There was a time when setting up a business meant setting up a website, yet more and more small businesses are doing without a website altogether and using LinkedIn to promote their business. The reasons are simple:
- The most effective way of finding business is through networking. Customers ultimately buy from people rather than from companies. LinkedIn caters for this by providing a free web presence combined with the ability to link to literally thousands of friends and business colleagues who can view your business profile online.
- LinkedIn has a number of features that you won’t necessarily find on your website: the ability to upload photos and videos, online discussions, the ability to share your thoughts with thousands of others, and the ability to post online polls for your contacts to take part in. If your clients are happy with you, they can even post testimonials to your profile.
- It is relatively easy to become visible on LinkedIn: If you have a detailed profile, a lot of testimonials from clients, a lot of online contacts, and if you regularly take part in the online discussions, people will notice you. For your website to become visible on Google, you have to spend lots of time and money on search engine optimisation. On LinkedIn, you just need an active profile and to interact with other users.
All this doesn’t mean that websites are entirely redundant. If you are selling goods or services online for example, you still need a website where people can shop from. If you are publishing online, you need a website where people can go to read your articles. And most importantly, the unique design of your website is part of your branding. But regardless of what business you’re in, and even if you already have a website, LinkedIn will help you promote it. Because people buy from people, and if they like your LinkedIn profile, they will feel more confident about buying from you.
