If you’re just starting your business, you may be wondering if you really need a website. Social media accounts are free. Can you run a successful business with only social media and forego having a website? Look at those YouTubers, TikTok influencers, and IGers making millions of dollars without websites. Maybe you can do that, too.

But those influencers are a rare breed. They’re the exceptions, not the rule. To make money as a social-media influencer, you normally need hundreds of thousands of followers—and on YouTube usually over 1 million. And you normally make money from ads and sponsorships. Some influencers convert followers into buyers of products… by sending their audience to their website.

To make money on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, you need a shit-ton of followers, ads, sponsorships

I’m bringing up the topic of do you need a website because I recently came across someone who just started a business as a reiki practitioner. I was googling her and… found nothing. I knew her name and the name of her business. Still nothing. Well, her LinkedIn profile popped up for her name. But no website showed up, and even her Instagram account didn’t show up on page 1. I didn’t scroll past page 1.

I finally went directly to her Instagram account to see if she had a link to her website. She does. But it’s simply a link to schedule a session with her. From what I have heard, she is getting most of her clients from word of mouth. From what I know about her she does not have a full practice.

Now, word of mouth is great because, according a study by Nielsen, 83 percent of people completely or somewhat trust referrals by family or friends. Is it possible to build a business solely on word of mouth? Yes. However, this can be difficult to do. You have to start with a strong network of people who need your service.

Even then, 85 percent of people visit a business’ website before making a buying decision, and 97 percent of people say that websites influence their buying decisions. So, even with word of mouth, 85 percent of those people referred to your business are going to look for your website before deciding whether to do business with you.

It’s looking like you need a website.

Let’s compare the purposes and advantages of websites vs social media.

Why You Need a Website:

You’re in control

With social media accounts, you aren’t in control. Instagram, for example, controls the algorithm. They determine how easy it is to find you. Facebook Pages are not optimized to show up in followers’ feeds. Followers on both Instagram and Facebook have to interact with your account frequently for your posts to show up in their feeds.

Plus, followers are scrolling through their feed pretty quickly. You have to create super-engaging content for them to pause and engage with your content. Even if they “like” your content, they might not be fully reading it or watching it. Social media is distracting since your post is just one of hundreds in their feed. As they are liking yours, they can already see other posts just above and below yours. They are being drawn away from engaging with your content.

Your website is distraction-free. Your content gives visitors a reason to stay on your website. The longer visitors stay on your site, the more likely they are to take action.

In contrast, your website is distraction-free. It is your content and yours alone. How long visitors engage with content on your site is determined by how strategically your site is designed and how much content you have on your site. When you have a blog and/or podcast with links to other posts, you are giving your visitors lots of content to interact with—giving them a reason to stay on your website longer.

And the longer they stay on your website, they more likely they are to sign up for your email list or contact you about working with you.

Websites are prioritized by search engines

As I mentioned above about googling the reiki practitioner, her Instagram account did not show up in search-engine results—at least not on page 1. Social media accounts are not prioritized by search engines. Websites are. When you have a website with strong search engine optimization, your website is more likely to show up on Google.

Your website should show up when someone googles your name or your business name. And, the more you blog and/or podcast, your posts will start to show up based on the keywords you use. Your separate social media posts don’t show up in search-engine results. Only your social media accounts do.

Websites boost credibility and trust

People trust websites more than they do social media accounts. Your website is the place for you to build your reputation and boost your credibility and trust. Your website is where you have your about page. It’s where you put testimonials. It’s where you share samples of your work. On your social media accounts, you have very limited space to share a bio. You can share testimonials only as posts. Same thing with samples of your work. For new followers or potential followers to see your testimonials or work samples, they will have to scroll through your posts to find these. On your website, you can put these in your main navigation menu, in sliders on key pages, in your footer, or in links on other pages. You can really highlight this information instead of having it float by, lost in a sea of other posts.

Websites allow you to create a sales funnel

When someone visits your website, the number 1 thing you want them to do is get on your email list. This is because 92 percent of first-time visitors to a website do not make a purchase. They are there for free information, to read content (your blog or podcast), or just to check you out. The reality is that, unless you stay top-of-mind for them, they likely won’t be back. So, you want to get them onto your list so that you can email them to stay top-of-mind.

