Website vs. Social Media – Why Entrepreneurs Still Need a Domain

Social media rules the day, and marketing on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Instagram has become increasingly important to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

This means that many entrepreneurs are considering making their corporations mostly or completely social media-based, without even having a website to speak of. But as it turns out, this might not be the best idea, at least in some cases.

Here’s why entrepreneurs still need a domain to go along with their social media presence:

Why You Need a Website

Some people may think it’s social media vs. website, but here are several reasons why social media on its own may not be enough for your business’s online presence:

• You need a domain for search engine optimization (SEO). This helps rank your website higher in the rankings, allowing more people to find you and your business when they search for something related to what you offer;
• Companies still have a lot of work to do, even if they use social media channels correctly. They need to maintain their social media accounts, post updates regularly, engage with followers, and get their voices heard;
• Having an online presence through a website is more effective as potential clients can easily view their latest offerings without having to go through hoops to find them;
• With a website, you’re able to highlight all of the aspects that make your business unique. This can include who you are, what services/products you offer, and what sets you apart from other businesses – all in one place.

2 Ingredients that Make an Ideal Domain Name

A website is only good for your company if it generates leads. Here’s how to do that:

1. Choose a domain name for your website and combine it with the best possible extension like “ai domain name”, “.com”, “.net”, .org domains”, etc  that ranks well on search engines;
2. Choose catchy or creative content that represents your business.

If you recently created a social media presence and want to start small with one account, then choose an appropriate profile name for yourself, and don’t worry about anything else.

On the other hand, if you want to build an empire on social media (like Beyoncé), then create individual profiles for each brand. The key thing to remember is that social media is just one part of your marketing strategy—it shouldn’t replace your website altogether.

Alternatives to Owning a Web Address

If you’re still not convinced that a web domain is a solution to your needs, then opt for the following alternatives:

1. Choose one of the many social media channels available, like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram. This option is a way to keep your business in front of your current customers without going through the headache of registering premium marketing domains and a website hosting service;
2. Select a free blog hosting site like WordPress or Tumblr that provide templates with all the required plug-ins to establish an online presence quickly and easily while focusing on content as opposed to building a site from scratch;
3. Understand how to create ads on social media platforms so you can reach potential clients who are actively looking for businesses just like yours instead of waiting for them to come and find you;
4. Get involved in your local community by meeting people offline, either at networking events or even volunteering at your child’s school, where people are sure to have questions about what you do which will lead to opportunities that may not exist otherwise.

Free and Low-Cost Ways to Own a Web Address

There are two ways to get a domain: you can either buy one or rent one. Purchasing a domain is costlier than renting one, but it gives you more flexibility and the protection of owning your corporation’s name forever (in the event you want to transfer it).

Renting a domain costs less upfront, but you’re limited in how long the rental is and what information can be included in the URL itself.

Invest in the Right Web Developer

It’s more cost-effective to invest in the right web developer at the start, and you will likely be involved in every step of the development to ensure everything is being done correctly.

Depending on your needs, there are plenty of custom solutions available, so you don’t have to use something off-the-shelf that doesn’t fit your needs as a business owner.

Social media is great for small businesses that want to focus on specific target audiences and need help with communicating with them, but a website is where potential customers find information.

Conclusion

You may be surprised to learn that most people still go to websites directly rather than clicking on links in their social media feeds.

Many of those website visitors are looking specifically for certain domains with specific names, which means they’re not finding what they’re looking for on Facebook or Twitter pages as often as we might expect.