Social media is a powerful tool for businesses. It allows you to connect with customers directly, build brand awareness, and drive sales. However, in the age of ever-evolving social media algorithms and platform ownership, many businesses wonder: is a website still necessary?
The answer is a resounding yes. While social media is a fantastic addition to your marketing strategy, a website serves as your digital home base, offering several key advantages that social media simply can’t match.
Here’s why your business needs both a website and social media presence in 2024:
- Complete Control: Your website is your own space. You control the design, content, and functionality. Unlike social media platforms where algorithms and policies can change overnight, your website allows you to present your brand message exactly how you envision it.
- Enhanced Credibility: A professional website with clear information about your business, products, and services builds trust and credibility with potential customers.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A well-optimized website ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords. This organic reach is crucial for attracting new customers who are actively searching for what you offer.
- Lead Generation and Sales: Your website can be a powerful lead generation tool. Unlike social media platforms that limit functionalities, your website can capture leads through contact forms, email signups, and even e-commerce capabilities if applicable.
- Data Ownership: Social media platforms own the data you generate on their platforms. With your website, you have complete control over customer data collected, allowing for better targeted marketing campaigns.
- Long-Term Content Strategy: Social media content is often fleeting. A website allows you to create a library of valuable content, such as blog posts, case studies, and white papers, that establishes you as an industry thought leader and continues to attract visitors over time (evergreen content).
Social Media vs Website: Here’s how they compare in terms of their pros and cons:
| Website | Social Media | |
|---|---|---|
| Control | You have complete control over design, content, and functionality. | Limited control; platforms dictate algorithms and policies. |
| Credibility | Builds trust and credibility with a professional presence. | Can enhance credibility, but relies on platform’s reputation. |
| SEO | Optimized content ranks higher in search results for relevant keywords (organic reach). | Limited SEO capabilities; content visibility depends on platform algorithms and user engagement. |
| Lead Generation | Integrates lead capture forms, email signups, and e-commerce functionalities (higher conversion rates). | Limited lead generation options; relies on user engagement for lead capture. |
| Data Ownership | You own customer data collected, enabling targeted marketing. | Data belongs to the social media platform. |
| Content Strategy | Creates a library of valuable, long-term content (evergreen content) to attract visitors. | Content is often fleeting and ephemeral; relies on continuous creation to stay relevant. |
| Cost | Varies depending on complexity and features; can be a one-time investment. If you choose to self-host, you will need to pay annual hosting and domain costs. | Typically free to set up profiles, but paid advertising options exist. |
| Management | Requires ongoing maintenance and updates. | Requires regular content creation and engagement. |
Selling products on your website vs selling on social media: Which is better?
Ease of Setup:
- Website: While the complexity can vary depending on features, most website builders offer user-friendly interfaces and drag-and-drop functionalities to set up an online store. This can be achievable without extensive coding knowledge.
- Social Media: Setting up a social media business page is very easy and typically free. However, the selling functionalities are limited compared to a website.
Product Listing and Management:
- Website: A website offers a dedicated space to showcase your products with detailed descriptions, high-quality images, variations, and inventory management tools.
- Social Media: While some platforms allow product tagging and listings, showcasing detailed information and managing inventory can be cumbersome.
Security and Payment Processing:
- Website: You can integrate secure payment gateways with your website to ensure safe transactions. Customers feel more confident entering their payment information on a dedicated business website.
- Social Media: Payment processing functionalities on social media platforms are still evolving. Security concerns might be higher for some customers, potentially impacting conversions.
Customization and Branding:
- Website: Your website offers complete control over branding, design, and user experience, allowing you to create a professional and cohesive online store that reflects your brand identity.
- Social Media: Customization options on social media platforms are limited. Your store will adhere to the platform’s design and may not fully reflect your unique brand.
Marketing and Promotions:
- Website: Your website allows for targeted marketing efforts through SEO optimization, email marketing integration, and on-site promotions.
- Social Media: Organic reach on social media platforms can be challenging. Paid advertising is often necessary to effectively promote your products to a wider audience.
Customer Support and Analytics:
- Website: You can integrate customer support features like chatbots or live chat options directly into your website. You also have access to detailed website analytics to track customer behavior and optimize your online store.
- Social Media: Customer support might rely on private messaging through the social media platform, which can be less convenient for some customers. Analytics on social media platforms may be limited compared to dedicated website analytics tools.
Overall:
- Website: Selling on your website offers a more professional, secure, and customizable experience for both you and your customers. It requires a more upfront investment in terms of setup but empowers you with greater control and flexibility in the long run.
- Social Media: Social media selling can be a good starting point, especially for businesses with a very small product catalog. However, it has limitations for complex product offerings and robust sales functionalities.
Some Interesting Stats About Websites:
- Social Media for Marketing: 86% of marketers use social media for increased exposure, 76% for increased traffic to their website, and only 55% use social media to improve sales.
- SEO Advantage: Website content is king for SEO. HubSpot reports that organic search generates over 50% of website traffic for B2B businesses.
- Lead Generation: SEO stands out as the top source of high-scoring lead generation, with referrals in second place.
In Conclusion:
While social media can be a powerful tool to connect with potential customers, build brand awareness, and drive traffic to your website, it’s not ideal for a complete sales solution. Having a well designed website that’s focused on the user experience, will foster a buying journey that aligns perfectly with your brand identity.
Social media, however, should still be a key component of your overall marketing strategy. Utilize these platforms to engage with your audience, showcase product highlights and customer testimonials, and ultimately drive qualified leads to your website where they can convert into paying customers.
Chat to me if you need a high quality website and SEO:
I specialise in web design, Search Engine Optimisation and Google Ads – so if this is something that your business isn’t paying attention to yet, get in touch and let’s grow your brand and sales online.
– Kim
