Why Having Your Own Website Becomes Obligation?

Today, it’s tempting to create a social media profile on popular platforms (Instagram, Facebook, eBay, Amazon, Wildberries, etc.) and use them as the main way to promote your business or personal brand. Many individuals and businesses truly believe that creating social media profiles is absolutely enough to establish their online presence.

However, there are quite many significant risks when relying solely on social media for your online presence. Having your own website offers far more control, stability, and security in the long run. Just for you, we have a few reasons why you’d better consider building your own website.

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Government Sanctions

One of the biggest dangers of relying on social media is the risk of government sanctions. Many countries have strict regulations on what content can or cannot be shared online. Governments can block access to certain social media platforms and online marketplaces at any time.

Take at least the cases of Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and Iran. Using platforms such as Instagram, X, TikTok or YouTube has been a huge challenge for millions of users from these countries. They're all left with basically nothing, as their shops got blocked immediately and instantly. In this way, if your business or personal brand is only present on these platforms, you risk losing all your audience if the platform gets blocked in your country.

Easy to be Blocked by Competitors

On social media, anyone can report your account or content, and if enough people flag your posts, your account may get temporarily or permanently banned. This opens the door for competitors who might not want to compete fairly and may try to sabotage your presence online.

Even if you're doing everything right, a competitor could easily target your profile with mass reports, causing your account to be flagged or taken down. Surely, you'll need a lot of time providing evidence to Facebook that you have not violated anything. And in the end, it can take weeks to get your page or online shop back — the simple truth is that global social media giants do not solve these kinds of issues quickly. So, do you really want this?

Brand Name and Domain Confusion

It’s common for competitors to create social media accounts that look similar to yours, especially if your brand is gaining traction. They may even mimic your username or brand name, leading to confusion among your loyal audience.

For instance, you have an Instagram profile named as @Superman123. Striving to mess you up, your competitors may create a similar page named as @Superman_123. So, we end up with two absolutely identical pages that are extremely hard to tell apart. Except that one belongs to you — its real owner — and the other one was created by some bad guy.

Another example is, say, you are the owner of an Instagram shop, @flower.art. Your brand is becoming super successful and popular, with lots of people loving your beautiful products. But then, some not-so-nice people buy the website domain "flower.art" and use it to steal your customers. Now, when people accidentally search for "flower.art" online, they end up on their site instead of yours, and some of your loyal clients get confused or even tricked into thinking it's your shop. But it’s not. Needless to say, this could seriously damage your brand’s reputation and make it harder for people to find your authentic online presence.

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Not Being Taken Seriously by Banks

Once you register your business and start interacting with financial institutions — such as applying for loans, opening a business bank account, or processing payments — the lack of a professional website can become a serious issue.

Quite many banks and financial institutions often take businesses more seriously if they have a branded, professional website and business email. Likewise, a wide range of organisations require you to enter professional email (not just standard Gmail, Inbox, Yahoo, etc.). Many banks may question the legitimacy of your business if your only online presence is on social media or simply you do not pass KYC.

Mandatory requirement in many countries

There are quite many countries, where businesses are legally required by the government to have a website, not just a social media page. This is to ensure that a company can provide accurate information about its products, services, and contact details in a professional way. All this data must be made fully transparent and available to government agencies.

By mandating websites, governments aim to improve business practices, promote consumer trust, and create a more organised and accountable business environment. So, this is the only way for businesses to meet legal requirements and avoid potential issues with government regulations.

The Benefits of Having Your Own Website

Now let’s take a look at obvious advantages of having your own website:

  • Complete Control: You own the website, the brand and the content. You’re not subject to the changing rules or policies of social media platforms.
  • Credibility: A branded website gives you a more professional appearance and builds trust with your audience, partners, and financial institutions.
  • Long-Term Stability: Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms can change or accounts can be banned, your website is stable and always accessible.
  • Better Marketing Opportunities: Your website allows you to implement advanced marketing strategies like search engine optimisation (SEO), email marketing, and content creation in ways that social media can’t fully support.
  • Scalability: As your business grows, your website can scale with you. You can add features like e-commerce, booking systems, or customer service portals as needed, which is much harder to do on social media platforms.
  • Email address customisation: You can easily customise your branded email address to include the website's name, which will boost brand awareness and provide additional benefits with every email you send.

Image source: Unsplash

Summing It Up: Why You Need Your Own Website

While social media can be a powerful tool for marketing and engagement, it should not be your only online presence. Having your own website, together with domain and email, provides essential benefits that social media simply can’t offer, including greater control, security, and credibility.

A website gives you greater marketing opportunities you need to build your business, maintain control over your brand, and avoid potential risks like government sanctions, competition sabotage, or legal issues. So, if you're still considering whether or not to create a website — you can rest assured that you're in good hands now. You can build your own website with minimal effort and start free.

Yesterday my 5-year-old trained the dog, how to make a website using AI. But the cat won, as he used website import :)