Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, etc are immensely powerful tools and I’m not here to pretend otherwise. In almost all instances one or more of these platforms should be central components of your marketing strategy, however, they are not yours, you don’t own that space!

At any given time you could lose your page or account be that due to a malicious allegation made against you, the platform deciding to censor your account due to your views, hacking, or any other number of reasons. I’ve witnessed them all happen sadly and the business owners have had to start their social media presence from scratch. If that platform was your sole online presence, you’ve effectively lost your business and access to your audience – time to start all over again.

If you are running a product-based business on a platform like Etsy, eBay or Amazon you are limited in the way your can present your business, you are subject to high fees and ultimately at the whim of their algorithm and rules, you’re hands are tied.

Your website is your own, it will still need protection against hackers but it is your space, it’s not at the mercy of a faceless organisation.

Social media platforms are great for visibility – amongst those who frequent that social media space and it’s easy if you live in a social media world to assume that everyone else does, but they don’t. I’m witnessing a huge swell of peers, fed up with the noise of social media feeds and muting them or logging off, if this is your sole source of leads you are limiting your visibility to only those spending a lot of time scrolling.

One of the most important factors in having a website is providing your business with the opportunity to be found easily by Google, thus attracting new customers continually. That isn’t to say that social media posts can’t be found on Google but most content published this way isn’t optimised to be found.

SEO is key to ensuring that you get your business found and having a website and a strategy will provide you the tools and opportunity to hit that all-important coveted place on page one of Google.

You may have the best business in the world but if people don’t know it exists it won’t exist for long. You may have the best products or life-changing services ever but unless potential clients can discover them you’re sitting waiting for the off chance that someone may happen to tell the right person, needing your particular service, just at the right time that your business can help. Let’s face it, the odds of that being a strategy for sustainable growth are next to zero.

If you want people to know about your business, you need to let them know it’s there. If your competitors are online and you’re not, your competitors are the ones potential customers will reach out to.

Including a well-constructed blog on your website is one of the most effective ways to get found by clients who don’t know about your business but are seeking information on the services they are seeking that you offer. This information may well be on your social media spread across assorted posts but an authoritative blog post sitting within the website that offers those very services is a far more powerful tool.

A website instantly makes your business appear more professional with almost 84% of people in a survey last year confirming this view.

56% stated that they wouldn’t trust a business without a website.

30% wouldn’t even consider using a business without a website.

70-80% of people research a company online before visiting it or making a purchase. (Source: Blue Corona)

It’s not just the presence of a website that adds to your credibility but more importantly how you use it. Displaying testimonials is a great way to establish social proof. Providing links to press coverage is also a valuable tool to deepen your authority. The reality is most people don’t employ services or buy products without some research or comparison, you need a website that is going to answer these questions and build client confidence.

A good website doesn’t just showcase your goods or services, it starts to build a relationship with your potential clients. It should convey the transformation you offer, demonstrate an understanding of their needs, and create a relatability, likeability, and trust that opens the door to future business opportunities.

A good website should make you memorable and stand out from the competition, it should draw in your perfect clients. The power of that first impression should not be underestimated.

A good website should help you establish strong and long-lasting relationships with your clients.

Your website should position your brand, your messaging and shape the online perception of your business in a way that allows you to attract the niche of clients you’re looking for.

Today’s consumers are savvy and independent. They don’t want to get drawn into lengthy sales calls when all they are wanting is some initial information. If this isn’t readily available on your website then the chances are they’ll go to someone who is providing this information clearly and save themselves the perceived hassle.

Presenting your goods or services clearly and in an understandable way is key to whatever medium you choose to use. A website allows the client to access as much information as you have to give them quickly, easily, professionally, and on their terms. 

A good website should clearly set out how you work, what the customer needs to do, and how they can contact you. Not only does this benefit the potential client but by getting clear you are less likely to attract timewasters who aren’t your ideal customers too.

A website allows you to offer beautifully presented information and images but beyond that, you can incorporate downloadables, lead magnets, video, instruction sheets, etc. There really is no limit. All this goes to create a great consumer experience and build a loyal client base.

Do you find yourself spending time replying to the same questions repeatedly? A well-thought-out website should have your back and answer all these questions and more. Not only does this save your time, it creates a professional and enticing perception of you for potential clients but possibly, more importantly, it reduces the number of timewasters you interact with. With the right information upfront, those who simply aren’t the right clients for you should have already discounted themselves before contacting you for time-wasting calls, whilst your ideal clients will be even more enthusiastic to work with you. 

A website is the perfect central hub for automations, from booking discovery calls and purchasing downloadables to signing up for lead magnets and more. Think of a website as the epicenter of your marketing activity, social media, email marketing, diary management, sales, ads, etc all interlinking.

Online marketing, is less expensive and more effective than print. It can get you more results more efficiently and more rapidly. Your website (if planned and executed well with effective strategic content) will work for you generating awareness, enquiries, bookings, and sales 24/7 and for the client at a time that is convenient to them, that fits their lifestyle, and meets their needs, something no other platform or small business can provide.