People use the Web in greater and greater numbers, more and more every day. Even if you are a completely local small business, service, contractor or consultant, odds are people have used search engines to look for your web site – and if you don’t have a web site… well, you get what I am trying to say.
Back in the day, the excuse was “websites cost too much,”. A more modern excuse for not needing a website is, “I’m on Facebook” (or Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram). While I applaud those who understand the importance of having a social presence, they misunderstand the primary purpose of social media—which is marketing. Social media is not a substitute for having a website. One of the goals of having a robust social presence is to drive consumers to your website. In short, your business needs a website.
Why
There are numerous reasons why having a website is crucial to a business’s growth. One of the most important is control. When you build a website, it’s yours. It’s all about your brand. Whether you hire web designers to create it for you, the result is 100 percent yours. It’s up to you to decide on design, content, and goals.
If you rely on social media as a website substitute, you cede control to someone else (which is the opposite of being entrepreneurial). You must use their design, abide by their rules and drive consumers to their site. In essence, you’re spending money to promote their brand. Plus, these companies change their algorithms and policies all the time.
not all consumers are active on social media. Even if you have a presence on one or two platforms, your customers could be active on another. And many consumers use social media to be, well, social. They want to look at family pictures and talk to friends, not hear a business pitch.
Consumers often look up a business online, before they decide to do business with you. If you don’t have a website, what will they learn about you? Most consumers today consider businesses without websites to be less than trustworthy. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of consumers turn to the web when they’re searching for local businesses.
Websites act as a medium for you to neatly showcase your business in a categorized form. Besides, customers and potential customers will be able to get information about your business 24/7 whether there is customer support available or not.