Short answer: yes.

Long answer: yes, you really do.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard a variation of the phrase “I don’t have a website, I just use Facebook,” and another dollar for every time I was looking for a business online and got directed to their Facebook page instead of a website, I would have a very comfortable nest egg for retirement.

Here’s the thing: I understand that starting a Facebook page (or any social media account) is cheap and easy and quick. Why spend the time and money on building a website when you can have an Instagram account up and running in less than an hour?

Long and short answer: because the advantages outweigh the costs.

You can (and probably should) still have a social media presence, but when you rely solely on social media for your business promotion, you never really own or control the content you are posting. You do not control when people see your posts or how people interpret your company’s message when it is sandwiched between someone’s latest conspiracy theory or allegiance to a sports team (GO GREEN!). You must follow someone else’s rules (which are constantly changing) and you do not get to control the narrative. Your accounts can get hacked or stolen or reported and BAM!, you no longer have a digital presence.

With a website, you are in control. You own everything and while you will still be susceptible to hacks or broken pages, the fixes are much quicker and far less complicated than trying to reach someone at Facebook.

Websites legitimize your business, get you included on Google search rankings, and are worth the investment.

Nadia Zerka is an account director at Imagine Communications and available to meet with clients regarding their website and marketing needs.