M. Wrenfield
May 4, 2023
In this day and age almost every business has some form of internet identity. whether its a complete website, or just a social media presence.
As a business owner, having an online presence is almost a necessity. It allows you to connect with customers all over the world. Right from your living room. Or anywhere else you choose.
A lot of fledgling business owners and entrepreneurs tend to stick with just using social media as their sole online identity. While there is nothing wrong with this approach, there is still something to be said for having a professional-looking website.
For starters, a website says to your customer base, that you are serious enough about your business to put in time and money. Even if you use a 100% free website builder, you still took the time to design, organize and test your site before launching it. This can be a considerable expenditure of time and energy. Especially if you have zero previous experience. On the other hand, a professionally built, good-looking and fully functioning website can cost quite a bit of money. While your customers may never know which method you used, seeing a fully functional website can evoke a sense of professionalism and let them know you are committed to serving their needs.
I believe we've all had the frustration of searching for a business online, only to find out they have no website. At best, all you can find is a social media page that hasn't been updated in weeks, or even months. Not only does this look unprofessional, but it can actually cause people to refuse to want to do business with you.
Most likely the reason for not having current updates is that the proprietor is actually busy, running their business. Which is obviously understandable. But on the surface it gives the appearance of laziness and makes it seem like they're not trying to connect with their customers. Social media is called "social" for a reason. If you're not prepared to make updates at least every other day, or your not able to engage with your customers on a daily basis, people will look poorly on that. A website doesn't need constant engagement, and it can be filled with every aspect of your business that you wish people to know about.
A website does need to be up to date, but it doesn't need to be updated weekly, or even monthly.
Another advantage to having a website is, searchability. Some social media platforms may have integrated SEO, but your keywords are more likely to be picked up by search engines from an actual website.
If you plan to run google ads, it is definitely better to have them linked to a website. While it can be done on social media, you won't be able to track your conversion rate. Leaving you to wonder exactly how well your paid ads are working.
Just like sales and new product ads drive customers to the store. Social media can drive traffic to your website. Giving current customers and potential new customers, a reason to check out your site. And see the full scope of your products and services.
If you're ready to get started with a website of your own, click here, and get all the information you need.