Building an online presence can be a challenge. Maybe you have created a Facebook business page and wonder if you even need a website. Before making that decision, it is important to look at your target market and analyze their needs before your own assumptions. If you come to the conclusion that your business or service will need an online presence to reach your target, consider the following:
A Website and a Facebook Page serve different purposes. Facebook is a great platform to generate buzz and create awareness among your target audiences. On average users spend 20 minutes on Facebook. Most of that time is spent scrolling through news feeds, meaning you need to capture the audience quickly, often times within a single post.
This is where a website comes into play. Facebook provides snippets of basic information, while a website is completely custom, and the perfect place to house detailed information about your business or service. FAQs, Contact Forms, Employee Bios, Service Prices, Blog Posts, etc etc. All easy to access and help the user decide to use your business or service.
A Website and a Facebook Page reach different audiences. While Facebook does get indexed by search engines, it is not the most effective tool to reach people searching for your business or service on Google, Bing or Yahoo. A website is there to reach people searching for help now, and your Facebook page is there to help you stay top of mind.
A Website offers more ways to capture leads than a Facebook Page. Facebook is creating more ways to capture leads, with the reconstruction of Pages offering Call Now, and Contact buttons. While you should use these, understand that they are cookie cutter solutions and not typically utilized by customers. If a business or service requires more information from leads than initial contact, a website can offer custom forms to collect that information. Often a website and Facebook page can work well together with Facebook acting as a funnel using calls to action which direct users to the website where the rest of the information is stored, or where a custom contact form is waiting to capture those leads.
Websites have a larger audience It’s hard to believe, but not everyone is active Facebook. Having a website will ensure everyone with access to the internet can find your business or service.
A Website gives you complete content control A website is not restricted by Facebook’s profile structure. Complete brand control and organization of information can be achieved. Choose what the user sees when they land on the homepage and what actions are available for them.
SEO Control Facebook is indexed and has SEO built into every page. But there is no control or opportunity to build it. Like mentioned above, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is something used to find information on the web. Again, Facebook is a funnel - you utilize it to generate interest, and you finalize the sale on the website.
Revenue can come through ads on your website opposed to Facebook Websites have the ability to generate revenue through the selling of ad space and sponsorships. You can also set your own rates and manage your ad inventory on your site to a level you feel comfortable with. Facebook does not have any ad opportunity for the user, so revenue through ads is not possible.
Conclusion: You need both! A website and a Facebook page are both powerful online marketing tools that can help propel your business forward.