If you run a small business, you may already have a Facebook page. Perhaps you post photographs of recent work, share updates and answer customer messages there.
That’s useful. But is a Facebook page enough?
For most established businesses, the honest answer is no. Facebook can be a valuable part of your marketing, but it shouldn’t replace a proper business website.
Your website gives people somewhere reliable to learn about your business, find you through Google and make an enquiry. It’s your online home. Facebook is better thought of as one of the channels that helps people discover it.
Facebook page or website: what’s the difference?
A Facebook page is a profile for your business on somebody else’s platform. It can help you:
Share news, photographs and special offers
Keep in touch with your local community
Answer questions through Messenger
Show activity and customer engagement
Send people to your website
A business website is a place you control more directly. It can explain your services in detail, appear in relevant Google searches, collect enquiries and give potential customers a clear picture of what it’s like to work with you.
That difference matters.
If you’re an electrician in Merthyr Tydfil, a roofer in Caerphilly or an accountant serving Rhondda Cynon Taf, people may not already know your Facebook page exists. They may simply search Google for the service they need.
A website gives your business a better opportunity to be found during that search.
You own your website, not your Facebook page
One thing many business owners overlook is ownership.
You can manage a Facebook page, but you don’t own Facebook. Meta controls the platform, its rules, how content is displayed and how many people see your posts.
That doesn’t mean your Facebook page is a bad idea. It simply means you shouldn’t rely on it as the only place your business exists online.
Your reach can change. Your page could be restricted if it is judged to have broken a rule. Features can be changed or removed. Even everyday things, such as customers seeing your latest post, depend on how Facebook’s system chooses to show it.
Your website gives you a much stronger long-term base. You control the domain, the information you publish, the structure of your pages and the way visitors are encouraged to get in touch.
It’s still sensible to keep copies of important photographs and customer information elsewhere. But your main business details shouldn’t live only inside a social media account.
A website helps you show up when people search
A common question we hear is: “Do I need a website for my business if I have a Facebook page?”
If people are likely to search for your services, a website is usually worth considering.
Google needs clear information to understand what your business does, where you work and which services you provide. A Facebook page may appear in some searches, but it doesn’t give you the same control over your content and structure.
A website can include dedicated pages for:
Electrical installations in Treorchy
Emergency plumbing in Merthyr Tydfil
Landscaping services in Caerphilly
Accountancy support for small businesses in Blaenau Gwent
Bespoke manufacturing services across South Wales
These pages should be written naturally for customers, not filled with repeated keywords. They need to explain what you do, who you help and how people can contact you.
A website won’t automatically appear at the top of Google. We never guarantee rankings. Visibility takes time and depends on several factors, including your content, competition, location and how well the website meets what people are looking for.
However, having a clear, mobile-friendly website gives you a proper foundation to work from.
For more practical advice, our beginner’s guide to SEO for small businesses in Wales explains some of the basics in plain English.
Your website creates a stronger first impression
When somebody is considering using your business, they often look you up before making contact.
They may have found you through a recommendation, a Facebook post, Google Maps or a local directory. Before they call, they may want to see:
What services you provide
Which areas you cover
Examples of your work
Customer reviews or testimonials
How long you’ve been trading
Whether you seem reliable and professional
How to contact you
A Facebook page can provide some of this information, but its layout is largely the same for every business. There’s limited space to explain your approach properly.
A bespoke website gives you more room to show what makes your business different.
For example, a local builder might use a website to explain the types of renovation work they undertake, show completed projects and describe how the quotation process works. A Facebook page could then be used to share a recent project and direct interested people to the relevant website page.
That combination works well because each channel has a clear job.
Enquiries can get lost in Facebook messages
Facebook Messenger is convenient, but it isn’t always the best place to manage business enquiries.
A customer may send a message while you’re working. You may see it but forget to reply. It can then become buried beneath other conversations, notifications and new posts.
That’s particularly difficult for trades and service businesses, where you may spend most of the day away from a desk.
A website can give every potential customer a clear next step, such as:
Call the business
Complete an enquiry form
Request a quotation
Book an appointment
Send an email
View opening hours and directions
The important thing is not to give people too many confusing choices. A good website guides visitors towards the action that makes sense for your business.
