Do websites matter in the age of social media?

 

We will provide comments on the role of a business website in the social media age.

 

Do websites matter in the age of social media?

Ah, the wonders of social media. Posting engaging content (including customer testimonials) can help your business be seen by new prospects and represents a cost-effective ROI. Therefore, many new business owners assume that they don’t *need* a website when starting out. This tempts them to cut out the cost of having a respected agency design and maintain their website. Others believe that websites are outdated or an unnecessary add-on, that they can get around to later.

However, we know the added value of the websites we have designed. Not having a website could become a considerable mistake that requires financial and marketing intervention. This article will explore several compelling reasons why investing in WordPress-powered website design should be remain a priority. As you will see, not relying 100% on social media for marketing is a wise move for your business.

Websites are more customisable

A website is your digital shop front. It can have various departments (aka pages).It can give visitors more details about your services or products. It allows you to nurture leads through your sales funnel. With practically no character limits, you can go into more detail whilst adopting your brand’s tone of voice. Often, a social media post or bio is restricted in this way. The result? People have less time to engage and feel confident that they know, like and trust you with their money.

A skilled web designer will create a stunning site geared to your branding and business values. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn or X, to name just three platforms, they can showcase your fonts, templates and colours in a way that stops short on social media. Over there, your visual personalisation is often restricted to a custom banner and photo.

Why does this matter?

Rather than conforming to the restricted format and character limits of social media platforms, a website is your place to build brand recognition on your terms. Faced with growing competition and annoying ads, social media has become oversaturated with similar brands. A website, on the other hand, can help you stand out from the crowd. That’s why featuring your unique brand elements there matters. It helps potential customers and clients become familiar with and recognise your visual identity.

Websites are more stable

Businesses who rely solely on social platforms to promote their business and warm up leads may not realise something. They are at the mercy of ever-changing algorithms. New ways of ranking content can affect how many people are shown your posts (often overnight!). This may limit your content’s reach to new customers.

Social media platforms can also freeze your account without warning, often with limited explanation. This could lead to you losing your followers permanently and having to rebuild interest in your business again. There have also been times when social media sites have been down for some time, as covered in the article Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram back after outage.

However, a website is markedly more robust. You own your content and mailing list of visitor email addresses who have signed up for updates and newsletters. Simply communicate your company’s news and promotions. There is no need to worry about unexpectedly losing access to interested customers.

Why are websites highly valuable?

Worst-case scenario, you could lose the customer leads and client relationships you have invested resources, marketing fees and time carefully cultivating on social media. With no website as a backup to help you be found by that same loyal following, you would lose your hard-earned online presence.

Starting over in these circumstances would challenge even the most motivated of founders. Whereas businesses with a website can keep in contact with their email list, should your social accounts be compromised or removed.

Blogs and webpages have longer lifespans

Social media posts may seem like a cost-effective way to communicate with your audience. However, the word is well and truly out. An estimated 30 million businesses use LinkedIn, with 60 million business pages registered on Facebook according to research. This added competition highlights the need to stand out.

You also need to take into account the average lifespan of a blog (on your website) versus a social media post. In 2021, The Refinery noted that social posts had an average lifespan of:

• 15 minutes (Twitter)
• 6 hours (Facebook)
• 24 hours (LinkedIn)
• 48 hours (Instagram).

By comparison, blog posts lasted “over a year”. They can be viewed as a passive way of promoting your brand for months if not years after they have been published. Helpful content will be largely evergreen and appeal to potential customers not just now but in the future.

So well-written blog articles have the potential to be found well after a social media post has drifted into obscurity.

Why do websites beat social content?

Longevity is firmly on the side of the website here. Each web page or blog allows you to include long-form content that explains why your USP, values and the benefits of using your business make you the preferred choice over your competition.

Equally, you want the readers’ focus to stay firmly on your business, whereas social posts will appear in a feed surrounded by other companies’ content. This can distract and pull potential customers away from your business or cause your message to be lost in the noise.

3 Other benefits of having a website

Perception is everything

Having a website will help you appear more professional. It demonstrates you have invested time and money, so are serious about making your business thrive. But there is another plus-point. A website will also grant you a bespoke email which will look more professional than a personal email address. Think of the different perceptions you would have towards emailing “design@thefingerprint.co.uk” or “thefingerprint[@]gmail.com”. We know which we prefer!

Search engine optimisation

SEO or search engine optimisation is the modern currency of business. Failure to rank on the first page of Google search results drastically diminishes your chance of being found. The pages on your website and blog posts can help you appear higher in the listings with keywords, meta descriptions and other optimised elements. Curious to know more? Discover Why writing a blog is important for business and SEO.

Financial benefits

Having a website offers you the chance to build brand loyalty and revenue. We’ve previously discussed membership sites and learning websites where monetising your readers’ interest in your company or organisation can boost your income.

But that’s not all. Having detailed metrics about your website visitors with GA4 refines your business and marketing strategies by using data to boost your business. Analytics can tell you:

• How many people have visited each page
• The CTR (click-through rate)
• The bounce rate (how long they remain on a page).

Understanding this core information will fine-tune your content. It offers insights about which blog topics resonate most with potential customers. This allows you to pivot topics or concentrate more on certain areas.

Our recommendation

Rather than putting all of your eggs in one basket, we’d advise using social media to drive traffic to a bespoke WordPress website. Facebook and other social platforms should never replace a website given the limitations discussed above.

Instead, social posts can announce bite-sized:

• Business news
• Promotional offers
• Employee news
• New service/product launches.

Remember that a website is your ‘online HQ’ that you can customise. All whilst reaping the benefits of a business blog.

Let thefingerprint be the solution

Avoid website embarrassment the next time someone asks for your business contact details. Work with thefingerprint to experience the results of having a professionally designed website to build a proud reputation on. Need to know more? Visit our Contact page or email design@thefingerprint.co.uk for a no-obligation conversation.

 

If you are enjoying this article please read our blogs What is a responsive website?, Advertising – where to and why? or thefingerprint wins Design Agency of the Year for a third year!.