Website vs Social Media For Small Businesses
By DAWN-MARIE NESBITT
“I don’t need a website because I have a social media account”
If you’ve ever uttered these words, then we need to talk and this blog post is for you. Many small business owners everyday are wondering why they need to have a website, when they can set up a social media account on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram, for example.
The thing about these social media accounts, is that they’re easy to set up and they’re free. So the smallest effort and not having to spend any money to create a website might be attractive to some.
But I hope that by the end of this blog post, I would have made the case to you, that only having a social media account to represent your business, actually puts you at a worse position than having your own website.
What You Will Learn:
- What is the difference between a website and social media
- Is social media more important than a website
- Should you use Facebook as a website
- Conclusion: Are websites still relevant in 2020?
What is the difference between a website and social media?
Social media is the ability for a user to interact with an audience, to share information, ideas and content online.
Users are able to interact with each other by viewing their content, commenting on their content or even sharing it with their networks.
Social media is essentially a website that encourages social networking, allowing you to connect with people all over the world, regardless of which country you are in.
Because of the popularity of social media platforms, businesses may find it useful that they can be easily found on social media sites. All they will need however is an account on one of these platforms, the ability to target their ideal audiences and in some cases, paid advertising to help them get in front of their target audience.
Therefore, if social media are websites, is there any difference between a website and social media?
From a small business perspective there are differences and small businesses should consider each one before deciding to solely rely on social media as the main way of communicating with their potential customers and clients.
Difference #1
Let’s talk about the first important difference that small businesses need to be aware of.
Social media platforms and the accounts you create on it, do not belong to you but your website does. When you build a website, you own the content on it, you own the domain that you purchase, you can sell the website if you want to and you have a home for your brand forever.
Your social media accounts however do not belong to you. Whatever content you post on your social media accounts, once created, must always comply with the terms and conditions of the social media platform.
We examined a few of the terms and conditions of two popular social media platforms, Facebook and YouTube and here is what they said.
As you can see, when you create an account on these two social media platforms, you have no right to retaining your account. It can be deleted at their discretion.
Why is this important to you as a small business? Because it would be detrimental to you, if you were to solely rely on social media and put your business in their hands, knowing that they can take it away from you at any time.
Difference #2
Social media platforms control the type of content you can post on your social media account, whereas, on your website you are free to produce content freely.
Sometimes you may notice that you are trying to post content to your social media pages and you get an error that says the content is blocked.
This is an example of where your ability to post content is controlled and as a small business owner, if a platform does not allow you to freely express your opinion, reflect exactly who you are, why you do what you do and state the value you provide, as long as it is not illegal, then having your own website might be a better option.
Difference #3
You have no control over the design or layout of your social media page whereas with your website, you can create a design or layout that is ideal for you.
Whilst this may not be a significant issue, wouldn’t you like to create a website to your liking where you can post content that you can navigate and that fits the way you want it to. When you use social media sites like Facebook or Instagram, the layout can be tricky to get just the way you want it.
For example, how difficult is it to get your chosen cover photo posted the right way on desktop and mobile?
Why are you not allowed to customise the tabs of your Facebook account or your YouTube channel?
These are just some of the complaints that I have seen floating around the internet from small business owners. With a website however, you can build it just the way you like it by starting with a blank canvas.
Difference #4
As a small business owner, you want the ability to sell your products and services and do so professionally.
This is not for those businesses that accept payment in their DMs or by cash apps. This is not the way you should be running a professional business and brand in the first place.
Social media sites do not give you the ability to generate business and close transactions in a way that your website can.
Social media platforms are there to help you connect with and communicate with your audience. Whereas, if you want to make money from that audience, your website is the only thing that will be able to help you, if you are building a reputable and professional business.
So whilst you may have a social media account, you will still need a website to display the product or service and close the transaction.
Difference #5
A social media presence is just one part of the puzzle for consumers.
Actually consumers prefer checking out a business’ website before it decides to complete a transaction with them.
