Are websites dead in Asia?

Social media and marketplaces sell. So why bother with a website?

Grace Choong | 29 Oct 2026 | 4 min read

What I keep seeing in Vietnam

Here in Vietnam, many business owners skip the website entirely. A Facebook page or a TikTok account takes an afternoon to set up, and it's where their customers already are.

A fellow Singaporean who runs a business in Ho Chi Minh City told me that social platforms, with Shopee and Lazada, are where the orders come from. A homestay owner I spoke to recently gets her bookings through online travel agencies. She has never needed her own website.

They aren't wrong. These platforms are huge.

The numbers back them up

Sources: Metric via KrASIA, D-EDGE via TravelMole, e-Conomy SEA 2026.

So if you only measure where the sale happens, websites look like a waste of time.

But what about search?

The same e-Conomy SEA report found that traditional search engines are still the top tool people use to plan complex trips. Generative AI is now second, ahead of social media.

People still search before they buy, especially for bigger decisions. They search your name to check you're real. They ask Google or ChatGPT "best homestay in Hoi An" or "which skincare brand works in humid weather". Those answers are built from web pages that Google can read.

What a website does that platforms can't

1. It's yours. Platforms change their rules, fees and algorithms whenever they like.
2. It builds trust. Real photos, reviews and contact details tell people you're a proper business.
3. It keeps more of each sale. A website lets repeat customers come straight to you, without a platform's cut.
4. It helps you get found in Google and AI search. It's how search engines learn what you do and why you're worth recommending.
5. It's where you meet customers again. Collect emails and keep in touch without paying to reach your own customers.

When a website really is a waste of time

Be honest with yourself. A website won't help if nobody will keep it up to date, or if you sell low-cost impulse buys that live entirely on marketplaces. An outdated website hurts more than having none.

So where do websites stand?

Social media, marketplaces and booking sites are your shopfronts. Your website is home.

You don't need a big website. For many small brands, a few clear pages are enough: who you are, what you offer, proof that it works, and how to buy or book.

Grace ChoongFractional Digital Marketing Officer and co-founder, Good Ground Digital