If you have your own business or side hustle, you probably consider or hear suggestions of having a website. Even if there are many ways to show up on the Internet and you think social media will do all the hard work, your own domain can be beneficial and attract more people. How is it? What will your own webpage give you that other platforms won’t?

Independence

Being on social media is like having a stall on the market when having a website is like having your own store. Or renting versus owning a property. You can’t do everything that you want and you’re very limited by the owner’s policy and whims. Every social media has limited features, their algorithms change regularly so you must learn new rules and change your strategy. 

Security

You’re among bots and sometimes dishonest people and it’s hard to avoid them on social media. It’s much easier to set anti-spam filters on a website, than on a social platform. Also, you can’t do much about your SM profile security. SM profiles are tasty bites for hackers because they can be sold as “worthy” followers.

Boost your online presence

There are many ways to build an online presence, but your own domain is the most sophisticated one. It’ll make you look professional and most importantly build trust. The fact you invest money and time in your own place on the Internet makes your business reliable and trustworthy. You can also add social proof on your website, like references or recommendations or connect your social media profiles, which will boost your SEO.

Saves your time and money

Website is like an employee, but working 24/7/365. It can sell, answer client’s questions, and represent your company at any time, including your sleeping and holiday. You don’t have to be available for your clients all the time to fulfill their needs. A web page with a proper Q&A will reduce the number of phone calls with frequently asked questions. A good e-commerce shop will be your best dealer. The good about section will be the best self-presentation.

Accessible for all

To visit your website, one needs only a device connected to the Internet. Nothing else. To visit your social media profile, one has to have an account on a particular platform. Many people don’t have Facebook or simply don’t use it. For example, I use FB only on a desktop, and I have an inactive FB mobile app, simply to reduce my time spent on the phone. When I look for something local on my phone and the only link is the Facebook fan page, I know the business doesn’t care or doesn’t know much about online presence.

Statistics suited to your needs

Thanks to statistical tools (such as Google Analytics) you can get a lot of information about your visitors: what they like, where they live, how they found your website, etc. You can analyse data for your business, deeply understand your customers, and find out which parts of your website drive the most traffic. No matter if you use a paid or free package, you get clear insights into your visitors and what works on your website best. Google offers a whole bunch of marketing tools to make your website visible and successful https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/en_uk/about/analytics/

Communication with clients

On your website, you can set many successful ways to communicate with your clients. You can attach a newsletter, so your news and offers appear regularly in your client’s email box. You can attach comments, so you have constant feedback from your visitors. Or you can set a Q&A page, so you can easily dispel any doubts. And many, many more… the only limit is your creativity.

Has this article convinced you? Let me know by commenting below.