Have you ever asked yourself why you need to pay for a website, domain, and hosting when you could just create a free Facebook page? This is a question many new businesses ask themselves as they are trying to create an online presence. For many companies, each social media platform they use has a different use and goal to achieve.
1. Easy To Use
Facebook offers a platform that requires very little experience to know how to post pictures, news, and other information. Any of your employees should be able to update with no problem. Everything on Facebook is self-explanatory, allowing you to just fill in the boxes to create your page.
2. User Reach
The average US consumer is on a mobile device for 5 hours a day. Consumers spend 92% of this time in apps, compared to only 8% in a browser. The average consumer spends almost an hour alone on Facebook each day. This makes using Facebook an easier way to reach your customers and for your customers to find out about you.
Image source: https://www.wiredseo.com/mobile-marketing-statistics-2017/
3. Updates
Facebook is great for quickly communicating to customers. Whether there is major news within your company or you are promoting a “flash sale”, it is so easy to post something for your customers to find out new information. Despite the ease of posting updates, it is still important to pay attention to the rules and guidelines of Facebook. For instance, Facebook has strict guidelines on how businesses can run promotions through their page.
4. Interaction
With so many people using Facebook and other social media constantly, you would be putting yourself at a disadvantage if you didn’t have a Facebook page. Facebook allows your customers to easily share your business with friends, post reviews about their experiences, comment on your deals, and talk about your posts.
Website
1. Control and Design
When you create a website you have so much more control over the design of your brand. When you’re using Facebook you are confined to a small space to post information and make it look good. Facebook dictates what your page will look like, the terms and conditions, and limits your creativity. Creating your own website allows you to customize your page to meet exactly your needs. It also is something you can say you own, not that Facebook owns.
2. Analytics
Being able to implement things like Google Analytics into your website will give you a boost to see where people are going, how they get there, and what they click on. Facebook also has analytics for their pages but nothing compared to what Google Analytics can do to help you improve.
3. Cost
Building a website can be expensive depending on the features you want, the type of website, and the size. Not only do you have to pay for the website but also to host your website and the domain. One way to help offset these costs is by selling ad space on your website. Allowing others to use your site for marketing can at a minimum cover your hosting fees.
4. Search Engine Optimization
With your own website, you control the keywords and how search engines will find your website. When you use Facebook they control how people find your website, which means sometimes you will lose out on customers because of how Facebook ranked you for a keyword. Creating your own website also allows you to make your site responsive. This prevents search engines from decreasing your rank for not optimizing your site for mobile users.
Overview
| Website | Facebook Page | |
|---|---|---|
| Control | ✔ | |
| User Reach | ✔ | |
| Updates | ✔ (with CMS) | ✔ |
| Interaction | ✔ | |
| Design | ✔ | |
| Analytics | ✔ | |
| Cost | ✔ | |
| SEO | ✔ | |
| Information Available | ✔ | |
| No Limitations | ✔ | |
| Third-Party Apps | ✔ | |
| Customer Support | ✔ | |
| Total | 9 | 4 |
Even though using Facebook to promote your business may sound great, it should not replace having a website for your business. Your customers are unable to find all of the information they need from just a Facebook page, which is why 31% of referral traffic comes from social media. Use your Facebook page to get more users to your site where you have more information, pictures, and other details about your business. Your website is a trustworthy source for customers to visit and find valuable information. Having a website for your business is crucial, not only does it provide lots of information to your customers but also helps more people reach your business. When used in conjunction with a Facebook page, you can truly optimize your user reach.
Need a website built or hosting for your website?
My name is Brandon DeJonge, I am a Web Developer in Fort Wayne, IN where I also got my Bachelor’s degree in Web Development and Information Systems with a minor in Cyber Security from Indiana Tech. I am a freelance web designer helping small businesses with their website needs. If you currently don’t have a website built for your business or need help updating or redesigning an old one, let me help create your next website.