I can’t tell you how many times people have said this to me when I’m pitching a new website or online shop.
“I don’t need a website, my Facebook page does just fine!”
Then, it’s usually shortly afterwards, that I calmly pick up my mouth off the floor. The next step is to convince and show them, why a website or online shop is an integral part of the full marketing online spectre. By far, one of the biggest reasons why just a Facebook business page won’t cut it is because Facebook themselves told you so.
Let’s dive right in…
One of the biggest reasons why you shouldn’t rely JUST on your Facebook business page is because back in 2018, Facebook changed the way we see posts in our news feeds…
The people have spoken, and Mark Zuckerburg has heard! It seems that most users don’t enjoy seeing page posts and advertisements all over their friend’s and families’ updates on their timelines. What does this mean for your Facebook page? Well, that small group of followers you want seeing your Facebook page posts, probably are not seeing your Facebook pages posts.
The article further states:
“What does this mean for Pages and public content?
Because space in News Feed is limited, showing more posts from friends and family and updates that spark conversation means we’ll show less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses.
As we make these updates, Pages may see their reach, video watch time and referral traffic decrease. The impact will vary from Page to Page, driven by factors including the type of content they produce and how people interact with it. Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.” – – Article by Adam Mosseri, Head of News Feed at Meta
In my humble opinion, Facebooks algorithm changes in how we see posts from friends or families first has already kick started the biggest reasons why you need a website too; but just to be sure, let’s look at 4 more reasons why you need website.
#1 – A website adds instant credibility to your business
Listen, the people want what the people want. At no other time in our digital history has TRUST been more important to consumers then it is now.
Consumers are demanding brands elevate their digital experience and the recurring theme according to several thousand surveys done by top digital companies is TRUST.
A website can help showcase your expertise and better position your business. A website can be your number one tool for standing out in a crowd.
#2 – You are in complete control
Whether it’s a simple, two or three-page website or an elaborate site including a blog, your business needs to have a website as an asset that you own, in addition to a Facebook page, and other social channels you might have.
Websites are yours, completely and totally! You own the domain; you register your online business via the domain digitally and securely. You get to control on you brand yourself.
If you are selling products, an online shop or ecommerce site is more beneficial than you know. I get it, I get that Facebook makes running a shop super easy, but again, let’s look back at their 2018 statement – people are not seeing your products! Not as many as there should be and could be.
With shops on WordPress, Presto-Shop, Shopify; it’s becoming easier and easier to successfully run a small business online.
#3 – You can attract NEW customers through Google
Let’s do a quick crash course in SEO.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and without even the basics on a website, and on your social media accounts (yes that’s right, you need to optimise your social channels as well), Google and other search engines like Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckgo, won’t be able to find your online business and index your website so your new customers can find you. d
This brings us to the next crash course in SEO – Local SEO vs National SEO.
Defined…
“While global SEO targets generic keywords and drives traffic, local SEO focuses on a geographic area. While international SEO has many benefits, if your business focuses on providing a product to customers outside of its local market, local SEO is more likely to be successful.” – Pulse, LinkedIn
Basically, local SEO means selling to people in your direct neighbourhood or within your city limits. I can tell you without any doubt that local SEO is easy and worth doing. You can appear high in Google’s search results in only a matter of weeks by following a specific content marketing strategy that’s been tried, tested and proven.
#4 – A website makes you more trustworthy
Yes, I want to touch on this reason again because I can prove to you why you absolutely need a website.
The digital economy is now worth $4 trillion globally, which presents you…. yes you, with countless opportunities. Consumers are demanding brands elevate their digital experience and the recurring theme according to several thousand surveys done by top digital companies is TRUST.
Today’s digitally savvy consumers expect companies and small businesses like you, to step up your trust game, through your online presence, both socially and digitally. This means you need to brand yourself as trust ambassadors, which is something you want included in the “word of mouth” circles.
This is the proof you are looking for
To highlight the critical role trust plays in building successful, long-lasting customer relationships Adobe surveyed almost 6,000 consumers. The findings presented one clear message: trust must now be treated as a business imperative and demands priority at the very top of your online business and marketing agenda.
Social media alone won’t accomplish this. Your Facebook business page isn’t enough to convince people that you and your products or services can be trusted. Do you know what can help you provide reassurance in your brand?
A website.
A website provides you the platform you need for your business to do with what you please.
So, where exactly can you start building trust? The easy answer – through the content you write on your website.
This content includes the privacy policy, the terms of services, the special guarantees you give to your consumers. It also includes the descriptions you write if you are selling products and/or services. In fact, a website is the ONLY place you can do all of this without any constraints.
What if I told you, you could easily get 500 customers buying from your shop online per month? Would that be enough? Or how about 1000? 5000?
You may be happy with the current size of your business, but every company experience customer turnover. To encourage continued success, you need to attract new customers, and one of the best ways to do it is by making yourself more visible on Google.
Remember, Social media networks are indexed on Google, and social media posts can be found with the search engine, but a website gives you access to many more tools and strategies for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). And SEO is the key to making your business appear on the front page of Google.
Check this out…
Moreover, you build trust by sharing amazing stories via your onsite blog.
Remember our crash course in SEO? I explained the difference between local SEO and national. Local SEO gives you an edge and gives you just the right amount of buyers to keep your business running, with profit not losses.
#5 – You can clearly showcase your products and services
This is a no brainer. Throughout this article I’ve talked about control, and trust. I’ve mentioned the importance of SEO and building a customer base that is perfect for you and what you are offering.
A website allows you the opportunity to really showcase everything you have to offer. Add in the extra benefit of onsite SEO (optimisation) and you get to showcase your website right in Google’s search results as well.
On your website you get to control what your shopper sees. One example is displaying your best reviews and/or testimonials prominently on your website and right next to a particular product- This is the ultimate way to establish social proof.
With a website you can make your contact information easily available to potential new customers. You can even publish your contact information in a header or footer, so it appears on every single page. You can even display a Google Map direct to your location if you have a brick and mortar store.
Building a website isn’t just easier than it used to be; it’s also more affordable. If you’re willing to follow a simple, non-technical DIY approach, you can build a website for under $100/year. No joke!
So, do I need a website for my business?
Hopefully, by reading this article you can say without any doubt “can I afford not to have a website in the digital era?”. Only cold hard facts here, and if you want to continue thriving in the long term you need an online presence that goes well beyond a Facebook Business Page.
Look at it this way, as the digital era evolves each year, even staying afloat without a business website is impossible. Your customers are online, your competitors are online, and if you’re not there to intervene, your competitors and your customers will connect, leaving you with only a Facebook Business Page where you know for a fact, not enough people are seeing it.
Connect with Sonia at GetonlineforLess