You might be thinking that if you have an Instagram page you don’t need a website.
Or if you’ve got a Facebook page, you’re probably pretty good.
Or a strong referral network because you’ve worked with a lot of clients that love you.
In your mind a website just doesn’t seem like a “must-have” right now…
Social Isn’t Enough
I believe a website is an absolute must-need for your business if you’ve been in business for more than a year and know who your ideal client is, have experience and know how to serve them best.
I honestly believe when you are first starting you don’t NEED a website. It will be helpful, and DIY is an option, but it isn’t necessarily a need. There are so many things you are still trying to figure out when you are new…who you really want to work with, how you really want to serve…and these are all things that your website needs to reflect. So while you are still trying to figure these things out, it might be something you choose to forego until you are more established and certain on these foundational things.
We’ve seen at least once in the past year what happens when Facebook goes down. (And it didn’t just affect businesses for doing something wrong. Even Instagram profiles were frozen for no apparent reason.) I don’t mean the rest of this as if Facebook is going away or anything. I think it’ll probably stay around. I’m coming at this from the point of view that you shouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket.
What if word of mouth is working, but no one takes your business seriously because it either looks like you’re just working a hobby or looks like you’re just picking up some projects on the side. I mean, you don’t have a website to make you look legit and your Facebook profile doesn’t say anything about your business…
What if that client you loved hesitates to work with you because other than images and testimonials buried in your Facebook feed? There’s no readily-seen evidence you worked for anyone else like them so they look elsewhere.
Build a Relationship & Authority
I get it if you delayed getting a website while you were just dipping your toes to see if your business would float. Maybe working with a web designer then wasn’t realistic while you were trying to figure out who you wanted to serve and how … but you never took the step after you got your business going.
I get it. DIYing can be a totally unrealistic option for many reasons and isn’t necessarily recommended.
Your business needs a website
Your business needs a website. Your business needs to be able to be found online somewhere other than just social media.
Social is to build the relationship. Your website is to build your authority.
Pixolab gathered up a lot of statistics and reports roughly 85% of consumers use the internet to discover and find local businesses. And 79% of entrepreneurs with a business website expect to grow at least 25% in the next three to five years, compared to 64% of those without a site.
I’m not suggesting you have a website just because of statistics, although those stats make a good argument.
One of the biggest reasons to have a website is Word of Mouth.
Want to make it easier for people to find you? Have a website and then point all of your social media to your website. This will make it so much easier for people to refer you to others. No matter where people land when they look you up, they’ll find a link to your website where they can learn more about who you serve, how you serve and how to connect with you to start working with you.
So much easier than hunting through your social to figure it out for themselves.
I’ve put together a workshop that pinpoints 4 steps to take to get more eyes on your business. It’s on-demand, and not full of fluff. You can sign up for that here: Get More Eyes On My Business
