Why You Need A Website, Not Just Social Media, To Succeed In Business in Kenya
If you’re looking for true growth, especially in terms of revenue, having a presence on the web will give you that. And yes, this means having your own website as well as using social media channels like TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Instagram as part of your marketing strategy.
Now let me explain why a business in Kenya needs a website more than just social media;
- You don’t own your social media
When you post something on the social media channels, it’s not really yours – it belongs to the platform. This means that if the platform decided to change its appearance or change how users access your content, you have no say in the matter. You can’t get a refund for losing followers and engagement that would have been gained through the organic growth of your posts. There are also no guarantees that anything will remain available forever – and if they do decide to make changes without informing you first, there’s not much you can do about it.
- Social media changes all the time.
Social media is almost similar to a moving target. The platforms are constantly changing, and they’re always adding new features and prioritising new content formats.
The technology behind these apps is rapidly advancing as well – so much so that it’s becoming very challenging for businesses that rely solely on social media as their primary channel to keep up with all the changes. And what happens when you can’t really afford not to have your business represented on multiple channels simultaneously – because if one channel falls out of step with its purpose or gets abandoned altogether by its users, than what happens next?
Are you going to be left standing in a sinking ship?
- You can attract more customers on social media and then convert them using your website.
Social media is an excellent place to attract potential clients and build awareness of your brand. But if you want to convert those people into leads and turn them into customers, you need to also provide them with the information they need on your website.
Once you’ve attracted new customers through social media, you should use your website as a landing page where they can learn more about why they should work with you, what service you offer and anything else that will help them decide whether working with you would be a good decision for their business or organization.
- Your website is your space
Here’s the thing: your social media pages are owned by someone else. If you don’t like it, you can always delete them and start over somewhere else. But on a website, you control everything about it – from what’s on the home page to how many services and products are featured. You can use your website to tell your brand story, showcase your products and services in detail, explain how you work and get people excited about doing business with you. You have full control over everything that goes into your website!
- Your website gives your business credibility.
When people see that you have a website, they are more likely trust that you are a legitimate business. Your website gives potential customers a place to go online and learn about you and your products and services.
Your website can also be used as an easy-to navigate platform for showcasing your expertise and experience in specific industries, as well as the variety of products you offer. A well designed site will allow visitors to browse through all the things that make your business unique; offerings, prices, payment methods, shipping details – whatever makes sense for what you do.
In Kenya, we have several .KE domain extensions
.co.ke – most popular, suitable for commercial businesses and companies or entities within Kenya
.sc.ke – Reserved for Primary or Secondary Schools, Kindergartens and academy in Kenya
.or.ke – Suitable for non-profit organizations based in Kenya
.me.ke – Recommended for a personal brand or blog. If you wish to promote a skill that you have or a hobby.
.ac.ke – Reserved for institutions of higher learning e.g. universities, colleges and accredited and Vocational Educational Training Centres (TVET)
.info.ke – Suitable for information, email addresses
.mobi.ke – for mobile content
.ne.ke – for network devices e.g. router, switches… etc
.go.ke – Reserved for governmental entities in Kenya e.g., the various ministries and state departments