---
title: Your Website is More Important Today Than Ever
description: While it’s true, not every single business in existence needs a website, THAT is more the exception than the rule today. Here are some of the top reasons why your website is more important today than ever before.
image: https://www.digitalmomentum.com/hubfs/blog-doineedawebsite-final.jpg
---

# Your Website is More Important Today Than Ever

![Kevin Hofer](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/hubfs/headshot-google.jpg)

Post by [Kevin Hofer](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/author/kevin-hofer)

![Do I Really Need a Website?](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/hs-fs/hubfs/blog-doineedawebsite-final.jpg?width=900&name=blog-doineedawebsite-final.jpg)

In today’s highly-competitive business environment, lean operations and tight budgets are more the rule than the exception. For that reason, it’s understandable why companies may be reluctant to [invest - both time and money](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/what-does-a-website-cost) - into a website of their own.

Given the popularity of social media, some decision-makers are asking, “**Do I really need a website**, or can I manage my digital footprint on social alone?”

I have encountered this very thing with contacts in our industry. More than one person has said to me, “I don’t need a website. I have a [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/business/) page. My customers can find me there or on [Yelp](https://www.yelp.com/)”.

While it’s true that maybe not every business needs a website, THAT is more the exception than the rule today. Here are some top reasons why your website is more important today than ever before.

## Credibility and Trust

Over time, people have just come to expect that a reputable business will have a website they can visit. The effort required to set up a Facebook page or Instagram account is pretty minimal. Your prospective customers know and understand this. Establishing a more formal online presence with your own website requires a more significant investment, and this resonates with your audience in the form of credibility.

To drive this point home, think back to a time when you wanted to find out more information about a company you saw somewhere online (i.e., on Facebook or Instagram). But when you went looking for more information, they didn’t have a website of their own. How did that make you feel? While one could argue that a website alone is not enough to instill trust, the lack of one will almost certainly make a prospect uneasy.

## Audience Size

Having your own website allows you to target the largest audience possible. Despite the surging popularity of social media these days, not everyone has a presence on social media.

There are over 5.5 billion internet users worldwide ([Source](https://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm)). By contrast, as of the second quarter of 2022, Facebook had 2.934 billion active users ([Source](https://www.statista.com/statistics/264810/number-of-monthly-active-facebook-users-worldwide/)). Factor in the recurring reports that Facebook is constantly battling the issue of fake accounts, and their number of active users is likely less than that. If you rely solely on social media to deliver leads for your business, odds are you are leaving a substantial opportunity on the table.

## Visibility (Especially on Google Search)

 One of the benefits of social media is that it does provide a platform for businesses to reach customers in the course of their normal day-to-day activities. Advertisements, promotions, or content will show up in the user's feed while they are trying to connect with friends on Facebook or scroll on Instagram. Not only is this approach somewhat interruptive, but this also requires the user to be active on the platform. Social media activities are just a portion of users' online habits.

**Consider the following statistics:**

- 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine ([Source: Fortune](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ajagrawal/2017/08/30/how-to-optimize-your-seo-results-through-content-creation/?sh=698beda52aa3))
- 81% of consumers perform some type of research prior to making a purchase ([Source: Invoca](https://www.invoca.com/blog/retail-marketing-statistics#:~:text=81%25%20of%20retail%20shoppers%20conduct,research%20products%20via%20search%20engine.))
- 77% of shoppers use a mobile device to search for products ([Source: RetailDive](https://www.retaildive.com/news/study-shoppers-more-willing-to-consult-mobile-phones-than-associates-while/439970/#:~:text=About%2077%25%20of%20all%20shoppers,management%20tools%20for%20distributed%20commerce.))

People are searching because they are looking for answers to questions they have or solutions to problems they are trying to solve. If you don’t have a website, you have zero chance of showing up on the search engine results pages and engaging that user.

On the flip side, what if you, or your company, had the answers, or solutions, the user is looking for, and you provided that information on your website? Appropriately optimized, your site will appear at the top of the search engine’s results, increasing your visibility among potential customers.

## Control

Your website should be the anchor point for your brand online. Yes, you can (and should) establish a presence on social media platforms. Yes, you should customize your page, or profile, with your company colors and logo to the extent the platform allows. However, none of the customization features available allow you to comprehensively convey your brand the way you can on your own website. **Your website is the only place you can completely control how your brand is represented**.

Further, when it comes to reaching customers, you are at the whims of the platform. The same clever algorithms responsible for pulling recommended photos, videos, or posts into your feed are the same ones that control who ultimately sees your content.

At the beginning of this year, many people noticed that their [reach on Facebook dropped](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/facebook-organic-reach-declining), meaning that fewer “fans” were viewing or interacting with their content. In addition to increased competition, the primary reason for this was that Facebook changed its algorithm. Their goal was to “shift ranking to make News Feed more about connecting with people and less about consuming media in isolation.” In short, what might work for you today - in terms of connecting with customers - on a specific platform, might not work tomorrow.

On your website, you have ultimate editorial control and control over what content is shown.

## Permanence

This last point is rather obvious, but these third-party platforms do not exist to serve your interests. They are in business to make money (even if they haven’t made a penny yet). Ultimately you do not want the success of your business to be tied to theirs. The connections you have made on these platforms only exist as long as they do. Where will your business be if one of your current social platforms becomes the next Digg, Friendster, or MySpace?

Your own website provides as permanent an online home for your business as there can be. You own your site and your content (you should, anyway), so even if your hosting company goes out of business, you can move your site to another host.

## Wrap-up

Setting up a website for your business is one of the most important marketing investments you can make for your brand. A well-designed and executed website will reinforce your brand online and raise the visibility of your content to the broadest audience possible.

This is not an indictment on social media platforms in the least. Every digital marketing strategy should have [social media component](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/top-10-keys-for-your-social-media-playbook). However, this should be a complementary component relative to your website. Your activities on social media should always direct users to your permanent home on the internet, your business website.

### Not Sure Where to Start?

If you are starting the journey of growing your business, book a free - no obligation - assessment call with Chuck today.

[![Book Now!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3936024/0ad6a3da-55d1-45e6-821d-2b07edc8cb41.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3936024/0ad6a3da-55d1-45e6-821d-2b07edc8cb41)

###### Tags:

[Web design](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/web-design)

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###### Categories

- [Strategy](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/strategy)
- [Web design](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/web-design)
- [Inbound Marketing](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/inbound-marketing)
- [Social Media](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/social-media)
- [Analytics](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/tag/analytics)

###### Related Blogs

<https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/whats-is-the-purpose-of-your-website>

### [What is the Purpose of Your Website?](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/whats-is-the-purpose-of-your-website)

Posted by **[Kevin Hofer](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/author/kevin-hofer)** 

 Despite the fact that it’s easier today than ever for businesses to have a website, less than 2/3 (64%) of small businesses ...

<https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/if-your-website-is-not-responsive-it-may-as-well-not-exist>

### [If Your Website Is Not Responsive, It May As Well Not Exist](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/if-your-website-is-not-responsive-it-may-as-well-not-exist)

Posted by **[Chuck Tate](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/author/chuck-tate)** 

 The days of desktop-only websites are long gone, as the world is becoming more mobile with each passing day. Over 90% of the ...

<https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/do-i-really-need-to-pay-someone-to-build-my-website>

### [Do I Really Need to Pay Someone to Build My Website?](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/do-i-really-need-to-pay-someone-to-build-my-website)

Posted by **[Kevin Hofer](https://www.digitalmomentum.com/blog/author/kevin-hofer)** 

 It seems like not too long ago that if you wanted to build a new website, it almost always required hiring a professional to ...

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