This is for you if...
<arrow-bullet>You don't want a website or think that having one is unnecessary.<arrow-bullet>
<arrow-bullet>You don't want to work on your business website and rather do anything else but that.<arrow-bullet>
How you feel is valid — websites are a lot of work! It's a big project that takes a lot of time and energy, resources and learning a bunch of new stuff (especially if you haven't created one before).
Websites can be overwhelming. But I want you to know why it's an essential part of your business and how it can help in your success.
<arrow-bullet>You think that social media is enough.<arrow-bullet>
<arrow-bullet>You don't want to spend time or money hiring a designer.<arrow-bullet>
(You don't have to do hire anyone to have a website, BTW)
On this page
Do you really need a website right now?
The reasons why you need a website
The minimum: At least do this
The reasons why you don't need a website
Questions to ask yourself
Final thoughts
When I moved to Miami, I wanted to buy plants — like many plant parent millennials like to do.
I didn't want to drive all the way to Homestead (where there are a huge amount of commercial plant nurseries). I also didn't want to rely on Home Depot or Walmart (for soooo many reasons), which were the only places I knew sold plants.
So, I searched on Google.
There were a lot of garden centers and plant shops that popped up, but most of them didn't have websites. They couldn't answer basic questions I had, like:
How does their place look like? Are they a florist instead? What kind of plants do they have? Do they have the kind of things I'm looking for?
Obviously, I didn't even bother with those.
Of the 2 that did have websites, I looked at the one closest to me.
Their website had a few pictures of the same 2 types of plants, no pictures of their space, or info on what they specialize in. Um... why would I go there? I clicked back and continued my search.
And just like that, they lost my business, just like the other plant shops that didn't have websites.
Before taking a trip to a shop, I want to know more about them, what they offer, get a better feel for the garden center.
The same goes for any business I want to purchase from — regardless if it's a product or service that I'm looking to buy.
I know I'm not the only one that does this.
We all want to feel good about buying from someone and want to have a positive experience when we do.
This is why I wrote this post. I want to show you why having a website is so vital for any business — even if you're on social media.
(BTW, this garden center search story has a happy ending:
The other nursery that did have a website was MiMo Garden Center. I went to their beautiful, simple, and informative website and was sold. I've been there many times by now and enjoy visiting since the space is so nice!
I also found another plant nursery much farther away — Living Color Garden Center. I knew exactly what they offer from their website — from garden supplies, to fountains, to different types of indoor and outdoor plants (with a section of featured plants!), and even the services they provided.
I gladly drove the 1+ hr round trip to Living Color and I was impressed.)
Do you really need a website right now?
In short 👉 yes, you do
But it depends...
Websites are the best marketing tool you have. It's your online home and digital storefront where people initially come to learn about your business.
Below I go into the details of why it's imperative for health and wellness practitioners to have a website — and a few reasons when you don't need one... at least not yet!
The reasons why you need a website
Without further ado — here are the 7 reasons every wellness entrepreneur and health practitioner need a website right now.
Your website is your online home
... or online store front, which makes it your best marketing tool.
It's a central place where people can find you and makes it easier for potential customers to contact you.
For many wellness practitioners nowadays (especially after the pandemic hit), most of their business moved to online spaces. From tele health, to purchasing beauty products, to remote Reiki healings, and livestream yoga classes, business can be done 100% online successfully — if that's how you want to run your business.
The other group of wellness professionals, like therapists and chiropractors, have offices. None of these are store fronts where people can walk by and learn about your business.
Even if you did have a store front, like a yoga studio, window shopping isn't what it used to be.
Which is why it's so important to have one now to attract and connect with new clients.
Even if you rely on social media and word of mouth referrals, having a website allows you to:
- Diversify your places of finding new clients, and
- Have a place where those referrals and followers can directly buy from you.
Your website builds trust and credibility
Remember how I was looking for information on the garden centers? Well, we all do this: search for information on the business we want to buy from, read reviews on products we're looking to buy, see if the menu has things you like, get to know the person you'd want to work with.