55% of consumers say they will search online for reviews and recommendations of the business, before making a purchase with them. 47% said they would visit the business’ website, whilst 23% would talk to friends and family. (source: https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/xx/pdf/2017/01/the-truth-about-online-consumers.pdf)
From these statistics alone, it tells you that the main difference between social media and websites is the perception that is in the minds of the people that matter to your business – your potential consumers.
Having a good website, that is maintained, gives you a strong online brand identity that helps to establish immediate trust and credibility.
A social media account, by itself, does not always communicate brand, perhaps because of how effortless it is to create one.
Anyone can create a social media account, but when you have a website and knowing that it forms part of your business expense to run it, there is the perception that you are serious about your business.
Difference #6
If you do not know how to effectively use social media to reach your community, then you will always battle with little or no engagement.
This is one of the problems that businesses have faced with Facebook and Instagram, in that their engagement with their business page, has plummeted and they are now forced to pay to reach their followers.
YouTube, as a social media video content platform, does give their content providers some leverage, however recently there has been complaints that YouTubers’ views have decreased.
This is all because of the social media algorithms, something that none of us can change.
Having a website however, allows you to stay connected to your consumers and visitors by being able to engage with them through emails and sometimes without having to pay. If you are actively building an email list, this is one of the benefits that business owners cherish.
A well-nurtured email list will help you to keep your business running so you can stay in front of potential customers and clients. Unfortunately with social media platforms, you are often at their mercy, not knowing whether your post will appear in front of them or get lost in the social media blackhole.
Is Social Media More Important Than A Website?
Let’s face it. Social media platforms are popular and if used well, makes it easy for brands to get found, be seen and stay relevant and in front of their audience.
But if you are just getting started as a brand and you do not yet have that influence, competition can stifle your growth. You may then have to resort to advertising and other measures, to get visibility to your business.
Social media is a great marketing tool that you can add to your marketing choices, but based on the differences listed above, I would not say that it is more important than a website.
Let’s not forget the most important thing about social media accounts – you don’t own them.
So in that regard, it cannot be the fundamental thing that businesses should focus on when they are just getting started.
The first thing you should do, as you prepare to develop your online presence is create a website. (Click here for our DIY course to build your own website). This should be the heartbeat of your online presence. The second thing that you should do and which is complimentary to your website, is create your social media accounts, which should be your marketing tools.
But you should never give more attention to building up your social media presence, that you forget about your website presence. They both go hand in hand. Build an asset where you have complete ownership and control of it but use social media platforms to drive traffic and business back to your website.
Should You Use Facebook As a Website?
As a small business owner, I strongly recommend that you do not use Facebook as your website, for the reasons listed above.
Facebook should be used as a way to build your community and attract people to you, but ultimately, you want to have your own real estate in the form of your website which you have complete ownership and control of.
Whilst you can use Facebook to add your content to, do not build your online business on Facebook. Here’s why:
- Facebook can delete your account without warning, giving you no reason or no time to remedy the issue.
- If your Facebook account is deleted, you may have no way to contact someone in an authoritative position to ask to remedy the breach.
- If there is a breach, Facebook is typically unconcerned with giving a proper explanation as to what you did. Their responses tend to be generic leaving you frustrated as a business owner.
Here is a great example of how this has affected another business owner (https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2016/10/my-facebook-business-page-was-deleted.html). Hopefully their mistake will be your lesson.
There are other things that you can do to build your online business including building an email list.
Conclusion: Are Websites Still Relevant in 2020?
Let’s wrap this up.
Websites are still relevant and if you do not yet have a website, but you’re still solely relying on social media, I hope that this year you make the change, if you want to be taken seriously and you want to build a strong brand.
If you’re looking to stand out from your competitors, start thinking like an entrepreneur. You have a real business, you are credible and can be trusted and that starts with building on a proper foundation – your website.
Have I convinced you yet? If you have answered yes and you are ready to finally set yourself up as the brilliant business owner that you are, start building your website with our DIY course, Build Your Small Business Website With WordPress.
You will see just how simple and cost effective it is, to create a website that will represent you, your values and ultimately your brand.
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