Why Your Local Business Needs A Website

Do you remember back in the spring when everyone panicked because Facebook and Instagram weren't working?

Instagram and Facebook were down for HOURS. Nothing was loading, nothing was posting and people were losing their minds.

But let’s agree today that the fall of a social media platform will NEVER bring our businesses to a standstill, ok?

Because we’re never gonna be THAT dependent on social media.

You know why? Because we’re building our businesses on websites and through email — things we CAN control.

And social media will only be a supplement to that. Social media is a tool.

Business folk tend to think these days that websites aren’t necessary. They don’t see the benefit because they have everything they need right there on social media — until they don’t anymore.

If you’re not convinced that you need a true website yet, here are 3 super compelling reasons you NEED to hop on the website train:
 

1- What if Instagram and Facebook went away… forever?

You don’t own Facebook or Instagram. And those can go away at any time. Or your profile could get hacked and you’d lose everything. Then what? Where would people find you? How would you communicate with your customers? You’d be screwed.

2- You seem more legit.

It’s 2019 and people are more skeptical than ever. In fact, 30% of people won’t buy from you if you don’t have a website. Having a website shows (A) you’re real (B) you’re professional and (C) you know what you’re doing. People may find you on social media, but chances are they’re gonna want to check out your website before purchasing.
 

3- Google’s got your back. 

We live in a world of Googlers, so you want to show up on that search list. When you create a website, you can show up in your local listings when people search for your service or product. Helloooo, that’s free and easy. Over 3 billion searches happen every day, and you really only need a few of them to be for you to be really successful.

Common Objections & Why You Still Need A Website

1- Websites are expensive.

Nah, girl! You can own a website for free or a couple dollars. Seriously. You can pay thousands for someone to build an advanced website, but you can also get a basic one set up and going that fits your needs for free (if you DIY) or just a few hundred dollars if you want to save yourself time and stress and hire out.

2- Websites are hard to create.

Wrong again! Websites are easier than ever to create with drag and drop capabilities and templates to fit your exact business model. Squarespace, Wix and Shopify make it soooo easy for us. When you’re starting out, don’t make it complicated… stick to your basics like who you are, where you are and what you do. Throw up an About page, some pictures, an email sign up form and a contact page and you’re ready to roll for now.

3- Everyone is on social media.

Yes, they are — and your social channels should be a top priority to market your business. But your business shouldn’t live only on social media. It should have its own safe space that doesn’t get affected by algorithms, hackers or weird days like yesterday.