Recently a client was surprised to be contacted asking for information they make readily available on their website. The contacting individual only tried Facebook as a resource for information.
Although you can do a lot as a business with your Facebook Page, it doesn’t come close to the flexibility a website can offer.
Why You Still Need Your Website
Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., are great ways to connect. But they have real limitations on what your audience sees.
- Limited space for a bio about your company. Your website URL probably isn’t even on the main screen.
- Lots of restrictions with call to action button/area. For example, you can’t create wording of your button for the Facebook page in the header – it’s multiple choice. In other words, you will probably need to pay for an app to get around it.
- Restrict what is displayed. Mobile users usually do not have the full features of the website versions. Facebook, for example, buries their latest posts option within their menu and only displays top posts by default. They may never see your posts in their timeline.
- Change the rules. Facebook severely restricted the amount of posts users see for "liked" pages. If you have over a thousand likes, only 10 or so folks may actually see your latest posting unless you pay to "boost" the post.
- Little to no control. It is their space so they decide on picture sizes, how much text can be in a picture, change what is displayed on sidebars, etc. It is constantly changing.
It all comes down to lack of control. Social media is a great way to connect but you should also direct visitors to go to your website for more information whenever possible. You have control of your website and what they see.
Also, be sure your most valuable content is on your website so your site visitors want to stick around."…So what should social’s role be in all this? Social needs to be the gateway drug to your site." Gary Vaynerchuk
Do you use social media to generate traffic to your website? Love to hear your ideas.
Nancy Seeger, the owner of Arts Assistance, believes website design is part of the marketing toolkit that attracts your audience. Their roster of clients includes a GRAMMY artist, coaches, small businesses and non-profits. Get web design insider tips to more easily manage your website and attract your audience.
