The ultimate question of website vs social media: Do you need a website in the age of social media?

It’s an easy thing to think that having a quality website is “no longer necessary.” When everyone is sitting on social media all day every day, can’t you cut out the website and just rely on social media?

The long and short of this answer is, No.

Do not skip having a website just because you can have a free social media account.

There are many reasons why websites win in the website vs social media battle.

The biggest is how your website builds the trust that you are in fact, a legit company. And you will be able to provide the service the people are hiring you for.

Now, you can get traction via social media for sure. Especially if you utilize reviews from customers, but at the end of the day, you don’t own your social media accounts.

You can get hacked and lose your entire following in one fell swoop. Or Zuckerburg will choose to change the algorithm in a way that greatly lowers your reach… again.

It’s like Zuck’s favorite pastime. Bring you in, get you addicted, and then change how the program works to make it so you have to work so much harder just to get the minimal traction you were getting before.

Where a website is wholly your own.

You get to say what’s on it and what’s not.

You get to have full control over how it looks and who is seeing it.

Not to mention, with the abundance of template-built website companies out there, you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a custom-built web design to have a professional-looking website.

Now, I’m not saying that you should pull away from social media.

I’m saying your website should be the direction of your social media and all of your marketing funnels.

Your website is the place where people are directed to check out:

• who you are
• what you do
• how you can help them and
• if they trust that you are the best option for them

Now think about your own tendencies. How do you look for services you are in need of?

I did a poll on Facebook asking people how they look for a service provider when they are in need.

The choices were:

• Google search
• Facebook search
• Facebook Recommendation
• Pinterest
• Instagram
• Yelp

Of the people I polled, over 80% of them specified that they searched Google first. Next up was Facebook Recommendations or Friend’s Recommendations.

80% go to Google to start looking for a service provider.

So, think about your own tendencies, when you are looking for a service business what do you do? How do you look for people to hire?

Most people go through this mindmap:

1. Realize they have a problem or a need.
2. They either know what service they need, and they search for a keyword for that niche.
3. Or they have a specific question they want an answer to, so they type in that question.
4. They find an article, usually a blog post that answers their question.
5. Then, if the blog post did a good job, they click over to look at the rest of your website.
6. Once they’ve reviewed your site, they will likely go and check you out on social media, or a review site like Yelp or Google My Business, because they want to make sure other people believe in you too.

If they like what they’ve learned from your blog, and like what they’ve seen on your website, then they will go find your social to confirm what they are already thinking before they make the decision to buy or not.

Do you know what doesn’t show up as easily or readily in search engines?

Social media profiles.

And that is why it isn’t really a question of website vs social media.

It’s a question of what do you have the most control over? How can you guide the conversation that is happening in their head?

And then use the understanding that most will use your social media to confirm what they are already thinking of you and if they want to hire you.

But the majority of the decision happens when they are on your website. If you choose not to have a website, or if you have an outdated website, you are hurting your probability of getting hired!

So, do you have a website? Have you looked at your website lately, to make sure it’s up to date and actually bringing in clients? If you haven’t, then it may be time for a website audit.