Your Business Needs A Website, Not Just A Social Network Handle

BY Apr. 16, 2010 17 Comments


Frighteningly, there are still a lot of business owners hyped up that they only need a Facebook or Twitter page. An even scarier fact is that there are businesses relying on free hosts to allow them to have a presence.

If you are going to start a business, you need to invest in it. Like a tattoo, if you invest in the cheapest place, not only are you getting a tattoo that may have been inked incorrectly and looks horrible in 10 years, but you also may risk a serious infection. A business needs both time and money to thrive.

The problem is that there is a lot of information online that can be quite confusing to people trying to build an online presence. Side Note: As a web designer, the majority of small business owners I have talked with are intimidated by this information and have settled into the mentality that just having a social network handle will suffice because of all the dollar signs of all these services.

If you are unsure of what to do, there are plenty of people in the social network communities that are quite trustworthy enough to give advice on who to host your site with, who is an affordable designer than charges decently, and even how you can optimize your site up properly.

Social networks are merely a place that you can share your information, not create a main hub for your business. You need something that will give you that control. Your website will be the place you want people to go to and buy what you are trying to sell the masses. In the case of some people, it may not even be selling a product, but merely asking people to come and read what you have to say.

That is quite alright if you have a site that is totally free, or even just has some third-party advertisements. However, when you spread that word, you are essentially sharing your content in hopes that it will be read – you are selling your words.

So, if you have a business and you just have a social network handle, you are missing a few steps. Even if you have just come online, you probably should be conducting test groups to find out what your potential customers might like. You can effectively do this with a website where you lead them from your social networks and onto your business for feedback.

Are you still unsure if your business needs a website? For those who already have businesses and social network handles, what advice can you give to those who are still timid about properly branding themselves online?

Online Business, Social Media
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  • http://www.iblogzone.com DiTesco

    Well said. To be in business you will have to invest something, which could be a little capital and most importantly a lot of time. Social presence is important to for business to spread your brand and maintain it in focus. However, you are absolutely right, it is not sufficient.
    .-= DiTesco´s last blog post: Promote Your Website: Free Advertising On iBlogZone =-.

    • Nile Flores

      There are just so many tools out there… and some of them can be invested with little cost. A lot of people do not know that. Yes, you have to invest… but research and invest wisely. :D
      .-= Nile Flores´s last blog post: Using Local SEO To Get Targeted Traffic =-.

  • http://www.youngprepro.com Onibalusi Bamidele

    This is a really great post I wish all entrepreneurs read. Most often, only established businesses/websites strive on the social media, your business needs money and dedication on your part and even if social media brings traffic, it is not the golden key because majority of those who come from the social media might not come again and if some come you have to follow them up because they won’t just buy from you like that, they want to know who you are.
    Thanks a lot for the great post.
    .-= Onibalusi Bamidele´s last blog post: 5 Great bloggers that inspire me =-.

    • Nile Flores

      A lot of businesses that do invest money, forget that time is also a huge factor… as well as learning what is needed to do the job right in branding and getting your presence out there.

      Thank you very much… I hope to share more posts like this that you will like.
      .-= Nile Flores´s last blog post: Using Local SEO To Get Targeted Traffic =-.

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  • Jacob maslow

    A social network can be a good start. A chance for a business owner to get their foot wet.

    It obviously is insufficient to have much of an impact on their business. Facebook can also let them connect to their customers.

    Any business needs a web site to help advertise their services to prospects.
    .-= Jacob maslow´s last blog post: Laser Particle Test For The EZ Air HEPA Air Cleaners =-.

    • Nile Flores

      Each of these tools, a website, a social network handle all work hand in hand to produce the best results while reaching the most people.

      I talk to a lot of local small business owners and a lot of them do not know these things. The few who do, are just starting their own social media marketing journey online and doing great so far.
      .-= Nile Flores´s last blog post: Using Local SEO To Get Targeted Traffic =-.

  • Tyler King

    I definitely agree that getting a real website should be a priority, but there are also options like Google Sites for people that aren’t ready to take the plunge. Spending $10 on a domain name and setting up a Google Site isn’t as good as building a site from scratch, but it’s much better than relying entirely on social networking.

    • Nile Flores

      Actually there are web hosts that are pretty cheap that can be trustworthy. I actually sell off my own server to my web design clients for as little as $25 per year (including a .com, .net, or .org name for new domains.) Been hosting since 2006.

      I am not the only one who does this….that is reliable.

