Host Your Own Website Instead of a Social Network Profile

By: shilpa dws | Posted: 07th February 2011

Social networking websites like Facebook and Myspace have grown exponentially ever since their inception several years ago. Besides being an excellent way to keep in contact with friends and relatives, they are a very useful tool for service providers, online retailers, and internet marketers.

There is no doubt about it, having a profile on a social networking site (or 3 or 4) is crucial for expanding your web presence. This doesn't mean, however, that you should eschew a personal domain and hosted website. Here are some reasons why you need to have a website in addition to any social network.

1. These websites are only for networking. They should never be the basis for an entire business online. They make a very flimsy foundation. When you have a profile on one of these sites, your identity online is completely dependent on this third party website.
2. Your website is your image. You can only build a brand through a website dedicated to that brand. Also, owning a website shows people that you are serious about what you do. Anyone can make a Myspace profile, but having a personal domain name shows that you can do business in some way.
3. Use your own design. Only on a personal website will you have complete control over the look and structure of your website.
4. Hosting companies give you perks. Every hosting company has promotions and offers that you will never find on a social networking site.
5. Domains are extremely inexpensive. You can easily purchase a domain for less than $10 yearly, and most hosting sites offer packages for as low as $5 per month.
6. Expand more easily. Once you have a website, link it to your social profiles. Expand your network radically.
7. Track your success more easily. Hosted websites can be set up to track your traffic and you can use this data to improve.
8. Save your traffic if you need to switch. If you ever have to switch your domain name, you can save all the data regarding traffic and search placement.
9. Better marketing opportunities. Once you have a hosted website set up, you can use any element of that site on your social networking profiles, further expanding your sphere of influence.
10. More options. When you own a website, you always have the option of selling it, and you can make a lot of money doing this if it is successful.


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