In this digital age, your website should be considered your number one marketing asset. A well-designed, content-rich, up-to-date website is the most important online marketing tool you can have for your business. In fact, your website should be in place before you even officially launch your business. Customers expect it and look for it. They want to know there is a specific place they can go to get information. It should be the first stop for your customers to find relevant information, and it is your direct link to potential prospects and your current customers.
There are several benefits to having a well-developed website. It’s the first step in establishing an online presence, and if you fail to establish that presence, your competition will beat you in the online marketing department. Maintaining your online reputation is also a huge reason to pay some attention to your own website. And if you think being active on social media is all you need to do, keep in mind that content you post on social media platforms doesn’t actually belong to you. Another consideration is that these platforms are forever changing their requirements and interface, and in order to “measure up” you may need to be making adjustments to your page on their schedule, not yours.
Still, with so many opportunities today to showcase your business online, some small business owners still don’t take the step of creating their own online presence with a website. Social media and other platforms can help you communicate with your customers where they like to hang out, but ultimately, the primary goal should be to draw traffic back to your website.
To illustrate my point, let me share my answers to a few questions from small business owners:
Question from a small bakery owner: “Do I really need a website if I already have a Facebook Page?”
Answer: Yes, yes you do. And yes, I’ve heard this question posed by many small business owners. Facebook and other social media should be part of your marketing plan, but they are secondary to your own website. So, knowing there are still a few folks out there relying on a Facebook page to be their online presence, let me just address a few of the issues. While social media sites may allow customers to find you in an online search, not all your potential or current customers are comfortable with Facebook or want to interact on that platform. Your social media should help drive traffic to your website, because this is where you can control the content. So why, exactly, can’t a Facebook page stand in for a website?
- You don’t own the content you post on your Facebook page. Facebook does.
- Facebook can shut your page down for many reasons—if they deem some content as “inappropriate” or if you are not active (haven’t posted for a while), your page may be removed.
- You are limited to what and how you post on social media. You don’t have control over how Facebook displays your business details.
- Yes, Facebook announced it reached two billion users in 2017, but still not everyone is on Facebook or wants to be. You won’t be completely visible and able to interact to those not interested in joining Facebook.
Question from a salon owner: Do I really need a website if Yelp takes care of my online presence?
Answer: Uh, yeah, you do.
Yelp reviews can be a blessing or a curse. While it’s a good secondary way to strengthen your online presence, you shouldn’t rely on it. A few words about Yelp:
- Again, you have little to no control over what shows up on Yelp
- You don’t really own your page, or your reviews, Yelp does.
- Fake reviews happen, and sometimes they’re negative.
- You don’t have much recourse to have fake reviews removed unless you have specific proof that they are not valid.
Question from a gardener: I’m on Thumbtack and Angie’s List. Isn’t that enough?
Answer: Nope.
These sites are fantastic ways for the small, independent home services professional to be seen and found by homeowners. But again, it should be secondary to having your own website where you control the content and the reviews that appear (or don’t appear). Businesses relying on home service provider sites face the same issues as those relying on Yelp (see above).
Even small, independent service providers without a physical location (well, maybe especially those without a physical location) should have their own website. While many opt to list their services on Thumbtack/Angie’s List/Takl, there can be a lot of competition on those sites, and a lot of fees associated with connecting with your customers. Customers need more ways to find you online
Case in point: We needed some yard work done and were considering revising our maintenance plan with a new provider for regular landscape maintenance. We looked on various sites like Angie’s List and Thumbtack and Takl. We had several gardeners come out and give us estimates, but we weren’t ready to go forward at the time. One stood out as he was able to do the weekly maintenance at a time that was convenient for us. So when I finally got around to it, I couldn’t find him again. I thought I had found this particular gardener on Thumbtack, but couldn’t find him there and of course I had lost his card, but I remembered his name. I entered his name and numerous keywords into my Google search bar, repeatedly. No amount of searching on Google would bring up his service.
So, ok. I hope you’re convinced that every business needs a website, but it’s also important to invest some time (and at least a bit of money) to make it a great website. So what makes a great website? That depends on your business and your goals, but I cover a few of the very basic things to consider in my Website Basic Necessities post. Please check it out and let me know if you have questions or other recommendations to consider.