Do you need a website as a brow artist?

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1. Background

This article gathered information from interviews with 64 brow artists specializing in powder brows and hairstrokes. Most of these artists, 51 to be precise, are based in European Union countries, 8 in the UK, and 5 in the US. Our research, conducted between 2020 and 2024, focuses on customer relations, satisfaction, sales, and marketing. A key part of our inquiry was about the tools and platforms these artists use to attract new clients, particularly their use of websites. This research is still ongoing. Additionally, two experienced professionals from powderbrows.io, a digital marketing division of Powderbrows.com Research Center, have further reviewed our findings. These experts have over 20 years of combined experience in digital media marketing.

2. Is it worth it?

Does a Modern-Day Brow Artist Need a Website?

If you're involved in marketing for powder brows, a key question arises: "Do I need a website?" The straightforward answer is yes. In the current digital era, the value of having your website is immense.

Your website acts like a digital shop window in the beauty sector, particularly for specialized services such as powder brows or hairstrokes. It adds credibility and a professional touch to your business and serves as the central point for all your marketing activities. Without a website, effectively creating a sales funnel becomes challenging. A sales funnel is a process that guides potential customers toward becoming actual paying clients.

Think about this: In many regions, over half of the people looking for beauty services use search engines, mainly Google, to find a beautician or brow artist. These potential clients are actively searching with a strong intention to use such services. Depending solely on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook for your online presence may not be sufficient to attract these prospective clients.

3. Google's Platforms vs. Meta

Search Engines Against Social Media Platforms

Many business owners hope their social media profiles rank highly in Google searches. However, this expectation is often optimistic rather than realistic. Here’s the reason why.

Competition. Google sees major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram as competitors. These platforms are significant in digital advertising, just like Google. Therefore, it's not beneficial for Google to direct traffic to these competing platforms.

User Experience. Google aims to provide search results that offer detailed and direct information. When someone searches for "Powder Brows services near me", a dedicated website with comprehensive service details, prices, testimonials, and booking options is more useful than a social media profile, which might lack complete information.

Business Model Alignment. Google’s advertising model, or Google Ads, depends on businesses wanting to be visible on its platform. If businesses think their social media profiles can achieve similar visibility without using Google Ads, this could affect Google's revenue.

Control Over Content. Google can better control and predict how content is displayed on websites compared to the dynamic nature of social media platforms. Websites allow Google to offer a more stable and consistent user experience.

In summary, while social media is valuable, relying solely on it for online visibility may not yield the best results in Google searches. A dedicated website is often more effective.

4. Building the Website Yourself

Standing at the Digital Crossroads

As you contemplate building a website for your artistic venture, visualize yourself at a crossroads. On one path, there's the allure of creating a website yourself, typically using a platform like WordPress. On the opposing route, there's the convenience of using dedicated platforms, such as Squarespace and Wix, or alternatives like Weebly or Webflow, which operate on a subscription model.

Building a website from scratch or using open-source platforms might seem enticing for several reasons.

Full Code Control

When you build a website from scratch or use platforms like WordPress, you have complete control over your site's code. This means you can customize every aspect of your website, ensuring it's unique and tailored to your specific requirements.

Flexibility

You can introduce any functionality or integrate third-party tools without the constraints that might be present on template-based platforms. Want a specific feature? There's probably a plugin or code snippet available online.

Cost Implications

By developing a site yourself, you can theoretically sidestep subscription costs by integrating free online modules, potentially reducing your monthly overheads.

Ownership

There's a sense of ownership and freedom. You're not tied to the policies or guidelines of a specific platform. You own your code, which means you can replicate, duplicate, or modify it as you see fit.

However, while these advantages can be tempting, they can quickly become double-edged swords.

5. The Unseen Burdens of DIY Websites

Managing a website's code might seem beneficial, but it's akin to buying a house from scratch instead of buying a ready-made one. Here's why.

Maintenance Work Websites aren't a "set it and forget it" affair. They require regular updates to ensure smooth functioning. This could mean updating plugins, ensuring compatibility after updates, or patching vulnerabilities.
Security Concerns A self-made site needs to be safeguarded against cyber threats. This means you'll be responsible for implementing security patches, ensuring secure connections, and monitoring for potential threats.
Optimization Issues v While integrating different blocks of code or plugins might provide the functionality you want, they can sometimes conflict or result in slower loading times. This affects user experience and SEO rankings.
Unforeseen Technical Challenges Ever heard of the 'White Screen of Death' on WordPress? Or database connection issues? When things go wrong, the onus is on you to troubleshoot and fix them. These challenges often require time and sometimes additional investment.
Mobile Responsiveness As most users access websites via mobile devices, ensuring your DIY website is mobile-friendly can add complexity.
Hidden Costs While it might seem cheaper initially, the costs can add up. Whether for premium plugins, security software, or emergency troubleshooting assistance, these costs can sometimes surpass what you'd pay on a dedicated platform.

It is Smarter and Easier to go for a Dedicated Platform at first

Platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and their alternatives such as Weebly, or Webflow offer a different value proposition. They provide a more streamlined, user-friendly experience. While there's a monthly or annual fee, this often includes hosting, security, and access to various tools and templates.

These platforms often prove more efficient in the long run for artists and businesses that don't want to be bogged down by the technicalities. They allow you to focus on your core competency - your art and service - while they handle the technicalities of website management.

6. Better strategy

Here is how one can go from quick creation to content generation.

