Why You Need a Website + Branding

I’m often asked if people really need a website in various scenarios, or if blogs are even “worth it” these days with the rise of fast social media channels like Instagram and Facebook. My answer? Yes, yes, and yes! Having your own spot on the web that you own is invaluable and your personal branding is what makes YOU stand out as you.

Why You Need A Website / Blog

You own it.

Third party platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. have their own rules and algorithms {which are always changing, but that’s a whole different post!}. What if their changes drastically decline your reach, or in the case of Google+ disappear completely? With a website or blog, you have complete control of your content.

You have exclusive Pinterest traffic.

Pinterest is increasingly become a major source of traffic. Having your own website to pin from drives traffic back to YOU exclusively. As an example, I often work with educators who run TeachersPayTeachers stores. Without a website or blog, many of them are pinning products directly to TpT. This drives traffic to the larger TpT community, where they have little control. It’s more effective to pin your resources to your own site, where you can provide additional information, previews, etc. Some of these teachers have later decided to open up their own stores on their websites to sell their products without a third-party, but all of those original pins still direct traffic to TpT.

Google loves websites.

Likewise, “Google” has become a verb for a reason. A website is a powerful way to take advantage of SEO {search engine optimization} strategies to expose more people to your content. Not everyone is on Facebook or Instagram or Pinterest, but the majority of consumers use Google. The best part? It’s FREE. No paid ads, posts, pins, etc. needed.

Evergreen content has a place to live.

Websites are easier to navigate over time, which means your content is more evergreen. Your Facebook or Instagram posts are quickly buried and not easily searched. If you share a great post, users who visit your site days, weeks, months, or years later likely will never see it. As an alternative, on a website you have search boxes, categories, archives, etc. to help consumers find relevant content. Why spend time on content that only works once, when you could instead get repeated returns on your time?

Why Personal Branding Matters

You are your own best asset.

Here’s something I missed out on initially; YOU are just as important as your products and services. Consumers buy from businesses that have the “know, trust, like” factor. I was able to build a successful direct sales business even though thousands of other people were selling the exact same products as me. Why? Personal branding and connections that made me stand out from the rest. Likewise in the TeachersPayTeachers world, consumers tend to buy from “popular” teacher-authors who have developed a personal following beyond the specific products they create.

First impressions are everything.

Maybe you aren’t a designer, but you DIY’d your logo or website anyway. You may share phenomenal content but if the first impression your brand gives isn’t polished, then your content is often judged to be lower quality as well. Even worse, maybe you used a “stock” set of branding that is being used by others in your niche as well and causing brand confusion. The first impression consumers get from your branding is crucial to how they perceive the quality of your products and services.

Repeated brand exposure is key.

Your personal branding is recognizable, catches attention in crowded online spaces, and ties together your various accounts. As an example, when I see a favorite author post on Instagram I stop scrolling to check it out because I recognize her content and know I’ll want to read it. Still not convinced? Consider this: I had a friend with an original post that went viral and she hadn’t watermarked her image. We watched her picture circulate for weeks across various social media platforms and she didn’t benefit from it at all because she didn’t have any branding on the image.

With those thoughts in mind, there is no time like the present! Whether you’re starting from scratch or need a brand refresh, I can help bring your website + branding to life. Contact me to discuss your unique needs.

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