Do I Need a Website If I Have a Facebook Page?

If your business runs on a Facebook page, you've probably asked yourself: do I need a website if I already have a Facebook page? Yes. Facebook is a great start, but it can't do the job on its own. If Facebook is the only place your business lives online, you're missing customers who never see you there.

I'm Matt Denecke. I build websites for local businesses out of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, across Southeast Wisconsin and northern Illinois, and this is the question I hear more than any other.

Is a Facebook page enough for my business?

No, for two simple reasons. First, a lot of people don't use Facebook, or barely check it. If your page is the only way to learn about you, those people can't find you. A website is open to anybody with a phone or a browser. Why limit yourself to one app?

Second, even people who know your name have to dig. They find your page, then scroll through posts trying to figure out which hours are current or whether that special is still on. And someone who doesn't know your name yet never finds you, because Facebook posts don't come up when people search Google for what you sell. A website keeps your key information front and center, in the same place, every time.

Facebook page vs website: which one helps you get found on Google?

Here's a quick test. Open Google and search for what you sell plus your town. Do you show up? If you don't, that's the gap a website fills.

When people need something, they search. If you're not there, a competitor is. A website built with real structure is something Google can read, and that's how you start showing up in search results. Keep your Facebook page, and let it point people to your website.

Why your Google reviews belong on your website

My own habit: if I'm looking for something and a business has no website showing what they offer, I usually pass. Then I look at their Google reviews.

So every site we build has your Google reviews embedded right on the page. Visitors see what real customers say without going anywhere else.

Can I just build a website myself on Wix or GoDaddy?

You can, but most do-it-yourself sites I see have the same problems. Things are scattered all over, visitors can't find what they need, and there's no real structure. They don't look clean or modern, and they don't work well on phones.

That messy structure also makes it hard for Google to read the site. So the one thing a website should do for you, getting you found, isn't happening.

Will I have time to keep a website updated?

You won't need much. Every site we build comes with an easy editor. Log in, change your text, swap a photo, add a button, save. The layout is locked, so you can't break it.

Rather not deal with it? Add our Care Plan and we make the updates for you.

How much does a small business website cost?

I don't think a business should have to pay a big price for a website. That's the whole reason I do this.

Websites start at $125. You can also pay monthly with nothing down, and you own your site once it's paid off. Current plans and pricing are on our web design page.

Already have a website you can't update?

If you're stuck with a site you can't easily change, we can move it to our hosting as is. Once it's with us, you can edit it yourself and even write your own blog posts in the editor.

How to get your website

Fill out the free mockup request with a little information about your business.
I build you a concept, using your Facebook page and whatever else is out there about you.
You review it and we make your revisions.
We go live.

Sample salon website homepage with a handwritten welcome note from the owner — A sample homepage we built (not a real business). Your concept is built around your own business the same way.

The build itself can be done in a day or two. From there, you set the pace: take the time you need to look it over, and we go live once you're happy with it.

Running a food truck? Read Does Your Food Truck Need a Website?

Frequently asked questions