Facebook page or Website
A common question among business owners is “Why do I need a website when I have a Facebook page”? Websites can be expensive while a Facebook page is free. Every penny counts when you are running a business so why should you invest in a website? I get it. I had the same concerns. Should you invest in a website or forego the expense? Let’s take a look at a few important considerations regarding Facebook page or Website and then you can make an educated decision on what is best for your business.
The first thing would be the fact that Facebook changes its layout and interaction on occasion. What use to be familiar is new again. This can make the hard work you put into your page obsolete and as a business owner, downtime is lost money. The worst part is, you never know if or when it is coming. I manage several pages and as of autumn 2022 some have the new page layout while others have not. Facebook has this notice: “The new Pages experience isn’t available for all Pages yet. Some Pages you manage might still use the classic Pages experience” The new pages have a redesigned layout that you will likely have to adjust, or at the least review. When you will have to do this is a guess, but again it is wasted time redoing work you have already done. I hate that.
With a website, you are in control of everything from content to layout. You control if and when something will change so there are no sudden surprises. A few great examples of this are the likes and follows on Facebook pages. You were able to see both, but now many pages do not show likes, just follows. Fine, but I want to see how my page likes have grown over the recent history. This unfortunately is out of our control as we have very little say on the content of our pages.
On this note though, it does not take too long to create a Facebook page. The average person can have one up within a day and polish it as time goes on. This is an appealing feature but it leads us to our second consideration: credibility.
Because Facebook pages are easy to put together, having one does not show that you are a legitimate business. Many questionable organizations create a page and when they get too many bad reviews or too much unwanted attention, they simply close that page and open another. A website can demonstrate that you are a more established organization. Domain names are not something you can close down and reopen. They follow your business. My-Business.com yesterday will be My-Business.com tomorrow. In addition, the age of a domain name has some influence to your Google search results. Google likes older domains.
Another thing to consider is content. You can share quick ideas and comments on a Facebook page, but you can’t share a blog post or other in-depth items. On Facebook you have one dedicated page with limitations to what you can share. With a website, you have as many pages as you need to put whatever you want. The SEO benefit of having dedicated web pages with various keywords makes it far more valuable to your business than a single page.
A Facebook page and Website each have their own place in a marketing plan, but one cannot completely replace the other. While a Facebook page is a great way to interact with your current customers, it is not as likely to get you in front of new potential customers. If someone searches for “Your Business” they may find “Your Business” on Facebook. If however, you were selling diamonds, a Google search for diamonds would have a much harder time finding “Your Business” Facebook page. Google will have a much easier time finding the product page on your website dedicated to diamonds.
To summarize and paint it in a simpler light, a Facebook page can get basic information about your business on-line and readily available to someone who knows of your existence. Information such as email, phone number, address, or website. This is great for developing loyalty and repeat business. It is not as successful at attracting new customers and growing your business as a Website can. Facebook is like fishing in a stocked pond where you know your audience, while a website would be like a commercial fishing ship in the middle of the ocean. This is comparing apples to apples and not taking into consideration any advertising or boosting of posts, but that is a whole other conversation.
Hopefully this has made you think about how limiting a Facebook page can be for growing your business, BUT how beneficial it is at driving repeat sales and building brand loyalty. A website would be more expensive but it is much better at attracting new customers and growing your business when done right.
If you are considering which is right for you, a Facebook page or Website, give us a call and let’s set up a time to discuss this in more detail. It’s a big decision so let us help you make the right one for you. Remember that your customers are listening. The question is, what are you saying? And in this instance, which audience are you choosing to say it to?