, security and backups, but it can be moved or restored without rebuilding your whole presence inside one platform.
What can you use if you do not have a website yet?
For a local business, a Google Business Profile is usually the strongest starting point. Keep your name, address or service area, phone, opening hours, category and photos accurate, and offer one obvious way to book or contact you.
Without a fixed location, Instagram or Facebook may be enough at first. Make the profile answer the basic questions quickly: what do you offer, for whom, where do you work, what does the result look like, what does it roughly cost and how can someone reach you?
The limits show up with a more expensive or complex offer. There is little room to compare services, packages and cases, so the customer has to reconstruct your story from messages.
Which online foundation fits your business?
| Situation | What may be enough now | When the next step becomes logical |
|---|---|---|
| You are testing an idea or taking first assignments | A social profile or Google Business Profile | Demand is stable and the offer is clear |
| You have a simple local service | Google Business Profile, booking link and perhaps one page | You want to explain services, prices or differences better |
| You work as a photographer or videographer for private clients | Instagram or one portfolio page | You repeatedly send the same materials or win business work |
| You have a growing service business | An owned website with services, cases and forms | You need automation, CRM or separate processes per service |
| You sell through a marketplace | Your seller page on that platform | You want your own shop, catalogue and checkout |
Start small and expand when there is a clear reason.
Still unsure which website you need?
Sometimes one page is enough. An existing website may last for years after a few focused improvements. A new business may sensibly stay with Instagram or Google for a while.
Describe your situation in the website calculator. I will tell you honestly which next step makes sense, even when a larger website would be premature.
If you already know that you need a website and mainly want a budget indication, read what a website costs in the Netherlands in 2026 or use the website calculator.
You can also ask a short question on WhatsApp.
About the author
Daniel Orosz
Daniel builds websites and digital systems from Kerkrade. He has worked with web technology for more than 16 years and explains complex choices in plain language.
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