6 key benefits of having your own website

Do you sell products through Instagram or an online marketplace? Did you know there are many benefits of having your own website? We’ve highlighted six of them below.

When you own your website you can

1. Brand the living daylights out of it

When you have your e-commerce solution set up via an online marketplace rather than your own website, you are limited, not just with functions but with design!  

I mean, you’re a creative person, and not being able to brand your store, to virtually merchandise things in just the way you want to, is problematic. It’s an important part of your brand expression, and well, your own creativity!

When you own your website you can control your own branding

2. Manage marketing with emails

With our oft used analogies of online marketplaces being like shopping centres and building your own website tantamount to building your own store in the middle of nowhere, marketing is still needed.

Make your marketing count.  You have to create sales campaigns anyway so why not market to your very own eCommerce site. When you send customers to your own site, the risk of a competitor grabbing the attention of your customers is next to nothing.

Not to mention the fact that many marketplaces make it difficult for you to manage a database of email subscribers. When you have your own site, it’s not a problem at all! Especially when in digital marketing it’s the only channel you can control.

When you own your website you can grow your email list with ease

3. Lower the risks

You know all of those people who’ve relied on Instagram for all of their marketing and how they aren’t happy because of the changes the platform constantly makes?  Marketplaces are kind of the same.  

Not in the algorithm sense, although that’s part of it.  But what if they shut down?  What if they decide your store can no longer operate on that marketplace? What if they withhold payments?

What if policies change?  What if fees keep changing?  How will that affect your business?  So many questions.

Creating and maintaining your own website is just that.  Your own.  You own it, you lower the risk of relying on a platform that someone else has full control over. 

When you own your website there is less risk of big changes

4. Control the Show

Speaking of control, when it comes to having your own website, you can add, remove, edit and update the information to your whole website as you see fit. 

You create the policies, you can change the policies, and you decide how you want your website to work.  You have full control because it’s all yours. Controlling the show is one of the benefits of having your own website.

When you own your website you can add whatever information you need

5. Get them Dollaz

Whilst marketplaces can be ideal for people new to eCommerce, the sting can be felt once the sales start to come in.  Sure, the upfront costs of creating your own website can be considerable, but in the longer term when you analyse the costs you’ll find lower payment processing fees occur when you create the e-commerce site yourself.  

Not to mention immediate payments from the processors and no mandatory marketing fees included.

When you own your website payments are processed immediately

6. Feel truly seen

Even in a shopping centre, there’s a limit to the number of other physical stores that can catch the attention of your potential customers.  

In the digital realm?  No such limit.  Marketplaces now have millions of other people vying for the interest of shoppers.  

In order to sell products, there needs to be trust formed between the customer and the seller. If you’re doing business within an online marketplace, there is an added element of brand trust that is required. 

Imagine what you could achieve if that trust was with you directly?  The larger marketplaces are not exactly known for their unique selling points anymore, as they begin to blend into one big corporation as opposed to something that’s all about small handmade businesses.

When you own your website you can build trust, directly.

The benefits of having your own website extend far before these six key points. Something we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments!

If you’ve recognised the benefits of having your own website and you’re ready to take this important next step in business, contact us!

We provide website services to the maker community of Australia, including website design and critiques. Head to daltonbaker.com.au to learn more.