Social media, on the other hand, is like catching a ride on someone else’s tram. It’s convenient and quick to get started, but the route, speed, and even who gets on are all decided by someone else.

In this article, we’ll explore why having your own website gives you the control and flexibility your business needs to grow. While social media is a great tool for reaching people, it’s limited. Owning your own website allows you to set your own rules, tell your story your way, and make your business stand out in a way that social media simply can’t.

Let’s dive into why a website is more than just a digital brochure and why it’s the best investment for your business’s long-term success.

But here’s the hard truth—you don’t own social media. You’re just renting space, and the landlord makes all the rules. Every time the platform changes its algorithm, your posts might go from reaching hundreds of potential customers to barely being seen at all. One tweak from the platform, and you’re practically invisible. You’re relying on someone else’s decisions, and that’s a huge risk for your business.

With social media, you’re also limited by how the platform works. Want a special section just for customer reviews or to showcase your products in a unique way? You can’t do that without following the platform’s guidelines and templates. Essentially, you’re renting space on social media, but it’s not really yours.

Think of your website as your business’s home base. It’s the one place online where you have full control over what your customers see, how they interact with your brand, and what message you’re sending. When someone visits your website, it’s like they’ve walked into your store or office. You get to decide the layout, the branding, and the experience from start to finish.

Now compare that to social media. It’s like setting up a stall at a market—you can grab people’s attention as they walk by, but you’re surrounded by dozens of other stalls (your competitors) and you have to follow the market’s rules. Social media limits how you present your brand, often squeezing your message into posts that are only visible for a short time. A website, however, is like your own shopfront—you’re not competing with the stall next door, and your message is front and centre.

For example, let’s say you own a café. On social media, you can share photos of your food and daily specials, but it’s mixed in with posts from hundreds of other cafes. On your website, you can create a menu page, highlight your best dishes, and even take online orders or bookings. You’re not limited by the structure of a social media platform—you can create an experience that’s entirely your own.

When you own a website, you can set it up to be easily found by customers. That’s what SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is all about. Think of your website like having a shopfront on a busy street in Melbourne, like Chapel Street or Swanston Street. The more visible your business is, the more foot traffic (or in this case, web traffic) you’ll get.

With social media, you’re often stuck hoping that the algorithm will show your post to potential customers. It’s like having a stall in the back corner of a weekend market at the Queen Victoria Market—you might be there, but you’re relying on luck and foot traffic to get noticed. On a website that’s optimised for SEO, however, people who are actively searching for what you offer can find you, just like someone walking down Chapel Street looking for a coffee shop.

Now, imagine you run a local clothing store. When people search for “vintage clothing Melbourne,” a well-optimised website will show up on Google, right where they’re looking. On social media, though, you’re hoping that your posts randomly catch the right person’s eye. SEO gives your business a much better chance of being found by customers who are actively searching for what you sell, rather than just scrolling through their feed.

Melbourne is famous for its laneways, packed with hidden gems like cafes and boutique stores. But as a business grows, you might need to expand beyond that cozy, tucked-away spot. A website gives you the space to grow, just like moving from a laneway cafe to a larger venue on Bourke Street or Collins Street—places where you can reach more people and have room to offer more.

On social media, you’re confined by the platform’s limitations. You can only do so much with the features they provide, like posts, stories, or ads. But with your own website, the sky’s the limit. Want to add an online store, run promotions, or start a blog? You can do all of that, whenever you’re ready. You’re not restricted by someone else’s rules.

Let’s say you started a small bakery in a hidden laneway in Fitzroy, and it’s taking off. With a website, you could add an online ordering system, feature your most popular products, and even expand to shipping across Melbourne. Without a website, you’re stuck relying on social media posts that disappear from feeds after a day, limiting your reach and growth potential. Social media helps promote your bakery, but without the flexibility and scalability of a website, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to grow.

Flinders Street Station is a hub—a central point where all the trains come together, and from there, you can get anywhere in Melbourne. Your website should be like that—a central hub where all your online efforts come together, whether customers find you through Google, social media, or word of mouth.

Social media is fantastic for engagement, but it’s not where the customer journey should end. Use it to direct people back to your website, where you can control the entire experience. Want to showcase your products or services in a way that’s unique to your brand? Your website gives you that freedom. Social media is great for catching someone’s attention, but your website is where they’ll really get to know your business.

Let’s say you run a Melbourne-based fitness studio. You’ve built up a strong following on Instagram with workout tips and live videos, but what happens when someone wants to book a class or see your full schedule? Instead of relying on social media alone, you can link them to your website, where they can easily book classes, learn about your trainers, and even subscribe to your newsletter. Your website becomes the main hub that social media leads back to, making sure customers can always find what they need in one central place.

At the end of the day, your business needs to be in your hands. Social media is a fantastic tool for engaging with customers and reaching new audiences, but it shouldn’t be the only place where your business lives. Think of your website as the foundation—your very own space, where you control everything from the experience to the messaging. It’s built to grow with you, and it won’t change with the latest social media trend or algorithm shift.

Owning an SEO-friendly website is like having your own key to your business’s success. You set the route, control the destination, and ensure that your business keeps growing on your terms. With a website designed to scale, optimised for search engines, and built to convert, your business will go further than relying on social media alone ever could.

Ready to take control of your business’s future? 

At CJ Digital, we build SEO-friendly websites that give you the power to grow on your terms. Don’t wait for the next social media algorithm change to impact your business—take charge today and create a digital home that’s fully yours.