The research supports this: according to Stanford Web Credibility Research, 75% of users admit to making judgements about a company's credibility based on their website's design, and based on Verisign's online survey, 77% of consumers believe that a website makes a business appear more credible.
We want to feel confident when making a purchase. It's even more important when it's a bigger purchase or when you're looking to hire a service.
This quote from a Forbes article about the importance of websites for small businesses sums it up really well: "Beginning with your website, consumers are passing judgement and making decisions about whether or not they will even visit your store, restaurant or office. They're likely to dismiss you entirely, as well, should they believe your website doesn't reflect the kind of experience your business - or a business like yours - should offer."
Different ways of building trust and credibility are:
- Showing off your personality so people get a better feel for you
- Establish social proof by showing testimonials, reviews, news features, or companies you've worked with — how other felt about working with you.
- Being open about your values and showcasing your expertise
- Listing your products, services, and prices
- Setting yourself apart from your competitors
- Using consistent design and photos of you to make you look more professional
People can learn everything about you on your website without combing through your feed and binging your stories.
You can even be strategic with your website visitors so that they get the right information at the right time. You can guide them and inform them with more details the deeper they get into your website to potentially turn them into clients.
Your website clearly showcases your products and services
It's the central place for people to buy from you.
Of course, there are other ways for people to buy from you — but this has limitations.
You can close a deal via email or phone — but how did that client first learn about you and what you do?
You can have a Instagram store and sell your products through there — but it limits how you can present the product and social media is unreliable (another reason I talk about later in this post.
Coming back to my search for a local garden center, I didn't know what type of plants they were buying — if they only have flowers, install large trees for outdoor, specialize in bonsai, or sell tropical plants. I had no idea what was available, so I simply left the website.
Take advantage and place all relevant information for people to learn more about you and your business: list your services, show your products, offer discounts, put your business location and hours, and have your contant info.
You can add all the necessary info on your website in an easy way for people to digest to give your visitors the reason to purchase from you instead of someone else.
Remember, clarity is kind. And — to my previous point — builds trust, too.
You own your website
That is, you can't rely on social media 🤳
Remember those platforms like MySpace, Vine, and Friendster? Yep, those are gone. And for all we know, any of the social media platforms we use now can go extinct.
In the case that they do last for the remainder of our existence, those companies control your content, not you. I'm talking about the algorithms that Instagram or Google can change whenever they like so your content suddenly reaches less people.
Oh, and let's not forget that Facebook outage a month ago! Remember that time when Instagram crashed for an entire workday? I couldn't talk to my parents or friends (who don't live in the US), because WhatsApp was down.
Mhmmmm, that's why you can't 100% rely on social media.
Let's see some ✨statistics✨ that prove this point even more.
92% of consumers prefer to get info from a business’ website instead of their social media page and 84% believe a business with a website is more credible than one that only has a social media page.
Because you're a smart business owner, you have your website and several sources (like your email list) that you own and can bring you potential clients. Together they can compensate for losing one or two channels.
You own your website and your content. This gives you the control to keep your business running and thriving no matter what social media channels or search engines do.
Your website ensures your success over the long term
With more people getting online, specially in this world we're living in, the best way for you to be discovered is by also being online.
Why? Because...
- Your business will seem non-existent — especially in potential clients' eyes — unless you invest in a website.
- You increase your reach to essentially the entire world. Anyone can check out your business online and, if you're offering remote services or provide shipping to their location, you can do business with them. Magical.
This is invaluable for entrepreneurs like you that are doing business online — but literally impossible to do for in person businesses.
- Your website gives you an advantage, especially when your competitors don't have a website — or don't use them well — by differentiating yourself from the crowd.
- Your business works for you while you're not working.
Ever spend time on Instagram before bed, end up in someone's website, and bought something from them?
Exactly.
You don't have to be working 24/7 because your website is doing that for you.
This all sounds great but...
Now, you must be thinking "well, of course you're saying this, Nicole — you want people to hire you to design their websites!"
While that is true, I also care about your success. I'll be the first one to tell you if you don't need a website — at least not yet! Ultimately, you'll need one down the line.
You don't have to hire me (or any other designer) to have a website.
