“But I Have Social Media!” Here’s Why That’s Not Enough

I hear this all the time from business owners, and I totally get it! You’re posting regularly on Instagram, maybe you’ve got a Facebook page, and you’re even trying out TikTok. You’re putting in the work, and you’re seeing some likes and comments. So why would you need a website too? Isn’t social media enough?

Let me explain it this way: being only on social media is like renting a tiny booth in a massive, constantly changing mall. Sure, there’s lots of foot traffic and it’s exciting, but here’s the catch – you don’t actually own that space. The mall owner (that’s the social media platform) makes all the rules.

They can change the layout whenever they want (hello, algorithm changes!). They can decide to charge you more “rent” to reach your own followers (that’s what promoted posts really are). And worst of all – they can kick you out anytime they want, for any reason. Imagine building up your business for years, only to wake up one day and find your account suspended or deleted. It happens more than you’d think!

Now, let’s talk about your own website. This is like owning your very own house. You get to paint the walls whatever color you want. You decide on the furniture. You make the rules. No one can suddenly tell you to move out. No one can randomly decide to charge you more to let your friends visit. It’s YOURS. Forever.

Here’s something else to think about: on social media, you’re just one post in a sea of content. People are scrolling past cat videos, their aunt’s vacation photos, and memes about what day of the week it is. Your important business message is competing with all of that noise!

But on your website? You’re the main event. There are no distractions. No competing notifications. When someone visits your website, they’re there for one reason only – to learn about YOUR business. They’re already interested! That’s like having someone come into your store specifically to see what you offer, rather than just walking past your mall booth while they’re heading to the food court.

I worked with a photographer who had built her entire business on Instagram. She had thousands of followers and got most of her clients through the platform. Then one day, Instagram changed how their algorithm worked, and suddenly her posts were only being seen by a tiny fraction of her followers. Her bookings dropped dramatically almost overnight. It was terrifying for her!

After we built her a professional website, she had a safe home for her business that she controlled. She could send clients there directly, showcase her full portfolio without worrying about algorithm changes, and most importantly – she owned the relationship with her customers instead of renting it from a social media company.

Don’t get me wrong – social media is amazing for driving traffic and connecting with people. But it should be like the welcome sign that points people toward your house (your website), not the house itself.

Use social media to start conversations and build excitement, but make sure you’re ultimately bringing people home to your website, where you’re in control and can turn those likes into lasting customer relationships.