Well, how important is your website to you? And how important do you want it to be to others? If the answer to either of those two questions is "very", then you should be aware of just how important social media incorporated web design is to your site, and your business.
Many people decide to set up an online site for their offline business, their home based business, or to promote their writing, artwork and other things. It is, of course, entirely possible to set up the entire site without any social media incorporation at all -- but is that wise? When your site is set up to be social media ready from the beginning there can be distinct advantages. It's not that all that can't be added later; it can. It is that including it from the start, wrapping your site around the social media and SEO aspects, everything flows in one direction -- toward leading people where you want or need them to go. And toward making sure that they not only know who you are, what you are selling or promoting, but also where you are and how to get there.
So, what is it that incorporating social media into your site design can do for you?
Website Visibility
Your website can have as many bells and whistles as you wish to pay for, but if no one knows where it is, you will be enjoying them pretty much alone. A social media and SEO ready website works to make sure that this doesn't happen. You'll notice how that last sentence is framed -- it's intentional. A well-optimized website does the work of promoting your site and letting people know what you are doing on it, almost without any effort from you. Links to your latest articles or news on your site can automatically appear in strategic social media; words and efforts that will attract the notice of search engines are already incorporated. You do have to do some work, of course -- but let that be the work of providing good content, or good direction on what goes onto your site for your visitors to see.
Customer Retention
One benefit of having social media incorporated webdesign is that customers are often reminded not only of your existence, but of your product and why they wanted it in the first place. Using social media to keep in touch with your customers is a non-intrusive way to keep your name in the forefront of their minds. You don't have to attempt to sell them anything at every contact; just a link to your newest article, or a brief conversation on a microchat site will accomplish the same thing.
Customer Relations or Visitor Loyalty
When your customers can get hold of you by just writing a note and clicking, they are more likely to not only tell you what they like -- but what they don't like. And it is best if you know that so that you can take care of whatever it is quickly. Visitors and customers are also more inclined to establish ties and loyalty toward social media incorporated sites because after a while it is almost like visiting a friend.