Website vs Social Media: Which should be your business’ go-to?

By Anna Jordan on Small Business UK - Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

As a small business, what you display in your business messaging is essential, but what about how you display it?

The good news (or the bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that you’ve got options. Some choose to have a business website while others just have one or social media pages – or you could head down the third avenue: both.

If you’ve already had a scout about online, you’ll see that there’s heated debate as to which is the better option for small businesses.

Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know so that you can decide which platform is the one for you.

Website vs Social Media Pros and Cons

Website

A website is as it sounds. A dedicated place for your business to advertise what it is and what it does. Important information such as prices and opening times are also found here and pull through to search engine results. As Mailchimp phrases it, ‘Social media creates visibility, but a professional website builds relationships – and sales.’

Pros

• You rent space on social media, whereas you own a website.
• More space to communicate in the form of a blog, embedding audio and video from podcasts and YouTube channels, for example. This also applies to menus. Can be used for booking/scheduling appointments
• Personalised leads
• Perception of professionalism
• The ‘near me’ function on Google. Google Maps is still SEO.
• Google Business Profile (was Google My Business)
• Cheaper cost per acquisition
• Building domain authority
• Better if you have an online service
• Increases loyalty, upselling and retention
• Clearer metrics can make it easier to pitch to suppliers, partners and investors

Cons

• A website can be expensive and time-consuming (about £1,500 – £5,000 for a simple website)
• There’s less visibility than social media as your audience may already be on these platforms
• Can be difficult to build without external support
• Need to keep up with upgrades and security updates

Social media

Social media is having a business page on a social media site, depending on which one the bulk of your audience (and target audience) visit.

Pros

• More visibility as more people use these platforms
• Easier to maintain
• Cheaper to run
• Easier communication through messaging functions
• Less time to maintain
• More potential for word-of-mouth business
• Has post-boosting packages

Cons

• Limited customising options
• Can’t include extra features such as an online booking system
• Subject to social media platform’s algorithms – need to post regularly
• Social media pages can be deactivated without warning. They can also be hacked.
• Chance of social media sites becoming less popular or shutting down
• Social media less secure
• Very difficult to contact social media companies with issues
• Target audience might not be on social media
• Fewer scaling opportunities than a website
• Limited reporting functionality

Website and social media

We say all of this as if you have to choose – you can do both! What’s even better is that you can link your socials on your website and have an easy flow between the two.

Pros

• The two types of platform can support each other
• You’ll have a greater online presence and potentially reach a larger audience
• Increased brand awareness
• Opportunity to strengthen branding
• Can engage with audience on multiple levels
• Improved customer journey

Cons

• More time to maintain
• Need to know what types of content work on which platforms

Tips from the experts

Small Business spoke to two business owners about their approach to business website vs social media page.

‘As a service provider, you need a website’

Stacey Karlsson, founder of Goho, firmly believes in the importance of a website.

“Social media is a window, whereas your website is your store. When you’re a service-based business especially, people want to see you’re active, that you have client testimonials, case studies etc.

“It’s a lot harder to sell a service than a product, so I’m adamant that as a service provider, you need a website. It also lacks professionalism when you don’t.”

‘Ask yourself whether you can compete in search results for your product or service offering’

Co-founder and SEO & content director of Bonded, Siobhan Byrne, thinks there’s merit in both.

“When looking at a website vs. social media to promote your business, I’d firstly always advise to consider the technical limitations of using social media as your main business web page.

“Websites may offer you greater control in demonstrating your full product catalogue. However, you’ll need to consider the initial costs of a website strongly. Social media, on the other hand, is a lower barrier to entry.

“Although, you will have greater control over branding (for example) with a website.

“If you’re starting with a small product (or service) range, social media may be a better option for hitting the ground running. If you have a large product range, social media will likely not demonstrate everything you have to offer.

“Ask yourself whether you can compete in search results for your product or service offering. If you’re a start-up in a saturated market, you may get better cut through on social than trying to compete with long-established websites in organic and paid search. However, if you are going to invest in either paid ads or paid social ads, it would be best to work on a business case and check your margins. Depending on the product, the investment on these channels can grow quite significantly, but if done well, produce good results in the short-term.

“I’d also consider where your audience spends their time and how they behave – is there enough search volume (website) / engaged communities (social). Think about the long term and how you wish to scale. You may find that you need both channels!”

How do I choose between a website and social media?

Only you can know what’s right for your business. Weigh up the pros and cons above and if you’re still not sure, you can also set up a trial social media page and move on to a website if it isn’t adequate.

Alternatively, do a free trial with a website builder. You can even ask them for a demo to show you how the main features work. Failing that, ask business owners in a similar field what they did and what their experiences have been with either (or both) options.

Read more

How do I build a website for my small business? – There are various website builders for small businesses. Here are who they are, what they cost and how to get your website up and running

A guide to social media strategy for small business owners – In partnership with the UK Domain, we present this guide to social media strategy to help your small business grow

‘We’d been wiped off the face of the internet’ – what to do if you lose your domain – Pedram Mershahi, co-founder of Kloris CBD, talks about the struggle of having his domain suspended – find out what to do if you lose your domain

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