It’s easy to fall prey to what look like simple solutions.
Some will tell you you don’t need a website for your business … you just need a Tumblr page, a Facebook page, or some other “ready in 5 minutes” solution. “It’s free! It’s quick!” they say.
But it’s also dangerous. And here’s why.
It’s rented land.
Bookstores, restaurants, and other brick-and-mortar businesses face this every day. Leases expire, rents go up, businesses can’t survive the additional financial pressure. The only way around it is to own the land your store is on.
Work for yourself … not Facebook. Facebook can change their terms of service whenever they want, without asking you. They can also delete your page just because they feel like it.
If the only place you get traffic is Google (either through organic search or pay-per-click), you work for Google.
If 80% of your new customers find you on Pinterest or LinkedIn, you work for Pinterest or LinkedIn.
You have a much better option. You can rely on yourself, and use Facebook and Google and Pinterest as outposts to support your business.
Don’t Build Your Business on Someone Else’s Platform
There are at least two assets you should be building today:
- A well-designed WordPress website with your own hosting account.
- A reputation for providing impeccable value.
Here are a few resources to get you started:
For professional-looking design right out of the box, as well as state-of-the-art code and security, take a look at StudioPress premium themes* for WordPress.
If you need a robust web host that uniquely offers WordPress support 24/7 and unlimited domains, I enthusiastically recommend BlueHost*.
You’ve put a lot of time and effort into your business. Don’t risk it by building your business on someone else’s land. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever before to create a site that you truly own and control.
– By Marcia Coffey
Find Marcia on Google+
Call Marcia at 561.906.3436.
Follow @jmgroupdesign
- Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review. We test each product thoroughly and give high marks to only the very best. We are independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own.