I’ve been saying this since 2008, when I worked with a sales training firm in Wakefield, RI, “websites don’t sell…people do”. If someone else tells you differently they are just lying. Why? Well, think about for a second: are selling a widget under say $50 or $100? No, the majority of small businesses aren’t. Think about the last item you purchased online…the average person doesn’t feel comfortable purchasing an items off of a website that isn’t Amazon or Zappos or some other large retailer.

Reality Check?

While I firmly believe you should have both a website and a social media presence I can’t help but feel frustrated when people think “oh I’m going to get a website and business is just going to start rolling in”. People this isn’t “field of dreams” and even if it is…think about all of the work that he put into that field.  The sacrifice, the triumph, and the belief.

A website and a social media presence isn’t a magic solution to getting clients. Its a tool that needs to be leveraged as a way to reach more potential clients and pull them into your network so that they trust you over time. Our prospects today are smarter, more educated and have done their research on you and your competitors.

The marketers and sales people out there that tell you, “oh once you build a website clients will be rolling in” are wrong. That may have been the case 5 or 10 years ago but not today.

Managing Expectations:

Your website and social media is a critical part in the selling process today. It’s how your clients get to know you and understand that you are an expert in your field. Any good marketer and sales educator will tell you that marketing, sales and networking are all integrated especially if you want to become a digital business.

If you yearning to leverage the internet as a place to get prospects from then YES!!! A website and social media is the way to go BUT if you are looking for the website to do all the work….well….you are probably going to be disappointed. WHY? Websites don’t SELL but people do!