This is hard to do on social-media alone. You could have a link to a standalone email signup. But it’s much more effective to have a compelling lead magnet (that is, a freebie for signing up) right on your website. Before people give you their email address, they usually want to look around your website to see what content you create so they’ll have an idea of what you’ll be emailing them. This is tough for them to gauge by looking only at your social media posts.

Why do you want people to sign up for your email list? 56 percent of people completely or somewhat trust information in emails they signed up for. In 2021, email accounted for 19.8 percent of all purchases. (This is still behind 21.8 percent of purchases resulting from organic traffic.) And the average email conversion rate in 2021 was 15.3 percent. Contrast this to an average conversion rate of 2-5 percent from social media.

Websites all you to collect data

Finally, having a website puts you in control of collecting and analyzing your data. Yes, there are tools to analyze your social media engagement. You can count your followers, likes, shares, and comments. But, as I mentioned above, two of the best ways to convert would-be clients into paying clients are through your website (organic search) and your email list. To measure those, you need a website to use its analytics. Your website analytics will give you details on unique website visitors, geography, site content, form interactions and conversions, and more. And your email service provider will give you statistics on opens and clicks.

Now, while you do need a website, it’s also ideal to have at least one social media account. You do not have to be on all the social media platforms! Pick the ones where your ideal clients are hanging out and looking for information. Refer to my blog post called “Why is It Important to Identify Your Ideal Client” and my podcast called “How to Identify and Attract Your Ideal Client” for more information about this.

So, let’s look at some of the reasons why you also need to be on social media.

Why You Need to Be on Social Media:

Social media allows you to connect with your audience

Social media is an excellent way to connect with your audience. On social media, your audience can like and comment on your posts. When they comment, you should definitely reply. This gives your audience a direct way to connect with your brand. Most people prefer to interact this way, as opposed to emailing you directly. Plus, positive interactions on social media are seen by a wider audience, thus fostering more interactions.

Social media is an excellent way to share content

The content that you create on your website—your blog and/or your podcast—is going to be sort of static unless you share it on social media. Google will be pinging your website, and your content may show up in search engine results, depending on how strong the SEO is and how much of a domain authority you are. But you’ll increase visits to your website when you share your content through your social media channels.

Social media helps build brand awareness and reputation

Social media is a fabulous way to boost your brand awareness, promote your brand personality, and reinforce your brand reputation. Social media is a tool for showing who your brand is—and then sending people to your website to cement your brand in their minds. People who find you on social media will want to verify you through your website. Social media is the tool, not the end-all-be-all.

Social media helps you reach new audiences

Search engine optimization does help your website reach new audiences. If you’ve got a tight niche, then your SEO will be geared toward those ideal clients, and your keywords will show up in search engine results.

By the way, you really should have a well-defined niche! Check out my podcast called “How to Pick a Niche for Your Business” for information on why you should pick a niche and how to do it, then sign up for a free session with me in which I’ll guide you through doing it.

On social media, you’re also using your niche to help define your audience. But you’re using hashtags to expand your audience—not to get a new niche, but to find more people within your niche. Your hashtags are your keywords. And you can add more than what you can include in your website pages’ SEO descriptions. Take advantage of this!

So, I hope I’ve convinced you that you do indeed need a website. You also need to be on social media. They serve two different purposes. You own your website. Your website gives you more control over your brand. Social media is a tool to promote your brand and connect directly with your audience. Your website and your email list are ideal ways to convert would-be clients into paying clients. With social media, you want a strong call-to-action—getting people onto your website then having them sign up for your email list.

If you’re just creating a website or looking at how to improve it, check out my blog post called “What Makes a Good Website” for information on both aesthetics and strategic design.

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Notes:

“2022 Email Marketing ROI Statistics: Open Rate to Revenue” — Barilliance

“92% of first-time visitors to a brand’s website do not make a purchase, survey found” — The Drum

“85 Percent of Consumers Conduct Online Research Before Making a Purchase Decision” — Transaction

“Global Trust In Advertising” — Nielsen

“Organic Search Improves Ability to Map to Consumer Intent” — BrightEdge

“Research Shows Websites Influence 97% of Clients’ Purchasing Decisions” — Hubspot

“What’s a Good Conversion Rate for My Social Media Marketing?” — Futurpreneur