If you want more ideas about turning website visitors into genuine enquiries, you may find our guide to getting more leads from your website useful.
Facebook is still valuable
This isn’t an argument against Facebook.
For many local businesses, Facebook is an excellent way to stay visible and build relationships. It can be particularly useful for:
Community organisations and charities
Restaurants, cafés and independent shops
Trades sharing recent work
Businesses running local offers
Events and activities
Businesses with regular news to share
A Facebook post can feel personal and immediate. It gives people a way to see that your business is active and involved in the local community.
The issue is relying on Facebook alone.
A sensible arrangement for most small businesses is:
Your website: the main source of information and enquiries.
Facebook: updates, conversations, photographs and links back to your website.
Google Business Profile: local information, reviews and map visibility.
You can find your Google Business Profile through Google’s official business service. Keep the details consistent across your website, Facebook page and profile, including your business name, phone number, opening hours and service area.
Your website needs to work on mobile
Many customers will first find your business on a phone.
They might be standing in a kitchen looking for a plumber, travelling home from work while searching for an accountant, or comparing local landscapers from their sofa.
If your website is difficult to read or use on a mobile, people may leave before they contact you.
A mobile-friendly website should make it easy to:
Read your main message without zooming
Tap your phone number
Find your services
Complete an enquiry form
View photographs clearly
Navigate between pages
Understand what to do next
This is one area where a Facebook page can create a false sense of security. Facebook itself works on mobile, but that doesn’t mean your business information is easy to find or your enquiry process is clear.
A proper website should be checked on phones and tablets as well as desktop computers.
When might a Facebook page be enough?
There are situations where a Facebook page can be a reasonable starting point.
Perhaps you’re testing a new idea, running a small side business or working with a very limited budget. If most of your customers already know you personally, Facebook may help you get started.
It’s better than having no online presence at all.
But it’s worth treating it as a starting point rather than the finished solution. If the business grows, customers begin searching for you or you start losing enquiries in messages, a website becomes more important.
Ask yourself:
Would losing my Facebook page tomorrow seriously affect my business?
Do customers search Google for the services I provide?
Do I need a clearer way to collect enquiries?
Does my business look established and trustworthy online?
Am I regularly answering the same questions?
Would a website save me time?
If you answer yes to any of these, it may be worth looking at a website.
What should a small business website include?
You don’t necessarily need a large or complicated website.
A simple website can be effective if it clearly covers the essentials:
A clear home page: Explain what you do, who you help and where you work.
Service pages: Give each important service enough space to be understood by customers and search engines.
About page: Show the people behind the business and explain why customers can trust you.
Contact page: Include your phone number, email address, enquiry form and service area.
Testimonials or examples of work: Provide reassurance before somebody gets in touch.
Clear calls to action: Make the next step obvious, whether that’s calling, booking or requesting a quote.
Your website should be built around your business rather than forced into a generic template. It also needs ongoing attention as your services, locations and priorities change.
You can read more about the approach we take on our bespoke web design service page.
Facebook page or website: the honest answer
So, which one does your business actually need?
For a very new or informal side project, a Facebook page may be enough for now.
For a business that wants to be found, build trust and generate regular enquiries, a website is the stronger foundation. You can then use Facebook to support it rather than depend on it.
No jargon. No need to be everywhere at once. Just make sure people have a reliable place to find accurate information about your business and contact you easily.
Practical next steps
If you currently rely on Facebook alone, start with a simple review:
Check that your business name, phone number and service area are clear
Add a link to your website if you have one
List your main services in plain English
Look at your page from a customer’s point of view
Search Google for the services you provide locally
Note what information a potential customer would still need
Decide whether a small website could answer those questions better
If you’re unsure where to begin, we offer a free website health check. We can look at what you already have and talk through sensible next steps without pressure.
At it’seeze Web Design South Wales Valleys, we help businesses across Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent and South Wales build a stronger online presence with bespoke websites, local support and ongoing advice.
A friendly conversation is often the best place to start.
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