"I already have a Facebook page, do I really need a website?" It's one of the questions I hear most from owners. It's a fair question: Facebook is free, your customers are on it, and posting takes a minute.
The short answer is that they do different jobs. A Facebook page is great for staying in touch with people who already know you. A website is how new customers find you and decide to call.
- Facebook keeps you in touch with people who already know you.
- A website brings in new customers from Google.
- You own your website. You only rent your Facebook page.
- Used together, each one makes the other stronger.
What a Facebook page is good at
Social media shines at keeping your business in front of people: sharing recent jobs, seasonal offers, behind-the-scenes moments and good news. It's quick, personal and free to start.
It's also where many people already spend their time. A post about a job in their neighborhood can remind them you exist at exactly the moment they're thinking about a project, which is hard to do any other way.
- Showing recent work and happy customers
- Sharing offers, events and news
- Staying in touch with past customers
- Answering quick messages
- Being found by new customers searching on Google
- Explaining your services in detail
- Looking established to people who don't know you
- Anything you need to control long term
What only a website can do
When someone searches for your service in your town, Google mostly shows websites and Business Profiles, not Facebook posts. A website is where you explain what you do, show where you work and make it easy to call or ask for a quote, all in one place you control.
A website also works for you around the clock, without you having to post anything. Someone searching late at night for your service can find you, read about what you do and send a message, even if you haven't been on social media for weeks.
You get found on Google
Pages for your services and areas give Google something to show when people search for what you do.
In practice: A page for each main service, naming the towns you serve.
You look established
For many customers, a business without a website feels less trustworthy, especially for bigger jobs.
In practice: Real photos, clear services and an easy way to get in touch.
You control everything
No algorithm decides who sees it, and nobody changes the rules on you overnight.
In practice: Your domain, your content and your layout.
You don't really own your Facebook page
Your page lives on someone else's platform. The rules can change, organic reach can drop, and accounts sometimes get locked or hacked. If that happens, years of posts and reviews can disappear overnight.
That doesn't mean you should avoid social media. It means you shouldn't build your whole online presence on ground you don't control. Your website and your domain are the parts that stay yours, whatever happens elsewhere.
How to make them work together
You don't have to choose. The best setup uses each one for what it's good at, and points people from one to the other.
Think of social media as the conversation and your website as the place you send people when they're ready to act. A post shows the work, and the link brings them to the page where they can see more and get in touch.
What about Instagram, Nextdoor and the rest?
The same logic applies to every platform. Instagram is great for showing visual work, Nextdoor for neighborhood recommendations, Google Business Profile for local searches. They all help people discover you, and they all work best when they point back to one place you control: your website.
Choose based on where your customers actually are. A remodeling company may get a lot from Instagram photos, while a plumber might get more from Nextdoor recommendations. Ask your customers how they found you, and follow the answers.
Which one first?
If you're just starting out and money is tight, a well-kept Google Business Profile and an active Facebook page can bring in your first customers. But as soon as you can, get a simple website with your services, your area and your contact details. It's the foundation everything else points to.
Once both exist, keep them in sync: the same name, phone, hours and photos. Customers who find you on social media will often check your website before calling, and the reverse is true too.
Our plans start with a website built for your business. On Max we also run your Facebook and Instagram, so everything stays consistent.
