A significant number of the world’s population is already on social media. Researchers have identified 4.2 billion active social media accounts across different platforms. This number is more than half, or 53.6% of the current global population.
Due to this, many have flocked to social media to promote their businesses. It’s free, effective, and easy to use. Some can even argue that it’s the only type of online presence they need.
The popularity of social media has left websites out of many conversations.
Building a website takes a lot of effort and resources. Why choose to have one when social media is free and effective? Has social media really rendered websites obsolete?
What Social Media Can Do For You
Social media can do many things well. With billions of engaged users, there’s no question of the benefits it can offer to businesses. Here are some of its biggest strengths.
Marketing and Brand Awareness
The primary strength of social media is its ability to reach thousands with relative ease. Billions of people are already present and engaged. What you need to do is produce content that will attract their attention.
Social media relies on trends and rewards quality content. You can try out different strategies based on current trends.
If your brand isn’t as well-known on social media yet, you’ll get a chance to build your following. Eye-catching content with a bit of promotion can lead users to discover your business.
You don’t need to be well-known for people to discover you. Eighty-three percent of Instagram users discover new products and services through the platform.
Building Customer Relationships
Social media already has an engaged user base. This way, you already know there are people on the other end when you try to reach out.
An active social media presence can make it easier for customers to reach you. It also makes the process of contacting them back much quicker.
Social media is an avenue for self-expression. It’s a common practice for social media users to post about their experiences, good or bad. Many businesses have soared through success or experienced significant pitfalls because of it.
Going on social media more allows you to monitor your customers’ brand experience. You can address any concerns or build positive relationships when they arise.
Why Your Business Still Needs A Website
Social media is a very effective marketing tool. When used that way, it could significantly help your business.
However, it cannot do everything. Despite its unique strengths, it still cannot do everything a website can do. With the billions of social media pages on the internet, your business will still need a place of its own.
To maintain and grow a successful business, building a website should still be a priority. Here are a few reasons why.
Online Anchor Point
Having your own website means having a space that is uniquely yours. It serves as your home base in the vast world of cyberspace. A website makes it easier to find you online. You can also fill it with all the information a user can need when looking for products or services in your field.
It’s a one-stop shop where you can put your best foot forward – your little corner of the internet.
Reputation and Credibility
First impressions count. A professionally designed website will increase your brand’s credibility and boost your reputation. Most users admit to judging a company’s credibility based on web design alone. Fifty-six percent of people admit that they would not trust a business without a website.
A website shows your brand at its best, even to people who are yet to experience your services. It is where you can establish your identity and attract people into doing business with you.
Having a dedicated website for your business shows commitment. Keeping your website up-to-date and active shows that you take your brand seriously.
The content you put out, such as blog posts and updates, can only add to your brand’s legitimacy. Your website is there to build trust with your customer base.
Total Control
Building a website from scratch allows you to have absolute control. You can do nearly anything in terms of design and functionality. It will enable you creative freedom and shows what your brand or business is all about.
Budget and time restrictions can be limiting factors. But in essence, you are the god of your little corner of the internet. You control the colors, the layout, the icons, the pages, and many more.
You can add a blog, a FAQs page, an online shop, or other content that will allow your customers to know and engage with you.
You are free from the layouts and algorithms of social media, which can be subject to change. It’s not ideal to entirely depend on social media for promotion. An algorithm or layout change could potentially render your previous campaigns ineffective.
More Marketing Opportunities
Having your own website allows for a lot of flexibility when promoting your business. It’s a very convenient way to get your name out there. A good website name is easy to remember.
You can leverage many different marketing strategies when you have a dedicated business website.
A popular and effective strategy is to work on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This method allows more people to find you through search engines like Google.
More traffic means more opportunities for partnerships or sales. You can start by partnering up with other brands or writing guest posts on other websites. These posts, which link back to your website or landing page, will attract more people to your site. You can easily offset WordPress website costs when your business becomes a success.
In Conclusion
So, does having a website still matter in the age of social media? Yes, it does.
Social media and websites are two different ways of establishing an online presence. However, that doesn’t mean that they have to be mutually exclusive. Social media has its unique strengths, and so do websites. The wisest route would be to leverage both to help your business succeed. Study each platform well, and decide what works for you.