A link-in-bio page or a real business website

What each one is for

A link-in-bio page exists because many social profiles allow one link. It lists buttons to your booking page, shop, latest post and contact, and it is quick to make.

A business website is where you explain yourself. It has pages for each service, your area, your story and a way to ask for work.

Think of the link page as a doorway sign and the website as the building. The sign tells people where to go, and the building is where they find out whether you are the right fit.

Where the one-page approach works well

It is fast, cheap and mobile friendly. For a creator or a seller who sends followers to a few places, a tidy list of buttons does the job.

It also works as a stopgap while you build something larger. A single page with your name, phone and one clear action beats having nothing.

If the page is part of a profile with an engaged following, it may be all you need for a while. Do not feel pressure to build more than the situation calls for.

Where it runs out

A list of buttons cannot explain what you do, who you serve or why somebody should pick you. A stranger searching for a service has nothing to read and no reason to trust the page.

It also gives search engines little to work with. One page with a handful of links has no depth, no answers and no pages for your services, so people searching for them rarely find it.

A stranger arriving from search is a different visitor from a follower. The follower already knows you, while the stranger needs reasons, proof and answers before getting in touch.

A side-by-side comparison

The list below compares what each approach gives you. Neither is bad, and the right choice depends on who you want to reach.

• Setup: minutes for a link page, longer for a full site
• Depth: buttons only, versus pages that explain
• Being found: weak for a link page, stronger for a full site
• Trust: a profile of buttons, versus real detail
• Control: often the platform's layout, versus your own
• Growth: one page cannot grow, a site can add pages

How to use both together

Keep the link-in-bio page for the one link your profile allows, and point its main button at your website. Followers who want more can follow it to a place that explains everything.

Our page on replacing a social page with a website covers the move. The signpost stays; the home gets built.

Update both whenever something changes. A button that points at an old offer or a dead page on either one makes the whole arrangement look neglected.

Signs it is time for a real site

You are answering the same questions in messages, people cannot find your prices, or you want to appear when somebody searches for your service. Any of these means a button list is no longer enough.

Our page on whether you need a website gives a longer checklist. Start small, and add pages as you have something true to say.

Another sign is that you rely on a single platform. If a rule change or a lost account would stop customers finding you, a site you own is a sensible safeguard.

Building the site without a big project

A first site can be five or six pages. Our page on one-page versus multi-page sites helps you decide how many you need.

Website Builder Studio writes a multi-page site from a conversation with an in-app assistant, and each plan starts with a 15-day free trial that needs a card.

Choose what to build first by looking at the questions you answer most. Each of those is a page, and writing the answers down gives you the structure of the site.