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Its a form of digital sharecropping.

This leaves your business vulnerable to being cut-off and shut down at any time.

This is not the first time this has happened.

Businesses once investing heavily in Facebook Pages, as a means of distribution when Facebook emphasized Pages.

But Facebook later changed direction and those efforts were wasted.

There were numerous other changes Meta and Facebook have made over the years that have affected companies.

Community Manager at Kinsta.

Later, Twitter shut down those integrations and built competitors to those products.

Building a business on someone elses platform is like renting versus owning.

With ownership, you maintain maximum control over the direction of your business.

Strong presence and control

Im not advocating avoiding social platforms.

By all means, use TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and others.

For small businesses that generate content, social platforms can drive critical attention to sustain their growth.

But if companies invest in their own website, that can provide a key lifeline.

Also, confirm that you arent putting all your efforts and focus solely on these platforms.

You want to have a strong presence that you control through your own website.

That will drive people back to your site.

you might also invest in a domain name that is easy to remember and will help support your site.

You will own thatdata, and you might control your future.

You will also show up inChatGPTor otherAIsearch engines.

But you will only be available if you have this website already set up.

This is an investment in your business.

Its like taking care of your health or your hygiene.

Just like you brush your teeth to protect your teeth long term.

The website advantage

A website will also help you define your overall strategy as a business.

Its not the same as a clip on TikTok or reel on Instagram.

It can even be as simple as a one-page website, where people can find you.

This alone will give you real legitimacy as a real business.

When people find your website online, theyll see you as a real business.

Thats what will support your business for the future.

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The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc.