Prior to the social media boom, websites were the dominant online platforms. They served as places for people to find information, post job opportunities, and express themselves through blogs. With the increase in popularity of social media and the plethora of platforms available to users, it would seem that websites are a thing of the past. It would seem.
You will realize, on closer inspection, that they are not outdated. Quick question: if you needed legal services, and I recommended a law firm to you, what would your first move be? Likely, you would head over to your preferred search engine and look up the firm. Suppose you could only find their Instagram or Facebook page in the search results, both pages complete with the services they offer and other platform-relevant content. How would your confidence in the recommendation be affected? Suppose you found their website, professionally done, complete with an ‘About us’ section, the services they offer, and a blog on prevalent legal issues. How would your confidence in the recommendation fare now?
My point, I hope, is clear. Yes, we live in the age of social media, which is a potent tool in its own right. But as far as credibility and trustworthiness are concerned, websites do more for us in that way than a social media account. That being said, let’s explore why you need a website in greater detail.
Accessibility
Although sharing your social media handles on your business card is a cool idea, data shows a significant portion of the population isn’t on social media. In Kenya, for instance, the total internet users as of early 2025 were 27.4 million, while social media users in January 2025 were 15.1 million. Some quick math and we can already see that around 12 million Kenyans have access to the internet but aren’t on social media. The number of users per social media platform would be significantly lower, given that the platforms are demographic-specific. To access a website, one needs only to be connected to the internet. As you can see, having a website makes you more accessible to the users who either are completely not on social media or are on a different platform than the one you’re on.
Cost-effectiveness
To be frank, a website’s initial setup involves relatively high costs. But that’s just it - the initial cost. In the long run, a website is a permanent online presence, unlike any ads you could run on social media or a marketing campaign that has a short life span. More than that, with a website you can have a more targeted reach, run online advertisements which are much cheaper, generate leads for future business opportunities, have better customer service, and even reduce the staffing needs because you can automate most functions, unlike social media which requires a fair amount of work to establish authority through consistency. Again, social media has its place and various advantages to a website, but as far as the above are concerned, the website wins.
Credibility
Besides the professional look that a website gives to a business, there are other ways that having a website sets you up as an authority in your field. One important one is content quality. By using your blog section to write relevant, factual and up-to-date information complete with citations, your readers are bound to have more confidence in what you’re saying. Sure, LinkedIn allows for long-form posts in-app, but you can’t cite any of your resources. Even if you were to provide a link, it would likely be to a... ding! ding! ding!... website!
Besides content quality, you can have many trust and authority building sections on your website such as client testimonials, case studies as proof of expertise and success, an SSL Certificate that secures the website and reassures visitors, professional and consistent design that’s visually appealing yet uniform, privacy policies that exemplify transparency and respect for privacy, among others.
Convenience
Being a permanent online presence, a website helps you operate 24/7, giving your customers access to products, information and services anytime and anywhere. As mentioned earlier, websites are also easy to access since one only needs internet connectivity. Customers can find all your products and services on your website, so you don’t need to send them elsewhere. This reduces the distance between interest and purchase, which is what you want for your business.
Marketing
Whatever your goals are, I’m assuming that marketing is an important part of achieving them. You don’t need to be selling a product - you could offer a service or simply seek to grow your community around a common cause. In all these, you need to get the word out. A website can help you in doing that.
Earlier, we talked about lower advertising costs and a more permanent advertising platform. Search Engine Optimization on your website copy is a great way to get your business, organisation or brand in front of the right people. Using keywords that people search on your website text makes it easier for you to appear in searches, increasing the chances of your being noticed. You don’t need to spend a dollar on this! Because your website helps you build credibility, this will positively translate in your marketing efforts.
In conclusion, whether you’re a business, a community organisation or a personal brand, you could reap immense benefits from having a website. It is not a thing of the past and, besides, you can use your website to leverage social media, thus having an even wider reach. If we’ve convinced you that you need a website, reach out to +254 700 391 535 and make one more strategic decision today!