One of the things that make me cringe today is when people, not professionals tell me that their plan to grow their business is to drive traffic to their Instagram account without owning any real estate on the web. Here’s why any professional should own their own website.
- Online Presence: A website provides you with a dedicated online presence that can serve as your digital identity. It allows people from anywhere in the world to discover and learn about you or your business.
- Branding: A website enables you to establish and reinforce your brand. You have complete control over the design, content, and messaging, allowing you to shape the perception of your brand in the way you desire.
- Credibility and Professionalism: In today’s digital age, having a website adds credibility to your personal or business endeavors. It demonstrates professionalism and seriousness, particularly if you provide products, services, or information.
- Showcasing Your Work: Whether you’re an artist, photographer, writer, or any other creative professional, a website acts as a virtual portfolio. You can showcase your work, projects, or achievements to potential clients, employers, or collaborators.
- Reach and Accessibility: With a website, you can reach a global audience 24/7. It allows people to access information about you or your business at any time, regardless of their geographical location or time zone.
- Enhanced Communication: Websites offer various communication channels, such as contact forms, email addresses, or live chat options. These features facilitate direct interaction with your audience, customers, or visitors, enabling you to address inquiries, provide support, or receive feedback.
- Marketing and Promotion: Your website serves as a powerful marketing tool. You can leverage search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to improve your website’s visibility on search engines, engage in content marketing, and integrate social media to attract more visitors and potential customers.
- E-commerce and Online Sales: If you have products or services to sell, a website provides a platform for online transactions. It allows you to establish an e-commerce store, accept payments, and manage orders, expanding your customer base beyond physical limitations.
- Analytics and Insights: Websites can be integrated with analytics tools that provide valuable insights about your visitors, such as demographic data, browsing behavior, and conversion rates. This information enables you to make informed decisions, refine your strategies, and improve user experience.
- Flexibility and Control: Owning a website gives you full control over your online presence. Unlike social media platforms or other third-party platforms, you have the freedom to customize your website, change its layout, update content, and adapt it to your evolving needs. Like renting a home versus owning a home, when you rent you’re limited to what you can and can’t do to the property. The same is said when you “rent” space on social media. When you own your own real estate – your own website, you can do what you like and make it your own so that it speaks about you and allows you to shine.
- Blue checkmark: A lot of people think that the blue checkmark on Instagram provides validation. It did in the past when the blue checkmark had to be earned. A few years ago people were allowed to “apply” for the blue checkmark, and if granted those people who applied got a blue checkmark which was the start of when the value of the blue checkmark started to drop. Today, it is well known that now people can buy the blue checkmark, causing the value of the blue checkmark to lose almost all of its value. Consumers today are smart and know that those checkmarks are now being purchased. If you really want to stand out and show the quality behind your brand, go above the blue checkmark and own your own real estate on the web. I guarantee that most people with a paid blue checkmark don’t own their own website!
If you are a quality-driven professional who is thinking about building a website, do not build your own website if you’re not a designer. Yes, you can shortcut it and use a website building platform to build your own website, but you can do more damage if you try to design your own website and do not have a background in design. Consumers eat with their eyes first and if your website looks unprofessional they will automatically assume that your offering also lacks professionalism. Studies have shown that it is true, that bad design equates to bad products and services. If you’re a quality-driven professional, invest in your brand and hire a professional to build you a site.
If you’re a true quality-driven professional play the long game and make your brand stand out with your own professional site. If you need a website built, reach out to me. I wish you all the best. Peace.
