This question comes up constantly from NZ small business owners: "Do I really need a website if I'm already on Facebook and Instagram?" It's a fair question. Social media is free, easy to update, and where a lot of NZ consumers spend time. A website costs money and takes effort.
But the question isn't quite "website or social media." They serve different purposes. The real question is which one you should prioritise if you can only focus on one — and what you're giving up by skipping the other.
What social media actually does well
Social media is good at building awareness and staying in front of people who already know you exist. If someone follows your Facebook page, they might see your post about a new menu item, a sale, or a completed project. That's useful.
It's also good for community. A local cafe or boutique can build a real following of regulars on Instagram. People comment, share, and recommend. That word-of-mouth effect is real and worth something.
TikTok and Instagram Reels can drive awareness to businesses that wouldn't otherwise get attention. A Wellington florist going viral from a flower-arranging video is a real thing that happens.
What social media can't do
Social media can't rank on Google. When someone searches "plumber in Tauranga" or "hair salon Hamilton," Google shows websites — not Facebook pages. If a new customer is searching for what you do and they don't already follow you, social media won't help them find you.
You don't own your social media audience. Facebook can change its algorithm and your posts go from reaching 800 people to reaching 80. Meta can suspend your account — sometimes for reasons that aren't clear, sometimes permanently. This has happened to NZ businesses. A Christchurch tradie had his Facebook page suspended after 11 years of building it up. A Dunedin retailer lost access to her Instagram the week before Christmas. Neither got meaningful support from the platform.
A follower count isn't the same as a customer. Having 3,000 Instagram followers means 3,000 people pressed a button once. It doesn't mean they'll buy from you, call you, or even remember you when they need what you sell.
What a website does that social media can't
A website ranks on Google. Someone who searches for your type of business and finds your site is already looking for what you offer. That intent is worth more than passive social media scrolling.
A website is yours. No algorithm decides who sees it. No platform can suspend it. The content stays exactly where you put it.
A website works at 3am. Someone deciding whether to book a plumber doesn't wait until business hours. They go to Google, find your site, read your services page, and fill in a form. If you're not there, they go to the next result.
A website lets you control the full picture. Your pricing, your story, your photos, your reviews — laid out the way you want. Social media gives you a template you can't change.
If you had to pick just one
If Google search is how customers find your type of business, you need a website. This applies to almost every trade, professional service, and local service business in NZ. Plumbers, builders, electricians, accountants, lawyers, dentists, physios, mechanics, landscapers — people search for these on Google, not Instagram.
If your business is almost entirely discovery-driven — where people find you by browsing rather than searching — social media alone can work. A crafter selling on Instagram, a personal trainer building a following, a DJ taking bookings through Facebook. For these, the audience is built through content rather than search.
Even then, a website helps. A single page with your pricing, availability, and a booking form is more useful to a potential customer than scrolling through your feed looking for that information.
When social media alone is fine
There are situations where a business can operate without a website and not lose much. A hobby business you don't want to scale. A sole trader who's booked out through personal referrals and has no interest in more work. A pop-up or market stall with a short lifespan.
If you're not trying to grow and you're not dependent on new customers finding you through Google, social media alone is probably enough. But most small business owners in NZ do want to grow, or at least replace customers who leave.
The right answer for most NZ businesses
A website is your base. It's where Google sends people, where customers go to decide, and where your phone number and booking form live. Social media sends people to your website — that's the relationship.
You don't need to be on every platform. Post where your customers actually are. But the website comes first.
Read more: Why your NZ business needs a website (the honest answer), or get a sense of what goes into a good one in our small business website guide for NZ.
The practical step
If you don't have a website yet, the cost of getting one has dropped significantly. At Site Sorted, a website for a NZ small business costs $299 — one payment, no monthly fees, built for local search.
Build a free preview now and see what your site would look like before you commit.
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