You don't need to invest on a full blown website, either. Especially if you're just getting started — in fact, I don't recommend you do.
Here are other things you can do before having your website (which you'll have to do later anyways):
You should at least invest in a domain name
Make sure you own the website address you want to have later on — it's only around $15 a year.
(Fun fact: I bought my personal domain nicolewiesner.com when I was in high school and didn't use it for 5 years. Worth it!)
You can have a simple holding page
Kinda like the window of a retail store that is about to open: you have a place where people know that you exist.
Even if it says it's under construction — a.k.a. a holding page — is better than having nothing at all.
You can create your own website
There are a variety of modern website builders — no need to learn how to design or code!
If you have the time and patience, you can design a simple website yourself.
Out of all of the website builders out there, I recommend Squarespace* since it's the easiest one to use and maintain. They have a 20% discount for November 2021. If you've been thinking about switching, this is the platform I recommend everyone.
<small-text>*This is an affiliate link — if you click on it and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I truly believe in and think will add value to you.<small-text>
You can invest more on your website as your business grows
Later on, you can invest more in your business and hire a professional web designer to bring it to a new level.
(This is where I come in 😉 )
The reasons why you don't need a website
Of course, there is nuance to this, just like there is in everything else in life.
Here are situations where websites aren't vital:
You're early in the game
Sometimes it's better to wait a bit before creating your website, especially if you're just getting started.
At the beginning, having clients that love you and vouch for you matters most.
Postponing your website isn't a matter of life or death, so focus on your clients, customers, and students for now, post on social media — if that's what you use — and promote yourself in more traditional ways, like word of mouth, which is still very powerful.
Don't let not having a website derail you from growing your business.
The only thing I recommend here is buying your domain name if you already know your business name!
You're using it as a distraction
Sometimes creating a website is an excuse to actually grow your business.
I'm guilty of this! 🙋🏼♀️
I work on my website for hours on end just to procrastinate on what I really have to do, like reaching out to people or doing some admin work.
Even though my clients have told me the opposite is true for them — they work on other things instead of updating their website — I know there are people like me that spend more time on their website to avoid doing the responsibilities that will actually get the needle moving in your business.
It's OK — give yourself some play time if you're in this situation. Write down what updates you want to do on your website so that you can do it later. Focus on what matters now.
So... do you really need a website or not right now?
Are you still asking yourself if you need a website or not right now?
I wrote this with nuance in mind and focusing on showing you the reasons in favor and against having a business website.
Ultimately, you will need a website.
But for now, here are some questions you can ask yourself to see if your business is ready to have its own website:
- Do I want to grow this business?
- Am I making an income out of this?
- Does my business have a physical location?
- Do I want to expand my business / sell more products online / to a nationwide or international market?
- Have I had enough clients to make my business into a full time thing?
If you answered "yes" to most or all of these questions, then it's time for a website.
Honestly, in the end, it's what your intuition is telling you. If your gut is telling you "heck yeah, let's do this business and get more clients!" (even though you have no idea how you'll get there), then it may be time.
Take time to sit with yourself if you need to think it through.
[you laid down in savasana for 20 minutes, meditated on it, and gave it a few days...]
Still don't know?
Message me — I'd love to help you out.
I'm here to help your business succeed and for you to focus on helping others live happier and healthier lives.
I'm candid with everyone I talk with and if you really don't need a website, or don't need to hire someone to do it for you, I'll be the first one to tell you.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, here are the reasons why every wellness practitioner and health professional need a website:
You have an online store front
Your website is your best marketing tool
You build trust and credibility
You're clear about your offerings
And are easier to find
You own and are in control of your website
And what's on there, as opposed to social media channels or search engines
You increase your chances of success
Whatever success means to you
Keep in mind
- Sometimes spending time creating a website is an excuse to actually grow your business.
- Don't let not having a website ever stop you from taking clients, selling your products, or teaching classes!
Even if you don't have a website now, keep doing the things that are working for you right now to grow your business.
I'd love to know...
🛑 What's stopping you from creating your own website?
❓ What doubts do you have when looking to hire a web designer or agency?
Feel free to send me a message and share your thoughts!
