Theres a lot of hype these days with social marketing and blogging. Most businesses have a Twitter or Facebook account, and some have separate blogs. So, the question is often asked why should you also have a website? Social Marketing is often free, so is a website an unnecessary expense? No! Your website should be your main priority overall, and here’s 5 main reasons why:
1. How do your clients find you?
When you need a product or service, where do you go? Gone are the days of the phone book, the majority of people turn to Google. If you have a well optimised site, it means you will appear in your customers relevant searches. Twitter and Facebook posts alone won’t rank very high, if at all.
2. Is your business trustworthy?
We shouldn’t judge books by their covers, but I know I am often bad at falling into that trap. I recently needed a company to come and fix my oven at home. My first action was to search Google, and I also had a look at Yell.com where lots of businesses popped up, yet the majority didn’t have their own website. I personally like to read more about a company before I contact them (never mind inviting them into my home) – I like to make sure they can definitely offer what I need. This meant, all of the companies with no site, I didn’t contact. How did I even know if they were still trading? All of the websites I found on Google, I did call (and I got my oven fixed with one of them!). A website adds a level of trust to your business that a tweet, advert or post on Facebook can’t offer.
3. Are you talking to the right audience?
Facebook and Twitter users are online for entertainment only. They don’t like lots of adverts, pushy sales messages or being bombarded with offers. This is why you shouldn’t use them as your main online presence. Remember the audiences you’re talking to; your website should give a professional feel, where as Facebook and Twitter can add a bit of a fun personality behind the company.
4. Are you missing out on more opportunities?
Your website gives you more opportunity to provide information to your potential customers that may make them call. On Twitter you only get 160 characters to write a description about your company. Can you honestly give your customers an accurate description of why they should choose you over your competitors in that space? No! Whether they read it or not, you should add as much information as you can to your website so they are able to make an informed decision as to whether you are the right people to call.
5. Are you getting your name and logo out there, and making it recognisable?
Finally, and possibly most importantly, a website can be fully branded with your colours, logos and images. Your branding is the face of your company and you should push it out everywhere you can. A small thumbnail inside a Facebook page is not strong enough!
No matter how large or small the website, they are vital for your business. Just think of the amount of people you could be missing out on that only use search engines when trying to find your services? What if your competitors are stealing your business because they have a website and you don’t, how does that make you feel?
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