If you’re already familiar with both websites and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, then you might be wondering which one is better for your business.

When it comes to social media, there’s no denying the benefits that it offers. It’s a powerful marketing tool and can be a great place to engage with your customers, reach new audiences, build a community, grow relationships, and share content.

The truth is, it’s less about choosing one or the other and more about having your website and social media work well together.

While social media accounts are great tools for your business, there is value in a website that social media alone just can’t provide. Even though it’s an important part of your digital strategy, social media alone doesn’t suit all businesses – especially those that need to sell products or services.

Whether you are just starting out or a business with many years of experience, having a website is the best way to showcase your product or service. A website will help build trust with new and existing customers, increase your brand awareness, and improve sales.

Here are 5 reasons your business needs a website

1. Websites help you appear more professional

Having a website positions you as a professional in your industry. It separates you from the people doing it as a side hustle or hobby.

If someone asks for more information about your business, referring them to your social media pages doesn’t give them the information they want to know about the services your offer, what credentials you have, pricing or packages, or even how to get in touch with you.

A business website makes the person feel the business is trustworthy, and they can rely on you that you are not going anywhere. This is because websites are an investment in both your time and money and shows that you are serious about your business.

2. You own your website

Since it is essentially rented online real estate, you don’t have complete control over anything that happens on social media. You have no control over whether or not your social media accounts are blocked, censored, filtered, or shut down.

Consider the amount of time you are putting into a platform that doesn’t actually belong to you. When Instagram and Facebook go down for a few hours or a day, it can feel like your whole business is going down with it – unless you have alternative marketing tools in place for your business such as a website!

When you launch a website, you’ll own it! You’ll have complete control over everything on your site. Once it’s properly maintained (kept up to date) you’ll never be shut down or blocked and you can share whatever you like.

You also don’t have to worry about pesky algorithms that constantly change how many people your content is able to reach.

3. You can design it to look however you like

On Instagram, of course, you can upload beautiful images and well-thought-out captions, but it’s still going to appear on a square grid and you won’t be able to change how they’re displayed. Your bio can only be 150 characters long, and there is only one bio link. You can upload any images or photos you like, but you can’t change anything else on your profile.

WordPress websites are completely customisable and your website can look however you like – with your branding, colour scheme, fonts, photos and text.

You also get to decide how your website is laid out and can choose exactly where you want your elements to go and how you want them to appear on desktop vs. mobile screens. You can have as many or as few pages as you like and lay them out in a way that suits your business.

4. Your Website is the “Hub” of Your Online Presence

Social media is great to attract potential clients but consider for a moment when you first come across an Instagram feed that piques your interest in a brand. Your first instinct is to want to learn more about the company and the services it offers. In most cases, if you’re serious about a brand and learn more about them, you go to its website.

This means that while Instagram and Facebook are wonderful for attracting new clients and expanding your following, your website is where you’ll actually seal the deal.

Websites have a better user experience than social media and are more likely to capture leads and really where you’re going to make your money. A website provides information about your business and services in an organised fashion that is easy for potential clients to navigate. A website will provide a place where they can easily get in touch, schedule an appointment, or purchase a product from you.

Without a website, what’s the next step? DM for info? Sure… But, is this the most professional way to represent yourself and your business?

A well-designed website will think about the journey of your client through your website from start to finish, thinking about their user experience and leading them to where they need to go – capturing leads and making you money.

5. You can have more information on a website

There’s pressure on social media to constantly be adding new and fresh content. You can write posts on XYZ but you can’t expect a new follower to read through all of your social media posts in order to learn about your business, or click through all your highlights to find out how to place an order.

Some social media platforms like Twitter have character limits which don’t allow a lot of room to talk about the value your business provides. Sure, you can write longer posts about your business on other social media platforms, but the minute you start posting other content, those original posts will get pushed toward the bottom of your feed.

That’s the reason, I recommend using social media only to drive visitors to your website.

Your website will remain unchanged, so you won’t have to worry about adding fresh material every day or constantly revising your sales pitch. You can explain your services or products in greater detail than you could in an Instagram caption or a Facebook ad.

There’s no doubt that the Internet has changed our lives.

And with social media and websites, you can reach customers like never before. So why choose one or the other?

It makes sense to have both working for you. With a website and social media accounts that are integrated and optimised for search, you give customers a way to find you at all times of the day. And by building relationships within your community through blog posts, contests, videos and more, you can grow your brand online—and in real life too.