Plenty of Jamaican businesses run entirely on Instagram and WhatsApp, and many do well. But if social media is your only home online, you're building on land you don't own. Here's what a website adds.
People search on Google before they buy
When someone needs a caterer, a mechanic or a villa, many start with Google, not Instagram. Instagram pages rarely rank for searches like “wedding caterer Montego Bay”. A website with the right pages can.
You own it
Accounts get hacked, suspended or buried by algorithm changes. Your website and domain are yours. Your customers can always find you there, whatever happens on social media.
It answers questions so you don't have to
Prices, menus, service areas, opening hours, how to book: a website answers the questions that otherwise fill your DMs, and lets customers decide at 11pm when you're asleep.
It builds trust
For larger purchases, overseas customers and corporate clients, a professional website with a real email address signals that you're established. Many will check for one before they make contact.
Social and website work best together
Keep posting. Use social media to reach people and show personality, and use your website to rank on Google, explain your services in full and turn interest into enquiries. Link your social profiles to your website, and your website to WhatsApp.
Start small if you need to. A fast five-page site with clear services, real photos and a WhatsApp button is far better than no site at all.