Content Guide
Why Vloggers Should Have Their Own Website Content Guide
Introduction
Most people already know what a blog is, but a vlog can be just as successful. A vlogger is a person who, instead of posting articles on a blog, posts videos on their vlog.
Many people like getting their information from videos instead of through articles because they don’t like to read. For people who are more visual, videos are simply easier to understand.
The typical vlogger on YouTube is very successful, but does this mean that vloggers don’t need websites? Interestingly, the answer to that question is “no,” and there are many reasons why.
Having any type of business these days and not using social media to promote it is a bad idea. Studies have shown that 95% of all young people follow businesses and entrepreneurs via social media.
In practical terms, it means that if you don’t use social media, you’re losing followers. Even if your vlog is a personal one, you need followers if you’re going to be successful.
Many people will “check you out” on your website before going any further, so this is an important step indeed. A website gives you the appearance of legitimacy, and that’s what your followers will want.
Below are a few reasons why all vloggers need a website.
It Gives You a “Home Base”
Having a presence on social media is a must, but your own website gives you a home base that allows you to share information about yourself that your followers will consider important. In other ways, it gives you the chance to prove you are who you say you are.
Even if your vlog is a personal one, it is still a product of yours – a brand, if you will. You’ll be surprised by how many potential followers will go to your website first to make sure you are legitimate.
In fact, many of them simply will not visit your vlog more than once or twice without researching your website first. If you don’t have your own website, they may think you’re a fly-by-night business that won’t be here for very long.
While social media sites are important, they are owned by other people. Your website, on the other hand, is owned by you, the creator of the site.
Another reason you need a website is because videos only deal with a bit of information at a time. Your website can go into a lot more detail about all of your business or brand, so visitors can go directly to the page they’re looking for.
It Can Drive More Traffic to Your Vlog
A good website also does two more important things: it drives more traffic to your vlog site, and it can help you create leads. Once you discover who has visited your website, all of those people can be considered potential followers or customers.
Your website can also house the content that’s on your vlog. This enables you to have a central location that allows followers to look at any content they may have missed in the past.
Websites allow you to build a community of followers and potential followers. If you’ve created a vlog that sells something, these followers can easily turn into paying customers in the future.
Even if you don’t have something to sell, the followers of your vlog are much more likely to visit that vlog regularly after viewing your website. Once you learn how bloggers get paid, it’s easy to understand the significance of this.
Simply put, vlogs and websites go together perfectly. Don’t even think about devoting all of that time to your vlog and making sure your videos are just right unless you have a well-maintained website for your followers to visit.
You Can Turn Videos Into Posts
Turning videos into a blog post is super-easy. If someone visits the blog on your website but misses a few videos, they can still get this relevant, important information.
This, in turn, can mean not just more followers but more customers as well, putting more money into your pocket in the end. This is because vloggers get paid a variety of ways, including:
- Becoming an affiliate. This is where you place links to certain products in your vlog, and when a follower clicks through and makes a purchase, you get a percentage of the amount that they spend.
- Getting involved with Adsense. This program is sponsored by Google and will run ads on your vlog, and you’ll get paid every time a follower clicks on one of the ads.
- Selling your own products. If you have your own products, you can sell them on your vlog and make some money.
- Creating a Patreon page. If your content is unique enough, your audience will actually donate money to see your videos.
As you can imagine, none of these things will make you money unless you have enough followers. When you turn videos into posts as new content, you’ll attract more followers, which in the end means more money.
It’s Super Easy to Get a Website Developed
If the thought of creating your own website has you frazzled, not to worry. Even learning how to create a website for free is much easier than you think, especially with companies such as WordPress and others that are there for that exact purpose.
With companies such as WordPress, you get step-by-step instructions that are extremely user-friendly. Even people who are not tech-savvy, therefore, can create a great-looking website in no time.
Even a beginning vlogger will find it easy and fast to develop their own website with these software packages. Most of them offer a drop-and-drag feature and lots of tools that allow you to get a website that looks just like you want it to look when you’re done.
If you think creating a website for free gives you substandard or limited options, think again. WordPress and others are made for both individual and professional websites, so it doesn’t matter if a vlogger has a personal or business website, they can accommodate that vlogger every time.
It Provides You with Unlimited Benefits
While vlogs are usually made to be short, your website can be as detailed as you want it to be. A vlogger can choose a basic one-page site or a site with numerous pages, or anything in between.
If you’ve been on any type of website, just think about what you’ve seen there. Features such as chat, popups, email plugins, testimonials from customers, and numerous others can easily be included on your site.
Most of these features cannot be included on your video page, but they are easy to incorporate into your website. Other benefits include:
- It can make finding you via an online search much easier.
- It gives you a competitive edge over individuals and businesses without a website.
- It allows you to connect with followers and customers much more easily.
- It is one of the best marketing and promotional tools there is.
You Can Express Yourself Like You Want to
While videos do allow you to release your creativity, a website does this even more. You can get as detailed as you want to with your website, and as creative as you’ve always wanted to be.
This is especially true if your website is three to five pages long. Each page can go into more detail about your business and your vlog site, which is certain to whet the appetite of your viewers and increase the odds that they’ll visit your vlog next.
In fact, if you want to truly unleash the creativity you’ve always known is inside of you, your own website is the perfect way to do it.
How to Get Started
If you’re new to creating websites, there’s no need to get nervous. There are numerous companies that will help you learn the tools you need to find the perfect website builder for your needs.
In addition to WordPress, some of the best free website builders include:
- IONOS
- Network Solutions
- Site123
- Squarespace
- Wix
When you get started, here are some things to consider:
- Know beforehand what your budget is.
- Get to know your audience – remember, a website audience is very different from a vlog audience.
- If possible, keep the theme of your website the same or similar to your vlog.
- Learn all you can about the website builders you’re considering using.
- Carefully consider what your domain name will be.
The more research you do, the more confidence you’ll have that you made the best choice in the end. This is why taking your time is the best thing to do when you wish to create a new website.
Conclusion
If you’ve been a vlogger for a while but still don’t have the followers you’d like to have, it could be because you don’t have a website. Remember, the two must go together if you wish to be a successful vlogger, especially if you want to make money from the endeavor.
Developing a free website can be just as effective as choosing one that you have to pay for, especially if you know what to do each step of the way. Fortunately, website companies can help you with that with tons of templates and designs, enabling you to find the best one quickly and easily.
There’s no time like the present to get started.