Why You Still NEED To Have Your Own Website In 2024
I shudder every time someone tells me that they don’t have their own website and that they don’t need one.
I see a lot of people on Facebook talk about not needing a website or a funnel. They work with Organic Attraction Marketing, which is great, but…
I simply wouldn’t risk it!
I am sure there will be a handful of people who will go through life without one and still make a lot of money online using Facebook.
I know of one such woman who is doing really well, but I’d say that they are the exception and not the rule.
It’s just far too risky to not have one.
Also, before I explain why you should have your own website let me share another observation I have with many of the successful Organic Attraction Marketers that use Facebook…
They have their own websites and online spaces.
It’s usually just the people who promote other people’s products that don’t, the actual product creators and mentors usually do… which is interesting.
What is also interesting, is that most of the affiliates are promoting website services such as GoHighLevel, Systeme.io, Captivation Hub, OLSP System, etc.
These are online tools separate from Facebook which allow you to make sales and landing pages, process payments, collect email addresses, and do… well, you know… website stuff!
You OWN Your Website
Now, the reason why you still NEED a website of your own in 2024 is that it is your own personal online storefront that you own.
A website allows people to go and learn more about you and they can buy from you and contact you outside of any social media platform.
It is something that you OWN.
And that is vital if you want to be serious about making money online.
You see, any social media platform can close your profile or account down at the click of a finger without warning or fanfare.
It has happened to me several times over the years.
Facebook is a nightmare to actually find someone to talk to when your account is locked.
Usually, when you are locked out, you are locked out for good.
I still have a couple of profiles floating around which I cannot access due to being locked out of them.
Let’s not forget Google’s social media platform Google Plus (G+) that was created to be a rival to Facebook.
I was a happy user of that platform along with millions of other people, but Google decided that it was more hassle than it was worth for them and so they chose to shut it down completely.
I remember reading posts from several people who were more than gutted that the platform was closing because they were building their businesses solely on it.
They had to move as many of their friends and followers as they could over to their ‘new home’ which I hope was a website with an email list.
Social media platforms are great because there are so many people ‘in house’ and so I see the attraction, but to rely solely on them is, in my opinion, foolish.
Facebook is owned by Meta and that currently is a beast of a company owning Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.
I cannot see Meta deciding to close down any of their products anytime soon like Google did with Google Plus, but that doesn’t mean that your individual account is not at risk.
Let’s also not forget, Google was also a beast of a company back then (it still is) but it still took the decision to close down Google Plus and that has to be a lesson to everyone.
Security Is Paramount
To a lot of people, Facebook IS the internet, they rarely go anywhere else, and so it is well established and unlikely to close down in the near future, but that doesn’t mean that I am not going to protect myself.
I live in a first-floor apartment in a quiet village in Portugal, I cannot imagine that anyone is going to walk in and relieve me of my personal belongings, but that doesn’t mean that I go out for the day leaving all the doors and windows wide open.
Imagine for a minute that you placed advertising on billboards across the country and that was your only form of advertising or communication with the general public… you’d still have an office where people could come and see you and talk to you.
Wouldn’t you?
If the company who owns all of the billboards decided that they no longer wanted your business and overnight pulled down all of your posters, at least you still had a place where people could come and find you.
If you didn’t have an office and relied solely on the billboards, your business would be dead in the water.
I know it’s not the best analogy to work with, but the point is you cannot run your business from just one place that is owned by someone else… especially if you are not paying rent.
You still NEED your own place where you can carry on the conversation with your customers, clients, and followers.
Here’s the thing, the people I am friends with on Facebook who are doing really well, they all build an email list and send out emails regularly, even if it is just the same thing they shared on Facebook.
They know that you cannot rely on Facebook alone, no matter how many times they tell you that it is all that they use.
Social media platforms have replaced email lists to a degree, but you still don’t have the control over them like you do an email list.
You can have tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of followers on platforms such as Instagram for example, and still not make enough to buy a week’s shopping.
That could be down to several reasons.
- Your content may not be ‘warming’ people up to a future offer and so when it comes they are not expecting it or interested.
- The people following you may not actually be interested in you or what you have to say or do, they may just like your pictures or posts.
- Your content may not include enough ‘Calls To Action’ (CTA’s) telling people what to do next.
- You do not reply to comments and messages and so you don’t come across as real and approachable.
At least with a traditional email list where people have exchanged their details for some specific information, they have put their ‘hand up’ and said “I’m interested in this!”.
Again, I am not saying that people are not making decent amounts of money using social media only, but I don’t see the reason why you wouldn’t have a website that people can go to should the worst happen.
Plus, you can get other people to join your email list and join your socials through a website.
Believe it or not, people still ‘Google’ (other search engines are available) your name to find out more about you.
I’ve had this exact conversation with two different people recently.
One person Googled me to learn more about my online presence, and a friend Googled another friend of mine to find out more about him.
It’s what people do, and I can tell you know, if you suddenly disappear from Facebook and people want to contact you, they will go looking for you.
When someone I was friends with recently decided to close his Facebook account down, I went straight to his website and joined his email list.
I am still in contact with him, and he is still making decent amounts of money selling his products despite the fact he has no Facebook account.
The Ability To Bounce Back Fast Is Vital
Yes, it is possible that your hosting company can close your website down, and your email provider can shut your account, but that is incredibly rare and unlikely to happen.
You have to do something really stupid and extremely dodgy for that to happen, or fail to pay your bill for a few months.
But, if you do regular back-ups of your website and email lists, you can open up new accounts with different hosting companies and email providers and be back up and running within the day.
You cannot say the same with Facebook.
If you are locked out and cannot talk to anyone to find out why, or they won’t change their minds and keep you locked out for good, you will need to open up a new profile and start again from scratch.
As I say, I am not saying that it is not possible to make a decent amount of money online without a website using only social media, there are people doing it…
But for the price of a website — between $100 — $200 for two years — why would you not have one for security and peace of mind?
Until next time.
Have a great day.
Andi
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