Since the dawn of time (or at least since the dawn of the Internet), business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs have been asking this question: Do I really need a website, especially if I'm already on social media?
The answer is a resounding "yes."
Let us explain why (and how you can get started).
1. A website lets you own your online home
If your web presence is wholly dependent on closed social media networks like TikTok, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you don't always have these same luxuries.
This is a phenomenon that author and former Harvard Business Review executive editor Nicholas Carr once called "digital sharecropping," a term that refers to situations where a large platform owner effectively owns all the content that users create.
When you build your own website with an open platform like WordPress, you own every part of it. You're free to customize it any way you want and move it between website hosting companies as you'd like. While social media networks come and go, there are folks who have had their very same website since the mid-1990s. That's a level of stability social media alone can't offer for your business.
2. A website gives you control over its appearance
Most social media platforms don't allow much room for custom design or other aesthetic options (with few exceptions like Tumblr, which you should check out if you haven't in a while). With your own website, you have full control over every aspect of its appearance.
You can apply your own branding, change the design, and upload the photos and pictures you want. You can make your website look like you. If you're a WordPress.com user, we offer thousands of themes you can choose from (and if you're on a Business plan or above, you can upload third-party themes too).
3. A website gives you control over its functionality
There are so many things you can do with a website that aren't possible with just social media accounts.
If you're selling products online, need the ability to book appointments, or want to capture interest from leads, a website will make landing leads and customers much easier than relying on your social profiles alone.
With a website, you have more control over:
- The checkout process and purchasing experience.
- How your products and services are presented.
- The full customer experience. A website can be connected to an email marketing service, marketing automation platform, CRM, and other services that are essential to running your business. You can also add ecommerce capabilities.
These things aren't always possible with social media accounts, at least not in a way that's optimal.
WordPress.com also offers access to more than 50,000 WordPress plugins that allow you to extend your site's functionality, no matter what type of website you want to build.
4. A website makes your business easier to find
Not all social networks are easily indexable or discoverable via search engines. Websites, by their very nature, are both of those things. This opens up another massive avenue for people to find your products, services, and content.
Do you know how many searches Google processes every day? Literally billions, and you should be getting your piece of the pie. With more search engines gaining market share, there are even more opportunities for people to find your site.
5. A website makes you less reliant on a single channel for engagement
Social media networks come and go, different platforms rise and fall in popularity, and nothing stays the same for long. What does that mean for your business website? You need stability, somewhere that you can call home, and a place where customers can always find you.
If you're primarily creating content or building your business through a single channel, you run the risk of losing your hard-earned audience if anything happens to that specific platform (ahem…TikTok, we're looking at you).
Not only does diversifying your online footprint help you reach more people in more places, it also helps mitigate risks when, say, a social network becomes illegal to access in your country.
6. A website makes your business look more professional
Let's say you're searching for a plumber to fix your shower. Would you trust a business with just a social media page to get the job done, or would you rather find someone with a real website? Personally, I'd put my money on the business with a website because they would appear more trustworthy and dependable. I'd want to know I'm buying from someone who cares about their business enough to present their products and services as professionally as possible.
The same is true for more than just businesses too. For example, if you're a content creator running a YouTube channel, having a website that unifies your web presence can give you a more legitimate appearance.
If you choose to build your site with WordPress.com, you also have the peace of mind that you're building on the same platform as millions of other sites, including some major names you may have heard of. Even if your site starts small, it can scale with you as your business grows.
7. A website can improve engagement with your audience
When you share content on social media, you're competing for engagement with everyone else sharing content into your follower's feeds. With your own website, you have visitors' full attention while they're on your site.
You can also enhance engagement by adding features like members-only sections and message board forums, creating spaces to build community directly on your site. You can also add links back to your social channels on your About page, in your footer, and with social icons, creating positive feedback loops between your website and other platforms you're on.
Want to integrate your social media profiles with your WordPress.com website? Learn how with this guide.
8. A website is within your reach
No matter who you are, you can build a website yourself. That's something we believe and see every day. Even if you don't have the budget for a professional web developer, you can learn the skills necessary to get online and start making an impact for your business.
WordPress.com offers plans to suit all needs and experience levels. Plus, we can show you how to build a site on your own (or you can follow our quick start guide). If you decide it's time to hire a professional to build a site for you, we can help you there too.
9. A website helps grow your audience and build your business
All of the benefits we've mentioned so far are great, but together, they all add up to growth for your business and content through improved engagement, ownership over content, and full autonomy in the way you run your site.
That's what matters in the end, right?
The time to build your website is now
Ready to create a site of your own? We've got you covered. WordPress.com pairs an excellent website builder with world-class hosting to deliver everything you need to launch your site.
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