Why You DON’T Need a Website

This whole debate came up when a friend of mine, who designs sites was furious that another business coach said the same.  I had to disagree.  The situation was that the young lady being mentored was brand spanking new in her business.  No idea, no clients, no nothing…yet.

Everyone says you need a website.  But when you start a business, there are SO many startup expenses, is that really the best use of your time and money?  I’ll give you 3 reasons why a website should not be the  first of your investments in time and or money.

I know the first thing you want to run off and do when you decide to start you own business is to get a website.  STOP. Don’t do it!!!  Here’s why.

1. People use it to procrastinate. 

They don’t know how to build a site or they end up going back and forth with a designer for 3-6 months (yes, it took me 6 months to get my other site done).  And most of the time during that process, they are not actually telling anyone that they are in business because they are waiting for the site to get done.  Let’s not even talk about website shame if it looks horrible. (That’s another story for another time.)

2. They spend money that they could be investing in creating systems to leverage their time.

What could you do with the $1000 you spend on a pretty website that does not have any traffic yet? Hire a VA? Purchase some Facebook ads? Invest in a business coach that can help you cut corners and/or connect you with the right people and resources?

3. The site is pretty, but they don’t know how to get people to look at it.

What good is the site if no one knows it’s there?  And if you get people to the site, does the copy convert? Does it let people know that they are in the right place and you are the right person to do business with?

Here’s what you can do instead.  Get a landing page.  Let people know who you are, who you serve and why you do what you do.  If you have an opt-in giveaway, let them know about it, and ask for their name and email in exchange.  This allows you to start building your list immediately without a bunch of wasted time and money.

Here’s my tip for the website designers.  I know you want to help your clients, but what would it do for your business if you had a basic landing page or one page site option to help new business owners get a web presence, start building their list, clarifying their message and making money so they could come back and easily spend money with you for a custom site.  I’m just saying…