With all the talk about social media, it can be easy to question whether or not a website should be the hub of your online presence. After all, with 1.7 billion worldwide users on Facebook, won’t a business Facebook Page work just as well?

A Facebook Page is a lot like a business website, right?  Many new small business owners wonder if having a strong business presence on a social network like Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram won’t work as a replacement for a business website. It won’t!

Building a strong business presence on one or more social networks is great.  But don’t assume that what you build there and can do today, will remain the same for as long as your business is around.

What you can do today on any social network, including Facebook, can change in the blink of an eye. As networks grow and evolve the rules of the game, especially for businesses, change.

Down the road, you likely won’t have the organic or free reach you have today. (This is already true on Facebook.) In fact, it’s entirely possible the network you build your brand on may not even exist five years from now. We live in a fast-changing world, especially when it comes to technology.

A Facebook Page is a lot like a business website, right?  Many new small business owners wonder if having a strong business presence on a social network like Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram won’t work as a replacement for a business website. It won’t!

Building a strong business presence on one or more social networks is great.  But don’t assume that what you build there and can do today, will remain the same for as long as your business is around.

What you can do today on any social network, including Facebook, can change in the blink of an eye. As networks grow and evolve the rules of the game, especially for businesses, change.

Down the road, you likely won’t have the organic or free reach you have today. (This is already true on Facebook.) In fact, it’s entirely possible the network you build your brand on may not even exist five years from now. We live in a fast-changing world, especially when it comes to technology.

The rules of the game on any social network can and do change. You have absolutely no control over what the rules will be for using any social network a year from now, let alone tomorrow.

Just ask any small business owner who jumped on the Facebook bandwagon early on! Many were initially delighted at being able to reach people in their News Feed for free. These businesses worked hard to build a fan base for their Page. Sometimes paying to build the number of people who had liked their Page.

They had no idea that one day, in around 2012 and earlier, Facebook would begin to limit how much of what they share would actually make it into their fans’ News Feed!

Today, unless Facebook Page owners pay to get into the News Feed of their fans, it’s unlikely what they share will be seen by most of their fans! A mere 1 to 6% of Facebook Page fans, according to internationally recognized Facebook expert, Mari Smith.

Website or social media?  Done well social media can help strengthen your online brand and send traffic to your website. It’s one spoke in the wheel of your online marketing strategy, with your website as the hub. It’s not something isolated from everything else you do to promote your business. It’s a spoke in the wheel.

Social media can help build brand name recognition and a solid reputation for your business, and it can drive traffic to your website! If you have a blog on your website or sell products there, it should drive traffic to your website.

But, if your business looks great on social networking sites like Facebook but sucks on your website, your business and the first impression people have of it, will suffer!

Your website, not a social network, should be the hub of your online presence. It’s the only platform you have any real control over!

Most people today who want to find your business or to learn about your business and their products and/or services, look to your business website first. This may be because they’ve seen your name somewhere; or because a friend or family member mentioned your name; or because your business appeared in a search result.

But, what they do when they arrive on your website determines whether or not they stay on your website and dig deeper, or whether they leave or exit your website right away. If they discover your business on a social network, chances are, if they’re thinking of doing business with you, the next step for them is to visit your website, to learn more.

And importantly, most people will visit your website while on their mobile device, according to Google, so make sure your business website is mobile-friendly!

Whether you are looking to build your first small business website or make improvements to an existing one, the cost will depend on the website functionality.  Some businesses require a level of functionality and complexity that is much more expensive. But for many small businesses, this is not the case.

The quality of the images and content used on your website along with the layout, design and functionality are important! Just having a website is not enough. How that website represents your business, your brand, is hugely important.

But, if your business looks great on social networking sites like Facebook but sucks on your website, your business and the first impression people have of it, will suffer!

Your website, not a social network, should be the hub of your online presence. It’s the only platform you have any real control over!

ThePixel is a website design, seo and digital marketing company located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our website designs are custom designed for your unique brand and online presence. Since 2008, ThePixel has worked with hundreds of businesses to design, develop and launch their perfect website that lasts for years.

All Pixel websites are backed with a powerful content management system, search engine optimization and a modern mobile-friendly design. Let’s start building the website of your dreams – one that generates traffic, leads and conversions. Contact ThePixel and one of our representatives will guide you through the website phases and how the process works either by a Zoom Meeting or phone.