As my competitor says: everyone needs a website. If you’re not familiar with this campaign, great. I’m not going to give free advertising to my competitor, right?
But the premise is true, and in today’s discussion, you, my dear entrepreneur, will understand why everyone needs a website.
As we discussed two weeks ago, your digital life needs to be organized. If you haven’t read it yet, click here after this text and check it out—it’s worth it. But back to the topic.
Among the key elements that indicate your company is organized, serious, and committed to the quality of its products is your website. Not just any website, but THE WEBSITE.
Many people think that having a website is unnecessary these days. After all, you can easily open a fan page on Facebook, a profile on Instagram, Twitter, or any new social network that comes along. And the best part: it’s FREE! Why bother with a website that needs maintenance, updates, and could be costly, not to mention the risk of getting ripped off by an agency? Right?
WRONG. First of all, when you don’t have a website, you don’t have your own space on the internet. Remember: the social network is not yours. You don’t determine the policies, the format you can post, the size of videos, none of that. By choosing to rely solely on social media, you’re putting yourself at the mercy of Mr. Zuckerberg. And I can guarantee he changes his mind more often than your girlfriend on her period.
And no, I’m not writing this text to sell you my product. But if you want to buy, we can talk.The purpose of this space is to help entrepreneurs launch their businesses in the most effective way possible, to increase market presence and stimulate the economy. That’s why we’re going to demystify your objections and convince you to take action and get your website up and running.
Having a website is too expensive.
Actually, it depends. Of course, like any product, the cost of building your website depends on your business needs, as well as the design and ambitions you have in mind. However, you can start with a simple site, just one page, including your name, contact information, photos of your products, etc. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, and therefore, it doesn’t need to be very expensive.
But it's very difficult to maintain a website.
Not at all. Yes, you need to keep your site updated, especially if it’s built with WordPress or similar platforms, which are the best options these days. But it’s simple. Ask your agency to teach you how to handle basic updates, so you’re not dependent on them and can keep everything up to date yourself.
My business is local, so I don’t need a website.
Not really. Even if you’re doing well with people around you, remember: the largest street in the world is the internet. Don’t waste the traffic of people browsing every day. Do you really want to be invisible to billions of people?
But there are already so many websites on the internet. I wouldn’t be able to stand out.
Yes, there are millions of websites on the internet, including in your niche. But if you’re not there, your competitor is. And another thing: are you the only one in your segment in the physical world?
But I already invest in Instagram. Why would I also spend time investing in a website?
Well, my dear, because Instagram is not yours. Imagine how frustrating it would be to wake up and find out that Instagram decided you’re not following their 'community guidelines,' whatever that means, and simply made your account—where you put in all the effort, creating reels, stories, and everything else—invisible to users? That happened to me. Meanwhile, the website was still up and running smoothly. See below:
Just having a website doesn’t guarantee sales
Correct. Of course not. It’s essential, after your site is built, to invest in paid traffic to generate visits and boost your business. It’s much better than just boosting posts on Instagram. Trust me.
If your site has good SEO work, people will find it more easily on Google searches, which is harder if you only have an Instagram profile.
To wrap up, I want to leave you with a reflection: if McDonald’s, Apple, C&A, Cinemark, and any other huge multinational company you can think of all have well-crafted websites, even with their strong presence on social media, why do you think you don’t need one? Investing in a website enhances your business’s credibility and properly positions your brand in the digital world.
I always say: your website is your own home, your store in the digital world. You can use social media as support to ‘advertise,’ but your goal should always be to lead your potential customers into your establishment. Or not?
That’s it for this week’s discussion. Did I forget anything? I challenge you to prove to me that you don’t need a website.
Márcio Cabral is a filmmaker, graphic designer, advertiser, and entrepreneur. He is the executive director at IAP Propaganda, and one of the founding partners of 40EMAIS..
