Last month I shared with you how one can lose valuable time
and money when they believe they need a website; and what they can do, along
with questions to ask themselves, to help them along their decision making
process.
This month I’d like to share with you four reasons why you
don’t need a website.
1. There
are other ways to be visible online
Please don’t fret over not having a website. There are plenty of other ways to get your message out to the public, and for prospective clients to reach you, learn about you, and ultimately use, and pay for your services.
It can be as simple as what we are all doing here on the HSSN blog! Being a contributor in already established blogs or online communities is huge in terms of being able to reach the specific audience you want to work with, connecting with them on a human, relationship building level, and still have the opportunity to offer snippets of the wisdom (or promotions!) you have to share…and all you need is an email address, or phone number for them to reach you.
The same approach can be used with podcasting, video-casting, or with creative inter-twined social media campaigns. No website needed.
Please don’t fret over not having a website. There are plenty of other ways to get your message out to the public, and for prospective clients to reach you, learn about you, and ultimately use, and pay for your services.
It can be as simple as what we are all doing here on the HSSN blog! Being a contributor in already established blogs or online communities is huge in terms of being able to reach the specific audience you want to work with, connecting with them on a human, relationship building level, and still have the opportunity to offer snippets of the wisdom (or promotions!) you have to share…and all you need is an email address, or phone number for them to reach you.
The same approach can be used with podcasting, video-casting, or with creative inter-twined social media campaigns. No website needed.
2. You
want repeat clients, and lots of them!
People buy primarily due to an emotion (to get rid of or obtain one) or because they truly feel you “get them” and they relate / connect with you. Notice I said connect with you…not connect with your website. A website does not replace you; it simply cannot; repeat clients know this. Why? Because repeat clients relate / connect with humans not websites and therefore they do not care if you have a website, or not; if they like what you are offering and a relationship is there, they will continue utilizing your services. No website needed.
People buy primarily due to an emotion (to get rid of or obtain one) or because they truly feel you “get them” and they relate / connect with you. Notice I said connect with you…not connect with your website. A website does not replace you; it simply cannot; repeat clients know this. Why? Because repeat clients relate / connect with humans not websites and therefore they do not care if you have a website, or not; if they like what you are offering and a relationship is there, they will continue utilizing your services. No website needed.
3. Hard
to believe, but not everyone is online…
I know; I know this is a challenging one to take in without complete disbelief and lots of head shaking. I talk to lots and lots of people; by looking at many of them one could “expect” that they are familiar and comfortable with being online (and will easily find your website). When in reality it is the most challenging and frustrating activity one could ask them to do. Not to single out any one group of people, but I’m not talking about 80+ year olds. These people are much younger and are a big population of buyers. They would rather be introduced, by a trusted friend or family member (i.e. a referral) to a service, or are more comfortable with receiving an old-fashion printed piece via mail or to be picked-up at an event they are attending. If by chance ones target audience even partially includes this group of people, and a website is the primary marketing focus, and if the lack of online comfort-ability is not taken into consideration; the business owner could be scratching their head wondering what is not working.
This is when inter-connecting other non-website online tactics with off-line ones will assist in reaching potential clients. For example: the topic for a blog article or podcast or video you created for an online community is sure to have key points and solutions that your non-online prospective clients would want to learn about. Produce a rack card, postcard or other creative piece with the key points and solutions stated in the article and leave them with other businesses, that are not in the same industry as you, but that touch the same type of client you wish to serve. Your message will reach these non-techy people in a manner that feels safe for them and in an environment where they are open to hearing and receiving your message. Without realizing it these prospective clients will thank you (mentally) for thinking of them in this way; which is the start of the human, relationship building connection that guides the purchasing decision. No website needed.
I know; I know this is a challenging one to take in without complete disbelief and lots of head shaking. I talk to lots and lots of people; by looking at many of them one could “expect” that they are familiar and comfortable with being online (and will easily find your website). When in reality it is the most challenging and frustrating activity one could ask them to do. Not to single out any one group of people, but I’m not talking about 80+ year olds. These people are much younger and are a big population of buyers. They would rather be introduced, by a trusted friend or family member (i.e. a referral) to a service, or are more comfortable with receiving an old-fashion printed piece via mail or to be picked-up at an event they are attending. If by chance ones target audience even partially includes this group of people, and a website is the primary marketing focus, and if the lack of online comfort-ability is not taken into consideration; the business owner could be scratching their head wondering what is not working.
This is when inter-connecting other non-website online tactics with off-line ones will assist in reaching potential clients. For example: the topic for a blog article or podcast or video you created for an online community is sure to have key points and solutions that your non-online prospective clients would want to learn about. Produce a rack card, postcard or other creative piece with the key points and solutions stated in the article and leave them with other businesses, that are not in the same industry as you, but that touch the same type of client you wish to serve. Your message will reach these non-techy people in a manner that feels safe for them and in an environment where they are open to hearing and receiving your message. Without realizing it these prospective clients will thank you (mentally) for thinking of them in this way; which is the start of the human, relationship building connection that guides the purchasing decision. No website needed.
4. Create
more human connections
Instead of having your own website to create, maintain, promote and wait for visitors to find and (hopefully) inquire and purchase…why not determine a few diversified key places / topics your ideal clients are interested in. Reach out to established businesses in those places (of course it is best if you believe in their practices and mission), create relationships with them (again with the human, relationship building!) and design an arrangement where your product or service is delivered as an added benefit for them to showcase on their website for their clients. This approach allows you to reach your target audience on many levels, from angles they never expected (such as; where they like to eat, favorite leisure activity, personal or business goals), and most likely on an already trusted website. This really can be done off-line too (like in my example in number 3 above), and you can tailor your message specifically to each website you are a guest on – which is super helpful when trying to reaching your ideal client and getting the “Yes!” you are after. The website-guest-vertising has, you, the business owner, reaching ideal clients where they already are, not waiting and hoping they find you were you are. Best of all – you guessed it – No website needed.
Instead of having your own website to create, maintain, promote and wait for visitors to find and (hopefully) inquire and purchase…why not determine a few diversified key places / topics your ideal clients are interested in. Reach out to established businesses in those places (of course it is best if you believe in their practices and mission), create relationships with them (again with the human, relationship building!) and design an arrangement where your product or service is delivered as an added benefit for them to showcase on their website for their clients. This approach allows you to reach your target audience on many levels, from angles they never expected (such as; where they like to eat, favorite leisure activity, personal or business goals), and most likely on an already trusted website. This really can be done off-line too (like in my example in number 3 above), and you can tailor your message specifically to each website you are a guest on – which is super helpful when trying to reaching your ideal client and getting the “Yes!” you are after. The website-guest-vertising has, you, the business owner, reaching ideal clients where they already are, not waiting and hoping they find you were you are. Best of all – you guessed it – No website needed.
Each of the above points can be
expanded on in a few different ways; maybe another day in another article. For
now, my message is that a website is not the all of marketing, it is not even a
piece of marketing a website is more like a small sliver of the marketing pie.
One can and will do just fine in business without a website, as long as other
approaches are being taken in its place; but also note that having a website
does not mean business success either. Either way you look at it one does not
mean the other is true… a website does not mean a successful business just as
not having a website does not means a failing business.
A business is built on value –
giving value to others. Humans give value. No website needed.
In the next article, of this three part series, I will share
with you the: The Only 4 pages Your Website Needs (if you choose to have a
website, that is).
Until then, happy marketing!
Chana Monahan
Greenhouse Graphics, llc. Where Ideas Grow
860-379-2974
