Is an equine website necessary if you’re active on social? In this episode, you’ll discover why social media should not replace your horse business website.
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
It’s time to address a common question most equestrian entrepreneurs are asking when it comes to marketing.
“Is a website necessary if you are active on social? In other words, has social media replaced websites for equine businesses?”
You won’t be surprised to hear my answer is no.
Websites have not and should be replaced by social media.
But, you may be surprised by some of the reasons I stand by that as a marketer.
Remember, my heart here at Stormlily Marketing is to help you build an equestrian business that is sustainable for the long term. And that's truly why I believe that you need a website—I want you to think long-term for your horse business.
Part of that long-term planning means you need to be profitable, right?
I get that a website is an investment for you. Social media is free to get up and running; websites aren't.
Yet, if you forego investing in a website just for money savings, you are actually leaving money on the table for your horse business.
It’s true. If you don't have a website, you could be losing potential sales, customers, and clients.
That’s why diving into the reasons you are leaving money on the table if you either don't have a website for your horse business, or yours is completely out of date.
If you have a website but your pictures are from 20 years ago or it’s not responding well to the mobile days we live in, then you're leaving money on the table as well.
For those of you who have a website and you're not sure if it's out of date or what things you should change or update to help it convert your visitors into customers, be sure to grab my free website checklist.
4 Reasons You Are Leaving Money on the Table if You Don’t Have an Equine Business Website (Or It’s Completely Out of Date)
You rent social media. You own your website.
Your social media page is a space that you rent. Just like being a tenant of a rental property, you have a landlord. The social media platforms you use own everything, and I’m not just talking about your content.
The social media apps control how, if, and when you can access your existing and potential customers that have liked your page. And it even controls your access to their information. That means, outside of the platform, you can’t get in touch with any of these people directly.
So, what does this mean on a practical level for your business? When you have a sale or promotion or want to share an exciting announcement, you can post about it online—and, you should. But there are no guarantees the people who follow you will actually see your post in their news feed.
Compare this to the website that you own. When people visit your website, you can use it to build your email list of potential and current customers or clients by providing a valuable lead magnet in exchange for an email address. Then, because you own your email list, you can send your sale information or special announcement directly to their email inbox.
How do they get to your website? Well, let’s go to the second reason social media should not take the place of a website for your equine business.
Social media is the front porch. Your website is the living room.
The front porch of your home is where you greet people. It’s casual and yet still a little guarded—it’s still outside the front door. Some people may make it to your front porch but never actually go inside your house.
For your business, social media is like your front porch. It’s a place for potential customers to learn who you are and what you do. They can learn the basics of your business and even engage with you directly through comments and messages.
But what if they are interested in learning even more about your business? What if they are looking for the specifics of the products and services you provide? They are looking to go past the front porch and into your living room.
That’s where your website comes in! Just like bringing a guest into your home gives you the chance to get to know each other better, your website gives your potential customers the opportunity to get to know you and your business better.
When you have a great website, your potential customers become your actual customers as you show them how your business can help solve their problems.
Search Engine Optimization
What shows up when people search for a horse trainer in their area? What about riding lessons? What about equine massage, grooming, etc.?
If you want to be included in search results when people search for topics related to your equine business, you need a website.
Sure, traffic from online searches may see your social media profiles, but your website adds a level of credibility and allows you to be specific in what words and phrases you want to be known for online.
Control the customer experience.
Your website design and copy (AKA all the words on the site) are a reflection of your brand. It’s your opportunity to truly guide potential customers through the journey of working with you, to highlight customer stories and testimonials, and for them to clearly know if you are a right fit for them or not.
Many horse businesses also have aspirations for a membership model or even selling and creating digital products such a workshops and masterclasses.
When you have a website, you get to control the experience your students will have with you, from start to finish.
Yes, social media apps continue to come up with similar ideas such as paying for content. But, remember, you have no control over the experience. And, you are giving content that you own over to a platform that can change on a whim based on what works for them.
At the end of the day, if you want to build a sustainable equine business, your website should be a key part of your marketing strategy.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
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