Why a Website, Mailing List, and Data Ownership Matter
It’s official: TikTok is disappearing from the U.S. starting mid-January unless a buyer steps in to save the platform (and TikTok agrees to sell). For countless small businesses relying on TikTok to reach their audience and generate sales, this news is devastating. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: those customer contacts, likes, followers, and leads you’ve built on TikTok were never truly yours—they belonged to TikTok.
And it’s not just TikTok. Zillow, Etsy, Amazon, and many other third-party platforms operate in the same way. When someone interacts with your property on Zillow or buys a product on Etsy, the customer’s data is stored by the platform—not you. That means if those platforms change their rules, revoke your access, or shut down completely, you lose your connection to your customers.

The lesson here is clear: if your business is reliant on platforms you don’t control, you’re building on borrowed land.
The Solution: Build Your Own Foundation
Your business needs a space where you own the data, you control the message, and you set the rules. That’s why having a website and mailing list is non-negotiable in today’s digital landscape.
Why a Website?
Your website is the foundation of your online presence—the “home base” for your business. It’s where your brand lives and thrives, independent of any third-party platform.
Your website is where:
You tell your story first—on your terms.
Customers can explore your products or services in depth.
Users can sign up for your mailing list, giving you direct access to them.
All your other marketing efforts—social media, email campaigns, and even paid ads—lead back to.
Think of it like this: your website is the root of your business. Social platforms and marketplaces are branches. If those branches are pruned or cut away, your website remains strong and intact, giving you the ability to rebuild and adapt.
Why a Mailing List?
Your email list is your direct line to your customers—something no algorithm or platform shutdown can take away from you. With a mailing list, you can:
Stay in touch with your audience, no matter what happens on social platforms.
Share promotions, updates, and resources at the click of a button.
Build a loyal community that’s invested in your brand.
Email marketing is one of the most effective tools for nurturing leads and converting them into loyal buyers. The best part? It’s yours.
Other Things to Consider
While your website is the foundation, there are additional tools that can help you manage and grow your customer relationships:
CRMs (Customer Relationship Management): Tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho centralize customer information and help you nurture leads.
Interactive Lead Magnets: Quizzes, calculators, or free templates engage potential customers while collecting their information.
Referral Programs: Incentivize your current customers with tools like ReferralCandy or Yotpo to grow your database.
Social Media Lead Tools: Facebook Lead Ads, LinkedIn Lead Gen Forms, or Instagram swipe-ups can capture leads and drive them back to your website.
Marketing Automation: Platforms like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign keep your audience engaged while saving you time with automated campaigns.
These tools, when used alongside your website, create a powerful ecosystem for capturing, organizing, and leveraging your customer data.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
The situation with TikTok serves as a wake-up call for all businesses. If your customer data, content, or livelihood is tied to a platform you don’t own, you’re at the mercy of forces beyond your control. What happens to all the content you’ve created if that platform goes away tomorrow? How will you reach your customers?
A website and mailing list give you the tools to future-proof your business. They provide the stability, ownership, and independence you need to grow sustainably—no matter what happens to third-party platforms.
Does that mean you stop using third-party platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Zillow, Etsy, or any other tool? NO! Absolutely not. These platforms are valuable tools for visibility and reach, but that’s exactly what they are—tools. The key is to make sure they’re working for you, not the other way around. Set up a shop on your website alongside your presence on these platforms. Do the extra legwork to build and maintain your own database. Make it a habit to collect and store your clients’ information before you ship an item or complete a sale. Use links that redirect users back to your website whenever possible. Taking these steps allows you to harness control of your data, taking it away from the platforms. Is it a little extra work? Sure. But in the long run, it’s an investment that ensures your business thrives no matter what happens to third-party platforms.
Ready to Take Control?
The time to act is now. 2025 is around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to take control of your business, your data, and your future. SAYJAYstudio can help you create a website and mailing list that give you the power to connect with your audience on your terms.
If you’re ready to stop relying on platforms that can disappear overnight, let’s talk. Together, we’ll build a foundation that keeps your business strong, no matter what the digital world throws your way.
Don’t wait for another platform to pull the rug out from under you. Let’s secure your business’s future today.