Top Six Reasons You Need a Website

Are you building a business and wonder if you need a website?

Most businesses start out as a dream or idea and in today’s dynamic quickly changing online business world you need a website.  I know you are thinking, “I am just starting out and my business is new…I’ll get a website later after my business grows.”

Here are six reasons you need to consider when deciding if your business needs a website!

Let’s face it in today’s business world if you don’t have online presence, you have no place to send your clients/customers. Having a website allows you to reach a much bigger audience with no boundaries.

Perhaps you’ve heard my analogy where a website is like owning a house and a third party platform (Etsy, Shopify, Wix, Squarespace) is like renting a house or apartment. When you own you have full control and when you rent you are restricted by your lease agreement or for your website by the confines of the platform that you are using to establish online presence.

I can hear you saying, “Lucy, I don’t need a website! My business is growing just fine using social media channels*.”

Social media channels are like “renting” a house…the landlord/owner has control over the property i.e. your content. Over the last few years we have seen that if a “landlord” does not like your content than they can lock/close your account. So, indirectly they control your content and what you share. When it’s your website you control the content and what you share. Lastly, let’s not forget about hackers that can duplicate your social media account(s) or worse just  take it over and when that happens it usually results in you having to open a new account and all that content you spent time creating is GONE!

When you have your own website there is a possibility that hackers could attack, but if you keep your website secure it is not as likely to happen. This is why keeping your website up to date with releases and updates is so important.

*Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.

Brand recognition and having a website go hand in hand. Your website is your digital storefront for your brand. Allowing others to easily recognize and remember you both online and offline…allowing you to stand out from competitors.

Brand recognition is your logo(s), colors, fonts, slogans and other visual cues that make you easily identifiable and memorable to others. When you are consistent with your branding elements you build trust, credibility and are easily identified. Think of all the brands that you know?

In addition, your website is the home of all your various marketing efforts. It allows you to incorporate your branding and helps you stand out. When you combine brand recognition with a website, you create a cohesive and impactful online presence.

With the prevalence of online scams it has become more important than ever to be seen as an authentic business.

Having a website is one way to build consumer trust. It is essential to your marketing plan in order for your business to be seen as professional and legitimate.

Search Engine Optimization is what drives organic traffic to your website.

When you “rent” online space thru third-party platforms you have very limited control of the SEO. It can vary by the plan or the platform you are using. The platforms try to provide a user-friendly experience while at the same time ensuring fair and unbiased content discovery for all its users.

If you want more advanced and direct control over SEO you need your own website on a self-hosted platform (e.g., WordPress).  Keep in mind that with third-party platforms you can optimize your content to increase visibility you just have to do it within the platforms constraints.

A website gives you control to market yourself based on your needs as an entrepreneur.

• Freedom to customize every part of your website to align with business goals, branding, and the user experience.
• Flexibility to make updates to your website as your business grows and changes.
• Not bound by the limitations of a specific platform or third-party service.
• Maximize earnings from your website via advertisements, e-commerce and other methods without restrictions of fees imposed by other platforms.
• Independence from third-party platforms and their terms of service. You are not affected by changes or restrictions a platform can impose in the future.
• When you market yourself via social media channels they control the algorithm and who sees your content. With a website you can control the audience reach through organic search or paid ads that drive traffic to your website.
• You control the communication. Your website is a direct communication channel with the ability to have contact forms, live chats and other communication tools to interact with your visitors.

In summary, you have complete control of your site from branding to better search engine rankings…resulting in more business opportunities.

A website is an essential tool for you to establish a strong online presence, showcase  your products and services, connect with potential customers, enhances your credibility while providing a valuable marketing and communication channel that can lead to business growth and success.