Why Using Social Media as Your Website Should Be Avoided
Our experience is that when a self-employed person or business owner decides to switch to an online platform one of the very first things they do is create a social media profile for their business. Some people stop at a social media account for their business.
Why would you use social media as your only source of online information?
There are many reasons why a business may choose to use a social media site as its “business website”. Here are some of the most likely ones.
1.It’s Easy
It’s likely that social media is a part of the lives of many people, and they are comfortable using it. Many platforms make it simple to create accounts for business because social media is so widely used. If the platform charges advertising fees, they will encourage users to create business pages to earn money.
2.It’s Typically free
It’s usually free and easy to set up a basic business account. This alone is appealing to new business owners, who are often looking to save money.
3.Easy to Share
What else do you require besides being free and simple? sharing your business page with family and friends. Social media can be a great way to spread the word about your business. Its purpose is to engage potential customers and be social.
Why Businesses Need Websites Outside of Social Media
Although the benefits of using social media to promote your business are obvious — and it is usually a good thing to have at least one social media profile for your company — there are other very important reasons that businesses shouldn’t just stop there.
Business Information
Social media platforms have fixed sections of content. You are limited to what the platform allows you to do if you want to include specific information on a particular page.
2.Design & Branding
You can use images and your company logo but you cannot change the fonts, colors, layout or overall design.
3.Promotion and Advertising
You can advertise your products and services on most social media platforms. This is great. However, if your website allows you to add these sections, it’s a lot easier. Businesses can advertise their website through search engines if the budget permits.
4.Search Engine Results
Over time, social media accounts will appear in search engine results — such as Google or Bing. However, they are mostly self-contained. You may want to share information or services on the internet, but you are restricted by the “containers” of social media profiles. Search results may include the account, but may hide specific information. This is true, especially if a company chooses to blog instead of writing tweets or posts.
5.You can now control your online presence
You do not own the social media platform. Maintaining an independent level control over your company’s web presence is essential. By relying on a stable third party, you are putting the control of your company’s most important online presence into someone else’s hands who may not be looking out for your best interests. Social media platforms are free to change things whenever and however they please, without your input. These changes could have a negative or positive impact on your business.
What to Keep in Mind When Using a Website as well as Social Media Accounts for Business
Most companies have their own website and one or more accounts on social media. It’s standard practice for businesses to start developing their online presence. This is a good thing. There are some key things to remember if you’re trying to balance a website with social media.
1.Keep your information consistent
Keep your business information consistent on all platforms. You don’t want your potential customers to be confused by incorrect or outdated information. It may seem like a no-brainer, but it is a common problem. The most important information is the business hours, location, and contact information. Information can also include special offers, types of services and notifications such as construction or random closures because of weather, lack of power or other reasons.
2.List of Accounts
It may seem easy to maintain a website and a social media account, but it becomes more difficult as the business grows. It doesn’t matter if you are the “web/social manager” or not, having someone keep track of all accounts and logins that have been privately created is a good way to know what needs updating.
3.Brand Consistency
This is important for consistency but not as crucial as the information about your business. It’s important to make sure that all accounts online are updated when a business decides to change its brand, logo or imagery. This will ensure that online visitors can immediately recognize the company. This should be done immediately after any updates to business information.
Contact me about your web design needs
Contact Emerging Business Systems if you need help or guidance with your online presence or social media accounts. We are happy to provide assistance or guidance!