Do You Still Need a Website as the Core of Your Online Platform?

Social media has exploded. It’s become more powerful than ever. More and more people and businesses are using it as an integral part of their marketing strategy.

In fact, the social engines are now an essential element of brand visibility, website traffic, and building authority for all businesses. It’s gotten to the point where some are questioning the need for a website.

Are websites for marketing really a thing of the past?

Here are three reasons for that question:

1. Some might reason that you can blog on venues like LinkedIn. You can also publish articles on EzineArticles and other article directories to generate visibility and authority.

2. You can sell through social networks.

3. You can build your brand and even build your subscriber list through social media.

So, it’s not unreasonable for some to wonder about the necessity of a website.

But, if you decide to forgo creating your own website or get rid of an existing one, think twice and even three times about it.

Three reasons why you absolutely need a website:

While the social media networks, like Facebook and LinkedIn, allow for just about everything you need to market you and your product/service, you’re at the mercy of these sites.

1. The first and most important reason you need a website is it’s prime online real estate that you OWN. It’s like owning your own house. You can do anything you want to it.

2. Without a website you’re at the mercy of the sites you’re using, including social media networks.

Think of it as renting space in a building. Or, better yet, buying within a condominium development. You’re not in control. You’re at the mercy of their rules and regulations, their changes, their agendas, basically, their whims.

In other words, you’re not in control.

You never know when or if changes will come that will render your social media page useless.

If you use paid website hosting through sites like Bluehost or GoDaddy, you own the site. It’s yours. You are in control of what you publish, how you publish, and so on. You can put ads and affiliate links on it with no problem. You can sell from it.

3. Along with this, people trust bloggers. This gives bloggers influence and authority. It’s good marketing to have that authority, that influence, go to your own site.

If you don’t have a website, get one started today. If you do have one, make sure it’s optimized.

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Karen Cioffi is a former accountant who is now a multi-award-winning author, ghostwriter, freelance writer, editor, and author-writer online platform marketing instructor. She founded and manages Writers on the Move (a marketing group), and presents online writing and marketing workshops and webinars.

Karen has published 12 writing and marketing eBooks, the most recent, Article Marketing: Increase Website Traffic with Properly Formatted and Search Engine Optimized Content.

In addition to this, Karen’s website, Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing, was named Writer’s Digest Website of the Week, June 25, 2012.

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Join Karen Cioffi's upcoming online class, 

GET TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE WITH INBOUND MARKETING: 

Website Optimization, Blogging Smart, Email Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. 

Visit our classroom page for details and enrollment.

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