When I started building websites professionally in 2014, the ‘new kid on the block’ in digital marketing was social media.
LinkedIn was finding its footing, Meta (then simply Facebook) had acquired Instagram and was leaning hard into it, and Twitter wasn’t known as X.
Simpler times, to be sure – but technology marches ever onward.
What seemed to be a common refrain in some circles was that having a business website was becoming – for lack of a better term – somewhat optional.
The ability to have a presence and build an audience on social media did not, however, replace websites in the decade that followed.
Quite the contrary – the arbitrary shifting of social media algorithms and the demonstration of censorship power on the platforms that didn’t just disappear further showed how important it is to carve a piece of the Internet out for your business and dress it up how you like, speaking directly to your best customers and guiding them into your resources and offers.
In 2026, social media remains a powerhouse for getting in front of new eyeballs and having direct conversations with your audience.
But having a website, even a simple one, remains a necessity when you want the world to take your business seriously.
~ Erik
