Investing in a website may feel unnecessary. Maybe you’re satisfied with the volume of business you’re bringing in. You don’t think expanding your online presence will tip the scale much either way. Or perhaps you scaled so big on social media, that you’re now starting to face the limitations that come with platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok.

Or maybe you’re just starting out and aren’t sure if it makes sense to invest in a website now or wait until it becomes a problem to address it. Fear not, my child. I have answers for you!!

This is the ultimate “Why We Need Website” guide for freelancers and business owners.

We’re going to keep it short and sweet. I hate having to dig through long articles to find an answer to my questions.

Let’s start with the classic Google searches, “why do i need website,” “why we need website,” or even “which business need website” – all renditions of the question: Do I really need to pay for this? Like is it necessary for my business to be successful?

And perhaps to your surprise, no. It’s not necessary per say. Plenty of businesses exclusively use Facebook and/or Instagram to advertise and attract new customers. But…

There are about 8.5 billion searches on Google PER DAY. 99,000 search queries every second.

Yes, this means what you think it means. There are millions of opportunities each day to capture attention for your business, sell more products or services, and convert more potential customers into loyal buyers. So even if you reached 10,000 people on social media in the last 30 days (view these analytics for your Instagram account by going go your profile and clicking professional dashboard), you missed out on the millions of other people using searching online for new products or services every day.

But to lay it out more explicitly, here are the 7 reasons you need a website and why social media just doesn’t cut it.

1. Data Analytics and Insights
2. Content Depth and Authority
3. Control Over Branding
4. Direct to Customer Contact
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
6. Credibility
7. Enhanced User Experience (UX)

Why do I need a website?

Data Analytics and Insight From Website Users

Websites open the door for valuable insights into visitor behavior and preferences through analytics tools. These insights allow you to make data-driven decisions to optimize your marketing strategies and offerings. Social media platforms do offer limited analytics. If you have a creator of professional account with Meta let’s say, you can navigate to your professional dashboard on Instagram and view user demographics, most active times, the reach of your posts, etc. However, it’s nothing near the capabilities of something like Google Analytics or something of the sort. If you’re not taking advantage of this data, you’re doing yourself as disservice.

Content Depth and Authority

A website provides a platform to showcase your expertise and authority in your industry through in-depth blog posts, case studies, white papers, and other educational content. By providing free value in this form, you position your brand as a trusted resource in the industry. This attracts new prospective customers looking for answers to industry questions and nutures existing relationships with previous or current clients interested in continuous learning. Not to mention, Google is always watching. Having articles on your website tells Google more about what you do and shows them that you’re an expert providing answers to questions that matter for Google users. This, will in turn boost your website in search results.

Gain Control Over Branding With Your Own Website

You can only customize your page on socials but so much. The general look and feel of Instagram for example, remains the same for everyone. When you’re on the app, you know it’s Instagram because the UI is familiar. Yes, you differentiate yourself through the branded content you post, but you’ll never have full control over the experience when consumers visit your Instagram page. Why? Because Instagram owns it and you don’t. Until they add the ability for custom CSS or drag and drop UI elements to curate a personal, immersive brand experience, we’re stuck with the same old layout that every single other Instagram has. Having a website gives you complete control over the visual experience customers face when engaging with your business.

Direct to Customer Contact

This may just unlock a new fear for you, so I apologize in advance. But it’s totally possible for Instagram to completely delete or deactivate your account because you’ve accidentally “violated community guidelines.” They won’t give you a reason and there is no way to directly contact them to get it back besides submitting an appeal which can take weeks or event months. But at that point, your account has a red flag on it, which could significantly affect whether the algorithm pushes out your content. If this happens to you, do you have another way to get in contact with your audience? Having a newsletter and collecting people’s emails is another step to secure this direct line of contact without reliance on a 3rd party social platform.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

There are 3 main ways you can attract new customers to your brand – (1) Social Media, (2) Foot Traffic, and (3) Search Engines. SEO is simply how your business gets discovered on search engines. Social media platforms have their own in-app search engines and don’t include as much opportunity to optimize your page beyond hashtags, captions, and your bio. Websites on the other hand, can be strategically designed and written to use keywords, answer common questions, and show up in Google search results. Essentially, it’s another, untapped avenue to get new eyes on your business and lead to even more revenue then you’re making right now.

Demonstrate Credibility with a Well-Designed Website

You probably know this one. It’s likely the main reason you’re even considering getting a website in the first place. It’ll demonstrate to prospective customers that you’re credible, professional, established, and serious about your business. That’s it.

Enhanced User Experience (UX)

Unlike the limitations of social media platforms, a website offers customizable navigation and layout options. This allows you to provide visitors with a seamless browsing experience tailored to their unique needs. It also provides more opportunity for calls to action beyond the standard “Follow/Unfollow” seen on any social app UI. Thus, you can prompt visitors to subscribe to a newsletter, register for an event, submit a contact form, or anything else your heart desires.

I hope this answered your question. If you want to know more about why websites are important for your business, check out my Instagram.

Interested in learning what website design services exist and what you might need for your own business? Click here.

Ready to book your free 1-hour consultation to discuss all of these things? Click here.

Until next time,