It’s safe to postulate that is vital for almost all businesses in the twenty-first century. With social media expanding its umbrella and companies such as Facebook offering product catalogues and the opportunity to sell directly on social, I can’t help but wonder if websites are still relevant for businesses? Consumers want to be informed. Information about companies are listed on their websites but one of the best ways for companies to fulfill this demand is through the usage of social media. In comparison to websites, social media provides companies with a more human element and touch to consumers. Therefore, social media is a great opportunity to have direct dialogue through live video, stories and chat with customers and can display their products, services, company culture and social awareness.
According to Lyfemarketing.com, studies have found that businesses that practice social selling generally see a $5 return for every $1 invested. 74% of consumers say they rely on social media for information to help them in future purchases. Additionally, 43% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product after learning about it on social media.
Selling through social media can propel a company’s brand visibility and reach and deepen the relationships with customers. Even though social media has proven itself to be effective. Measuring the return of investment on social media is challenging. It is difficult to measure the return of investment because most marketers utilize metrics involving, “tweets, likes, shares, views and comments” in their formula’s. Since those metrics cannot be monetized, most companies launch campaigns and create product catalogs and utilize basic metrics to analyze the
Businesses that practice social selling mostly have some form of website because when individuals discover new products on social media, the first thing that they do is to search for the company’s internet presence to attain further information and acquire a first impression about the company. Websites aren’t just boring place holders; they are important in validating a company’s image and Credibility. Websites are the homebases of a company and provides companies with the opportunity and flexibility to present themselves in the way that they see best. They establish strong online brand identities and provide the opportunity to operate professionally. Websites provide businesses with control over their brand as businesses can create, edit, and update the look and features as needed. The fact that websites can be customized give businesses the opportunity to present themselves and service professionally. With features such as Custom email addresses.
But some businesses don’t need a website to start operations or even operate daily. For example, a consultant may not need a website to begin with. With platforms such as LinkedIn and Xing, consultants can create profiles which provide all relevant information for their operation. Until social media provides features that make it a direct competitor to websites, websites will continue to remain vital and the heart of businesses.
