Are you a small business owner, who has a Facebook business page? Do you feel like you don’t need a website, because you believe your Facebook business page is giving you enough exposure and business? You may like to read on. Don’t get me wrong, a Facebook business page is still a good way to increase your online exposure and helpful, if you want to share special deals etc. for your products and services. However, if you think a Facebook business page is all you need, I like to share a few points with you, that might make you rethink :-).
Web Presence
I don’t know about you, but most people I know – including me – prefer to check out a business’ website before they go and visit their restaurant, cafe, office, shop, etc. The other day I was looking to eat at a cafe that friends had told me about, but I hadn’t been to before. So I went online to see what they had on the menu.
After a frustrated search, the only information I could find about this cafe was on Facebook. It included a few photos, opening hours, address and that was it. I had absolutely no clue what meals they were serving.
So if you are not the adventurous type when it comes to food, you might book a table at your old favourite cafe instead, and the cafe with only a Facebook business page may be missing out on a valuable new customer.
Impress Your Customers Even Though You May Only Be Working From Your Garage
A Facebook page looks basically the same for any size business. You could have a company employing thousands of people or be someone just working at a laptop from your home. A Facebook business page doesn’t differentiate your business from your competitor’s in a meaningful way.
With a professionally designed website however you can really stand out and no one would ever know, that you are conducting business from your pyjama’s at home.
Potential customers who have never dealt with you in the past will undoubtedly judge your business by its online presence. First impressions still count!
Old Posts And Information Get Buried In The Archives
Facebook is predominantly a social sharing platform allowing you to post and share information. Any meaningful posts will – with time – be buried deep in the archives and will be difficult to find by anyone.
If you have information on your products and services that will be of value to your customers for an extended period of time, you might be better off to add it to your website with clear navigation pointing to the article. If your article is helpful, it may even bring in organic traffic to your website.
The Content Is Not Yours
If Facebook was to shut down tomorrow, your business page would be shut down, too. I admit this is an unlikely event, but nevertheless it is so much better owning your own content.
If you have a website built on an open source software like WordPress.org you have full control over your content and no one will be able to decide over your business’ future online presence.
Facebook Business Page Is Lacking Functionality
Is your business offering multiple different products for different target audiences? If that’s your business, how are you going to arrange all these different products in a Facebook business page, so that they can be accessed systematically by your page visitors?
With a website you have the ability to display your products and services in a way that your potential customers will be able to find what they are looking for with ease.
The list above highlighting the benefits of having a website in addition to your Facebook business page is by no means exhaustive. I strongly believe that businesses of any size should consider having their own website. It simply looks more professional and provides higher customisation options and functionalities.
I hope you enjoyed reading this. If you’re considering a website for your own business, I’d be happy to discuss with you, how we can create a beautiful and functional website that represents you and your companies values. Visit my website for contact details here.
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