Why Your Local Business Needs a Website (Not Just Social Media)

I see a lot of local businesses that have no website and use only social media to promote their services, find customers, and connect with existing customers. While Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are free and great for reaching a large audience, they’re not the best for building a strong local presence and long-term success. Having your own website, controlled by you, and configured to cater to your customers will result in more money. 

It's not as expensive as you might think to get a basic website up and running. We can do it for $150/Month. The costs start to climb when you add more complex capabilities like eCommerce, integrations with other applications, or custom-coded features. Just having a good-looking basic website with the right information will have a significant positive impact on lead generation and customer retention.

Social media is an important part of a digital strategy, but it doesn’t replace the benefits a website provides. As far as SEO or optimizing for AI engines, you don’t really have much control over the things you need to be able to adjust to do those things effectively with a social media profile. You have limitations on what you can do with the design and layout of social media profiles, but you wouldn’t run into any of these issues with your own website.

Setting things up in a way that is appealing to your client will result in more customers and happier customers. You want to make it easy to find the key information a new customer needs to decide to use your business, and you want to make it easy for existing customers to find what they need to easily continue doing business with you. It’s very difficult to do these important things with social media.

Breakdown of reasons why I think local businesses should have websites:

Professionalism and credibility

A well-designed, branded, website with all the information customers need easily accessible instantly adds legitimacy to your business. It shows potential customers that you're invested and serious about what you do and serving the community. If you only have a Facebook page, it can make your business appear to be a “fly-by-night” organization which can cause potential customers to pass you by. 

You own and control your website

Social media platforms set (and frequently change) their own rules and algorithms, and they often make changes without notice, impacting your visibility and revenues. A website is your own piece of online real estate where you dictate the content, design, and user experience. You're not beholden to platform whims.

Websites offer in-depth information

Social media is great for pushing out quick snippets of information but your website can host detailed information such as service descriptions, pricing, hours of operation, business history, customer testimonials, employee profiles and contact information – all easily accessible in one place. This allows potential customers to thoroughly research your offerings before reaching out and existing customers can quickly find the information they need (how to pay a bill, who to contact for a problem, etc.)

Websites enhance search visibility (both traditional organic search and AI search)

Social media profiles can appear in search results, but a properly optimized website significantly boosts your chances of ranking higher for relevant local searches like "best coffee shop in central Ohio" or "best local plumber near me." This organic search traffic brings in customers actively looking for what you offer. AI engines get their information from websites so if you want to be referenced in AI search results/answers it’s also important to have a website with detailed, accurate information about your business.

Websites facilitate direct customer interaction and transactions

You can integrate contact forms, appointment booking systems, online ordering, and even payment capabilities directly on your website, streamlining the customer journey and increasing sales opportunities.

In conclusion, while social media is a valuable tool for engagement and quick updates, it shouldn't be a substitute for a well-designed website. For local businesses looking to build a strong, credible, and sustainable online presence, a website serves as an essential tool for attracting local customers, providing comprehensive information, and growing your business.

Contact us to find out more about how you can get a site online or move from a DIY site to a no-hassle managed site with us that you don’t have to wrestle with. Consultations are free and there’s never any obligation to work with us. With more than 30 years of experience, we can often recommend