Tag: marketing

Weird to think of a website as being Old-Fashioned. After all, the internet didn’t exist until 1983 and the first website was created in 1991, just 34 years ago, and well within my lifetime. Yes, I grew up with no cell phone, no google, no GPS. When we needed directions, we called on the landline and had someone located at the destination explain how to get there while we furiously wrote the details down on a piece of paper. We used that same landline to call to find out what movies were playing. And to get those phone numbers, we looked them up in a physical copy of the yellow pages. If we needed to know a fact about something, we had to look it up in an actual dictionary, or encyclopedia, or some other reference material that we would actually touch and flip through.

It wasn’t as bad as it sounds.

The introduction and usage of websites is something we’ve quickly become used to, and reliant on. Whether we’re looking to check business hours, menus, product information, or phone numbers, a website has been our go-to source. And why not? Today alone, I used a website to check on my credit card payment, to research cruise options for the Great Lakes area, to check my bank account balance, to place an online order with Target, and to check local real estate listings. In total, I spent about 30 minutes for all of these actions combined. I can’t even imagine how long it would have taken to process these transactions before there were websites to assist.

And, of course, accessibility to information continues to expand, with technology like apps, AI, and social media.

Social media, in particular, has caused some big changes in how we get information, communicate, and how businesses market. What I’ve noticed recently is that many businesses no longer have a website, but rely solely on social media to inform and communicate.

I get it. For a business, social media is easier. You can set up a Facebook, snapchat, or Instagram in minutes, and its so easy to update, change, and add photos. And perhaps the greatest benefit: It’s free! Setting up a website can cost thousands of dollars, and there are ongoing fees–both monthly and annually–for maintenance, security, and domain name renewals. And they can be difficult to update and will require time for an owner or employee to learn the ins and outs of website maintenance. For information that is short-lived–like a dinner special at a restaurant or an unexpected early closure on a particular day for a bank, making a website update might not make sense. But posting a notice like this on social media takes seconds and can easily be removed if needed. But in most cases, even that is not necessary, as a message posted today is easily buried over the following days.

So I’m finding more and more that small businesses are exclusively using social media for marketing and information, and have eliminated websites altogether.

But. . .

As a viewer and potential customer, I still prefer a website.

Recently I was trying to select a restaurant to do some catering for an event I was organizing. In googling their name, the “website” I was directed to was a Facebook page. While it’s interesting to read people’s posts, I wanted some basic facts. What are their hours of operation? Where is their menu? Do they deliver? I wasn’t able to easily obtain this information. But on a webpage, I can usually find headings for each of these topics (“Menu,” “About Us”). Another thing I enjoy about a website is the numerous images I can see. Does this hotel have a water view, or balcony rooms? It’s easy to move from topic to topic with well-organized and labeled clues.

I wondered about the rationalization around the decision to use solely social media for marketing and came up with this list of benefits for each of the platforms:

Benefits to a Business Having a Website

• Better marketing of products including a complete listing of what’s offered along with details and pricing
• Easy access to business information
• Analytical data available for website stats
• 24/7 Access
• Easily found online
• Professional look
• Potential online sales
• Allows ability to showcase reviews and testimonials

Benefits to a Business Having Social Media

• Free
• Helps businesses connect with customers in a more personal way
• Easily updated
• Easy for potential customers to reach out
• Easy for followers to “share” content, thus ensuring more people see posts

So, which is better? Well, having both options is the most effective way to actively market a business, as both websites, and social media have advantages that will give a business visibility, communication and information options, and a professional appearance. I’ll admit, I often locate businesses I’ve never heard of through social media, and often, I become a customer, so the benefits of social media marketing are clear. But if I just want to see what my local pizza joint has available for toppings, give me a good old fashioned website any day!