"Can my website work with social media?" comes up in almost every project I take on. Yes, it can, and done right, each one makes the other stronger. But what most business owners picture when they ask isn't usually what brings them clients. Here's what's involved behind the scenes, and what I recommend focusing on instead.
What clients usually ask for first
The first request is almost always the same: "Can you put my Instagram feed on my website?" It makes sense. You've put work into your posts, they show what you do, and they make your business look active. It can be a great addition, but it isn't as simple as pasting a link, so before we start I always check that the client has what's needed.
What it takes to show your Instagram feed on your website
A Professional Instagram account
Instagram has personal accounts and Professional accounts, which come in two types, Business and Creator. To show your feed on a website, you need a Professional account. Meta shut down the old tool that let personal accounts connect to websites in December 2024. Switching is free and takes a few minutes in your Instagram settings, but it has to happen first.
A Meta for Developers and business setup
This is the step that surprises most people. To connect Instagram to your website securely, you need:
- A Meta for Developers account
- A business setup linking your Facebook and Instagram accounts
- An app inside Meta for Developers that's allowed to read your feed
- The access keys your website uses to request your posts
A business owner shouldn't have to work through any of this alone. The settings are technical, the wording is confusing, and it's easy to give the wrong permissions or get stuck on a verification step.
How I handled it for a recent client
A recent client wanted their Instagram feed on their new website, but they had never set up Meta for Developers. I set it up with them, created the keys and handled all the configuration myself. They never had to touch a technical setting, and the feed worked perfectly.
The only part that needed them was authentication. Facebook and Instagram ask the account owner to log in and approve access, so we had to do that step together. That's usually where the time goes: logins, permissions and making sure the right accounts are linked. It isn't difficult when someone who knows the process handles it, but it isn't instant, and it's better to know that up front. It's the same lesson about access I describe in how much a website really costs: logins often take longer than building the pages.
The connection that matters more than any feed
A feed looks nice. But what really makes a website and social media work together is simpler: making it very easy for a potential client to get in touch with you. Every connection should answer one question: does this help someone become a client?
Put your social links on your money pages
Money pages are where people decide whether to work with you: your services, pricing, product or booking pages. Each one should have a clear call to action. I place social links and contact options right next to it, where someone who's already interested can act straight away. A social icon hidden in the footer does very little. The same link next to a "Get a quote" button is far more useful.
Add a direct WhatsApp button
If I could add only one integration to a small business website, it would be a direct WhatsApp button. The reason is simple: it removes friction, and WhatsApp can be automated.
Think about what happens to a contact form or an email. It lands in an inbox, gets buried under newsletters, the business replies days later or forgets, and by then the potential client has forgotten too, or already contacted a competitor. WhatsApp is different. People already use it all day, so one tap opens a conversation that feels personal and immediate on both sides. The result is more interactions, and fewer of them get lost along the way.
My two most important pieces of advice
Every link needs a purpose
A very common mistake is sending people to your website just because you have one. "Link in bio" goes to the homepage, and the visitor lands there with no idea where to go next. A link from social media should have a specific job. If your post is about a service, send people to that service's page, with a clear call to action and an easy way to contact you. Every extra click or moment of confusion is a chance for them to leave.
Focus on one platform at a time
It's tempting to be everywhere at once: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn. But each platform interacts with your website differently. The audience behaves differently, the content is different, and so is the way people click through and get in touch. Try to connect everything at once and you usually do it all halfway. Pick the platform where your clients actually spend their time, get that connection working well, then move on to the next.
So, can your website work with social media?
Absolutely, as long as "working together" means the right thing. It isn't about how many feeds, icons or widgets fit on a page. It's about making the path from finding you on social media to talking to you as short and easy as possible. Sometimes that includes your Instagram feed, and I'm happy to handle the whole technical setup. More often, the biggest results come from simple choices: a direct WhatsApp button, social links on the pages where people decide, and links that always have a purpose. You can see what that looks like in my web design services, or start from the Lazo Studio home page.
Want your website and social media to bring you more clients? Message me on WhatsApp. I'll look at what you have now and tell you honestly what will make the biggest difference.