Do I Need A Website If I Already Have A Facebook Page?

A Facebook Page is FREE; a website is not… so why bother? Many  small businesses are often faced with this question and unfortunately make a choice based on cost alone.

Ironically, deciding not to build and maintain a website can have an unfavorable impact on your business even if you already have a Facebook Page. Read on for 4 ways being cost-conscious on a website can actually hurt profits in the long run.

1. Facebook “Likes” mean very little

Many small business owners think Facebook is the best way to market their business and they focus their entire strategy on getting more likes and shares on their Facebook Page. Unfortunately, just because 1000 people like your business page, that doesn’t mean they will all see your Facebook posts. In fact, Facebook restricts organic reach forcing you to spend money to allow all your followers to actually see your posts through paid promotions on their newsfeed. Essentially this means, you have no control over how often you can reach them unless you pay for it every time you make a post. Even then, while Facebook Likes do provide a form of social proof to your audience there is still no guarantee those ‘likers’ will ever convert into actual paying customers.

2. Lacking Credibility

Some consumers won’t even consider doing business with a company that doesn’t have a website. A website is no longer seen as a ‘luxury’ item limited to big businesses selling high end products. Consumers now expect businesses to have an online presence as a basic courtesy to them. If a small or medium sized business doesn’t have a website, consumers may consider it as less professional. Not having a website makes the business look untrustworthy. Consumers even go as far as to use your website’s design to gauge your credibility.  Anyone can have a Facebook Page, but it takes greater effort to have a proper website set up to display the individual style and branding of the business. Would you also feel better sending E-mails to someone with an @gmail / @hotmail address or would you prefer an E-mail address representing the official domain name of the business?

3. You Have No Control

A key limitation to a Facebook Page is a lack of brand control. With the exception of the profile picture and the cover picture, pages generally look the same. Posts may have different texts and the pictures may be unique to you but overall it’s still just a Facebook Page and will always look like it. A business website that you own will, however, convey the exact brand experience that you want your customers to have. Facebook is a third-party site which you must follow their terms of service or risk your account being deleted.

4. Google Search Results May Not Lead Customers to You

The first place people go to when making a purchasing decision is Google. If your business isn’t being listed on a Google search for products or services that you offer, you are losing business to your competitors. A website is ranked higher on Google than a Facebook Page. While a Facebook page can be found on Google, it simply doesn’t afford the same all-inclusive website SEO including the use of landing pages. Simply put, a website enables you to target searches much more accurately than a Facebook Page, ensuring your business gets more visibility where it’s needed.

Conclusion

You should absolutely have a Facebook Page for your small business. But to stop there is to limit the earning potential of your business. With the Coronavirus outbreak in 2020, business learned the hard way what happens when you don’t have a properly functioning website.

To create the kind of digital presence that is required to succeed in today’s marketplace, a dedicated website is not an option; it’s mandatory.

The cost of a website in Trinidad and Tobago is no longer a barrier to entry for small businesses. In fact, web development in Trinidad has advanced so much over the years that you can have a professional website loaded with features for only a fraction of the cost that it would take to put out a full page ad in any newspaper.