The Initial Step: Quick and Effective Website Launch

The digital age has presented countless avenues for businesses to establish their presence. The urgency is real for budding artists, particularly in the niche field of Powder Brows. Potential clients are searching; the quicker you can offer them a professional, navigable platform, the better. Given the intricate nature of crafting a website from scratch, using platforms can significantly expedite this process, making it the preferable choice for artists embarking on this journey.

Content: The Heartbeat of Your Website

While a sleek, functional website serves as the skeletal framework, the content is the pulsating heart. Imagine entering a beautifully constructed shop with empty shelves; it's a similar concept. A website without substantial content resembles a shop with nothing to offer.

Creating compelling, relevant, and consistent content is paramount. It boosts your website's visibility, establishes your brand's credibility, showcases your expertise, and draws potential clients closer to your services.

Embracing the Grind: The Reality of Content Generation

We've provided a plethora of guidance on content generation on our platform. The common thread? There are no shortcuts to quality. The content landscape is a marathon, not a sprint. It requires dedication, research, authenticity, and a genuine passion for what you do.

The digitization age has transformed businesses' operations, especially in niche industries like Powder Brows. It's a double-edged sword; on the one hand, tools and platforms are more accessible than ever. Conversely, there's a proliferation of misinformation, leading many to believe that the path to success is a simple point-and-click endeavor.

Many artists dive headfirst into this journey, seduced by the promise of rapid website setup and AI-generated content. And while it's true that getting a website live can take hours, the reality that follows often isn't as rosy. The web is awash with 'get-rich-quick' schemes and 'content generators,' but success isn't just about filling space; it's about crafting genuine, quality content that speaks to and resonates with the audience.

It's not just the powder brows or hairstrokes industry; countless sectors are becoming saturated as entry barriers lower. This oversaturation isn't inherently negative, but it does underscore a salient point: differentiation is crucial. While everyone can technically set up a shop, not everyone will thrive. Those who succeed are those who start and persevere, innovate, and consistently deliver.

It's an age-old truth that nothing worth having comes easy. Behind every successful powder brows artist's glossy website lies months or years of meticulous work, research, and refinement. It's not just about having content; it's about having meaningful content. in other words, success demands hard work. It's about going beyond the basic template and "Lorem Ipsum" placeholder. It's about diving deep into the needs and aspirations of potential clients, understanding the intricacies of the Powder Brows technique, and communicating that knowledge in a relatable and compelling manner.

7. The reality in 2024

Organic Reach on Social Media Platforms

Organic reach refers to the number of people seeing your content on social media platforms without paid promotion. It's the natural spread of content among followers and beyond based on the platform's algorithms. Initially, social media platforms allowed almost 100% organic reach, meaning virtually all your followers would see your content. However, since the 2023 updates, this reach has drastically decreased to about 1-2%. This implies that now, only a tiny fraction of your followers see your posts unless you pay for wider distribution.

Implications of the Decline in Organic Reach

The decline in organic reach significantly impacts the cost-effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool. Previously, reaching potential customers through social media was relatively easy and low-cost. The cost of reaching and converting a user into a buyer has soared. This doesn't render social media marketing redundant; it remains crucial for brand presence and customer engagement. However, relying solely on social media for marketing is no longer as viable as it once was.

Investing in a Website vs. Social Media Boosting

Given these changes, investing in a high-quality website can be more beneficial than spending extensively on social media boosting. A well-optimized website for search engines, with engaging and valuable content, can naturally attract visitors and generate leads. This approach is often more sustainable and cost-effective in the long run, as it doesn't rely on continually paying for visibility.

Therefore, while social media remains an important aspect of digital marketing, the reduced organic reach makes it imperative to have a strong, SEO-optimized website to capture and capitalize on organic traffic opportunities.

8. All that is left…

Currently, the easy opportunities for acquiring client contacts are exhausted. The low-hanging fruit, so to speak, is no longer available. Initiating a social media account now yields minimal organic followers, making it challenging to gain traction.

Similarly, the landscape of the web and search engines presents its difficulties. Merely having a website isn't enough to draw traffic. Many artists are dismayed that their newly created websites attract very few visitors, sometimes less than ten a day, or even none, barring their visits.

The only option left is a consistent, strenuous effort. Creating more and better free content is imperative, but it's far from easy. Outsourcing content creation is often unfeasible as it might not be cost-effective. The necessity now is to delve into the vast array of information sources and create content that is useful to visitors and outperforms competitors.

The current digital marketing landscape requires producing high-quality, engaging content. This is the key to attracting and retaining website visitors and social media followers in a highly competitive environment.

9. Conclusions

For starting artists, particularly in the brow business, deciding whether to create a website is crucial. Based on data from research projects and empirical evidence, it's clear that a website is essential.

The reasoning is grounded in rational analysis and data. Relying solely on social media, especially Meta platforms like Instagram and Facebook, places artists in direct competition within these environments. However, studies indicate that at least 55% of potential leads for brow artists originate from web searches, primarily on Google. Without a website, artists miss the opportunity to tap into the traffic and leads that Google can generate.

Therefore, having a website is more of a necessity than a luxury in this business. Building a site from scratch can be a daunting task, especially for those without extensive IT expertise, involving unexpected amounts of work and significant risks.

A practical solution for many is using platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or Webflow, which allow for quick website creation without coding skills. Yet, merely having a website is not enough. It's akin to just entering the race; you need excellent content to compete effectively.

The remaining task involves hard work: researching various sources, reading extensively, and producing original, useful, and engaging content for the website. Although challenging and time-consuming, creating quality content is necessary for attracting traffic from search engines, as evidenced by expert opinions and data analysis.