Are Websites Worth it?

10 years ago, that answer would have been a resounding yes.

But these days, given how easy it is grow your online presence through social media channels like Facebook and Instagram…

Have websites officially taken the backseat?

It's a good question to ask because there are SOOO many different avenues to grow your online presence…

But only a very small amount of time to get that done.

With so many powerful options to choose from, is a website still worth it in 2022?

The short answer: The value of having a website largely depends on what you're using it for.

In this article, I'll break down the pros and cons for a personal website as well as a business website.

By the end of it you'll have everything you need to know to figure out if a website is worthwhile to you.

Watch the video version:

Is a Personal Website Worth it?

With personal websites, how you use it matters more than anything else.

One of the biggest mistakes I see people with personal websites making is thinking that it is simply a digital copy of their resume.

The problem with thinking like that however is that you don't fully utilize the diverse features a website brings to the table.

It would be like buying a brand new car just to only use the car seat.

Insane right?

With a website, you can share your unique insights about your field by writing on your blog.

Are personal websites worth it

By sharing your expertise, you position yourself as an authority in your field.

And If you're looking for big job opportunities, becoming an authority is the easiest way to grab the attention of employers.

They'll see how you know exactly what you're talking about which will set you apart from all the others in your field.

Additionally, you can showcase detailed case studies of your work– the problems presented to you, and your process in solving it as well as the results that you produced.

Which is like eye candy to employers.

But that's not where the magic happens…

Under the surface, something even more powerful happens when an employer views your site.

As they go through the pages on your website, employers are sucked into your own little world.

Here, they can see much further into who you are than they can in a simple resume.

They'll be able to imagine what it would be like working with you and what value you bring to the table.

Employers getting to know you more than your competition makes websites extremely valuable as you build trust without having to lift a finger.

And obviously, your chances of scoring that job opportunity skyrocket if your employer already trusts you, your skills, and your work ethic.

Job markets are getting more and more competitive by the year, so finding ways to score edge points is crucial if you want the best opportunities.

In fact, according to Forbes, an average of 118 people will apply for one opening.

Of those 118 people, less than a quarter will ever get a chance to move on to the interview.

Those are some harsh statistics, however Forbes also cited that the majority of employers are impressed by an applicant's personal website.

By now, it's a well known fact that every company will do a background Google check before they interview you.

Usually it's to find some skeletons buried in your closet…

But what are they going to think when instead, they find your website with your portfolio and all of your past accomplishments neatly organized?

Obviously, they’ll be impressed.

They’ll think you take yourself seriously, and you’ll stand head and shoulders above the hundreds of other people applying for your same position.

Websites get you hired

In this scenario, personal websites provide immense value to your ability to sercure exciting work opportunities by helping you stand out and market yourself effectively.

Do Small Businesses Need A Website?

are business websites worth it

As a small business owner, you probably already have enough on your plate. From finding customers to giving them the highest quality service, you might not have a whole lot of time on your hands.

But even then, you still have to do more if you want to grow.

You have to spread the word about your business and get more and more people walking through your doors.

And it's not like there's one simple way to grow your presence…

Instead, from Facebook, to Instagram, to Twitter, to online forums and even sites like Reddit or Quora, you have more ways than you can count to get your business known.

With all of these options, yet such little time to execute them…

Are websites still worth it for small businesses?

Short answer: Absolutely.

Long answer: It still depends on how you use it.

It's no secret by now that customers are finding businesses through Google.

What's impressive though, are the sheer numbers going through there...

Google says that they receive more than 3.5 billion searches everyday. Of these searches, 46% were looking for something local.

Like businesses, locations in a city or simple navigation.

What's more is that 97% of Google users are using the search engine to find local businesses in the first place.

Even further, 78% of local searches on mobile resulted in a sale within 24 hours.

And 70% of users will visit a PHYSICAL location off of what they read online.

do local businesses need websites

With how easy and reliable it is to Google something when you have a problem, it's no surprise that Google search is such a popular way to find local businesses. Many business owners are starting to invest in SEO services to build their visibility on Google.

Google has essentially replaced the yellow pages people used to use when they wanted to find a solution.

This means that websites bring immeasurable value to businesses even if you are a brick and mortar store.

These days, customers are one google search away from finding your business and visiting you. However, that largely depends on how effective your website is.

Many business owners, unfortunately, make the mistake of viewing websites like glorified, digital business cards.

You know…

That piece of paper that sees the inside of your wallet just as much as it sees the trash can?

Of course, a website won't produce any results if it's just naked business card sitting on the internet.

