A website is a great resource for your business. It’s a hub for information. It's a lead generator and converter. Therefore, it's the heart of your online recruiting presence and can help build your brand for clients and candidates. Everyone knows what a professional site can do for your company. However, a poorly built web page or the complete lack of an online presence could be costly. Below are just a few of the signals you’re sending potential clients if you haven’t invested in a professional website.

You lack professionalism

When a client or candidate hears about your company, your website is the first place they turn for more information. Having only a LinkedIn profile or Facebook page could raises questions about what kind of recruiter you actually are. Are you just a weekend warrior or a freelance headhunter? If it appears that’s the case, they might take their business or resume elsewhere. Established recruiters use their online presence as leverage against their competition to show what their company stands for. Consequently, it shares their recruiting philosophy and resources. In addition to that, it also shows if they can find the right talent for the right job. If you’re missing a site, you can bet that your competitors are using that against you.

It’s not just the absence of a website that can make you appear unprofessional. Using templates and pre-built wireframes for your corporate site makes it seem like your online recruiting presence was an afterthought. Potential clients have experience with “drag and drop” sites like these and can easily distinguish them from their professionally built counterparts. A pre-built site may seem like a prudent investment, but if it’s not helping your credibility, you may just be throwing money away.

You lack commitment

When a potential client searches for a talent acquisition firm for ongoing hiring, ideally they are looking to build a partnership with that recruiting company. But before a business makes that kind of commitment, they want to know that the organization they’re working with is established, credible and stable for the foreseeable future. Having a well-designed website and strong online presence shows you’re a brand, not just a business. A professional brand shows commitment to the industry, lets potential clients know this is more than a side project and proves that you’re more than a flash in the pan. If you want to outlast your competition and become a staple in the recruiting industry, you have to start taking steps that reinforce you’re in this for the long haul.

You lack resources

If you haven’t committed to a website, how does a potential client know that you’ll invest in the networks and resources you’ll need to fill their talent needs? If your entire online presence is housed on LinkedIn, a potential client will assume that you’ll simply use the same site to find candidates. So if you’re just going to LinkedIn for talent, why can’t they use social media to find those applicants themselves? If you use online tools, third-party lists, or even your own database to find superior candidates for positions, not having a website can undermine all of the work and money you’ve invested in the eyes of clients.

Don’t let a poor online presence take away from the hard work you’ve put into your company over the years. A LinkedIn profile or quick, template web page just isn’t enough to meet the digital needs of today’s business world. Clients and candidates will go to the web for more information about your company. When they do, make sure they’re finding a website that’s robust, professional and shows the depth of experience you have in the recruiting field.