      You have to be careful on those sites. I had a guy that owned a local dojo that was redirecting a domain to his bravehost account. That is not a good solutions and come to find out, his site was not showing up properly in the search engines.
      .-= Nile Flores´s last blog post: Using Local SEO To Get Targeted Traffic =-.

      • Tyler

        Yeah, I’m not saying that Google Sites is a great hosting option, but hosting isn’t normally the expensive part. If a business owner wants a decent website, the cost of having it designed and built will generally far exceed the hosting costs. If someone can’t justify spending a ton of money to pay a professional, Google Sites is better than nothing.

        Like you, I build websites for a living, so I realize that there’s no substitute for the real thing (if you can afford it). Either way, like you said, businesses need more of an online presence than just their social networking profiles.
        .-= Tyler´s last blog post: 6 reasons small businesses shouldn’t use big-business software =-.

  • http://www.qvassist.com Melinda

    Great article. A website is a necessity. When I look for a product/service, the first thing I do is use Google (as most people do these days). I can’t find ABC company if they don’t have a website.

    Using only social networking sites is like having 10 gallons of gas..but no car to put it in. You are missing the key element. Social networking combined with a website with good content creates the complete package.

    Small businesses should make a website a priority when planning a marketing budget. It is like having a sales staff working for your 24/7.
    .-= Melinda´s last blog post: Improved meta tags ready for use =-.

    • Nile Flores

      That is a good analogy. There are many ways you can tell this story, and analogies help.

      I have spoken to quite a few small biz owners that say “I have a budget of zero when it comes to marketing online.”

      I tell them that if they want to make it happen, plan to start with a budget of no more than $250 and they will be on their way. After that, the road is easier and will only involve web host renewal each year and any extras they want for their site. It is amazing how their eyes open up to how a starting figure is much less than what larger and more intimidating web development companies have come up with. I worked with a scholarship committee site that they were being quoted $3500 up front and $1700 a year. I found it ridiculous and cut their costs to a quarter of that.
      .-= Nile Flores´s last blog post: Basic HTML: Using The Anchor Tag For A Page Jump =-.

  • http://brendanwenzel.net Brendan

    As a business owner, you never want to allow someone else to have control over your business. By not having a self-hosted site, you are allowing the social networks to have complete control. They can shut you down with a click of a mouse. Why let someone have that ability when it’s possible and easy to setup your own site?
    .-= Brendan´s last blog post: Why Web Design Shouldn’t Be a Do-It-Yourself Task =-.

    • Nile Flores

      Agreed!

      You are correct. I have talked to business owners who believe freebie hosting is a good route, but it is not. You cannot properly brand your business because you do not have that control factor.

  • Phillip Dews

    Hooraa, Well said Nile I really enjoyed reading this! Like you I am A website designer of sorts as I am still teaching myself to use the Adobe Products! I have actually just made myself a website to show off what I have learned so far and to hopefully get some work from it after moving my main blog to a subdomain.

    I totally agree with you that business are losing out! I was actually speaking to one of my neighbours a few months ago who has only got a Business Facebook Page for his construction company and after much persuading he has finally given in and has asked me to make himself a website for his company.

    Of course i am not going to charge him the earth as i dont yet consider myself a por webdeveloper yet but hey £100 for a few hours work aint going to break his bank.

    In fact I was getting my fortnightly hair trim a few days ago by the owner of a salon and i asked her if she had a site up and running to wich the reply was “I got a facebook page”. Well I just went into overdrive and Lisa has agreed to having a site made and actually commented on how cheap it is to set one up

    A lot of small business owners think that to have a site made is going to cost hundreds if not thousands and yes you can go to a pro designer and they can charge you an are and a leg! but for someone like me who is just starting out I thing that nurturing my Brand and Reputation is more important.

    In the end it all boils down to Brand and Reputation both for the designer and the client and if you got both then in the end it pays off big time!

    Thanks for This Artice Nile.

    -Phillip Dews
    .-= Phillip Dews´s last blog post: Introducing the New Phillip Dews dot Com =-.

    • Nile Flores

      The problem is that a lot of business owners, especially small business usually have a lot of pride in their work. It is hard to listen to outside sources when they do have a business plan in mind. The problem with that is that they miss some of the key elements to marketing their business that they lose out.

      It is great that you got in touch with that contractor and convinced him to go beyond simple social networking and develop their presence. It is a good boost to your community when another business pops up online, telling the whole world they exist, and even your community/ city exists and what it includes.