So you have your lovely business up and running, everything is going well, you don’t have a website, BUT you do have a Facebook page and people interacting on it with you, what else do you need right?
Well while that may all look great on the surface, you’re actually harming your business. Not by simply having a Facebook page, but by only having a Facebook page.
But what else do I need if the Facebook page is working for me?
A website. You need a website.
Really, I hear you ask? Yes.
It’s 2022, and your customers actually expect you to have a website. Unless you’re really lucky and don’t need any more business, and are happy to rely on Facebook never shutting down, then great. But you’ll never really know how much money you’re leaving on the table by not having a website. How many of your potential customers don’t follow through to contact you, simply because you don’t have that website? You’ll never really know. You wouldn’t walk out of a café and leave money on the table, unless it’s your standard tip, so why do it with your business.
Here are the top 6 reasons you need a website.
CREDIBILITY
It gives your business the credibility it deserves. Your potential customer will look to see what your website is like after they have seen you on social media. If there isn’t one, it looks like you don’t value your own business enough to invest in one.
BRANDING
It allows your brand message to really shine through. Social media allows you to pull through some of your branding, of course, but it never really reflects the business in the same way that a website does. People get a true representation of your business via the website. It is, after all, your online shopfront. Facebook is not.
CONTROL
You have control. It’s the same old analogy of the eggs and the basket. If you build your entire business on the back of someone else’s platform, then you will inevitably be at the mercy of that platform. If Facebook crashes out of the market, where would your business be? Would you even be able to get in front of your clients? Do you even really know who they are? You went into business partly to be in control, so don’t give it up on such a crucial point.
YOUR AUDIENCE
It gives you a place to build your audience, the right way. Your social media pages can direct people back to your website where you can offer an enticing freebie, or a download, in exchange for an email address. This is literally invaluable as you will now be building up your own list of your client base, so if something happens to Facebook now, who really cares – you still know who your clients are, and more importantly, how to get back in front of them.
YOUR RULES
Your website is not at the mercy of Facebook’s ever-changing rules. So many Facebook pages are being temporarily suspended for the strangest of reasons these days, and try getting hold of someone at Facebook? Nightmare. Your website will give you that control, as you own it. It will permanently be available to you. If your business page is suspended? No problem, your potential customer can just head over to your website.
MARKETING
You can market direct to your list. Now that you have their email addresses, it’s the best method to get your offers in front of your customers, after all not everyone checks into their Facebook accounts, especially these days, as people are starting to get a bit weary of Facebook. This marketing process is automated and trackable, and so not only will it get you straight into your customer’s inbox, irrespective of how many times they log into Facebook, it will help streamline your business processes, and give you back some time. It also lets you see what is working and what is not, so you can refine your marketing based on clear, and tangible results.
So, if you are still reading, and haven’t worked it out yet – our message to you is – loud and clear – you need a website. It’s the only option to maximise your business, stay in control and ultimately and the most importantly, know where your audience is.
