Website vs a Facebook page for a local business, which do you need?

Website vs a Facebook page for a local business, which do you need?It's a fair question. A Facebook page is free, quick to set up, and you're probably already on there. So why bother with a website?Short answer: they do different jobs, and relying on Facebook alone leaves money on the table. Here's the honest breakdown.What a Facebook page is good at

It's free and fast. Up and running in ten minutes.

It's social. Great for posting updates, photos, specials, and staying front-of-mind with people who already follow you.

It has built-in reach, if people share your posts.

For staying in touch with existing customers, Facebook's genuinely useful. Keep it.Where Facebook quietly lets you down

You don't own it. Facebook owns your page. They can change the rules, throttle your reach, suspend your account, or bury your posts, and there's nothing you can do. You're building on rented land.

It's terrible for being found. When someone Googles "electrician near me", Google shows websites and Google Business listings, not Facebook pages. So the people actively looking to hire right now mostly won't see you.

It looks less professional for bigger jobs. For a $200 job, a Facebook page is fine. For a $20,000 renovation, people want to see a proper business behind it.

You're at the mercy of the algorithm. Only a fraction of your followers ever see a given post. A website is always there, 24/7, showing exactly what you want.

The way to think about it

Facebook = the pub. Great for chatting with regulars and staying visible to people who already know you.

Your website = your shopfront. Open all hours, on your own land, and the first thing new customers judge you by.

You wouldn't run a business out of the pub and skip the shopfront. But plenty of businesses run the shopfront (a site) and pop into the pub (Facebook) to stay social."Can't I just link my Facebook in Google?"You can, and you should have a Google Business Profile too (that's the map listing, free, and essential). But a Google listing plus a Facebook page still isn't a website. When someone clicks through wanting to see your services, prices, past work, and a proper contact form, Facebook can't do that job well. A website can.The bottom lineYou don't have to choose. The winning combo for a local Adelaide business is simple:

A website, your home base that you own, that gets you found on Google, and that turns visitors into enquiries.

A Google Business Profile, so you show up on the map (free, here's how to nail it).

Facebook, for staying social with people who already know you.

If you've only got Facebook right now, you're doing the fun part and skipping the part that actually brings in new work.Want to see what a proper home base looks like for your business? Book a chat, I'll show you a demo, no pressure.More articles

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12 Bar Digital, Largs North, Adelaide, South Australia. (08) 7077 0985. hello@12bardigital.com.auMore from 12 Bar Digital

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