People simply don't buy like that.

If you were to give someone your card without first showing them how you can solve their problems, they'll have no motivation to pursue business with you. It's the same on the internet.

The fact of the matter is that you still need to convince someone you can solve their problem before they'll do business with you.

This brings me to my biggest point, and it's something that's making business owners lose thousands every month because they don't know this.

You ready?

Your website is more than your digital storefront, it is also your 24/7 salesperson.

If it's optimized for converting visitors into paying customers, then your website is going to bring you eager to buy clients without you having to do anything.

In this case, your site isn't a money and time drain, robbing your business…

Instead, it works as a business asset, bringing your business what it needs most to grow: paying customers.

However, the flip side is also true, if your site is like a bad salesperson, then you're going to let customers slip through your fingers like cold, dry sand.

Which is why what's ON your website matters much more than simply having a website.

I'm talking about strong and persuasive copywriting, client testimonials that showcase your qualities, and a user experience that makes doing business with you the natural next step.

By putting all these pieces together, you turn your website into a 24/7 conversion machine which brings you clients like clockwork.

If you would like to learn more about how to do this, check out this article on the 3 deadliest mistakes business owners make on their website.

With all that said however, you might still be thinking that you don't need a website because you're using other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

These two are powerful ways to spread your business to others and reach a large audience.

A website in this case, would only strengthen what you're already doing.

If your Facebook or Instagram following is strong, all it will take is one link to your website to send your audience through your digital salesperson.

From here the conversions and sales will happen naturally, and you will find yourself having more customers than if you only used social media platforms.

All in all, websites are beyond essential for small business owners and you only stand to gain by building one for your business

How much do websites cost?

But now, let's talk about the cost because obviously websites aren't free.

In order to have your website online, you’re going to need two things:

A domain name and a hosting provider.

A domain name is what someone would have to type in their browser to find your website, and a hosting provider makes it possible for people to find your website in the first place.

You can get reliable, secure, and high speed hosting as well as a domain name for only 5 dollars a month these days…

Sooo like 2 cups of coffee a month.

Now for the cost of putting your website together...

No matter which way you slice it, a website will always be an investment that you will have to pay for with time or money.

And notice, I said investment because that's really what a website is.

If you buy a website you're paying for an asset that's going to produce value for you in the future.

But there's an interesting thing that I've noticed about investments.

In America, half of the adult population, so around 125 million people, invest in the stock market. Now, there are a bunch of other things people invest in but let’s zero in on the stock market.

So, you have 125 million people who are taking their money and giving it to big corporations and are simply hoping that they will make a return on that.

On average they do, but the important thing there is that they have zero control on whether their investment pays off.

What if, however, instead of giving your money to these huge corporations, you invested in yourself…

Your skill sets, your business, and your digital real estate, and instead of growing the assets of others, you grow your own assets.

In this situation, not only would you have more control over the success of your investment, but you would have more leverage to profit from it as well.

With that said, investing in your own website, whether it be time or money, lets you own your hub of the digital world, which multiplies the value of anything you do online while also giving you a digital asset that can grow.

Fortunately, creating a website has never been easier and these days you can build your own website without even having to LOOK at code.

Platforms like WordPress, Squarespace or Wix make it so that anyone can build a website regardless of their coding experience.

Conclusion

With how easy websites are to make these days and the immense value you get from having one, the question you should be asking yourself isn’t whether or not a website is worth it, but instead

If you can afford not to have one.

Can you afford not being discovered and the value of building your own brand as an asset?

Can you afford the lost opportunities that you're going to miss because your competition is ahead of the game while you sit behind…

With more and more people getting on the Internet and building their online footprint, it's becoming harder by the second to stand out and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

Think about how easy it was to achieve this 10 to 20 years ago when people were still fresh to the internet.

Today? not so much…

Imagine what it will be like 10 years from now..

Competition will skyrocket once again, making it nearly impossible to stand out on search engines.

This means that the best time to invest in building a website and SEO services for your website was yesterday, but there’s not much we can do about that now, can we?

The next best time though…

Is today.

If you would like to build your own website check out popular platforms like Wix and Squarepace.com. If you already have a website and would like to bring it to the top of Google, then check out our SEO services.

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Posted by Marvin Dominguez
Marvin Dominguez Headshot
Founder and Head of Growth at LevelU. If he's not behind the computer you're likely to find him outdoors stealing some fresh air. One thing he despises though(with a burning passion)... is wasted potential.

Which is why he had to create LevelU.