Is a Facebook Page Enough for Your Business?
A Facebook page is a good start for a small business. What it does well, the three things it cannot do, and when a website starts to pay for itself.
For some businesses, for a while, a Facebook page is enough. It is free, it is quick, and your regulars are already there. But there are three things it cannot do: you do not own it, strangers searching Google rarely find it, and people who are not on Facebook cannot see much of it.
Plenty of South Shore businesses run on a Facebook page alone. Here is how to tell if yours can.
What a Facebook page does well
A Facebook page is good at the people who already know you.
- It is free and takes ten minutes to set up.
- Your regulars see today's special, the new stock, or that you are closed for the storm.
- People can message you, and many do.
- Photos and posts show you are open and busy. That matters.
If most of your work comes from people who already know you, a Facebook page does a lot.
What a Facebook page cannot do
You do not own it
Facebook sets the rules, and it can change them. Pages get hacked. Accounts get locked, and getting them back can take weeks. While that happens, the customers who found you there cannot reach you.
A website on your own domain is yours. If you change who builds it, the address stays the same.
Strangers searching Google rarely find it
Your Facebook page often shows up when someone searches your business name. It rarely shows up when a stranger searches for what you do, like "roofer Bridgewater" or "lunch Mahone Bay".
For those searches, Google shows its map listings and websites first. That is where new customers come from. Getting on Google Maps explains the map part. It is free.
Not everyone is on Facebook
Some of your customers do not have an account. Facebook lets them look for a moment, then asks them to log in. Many leave.
And on any page, your hours, prices and phone number sit among weeks of posts. A customer in a hurry gives up and calls someone else.
Who can get by with Facebook alone
Be honest with yourself. You may not need a website yet if:
- You are booked solid by word of mouth.
- Nearly all your customers are regulars who follow you.
- You only sell at markets or events, and people find you there.
If that is you, keep your page up to date and spend your money elsewhere.
When a website starts to pay for itself
A website starts to earn its keep when one of these is true:
- People ask, "Do you have a website?"
- You get calls asking for hours or directions you already posted.
- You want new customers, not just the people who already know you.
- You want your Google Maps listing to link somewhere that answers their questions.
A small site does not need to be much. What a small business website needs lists the few things that matter.
Use both
The best answer for most businesses is both. The website is your home: who you are, where, when, and how to reach you. Facebook is your noticeboard: what is new this week.
Put your website's address on your Facebook page. Put a link to your Facebook page on your website. Social media's honest role goes deeper on how much posting is enough.
Questions owners ask about Facebook and websites
Can Google find my Facebook page? Yes, when someone searches your business name. It is much less likely to show when someone searches for the kind of work you do.
Should I stop posting on Facebook if I get a website? No. Keep posting. Your regulars follow you there, and the website gives everyone else somewhere to land.
Is Instagram any different? Not much. It is great for showing your work to people who follow you. You do not own it, and it is just as hard for a stranger to find through Google.
What is the cheapest way to have both? A Facebook page is free. A small website can cost a few hundred dollars. My South Shore offer is $500, once, with no monthly fee.
