Short answer? Yes.  And realistically, I could stop there and not write another word. Your company needs a website.

Long answer? Still yes. But here we go.

Two months ago, a restaurant local to where I live asked their Facebook friends “Do you guys think we need to build a website? Right now, we only have this Facebook page.” I, like many of the others who have taken interest in this restaurant’s page, replied with “Yes, of course” and “It’s not 1991” and “Why wouldn’t you have a website?”, rinse and repeat for eternity. There was not one person who replied that the company should not build a website, and I – being employed by a marketing firm – took it upon myself to try to educate the owners of the restaurant as to the basic reasons why they needed a website:

1. Not everyone uses Facebook.
2. Especially in this town.
3. Without a website, your menu is not available online. Sure, you could put it on your Facebook page, but you haven’t.
4. Tourists arriving in town (I live in a big tourist town) most likely won’t be checking Facebook for a restaurant recommendation. The first place they will look – if they don’t use Yelp or Trip Advisor – will be Google. And guess where your restaurant isn’t? That’s right, on Google.
5. When you run print ads in the local rag, you don’t list a URL for potential customers to check you out. You print a phone number and let’s be honest; no one calls anyone anymore. (Sorry, mom.)
6. Facebook is filled with ads for other restaurants. Your website is not.
7. A website gives you the power to control how search engines see you. Facebook does not. You can do the SEO work or not, the choice is yours – but at least you have that option to position yourself in the market as you see fit.
8. Many companies in this town don’t have websites because some are still living in the past. Build one and you’re already ahead of several other places, even if yours is the worst website you have ever seen.
9. Basic websites are either free or really, really cheap. Throw a picture, some text, your location, and a menu on one, and you’re in the game.
10. Because I said so. And I know what I am talking about.

This company proceeded to fight all of us who left comments on their post, saying “Why are so many people ON Facebook requesting the address of our website? They’re already on Facebook!” and “But they can just call us”.  Not sure why they asked their potential customers the original question if they were already secure in their decision to not build a website, but after a long thread of back and forth, a gentleman named Donald had this to say:

“Good luck, and congratulations – “Unlike” was *real* easy to select.”

They still don’t have a website. And I still don’t go there to eat, because I have no idea what they serve.  I am sure many others don’t either.

If you’re wondering whether or not your company needs a website, take this article to heart. If you need help with said website, give us a call or get in touch. We’d be more than happy to help.