“I have a Facebook Page for my business, why would I need a website?” We hear this a lot in our line of work. And unfortunately it couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you’re going to have marketing success in the age of digital platforms, you’re going to need a website to be your primary hub of information. A companies website is one of the key areas for growth and has proven to be absolutely vital in our new economy.

Did you know that businesses that had a website during Covid-19 were 80% more likely to make a sale than those who only had a Facebook business page. Why you may ask? Simply put – it’s the Trust Factor.

Having a user-friendly, well designed, responsive (mobile friendly) and professional website gives an excellent first impression for your business to the consumer. A website legitimises your business. A scammer is unlikely to go through the effort and cost in creating a beautiful website. By investing in a professional website, a certain level of trust is built with the user, albeit subconsciously, but confidence is instilled in the consumer. They become less sceptical and this gives you an advantage over your competitors.

In order to have a successful business, it is imperative that your business stands out both online and in the real world. Word of mouth and social media; while effective, is not sufficient.

1. HAVE SOMEONE’S UNDIVIDED ATTENTION

The competition on Facebook is fierce. The more pages someone likes, and the more friends they have, the more competition businesses have to break through. Compare that to your company website, where you have someone’s undivided attention – even if it’s only for a few seconds. Will you have to do something to drive traffic to your site? Yes, but that’s nothing a solid organic search strategy can’t handle.

3. A BUSINESS WEBSITE GENERATES ITS OWN LEADS

While Facebook is ideal for attracting fresh prospects, it doesn’t provide everything you need to complete the sales journey. Ideally, you want to push your Facebook followers to your website where they can then sign-up to stay in contact, make a purchase or get in touch.

5. A BUSINESS WEBSITE HELPS YOUR SEO AND ULTIMATELY YOUR GOOGLE RANKING

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the Holy Grail in the world of digital marketing. In essence it pertains to your ranking in search engine results. If someone Google’s the product you sell, you want your business to be one of the first links on the first page. Think of how many times you have gone onto page 2, I’d bet you could count that on one hand. Consumers are the same; they don’t want to (and won’t) search for you. You have to make yourself present and make it easy for them to find you. Good SEO will translate into a stronger, more credible online presence that works all day and all night to get you more customers.

Another goal, as a small business is ranking organically. You want someone to search your product and have your business name appear. Organic ranking saves you money, as you will have a lesser need for advertising.

7. A BUSINESS WEBSITE ALLOWS YOUR BUSINESS TO BE IDENTIFIABLE

For a business to thrive, it needs to be individualized and distinguishable from the rest. Your business website design is crucial to building the brand of your small business.

CONCLUSION

When starting a business and planning your marketing strategy, you want to stand out from the crowd and a business website offers you individuality that a Facebook page simply cannot. Social media is important, there is no denying that, but it has its place. It is insufficient to fulfil the ever changing and increasing needs of an online presence. These are the benefits of a Banter website over a social business page. Website vs. Facebook = no match!

A Banter website jump-starts a businesses digital footprint with a future proof, scalable, website solutions that meets their needs. And most importantly, meets their budget!