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A business without a website is a business without a face, but because of the cost of hosting and design, many small businesses choose social media over a website. While that may seem like a frugal idea, it is not good business and could become problematic later down the road.
If you’re putting all your online efforts into Facebook while ignoring the importance of a website, as critical as social media is, you are setting yourself up for some potentially large problems that could cost you wasted time and clients – and in business, those two things equal money.
Owners Rights
You don’t own your Facebook page. Facebook is free to use, but what if it was suddenly gone tomorrow? Although SOPA did not pass, many large websites that use information sharing have been shut down without warning in the past month by various government agencies. Another problem you could encounter could be that something you posted or shared violates a Facebook rule, and your page is shut down by them and be gone when you wake up one morning. While this isn’t the norm, I have known several businesses that have been shut down by Facebook for alleged rule violation, even though no rules were broken – but with over 845 million users, Facebook doesn’t have the time to investigate every charge individually made against a fellow Facebook member. If there’s any question of impropriety, Facebook will error on the side of better-safe-than-sorry.
If all your online eggs are in the basket belonging to Facebook, you’re risking all the time and effort you’ve put into putting your page together, (or paying someone to do for you) but when you own your own website, there is no worry of waking up in the middle of a big sales campaign and seeing your only online presence has disappeared completely.
No Control
You don’t have control on Facebook of how your information appears, and we’ve all heard or made the complaints ourselves every time Facebook makes a large change. When you own your own website, the layout is all under your control and is displayed exactly how you want it.
Don’t Stop Me Now!
Facebook has limitations that you don’t have to be concerned with when you have your own website. Would you like to use pdf files to share documents with your viewers? You can’t do that with Facebook. What about videos? Video sharing is critical to many businesses, but Facebook limits how long your shared videos can be. Facebook also has very strict rules concerning contests and certain promotions. But with your own website you have fewer limitations (only those by law) and you can even include private areas that require passwords for viewing to share certain information or to allow restricted access to particular clients or employees.
Non-Facebook Users
Believe it or not, all your clients are not on Facebook, and even if your page is able to be viewed by those non-users, many people refuse to go on Facebook and if they have no other way of finding you online, you are going to lose their business to a competitor they can find who has their own website.
I’ll share more reasons later in the week of why you must have a website and not rely solely on social media, but if I’ve already convinced you on the important benefits of owning your own website, call me for a free consultation appointment to learn how I can get you started on your own website today.
Micki – your web gal
connect@michelleharbour.com
804.642-2363
330-591-1070 mobile
www.michelleharbour.com
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