With 4 billion people using social media platforms worldwide, it makes perfect sense that businesses use it as a critical component of their digital marketing strategies. But did you know that fewer than 2% of the usual B2B company traffic comes from social media? And less than 7% of website traffic for e-commerce companies!

Perhaps this explains why CEOs do not believe that social media is producing the results their firms require and why marketers frequently give up when they try to prove the platform’s value using metrics like impressions, sentiment, and followers (really?).

So, is social media a successful digital marketing technique? The answer is that it might be, but not by itself. To be effective, businesses must develop a strong marketing strategy to serve as the foundation (i.e., Website) and use social media as a complimentary tool for reinforcing their brand.

Few Takeaways

• While most business owners say that social media is ineffective at generating the results that matter: conversions and sales, the top business owners feel that it helps establish a reputation. 
• Nearly half of the website traffic is generated by search results, and more than 90% of online encounters begin with search engines. Businesses require a solid content marketing strategy to ensure that their material appears on SERPs and generates traffic for their websites. (Creating your Website)
• Social media can be a supplement to content marketing and is most effective when the two are combined, even though it shouldn’t be a company’s only digital marketing channel.

So Why Is Social Media Not Enough and Why a Website is Important?

Social media posts are owned by the platforms, not you.

Businesses that use social media as the source of the content they share may want to bear in mind one crucial fact: they don’t own any of it. Even if you consider the content published on social media proprietary, the platform where it is posted holds it and is free to redistribute it for financial gain without your knowledge or consent.

Social media makes the view, and the Website builds credibility.

Driving sales is directing customers to your Website, which is typically where they can directly make a purchase. Although social media can help reach a wider audience, distribute information, develop a brand personality, and interact with your audience directly, it takes an extra step to visit your Website and complete a purchase. It should therefore be one, but not the only, method of bringing traffic to your Website.

Let’s be honest; social media is a jungle of scams and dodgy businesses that take your money and disappear. A well-designed website reassures visitors and allows businesses to demonstrate their history, competence, credentials, and, ultimately, trustworthiness.

That’s why.

Increasing your company’s credibility is one of the critical benefits of having a website for it. There are probably several providers out there with services comparable to yours. A website that looks attractive and effectively conveys valuable information to your customers is one way to stand out.

Without a website, customers could doubt your company’s validity. A website lets you make a fantastic first impression and reassure potential customers that you are a legitimate company.

Most customers begin with Search Engines

What else should be your number one traffic driver to your Website if not social media? This is a simple one: search engines. More than 90% of all online interactions begin with a search engine. Whether consumers seek a particular topic or organization, they will almost always resort to Google to locate it quickly. Creating content that ranks high on search engine results pages is far more successful than any social media post at bringing visitors to your Website.

You have a chance of appearing in Google search results if you’re online and have an SEO-optimized website. This means that when consumers search for a product or service, your Website may appear in the search results. This provides you with the possibility to significantly boost your customer base.

You have no control over it

Purchased ads heavily influence social media visibility. Even when you spend on them, it can be challenging to identify where your material is displayed and who is viewing it. Furthermore, depending on the platform, current information may become harder to locate after a few days or weeks as it travels down your timeline and new content is added above it. Because you have little control over what is seen, you run the danger of your greatest material getting lost in the shuffle and never being viewed by certain potential customers, even if they visit your page.

This is why a well-established website is needed. Because social media posts can be buried in search results quickly, they lack the flexibility and features a website has. Shopify, WooCommerce (WordPress eCommerce solution), and Squarespace all have helpful features that allow you to customize the purchasing experience. They can be integrated with order fulfillment and stock management systems, making offering your products or services simple.

Conclusion

Social media is an excellent way to test the waters with your business; everybody has it; it’s easy; however, it’s not the best way to promote your business. A website is essential for getting found, building trust, and running your business efficiently.

With a website, you can easily back up your social media pages by linking them to your site. This is a great way for the customers not to get lost in the overwhelming social media posts.

We have expertise in designing quality websites for startups and small businesses to help them expand if you want to take your business to the next level.

Want to start your site and get ahead of the competition? Check our services.