Hello! We’re John and Brian, and we’ve been designing websites for small businesses from our office in Preston, Lancashire since 2009. Social media is a great way to reach new people and build awareness of your business, but it works best when it’s tied into your website. So how do social media and web design fit together, and how do you link them in a meaningful way? Here’s our guide.

How do social media and web design work together?

Your website and your social media channels do different jobs. Social media is where people discover you, chat and keep up with your news. Your website is where they find the detail, check you’re the real deal and get in touch, book or buy. Good web design connects the two, so people can move easily between them and every link shared looks good.

The main ways to bring social media into your web design are:

Linking to your social profiles
Making your pages easy and attractive to share
Embedding selected social content
Showing genuine reviews and social proof
Keeping your branding consistent everywhere

1. Make space for social icons

Social icons show visitors which platforms they can follow you on. An active social media presence can help people trust your business, because it shows there are real people behind it. Icons usually sit in the header or footer, or both. Only link to accounts you actually keep up to date: a profile that hasn’t posted for two years does more harm than good. Give each icon a text label for screen readers, such as “Pumpkin Web Design on Facebook”.

2. Make your pages share-ready

When someone shares a link to your website on Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp or similar, the preview they see (the image, title and description) comes from Open Graph tags in your page’s code. Without them, platforms guess, and the result can look messy.

On WordPress, an SEO plugin such as Yoast adds Open Graph tags for you, and lets you choose a share image and title for each page.
A share image of 1,200 × 630 pixels displays well on most platforms.
Add share buttons to blog posts and offers, not every page.

Things have changed recently: Meta discontinued the Facebook Like and Comment buttons for other websites on 10 February 2026. If your site still has them, they no longer show, so it’s worth removing the old code. Facebook’s Share button is still supported.

3. Embed social content carefully

Embedding an Instagram feed or a few of your best posts can add fresh, visual content to your website. If you do this:

Make sure the content is professional and matches the style of your website.
Place feeds lower down, for example just above the footer, rather than in your main content.
Check the speed. Social feeds load extra code and images, which can slow your page down.
Check your cookie consent. Embedded social content often sets cookies, so it should respect your visitors’ choices.

Instagram changed how feeds connect to websites in December 2024. Feeds now need an Instagram Business or Creator account, so if your website’s feed stopped updating, that’s the likely reason.

4. Show genuine social proof

Facebook recommendations and Google reviews help visitors make a positive decision about your business. You could show a few on your service or product pages, where people are deciding whether to buy. Only use real reviews from real customers, and don’t cherry-pick in a misleading way: fake reviews are banned under UK consumer law. Our post on the benefits of using reviews explains more.

5. Keep your branding consistent

Use the same logo, colours and tone of voice on your website and social profiles, and make sure your contact details match everywhere. People should instantly recognise your business wherever they find you. Our guide to monogram logos covers compact marks that work well as profile pictures.

What are the benefits of using social media as part of web design?

A smoother mobile journey. Many of your visitors will be on their phones, often switching between social apps and your website. Easy links in both directions make that journey simple.
Trust. When you want people to part with their money, trust is essential. A strong, active social presence linked from your website makes it easier for potential customers to trust you.
More from your content. Blog posts, offers and news on your website give you something useful to share on social media, which brings people back to your site.
Easier measurement. When social media sends people to your website, analytics can show which posts and platforms bring visitors and enquiries.

Social media and web design FAQs

Does social media help SEO?

Not directly as a ranking factor, but it helps people discover your content, which can lead to visits, links and searches for your business. We cover this in does social media influence SEO?

Should I embed my Instagram feed on my website?

It can work well for visual businesses, as long as your feed is active and professional and the embed doesn’t slow your page down.

Where should social media icons go on a website?

The header or footer is the most common place. If you’d rather keep visitors on your website, the footer is a good choice.

Want your website and social media working together?

We build websites and offer social media marketing, so we’re happy to help with both. Give John and Brian a call on 01772 822626 or get in touch online. You’re welcome to pop into our Preston office for a coffee too.

Social media and web design: how to make them work together