Walk through any Somali neighbourhood in Minneapolis, London, Toronto or Nairobi and you'll find incredible businesses — restaurants, clothing shops, money transfer offices, halal butchers, tailors, import-export traders. Most of them are run entirely off a phone. An Instagram page here, a WhatsApp number there, a TikTok that occasionally blows up.
That hustle is real, and social media is a genuinely powerful start. But if Instagram is your business, you're building your whole livelihood on land you don't own. Here's why a proper website still matters — maybe now more than ever.
1. You don't actually own your Instagram
Your followers, your DMs, your years of posts — none of it belongs to you. One wrong-flagged post, one hacked account, one algorithm change, and it can all disappear overnight. We've watched it happen to community businesses more than once: a page with thousands of followers gone, and no way to reach a single customer.
A website is the one place online that is yours. Your domain, your content, your customer list. Social media should point to it — not replace it.
2. People Google you before they trust you
When someone hears about your business from a friend, the first thing they do is search your name. If nothing comes up — or only a half-finished Facebook page from 2019 — that hesitation costs you the sale. A clean website tells a customer, in three seconds, "this is a real, serious business."
This matters even more across the diaspora, where a customer in Ohio might be ordering from a Somali brand based in London. They can't walk into your shop. Your website is your shop.
3. Instagram doesn't show up on Google — a website does
Search "Somali restaurant near me" or "abaya shop UK" and you'll get websites, not Instagram posts. That search traffic is people who already want what you sell, actively looking to spend money. Without a website, you're invisible to every single one of them.
4. A website works while you sleep
DMs mean you're personally answering "how much?" and "do you deliver?" fifty times a day, often across time zones. A website answers those questions for you — prices, hours, delivery areas, a menu or catalogue, a booking form — so customers get what they need at 2am and you wake up to orders, not a full inbox.
5. What a good website actually needs (it's simpler than you think)
You don't need something huge. For most diaspora businesses, a strong site is just a few things done well:
- A clear homepage that says what you do and who you serve
- Your products or menu, with real prices
- An easy way to order, book, or contact you — WhatsApp button included
- Trust signals: real photos, reviews, your story
- Fast loading and flawless on a phone (where nearly all your traffic is)
That's it. Everything else can come later.
6. It costs less than you'd guess
The biggest myth we hear is "websites are too expensive." A focused, professional site for a small business is far cheaper than most people assume — and it pays for itself the moment it brings in customers Instagram never could. Think of it the way you think of your shop's sign or fit-out: not a cost, but the thing that lets people find and trust you.
The bottom line
Keep the Instagram. Keep the TikTok. They're great for reach. But give them somewhere real to send people — a home online that you own, that shows up on Google, and that works for customers whether they're around the corner or across an ocean.
That's the piece most Somali businesses abroad are missing, and it's exactly the piece we build.
Thinking about getting your business online?
We're a Somali team — we get your customers and your community. Tell us about your business and we'll give you honest, no-pressure advice on what you actually need.
Let's Talk