Every time you share a link online, you make a choice. Do you send people to your own website, or do you send them somewhere else?
On the surface, tools like LinkTree, or hosted landing pages from email marketing platforms, seem convenient. They’re quick to set up, they don’t need much technical knowledge, and they solve an immediate problem. But if you step back and look at the bigger picture, there’s a cost: you’re giving away the benefits of that visit.
When you link away from your website, you lose out on search engine value, useful data about your visitors, and the chance to show off your brand in its best light.
Here’s why it’s so important to make sure every link points back to your website.
The hidden problem with external tools
Let’s take two common examples.
1. LinkTree and social media bios
You’ve only got one link in Instagram, so you set up a LinkTree. It lists your services, blog, newsletter, or booking link. It works, but all those clicks are going to a LinkTree URL and not your domain.
2. Email marketing landing pages
Mailchimp, Mailerlite and other tools encourage you to use their landing pages. Again, convenient. But once more, you’re sending people to their platform, not yours.
In both cases, you’ve done the hard work to attract the visitor, only to give the benefit away.
Why linking to your website matters
1. It helps your SEO
Search engines look at how many people visit your site and how they interact with it. The more visits, the stronger your website looks to Google. That makes it easier for you to appear higher up in search results.
When you send people to LinkTree or an email tool, they get the benefit, not you. Over time, that could be one of the reasons why your site isn’t ranking as well as it could.
2. You get better data
If people land on your website, you can see exactly where they came from. Did they click through from LinkedIn? Instagram? Your newsletter? Analytics tools like Google Analytics or Plausible show you the whole picture.
This helps you decide where to spend your time. If you know LinkedIn brings most visitors, you can focus there. If you can see email is working, you’ll know to repeat that format.
When you send visitors away from your site, you lose that insight.
3. Your brand stays consistent
Your website has your logo, your colours, your tone of voice. It’s designed to feel like you. External tools rarely give you the same control. LinkTree looks the same for everyone. Email landing pages often carry the provider’s branding in the footer.
That might feel minor, but for visitors it makes a difference. Consistency builds trust. When every click keeps people on your site, the whole experience feels polished and professional.
4. More chances to convert
On your website, you can guide visitors naturally. They might read a blog, check your services, or browse case studies. You can build a journey that leads them closer to making an enquiry or purchase.
On an external tool, you don’t have that flexibility. People click once, and that’s it. You lose the chance to engage them further.
How to bring people back to your website
The good news is, making the change is simple.
Replace LinkTree with a page on your site
Create a simple page (often called /links or /bio) with buttons to your key destinations. Keep it mobile-friendly, as most visitors will come from social media.
Host your own landing pages
Instead of using your email tool’s landing page, build it on your site. Modern builders like WordPress with Beaver Builder make this quick. You can still connect forms to Mailchimp or Mailerlite, but the page lives on your domain.
Review your analytics
Once visitors are landing on your site, check your data regularly. See which sources bring people in, what they do when they arrive, and where they drop off. Use this to refine your marketing.
Common concerns and how to address them
“It’ll be harder to set up.”
If your website is managed properly, creating a new page is quick and straightforward.
“Other platforms are more reliable.”
With good hosting and ongoing care, your website will be just as reliable — and you keep control.
“Won’t it cost more?”
No. In fact, creating pages on your own site saves money, because you don’t pay for extra third-party tools.
Making your website the hub
Your website is the one place online you truly own. Social media platforms change their rules. Email providers limit your options. External tools take credit for your clicks.
By making your website the hub, you keep visitors where they belong. You build your search visibility, you get clearer data, and you strengthen your brand.
So the next time you share a link, pause for a moment. Ask yourself: Am I sending people to my website, or away from it?
The answer could make all the difference.