Why do I need a website?
That’s a very good question, and a need for a bit of history. It reminds me of a story from way back – more than two decades – when Northern Sky Designs was just getting started. We approached the owners of a northern Minnesota fishing resort regarding a website for their business. Their response? “Why do we need a website? We mail out brochures every year!
There is so much more to that story, but the very short version is: not long after we designed a website for them, Jack & Diane (not their real names) sold their resort for a great deal more than they had expected; their website had drawn that many new clients and ballooned their balance sheet.
Not long thereafter, a website became pretty much a universal need; almost every business got one. Why? The Internet became the equivalent of the then-ubiquitous Yellow Pages: an easy way to find the businesses you were seeking. Without a website that informed searchers (now referred to as “browsers) of A) who you were, B) where you were located, and C) how to get in touch with you… your business – and potential profits – got left in the dust.
The Rise of Social Media
It wasn’t long before social media platforms – like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, et al. – made their appearances on the scene. Owners of websites began to recognize the need for supporting players in the plan to help their businesses grow. There are countless reasons why social media can help your business and boost your presence in the online community. These very same reasons thereby also help boost your business.
But I Have a Facebook Business Page!
A single platform like Facebook (or multiple platforms, for that matter), cannot possibly do all the work for you. Although many may use it as such, Facebook is definitely not a website and should not be thought of as one. The important bottom line for your bottom line is that a website alone cannot do all the work for you, either.
You and your business need multiple ways to 1) build your brand, 2) increase chances for consumer interaction, 3) help your company get more visibility, 4) increase website traffic and followers, 5) fine-tune your marketing plan, etc. As I said, there are countless reasons, and these are just a few of them.
More Than Just Website Design
So, yes. At Northern Sky Designs, we design websites – responsive websites – but we do much more than that. Frankly, a website is not an inexpensive undertaking. But that expense is partly the result of all the necessary research that must be done and knowledge that it takes to achieve the best results for your website and your business. After all, part of our goal is to do all the website “stuff” for you, so you can concentrate on running your business.
However, there are other ways to obtain a website for your business. Some can be obtained at very little cost to you, the business owner. One of the best ways is for you to invest a little extra time and effort and design the site yourself. Check out these sources to create your own website. In each case, we’ve provided a link directly to the Website Builder of each provider.
Of course, if you’d rather, we are always here to help. (Just Contact Us using your preferred method.) In the meantime, if you plan to rely solely on a single social media platform, you are going to miss out on a lot of business. Why? Simply because folks looking for your business won’t be able to easily find it.
