You often wonder whether it’s worth setting up a website. What’s the point of that if I already have a profile on FB, etc.? It’s a bit like wondering why you need a car when a horse can do the job just as well. People in the era when cars were first introduced might have thought that way too.
I know that websites have been around for many years before social media portals like Facebook emerged. So it’s not a good example, but I’m talking about broadening your horizons and possibilities. What does having a presence on FB give you? For one thing:
* Endless battles with trolls who try to make money off of you by demoralizing your clients or just making a nuisance of themselves;
* People wasting their time on FB are not likely to make spontaneous purchases, at least when it comes to services. They’re there to kill time and browse through friends’ posts etc.;
* This makes conversion rates in certain niches low. I’m talking about building a community around your company, brand, and services. And of course, the constant battle against trolls.
If someone has the time for that, I understand.
A website is something completely different. It’s just you and your potential client, without all the noise that can distract them from making a purchase decision.
Having a company website is an important thing. Think about how people perceive companies that only have a presence on FB but no company website:
* Unprofessionally;
* And secondly, having a website opens up unlimited possibilities for acquiring clients who are more engaged and looking for your services right now – you don’t need to convince them that they need your service; they’re already looking for it.
You can position your website in Google search results, advertise using Google Ads campaigns or FB ads campaigns, direct traffic from FB directly to your website, cutting out all the noise created by trolls who have nothing better to do than bother others.
I’ll say more. In many EU countries there’s a recommendation/requirement for government institutions that even one-person businesses need to have a company website. Recently someone contacted me from a profession that didn’t know they might need a website – he digs trenches for telecommunications cables, has a small firm and a few workers. He gets most of his work through word-of-mouth or referrals from big companies looking for subcontractors. However, the authorities imposed a requirement on him to have a company website as it legitimizes such an individual – shows that they’re not just some employee pushed out onto a “gray” contract but someone who actually takes on jobs for various clients.
In many niches having one client is not equal to one invoice, the best form of business activity is one that allows you to earn from the same clients endlessly – accounting offices, I understand that an accounting office may have limited opportunities and doesn’t need such intense advertising as a company that sells services that clients won’t return for because they’re single-service purchases. However this doesn’t mean that having a website for such activities like accounting offices is unnecessary; clients leave for various reasons, a website lets you develop your business, increase employment, get rid of the headache caused by excessive workload.
That’s why it’s worth having one.
