With how easy and inexpensive it is to market your business on social media, it’s natural to wonder if you even need a website anymore. Like every other marketing decision, it depends on your audience and your goals. There are some very specific local businesses that rely on walk in traffic and do very well with just a Facebook or Instagram page. However, for the most part, you will want to think very carefully about not having a website. Here are some reasons why it is almost always best to have one:
- Credibility. Like it or not, the perception is that legitimate businesses have real websites. Some people won’t even use businesses that don’t have one, especially for large projects or expensive services. If you need to hire staff, it’s even more of an issue. Most people research a company on its website before applying for a job. There are a few exceptions to this rule; construction and automotive services being two major fields where this doesn’t apply. Overall, though, if you’re recruiting staff, it’s especially important to seem legitimate.
- Ownership and control. No matter how permanent social media seems, no channel is guaranteed to last forever. Myspace and Vine were both once as much a part of our daily lives as Facebook and TikTok are now. Twitter was a completely different company than X. Ownership changes, rules change, algorithms change, empires fall, etc. The only way to have absolute control and ownership over your content is to have it on a website owned by you. On your own site, you can be as creative as you like and you can use your work any way you please (as long as it’s legal). Every person who visits your site will be able to see it, and it can’t be taken away because someone else’s business has failed.
- Growth and visibility. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of your most important tools for being discovered. If you want to be found online, you’ll do a lot better publishing content on your own website than you will by trying to game the social media algorithms. While you can find popular hashtags and get more attention for paid/boosted content, your website is the easiest place to publish content that helps you organically rank higher on search engines. Even for local businesses with walk in traffic, SEO can be important for bringing in customers (how often do you add “near me” when you are searching?). Additionally, you are able to more easily cross promote your social media channels on your website, while some social media accounts limit the number of links you can post in your bio.
- Attention and intention. There’s a huge difference between people who see your content on social media and people who visit your website. The people who come to your website are looking specifically for you and, therefore, they are more likely to stick around longer and convert (make purchases, sign up for mailing lists, etc.). Someone who comes to you on purpose is usually more valuable than someone who stumbles across your content by mistake (which is not to say the stumblers aren’t important, too).
- Sales. Lastly, if you’re selling products or services online, having your e-commerce solution on your own site brings fewer fees, more control, and the security of knowing your storefront isn’t going to be randomly shut down one day. It is much easier to keep your branding consistent when you can control the look and feel of your storefront. Additionally, it is far easier to post products from your website’s storefront to your social media accounts than it is to publish products you’re selling on social media to your website.
All things considered, most businesses should have a website.
Substance and Style 