Is Your Facebook Page More Influential than Your Website?
Social media is often considered to be secondary to your main website, but what happens when your Facebook page is more popular than your homepage? Mashable reported earlier this week on a survey by market research company Lab42, who found that, of 1000 social media users, almost 50% preferred a brand’s Facebook page to its website. This is more proof (if any were needed) of the influence of social media on consumers, and holds an important lesson for brands operating online.
Why might your Facebook page be considered to be more important than your website? By its very nature, Facebook (and all social media) is dynamic and frequently updated, which is key to successfully engaging with users. Whereas your website might never change from the day of its creation, a good Facebook page will feature fresh, relevant content, and offers a quick, informal way for customers to contact you. Perhaps this is why 75% of those surveyed said that they felt more connected to brands on Facebook, but what if you want to make your website just as engaging and influential?
Make it Easy to Get in Touch
A quick Wall post or Facebook message is the simplest way to contact a brand – whether you are offering feedback, making a complaint or beginning an enquiry. Your website should feature strong calls to action such as telephone numbers and email addresses, and should ideally feature a quick contact form in a prominent position on your homepage to encourage users to get in touch. Make sure that visitors know that they can find you on Facebook and Twitter, too, by clearly displaying your social credentials for all to see.
Give the People What they Want
Another interesting revelation from the Lab42 survey was that the main motivation for users to interact with a brand’s Facebook is to save money. In fact, 34% of users said that promotions and discounts were one of the biggest motivations for Liking a brand on Facebook. Whether they are printing off coupons or taking advantage of free giveaways, consumers love to save money, so why not offer similar promotions on your website? This is a great way to encourage some of that Facebook traffic over to your main site, and will have the knock-on effect of improving sales.
Make it as Fresh as Facebook
Whilst consumers are generally put-off by brands which post too regularly or spam their Facebook news feeds with posts, it might still be wise to update your website more frequently to ensure that it always remains engaging. Aim for fresh content at least once a week, whether in the form of a news article, guest blog or infographic, and you can ensure that consumers feel as connected to your website as they do to your Facebook page.
Go Mobile
As consumers increasingly engage with social media via mobile technology, there is a risk that your conventional website might get left behind. Consider investing in a mobile-friendly website which is optimised for mobile devices, and you can encourage consumers to engage with you more frequently – even when they are out and about.
If your brand is well-established on Facebook but your website is being left behind, follow these tips and you could effectively encourage consumers to become fans of your website as well as your Facebook page. And when you do update your website, don’t forget to spread the word using social media.
