One thing is pretty clear about websites and businesses. If you have a business today, you need a website. All across the internet, that answer is apparent and there are some compelling reasons for having a website. It’s a powerful communication tool, a source for marketing, a great source of additional income streams, and more. There are so many reasons that saying “no” to having a website almost sounds like you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
But is that really everything? Can businesses really thrive without a website? While the answer may be painfully obvious, it’s actually not so black and white. Some businesses certainly need a website, while others actually can make it through without.
In the camp of people who need a website you have two kinds of people: those who looked for other options, and those who refuse to have a site for no reason.
We understand why some people don’t want a website. They’ve heard it’s expensive and maybe it’s out of their budget to have a site. So instead of going to a web design firm (or individual), they turn to social media. Many businesses are on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but there are some businesses who work exclusively on those sites. And while you are saving in money by having a profile or a page, there are a lot of drawbacks to that strategy.
The thing with social media platforms is that they change and if your entire business is exclusively on there, you need to comply. Even if that means less sales, or that you need to pay more for others to see your advertisements, you don’t have a say in the matter. Marketing is of course important and having a presence on those platforms is key. But if your entire operation is on one – or several – social media platforms, you’re in trouble.
When you have a website, you get control over what content you deliver and you’re not at the mercy of social media giants. Furthermore you won’t be as impacted when users decide to move away from one platform and go to another. If you’re in that kind of situation, having your own website is important.
The other camp is those who avoid having a website but have no real reason to. I also get that as many people are concerned that they need to post content every day or that the costs are too high. But that’s not always the truth. In terms of cost, the largest cost is setting the website up. After that, any ongoing expenses are marginal at most.
To give you an example, registering and renewing your domain (the website name) runs for about $10 per year on average. If you’re looking for a server that’ll host your site you’re looking at as little as $4 per month to upwards of $100 per month.
So you see the costs are relatively low. But that also is the same with dedication to content. While it’s certainly beneficial to produce fresh content on the regular, not every business has the resources or the manpower to constantly produce work. It’s why for small businesses, we encourage to create when you can and not sweat the small issues.
But with all of this said, there are some scenarios where having a website for your business makes no sense at all. And what kind of scenarios are those? Well a lot of comes down to what a website provides and how that value matches with your goals as a business owner.
At the end of the day, you’ll need a website only if having a website will help you. Because while websites are great, there are some drawbacks. For one, even if you don’t plan on making content that much, you’ll still need someone to check on it, run maintenance, and maybe create a few articles now and again. If your business can’t afford that, then maybe a website isn’t for you.
Or maybe your business is doing so well that you’re getting customers to your business with little effort. A website can boost your marketing potential, but if you’re already managing the flow of customers well right now and you’re happy with the amount, potentially adding more doesn’t seem all that worth it.
A website is like a giant public bulletin board. It projects what you do and what makes you different than everyone else, how potential clients and customers can reach you, and what your company is about. You get complete control over it and is a convenient way for customers to reach you and you to reach them. It’s a powerful tool, but only to the extent that it fits your business needs and goals. So before you dismiss or jump into having a website, make sure that having a website will really help your business out first.