Why a website is important for branding

Today's post will explore the question of whether we need a personal website when building our brand and what benefits it can bring us. After a short survey on Instagram, it turns out that many of you have a website, are thinking about building one or still have questions about it. So I reached out to a few people to get their input for this article. And their clear answer to the question was YES. No doubt. No discussion.

The advantage of owning a platform

Remember that Monday in early October this year when Facebook and all its apps were shut down for almost the whole day? An important reminder of how dependent we are on these social media channels. One company has technical problems and the work of so many people was affected.

When I talked to Emily from "What fulfills you?", she pointed out that this incident was showing us how important it is to own a platform, independently of Facebook and Co.

"I always try to have platforms or a main platform that is away from IG, FB, Twitter or any social media that’s not owned by me and this is just because, for example, on days when IG goes down, I can't post anything, I can’t really do much because I don’t own this platform. So I do believe that it's important to have a website regardless." - Emily Duong

So one of the main arguments for having a website is that you own it! And by owning a website, you can guide your own narrative. It's all about discoverability. You need to be found online in a space where you can control your own narrative. If you are specialized in nutrition for athletes, you want to be found in that space and not in the diet section for men under 30. By owning a website, you have full power over how you position yourself (very important for personal branding) and how you are perceived.

An argument Stefanie from Broad World made when I asked her if we really need a website when building our personal brand.

"My very short answer is: Yes. You need one. Period. (...) you don’t need to always sell services or products. But you need somewhere to guide your own narrative." - Stefanie McAuley

Now you might be asking yourself: "I don't sell products or services, so what should I do with my website? What should I present?" Good question, good thinking!

What to showcase on a website

In a bold move, I reached out to Jasmine Star, CEO of Social Curator (she has a gorgeous website). And she actually got back to me and made a very important point:

"Your website is not just a mechanism for sales, but a force to position you as a leader and authority in your field." - Jasmine Star

So what does that mean? Let's say you work in marketing, design or accounting. A website could be a place where you present your CV, showcase your experience and projects you've been working on and provide information on how to reach you. So when people google you, YOUR website, YOUR content, will pop up.

For some professions this might be easier than for others, but it is never a disadvantage to reach potential employers, project and cooperation partners through a website. And even if it's just for fun, go along with it and present your passion project! That's what I do here, creative_kommunikation is my personal passion project.

Are there any alternatives?

Yes, there are definitely other options. You could have just a landing page instead of a full website. According to Unbounce a landing page is "a standalone web page, created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign. It’s where a visitor “lands” after they click on a link in an email, or ads from Google, Bing, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or similar places on the web.

Unlike web pages, which typically have many goals and encourage exploration, landing pages are designed with a single focus or goal, known as a call to action (or CTA, for short)."

So if you don't have the time or resources to build a website, a landing page could be a good alternative. Hubspot recently published an article about highly effective landing pages.

(...) if you’re trying to be a personal brand or if you are one, I highly recommend a landing page that shows a glimpse of who you are and what you do, so when people google you, that page will pop up. - Emily Duong

Nevertheless, you can always build a strong brand through social media, and depending on the platform you choose, that brand can go through the roof. There are people who have millions of followers and no website. But remember, if they shut down temporary or long-term, you will lose all your content and followers and for some people even their income stream.

A last argument for business owners

My final argument is aimed at all those who are currently building a business. In a poll on Instagram, I asked you how you react when a business doesn't have a website. And for most of you, that's an absolute turn-off. For Steph, Content Strategist at "Your Content Bestie", it's been very important to build her business:

I think websites are absolutely necessary and whenever I see an account on Instagram or a business online that doesn’t have a website I get turned off because I expect them to have one. For my business it’s been really important to have one. - Steph

And as I mentioned earlier, a landing page could be a good alternative if a website is not an option at the moment.

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In summary, I would strongly advise you to create your own website or at least a landing page. It will give you the security of having your own platform, you can guide your own narrative and make sure that potential partners or employers find your content. And another point before ending this article: It's also fun to design your own website and learn something new in the process! I can only recommend it because that's what I'm doing myself at the moment. :)