You’ve set up your business social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and maybe TikTok. Let the customers roll in, right? Wrong! You still need to set up a website for your company, no matter how small or how much it has grown.
While social media pages are great for engaging with your customer base, they don’t tell your whole story, usually listing only a company’s contact and location information. A website offers that pertinent information but also serves another purpose: helping people find out about your business and your services.
Here are the Top 5 reasons that your business should have a website, in addition to your social media pages:
1.) Credibility
No one knows your business better than you, so you can create a website that represents your brand, your services or products, and your story in a way that helps create trust among current and prospective customers. According to a 2015 Verisign survey, “84% of respondents said they believe a business with a website is more credible than one that only has a social media website.”
Having a website can also help prevent scams. Anyone can create a Facebook or Instagram account in a matter of minutes; it’s less likely that a scammer will take the time and effort to create a full website to fool your customers.
2.) Make It Easier for Customers to Find You
It’s easy to get lost in the digital sea — there are more than 1 billion websites and more than 4 billion social media accounts that exist, with more being added each second. A website can help your business stand out! You can include your business’ services or products, mission, and what makes you stand out among competitors. And, by using specific and relevant keywords, you’re signaling to search engines what you want to be known for. Using terms like “El Paso-based,” “high-quality service,” and “best value” can help clients looking for local businesses that are committed to value and service. Also, when your business is listed on other sites like BBB, Google, or Yelp, it is important for customers to be able to link directly to your site to learn more.
3.) Easily Provide Customer Service
Have you ever tried to learn more about a business, only to find that their social media pages provide only basic information? With a website, you can provide answers to frequently asked questions. Customers appreciate you saving them time with this service, and you save time too!
4.) You decide what goes on your website.
Social media is great for engaging with your customers, but it also provides a space for them to air grievances about your business.
With a business website, you can share the good experiences customers have had with you, while still enabling you to get private feedback from unsatisfied customers. This way, you can resolve issues and still be honest about positive customer experiences.
5.) It doesn’t cost too much money or time.
You might not have a ton of knowledge about coding or search engine optimization (SEO), but that’s OK. There are many easy-to-use platforms that help you build a website for free or for a small fee. You could also ask a high school or college student to help you build and manage your website.
There are also local organizations that will help you set up a website that looks professional and helps grow your business. Check out the Financial & Business Assistance and Business Resources tabs on EPBusinessStrong.org for more information about digital solutions for your small business.
While social media pages can be useful tools to growing your business, they are no substitute for a business website. A business website tells customers about your business, but even more, that you are a business worth spending money with.
Marybeth Stevens is CEO of the Better Business Bureau of El Paso. You can reach her at [email protected].
