I’m On Social Media…Why Does My Small Business Need A website?
I don’t mean to sound out of touch but I have a question that I hope you can answer. I’m on social media…Why do a business as small as mines need a website?
This question came up from a now client of ours. For the longest they were using social media to conduct all business, and one day they reached out to me because of a post we had posted on Instagram about web design services.
At first in my mind I was thinking now what kind of question is that…but then I thought to myself again well you know social media does has its many perks and by perks they have many FREE perks.
I mean think about it… You can go on Facebook set up a business page integrate all of your other social activities right on your page by creating specific tabs for your twitter, Instagram profile, YouTube channel, FAQ’s and specific landing tabs to expose your promotions. You can even open an online store on Facebook and sell your products right there by integrating Paypal as your payment method. Users can view Facebook Insights (or analytics) for all your pages. This is where you’ll find information regarding your monthly active users, number of new likes, members’ demographics and page views.
On YouTube you can aggregate all your videos and create a channel where you can feature special videos and create your own customized channel (though you can and should upload your videos to Facebook as well).
On LinkedIn, you can target all of your business contacts and initiate contact with them unlike on a static website.
So with all of these options you have for free on social media why in the world would you invest in a company website?
Here are our 4 top reasons why your small business needs a website.
“An effective website is the foundation of your business— it builds creditability, and allows you to have your own voice besides your customers expect you to have one.”
Builds Creditability
When I’m working on a branding project I often say a business is not worth nothing if no one knows it exists. Well the same is true here, a business is not worth nothing if it can’t be found. If you don’t have an established online identity, then customers can’t find you.
One of the best ways to generate online traffic is through SEO (search engine optimization), which allows you to increase your presence in search results. Websites are absolutely necessary for SEO. Facebook and other social media sites will help you to rank, but without a website you will have little to no luck of ever ranking on the first page of Google results. With a website you will have the flexibility to build links and create content, two major components of SEO.
Even if you’re fantastic at word-of-mouth marketing, you could be missing out on a ton of referrals. Happy customers are quick to share what they think about your business, but what about their friends who haven’t experienced your services yet? They’ll take to the Internet. And when they come up empty handed, you’ll have missed your chance for brand new customers.
Your Marketing Tool (Own It)
While Facebook allows you to put your products online, your website allows you to sell more often to your current customers and reach additional customers. If you sell products on your website, you integrate customer login tools that allows personalized accounts that include customer profiles, transaction histories and product recommendations.
Your website is the foundation of all of your advertising efforts. All product promotions & marketing campaigns should live on your website, and linked out to your social media profiles.
You Have The Control
I don’t know about you but one of my reasons for becoming an entrepreneur and starting my own business is the creative freedom and flexibility over my time, and my work. This holds true for your website as well. From layout to colors to navigation, you can design a website that is unique and fits your goals and brand standards. If you think having a Facebook page or an online directory listing (like Yellow Pages) is enough to promote your business, then I’m sorry to tell you but I strongly disagree.
When you’re using social media platforms like Facebook, you’re relying on that third party to get your business seen in front of potential customers. There is no guarantee your post will even reach the right people. Also we’ve seen this happen especially with Facebook, what do you do if they re-write their polices or change their programming how and what you can can’t post? What are you to do then? One last point, that we’ve seen happen, what if one day you log on and Facebook is gone, or it’s just not as popular as it use to be? The point is you don’t have control over what happens with social media and you run the risk of not connecting with your audience.
When you run your own website, you’re in control of both the content you produce and the platform you maintain.
“Your website is not for you…it’s for your customers”
Websites Are Affordable to Set Up
Many entrepreneurs and small businesses avoid setting up a website because they feel it’s complicated or they simply can’t afford it.
Building a website is more affordable these days than they use to be. Even if you’re not a creative person, you can even get started building a website for free, with prebuilt templates. Sites like Wix, WordPress, and Square Space has a platform that supports free web hosting and drag and drop builders.
Entrepreneurs and Small Business owners I’m here to lay it down thick… No more excuses. Putting off building a website is only hurting your business and growth in the long run. It’s time to Make It Happen.
If you’d rather spend your time building your business and just can’t invest the time into building your site, no problem it’s time to delegate, we offer that affordable price to set up and maintain your site on a monthly basis. Contact Us it’s time for you to be FOUND!
Now you’ve learned a little why just having social media platforms is not enough. You need to build your own identity, have control of your content and products, and market the way you want to your audience.
One take away I want to leave you with is, it’s always good to have a footprint in as many places as your market allows on the web. I’d still advice you to use social media if your audience is there and link your social media to your website, and vice versa.
I’d love hearing feedback, and questions. If you have any please post them in the comment section below. If you found this valuable please repost, on your social media platforms and to your networks.
