Spoiler alert! Facebook does not replace a business website.
We get told all of the time, “my business doesn’t need a website, it has a Facebook Page.”
The great Facebook image crash on July 3, 2019, had Facebook Users scrambling.
If you rely on images to sell your products or services, you basically lost an entire day of sales.
Let’s discuss why you should seriously consider the pros and cons of a Facebook Page vs. a Business Website.
Facebook does not replace a business website.
What if we told you the answer is not one or the other but both?
We’ve had many conversations with business owners that claim they have a website when, in fact, they only have a Facebook Page.
This is not a website for your business.
It’s an asset for your business, but it’s not your business website.
Leverage the power of social media to lead people to your website and turn viewers into customers.
We’re not saying that a Facebook page will serve no purpose. It will. But only if it’s properly set up and optimized.
Here’s why social media alone will never replace a custom-designed website.
Facebook owns you.
You do not own anything on Facebook, so you really have no control.
Facebook is a free social media platform.
It’s a great place to start the conversation about your business.
But it’s not your website.
You don’t own the content you share on Facebook, you’re simply sharing it with your family, friends, and customers.
You have very little to no control over what happens with your Facebook Page. Yes, you can upload photos, videos, etc., but these are only allowed because Facebook gives you those options.
Not to mention, if they don’t like what you post, you could end up in Facebook jail.
This is not a wise business or marketing strategy. The proverbial, “all your eggs in one basket.”
What happens when Facebook goes away for good?
Or, less dramatic, what happens when/if Facebook goes down for a long period of time, as was the case yesterday when images stopped working?
What if Facebook is hacked and taken offline? Or what about Facebook limiting your access to your customers?
Facebook makes its money by selling advertising.
Your message will only reach a select number of your followers until you pay to boost your post. (see below).
With Facebook, you have absolutely no control over SEO.
Search Engines crawl the web looking for websites to serve up to their users for their request search terms.
A Facebook Page does not give control over how your business shows up on the SERP (search engine report page).
If you want to rank for “used cars” or “Volkswagon Repair” in your area, chances are all of your competitor’s websites are showing up and not your Facebook Page.
On a Facebook Page, you don’t have control over things like the meta title or meta description that tell Search Engines like Google what type of content is on your website and what keywords it should rank for.
These appear in search results and can convince a user to visit your site or click a similar link around yours.
Not everyone is on Facebook.
Yes, it’s true.
Not everyone is on Facebook.
We all have that conspiracy theorist friend or stubborn uncle who prides himself on not having Facebook “in the good old days,” so he doesn’t need it now.
Suppose you’re selling sleeping bags to a doomsday prepper.
Although this is an extreme example, it just shows how your small business could be missing sales by catering to social media users alone.
What about those who are “taking a Facebook break,” or leaving social media altogether?
Consider that more and more users are leaving Facebook each year.
How often do you hear about someone taking a “social media break”. No one takes a “search engine break”. We rely more and more on Google to find websites that fulfill a need.
This is where your customers will find you.
Your website builds creditability.
How often do you search for a product or service provider?
Now, is the first place you look for them on Facebook/social media?
Doubtful.
You may end up there eventually, but it’s not the first place you look.
You are more than likely searching keywords for the product or service you’re looking to purchase.
From there, you are clicking through the top few links on Google and checking out their websites.
Professionally designed and developed websites stick out like a sore thumb.
If a company has a poorly designed website, you’re likely not going to want to do business with a brand that doesn’t look reputable.
Our custom websites give you authenticity and credibility online.
People want to know that you’re legitimate and your business isn’t going anywhere.
Facebook isn’t (Completely) Free.
If you’re a business, you’ve got to pay to play.
Your Facebook Page actually reaches a very small amount of your desired audience.
Chances are, you build that audience by inviting friends and family to “like” your page. But the organic result of getting people to your page is much more difficult on Facebook.
Facebook gives you an easy solution, however. Pay them.
You can run Facebook ads (which we can do for you) to send people to your website to generate traffic.
This also helps the search engines know your website is worth serving up to people.
More traffic = more opportunities to rank higher on Google.
Not unlike PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketing (we do that too), Facebook expects businesses to pay for their “likes.” But how does that help you generate leads or business?
The winner is both!
BlakSheep Creative helps you use Facebook as a tool to drive leads to your website.
It is, however, not the only tool we use to drive traffic.
Facebook should be used in combination with other marketing and advertising strategies to give you the best opportunities to drive traffic to your website and thus bring in more leads and business.
It’s not a matter of a Facebook page vs. a business website, but a Facebook page and a business website.
Now, given the information above, how are you going to use Facebook (and other Social Media) as a part of your marketing strategy?
