Most owner-run businesses should have a website even with an active Facebook page. A page is free and quick, but Facebook owns it, sets the rules, and decides who sees your posts. A website is the one place you control: your services, your prices, your phone number and your proof, found by people on Google who have never heard of you. A page alone can be enough for a short time, such as a brand new side business testing demand. If you want steady enquiries, you need a site.
I hear this from plumbers, cleaners, caterers and clinic owners. Their Facebook page has good photos and a few hundred followers. Customers message them there. So why pay for a website? It’s a reasonable question, and the answer isn’t always yes straight away. Here’s how I’d think it through.
What a Facebook page does well
It’s free and you can set it up in an afternoon. It’s a good place to post photos of recent jobs, answer questions and stay in touch with people who already know you. For regulars and word of mouth, it works as a lightweight business card. I’m not telling anyone to delete theirs. Most of my clients keep one.
Where a page falls short
The first problem is control. Facebook decides what your page looks like, what it shows first and how many followers see each post. Those rules change and you don’t get a vote. If the page is restricted, hacked or removed, your photos, reviews and history can go with it.
The second is search. Someone typing “drywall repair near me” into Google is far more likely to land on a website with a page about that job than on a social profile. People who don’t use Facebook, or don’t want to log in to read a menu or a price, leave. Page posts also bury older information fast, so the thing a new customer needs is hard to find.
The third is trust. A website with clear services, real project photos, your service area and a working phone number tells a stranger you’re established. A page can do some of that, but there’s no room to explain how you work or answer the questions people ask before they call.
What a website adds
| Need | Facebook page | Your own website |
|---|---|---|
| Who controls it | You | |
| Found on Google for a specific job | Rarely | Yes, with a page for each service |
| Works without a login | Often not | Yes |
| Room to explain services and area | Limited | As much as you need |
| Clear call or quote button on every page | Basic | Built to your enquiry path |
| Free to run | Yes | Domain and hosting cost money |
The last row matters. A website isn’t free, and I won’t pretend otherwise. You pay for the build, then for a domain, hosting and some upkeep. What you get back is something you can point Google, ads and your Business Profile at.
Your Google Business Profile is not a website either
Some owners have a Facebook page and a Business Profile and figure that covers it. The profile is important, and it’s often how people first find you on the map. But it has a fixed layout and little room to explain anything. It works best when it links to a site that finishes the job. My Business Profile checklist shows what to fill in.
When a page alone is fine for now
There are honest cases. You’re testing a new idea and haven’t had a paying customer yet. You’re a hobby seller with no plan to grow. Every job comes by referral from people who already have your number and you’re happy with that volume. In those cases, spend nothing yet. Keep the page tidy, with your phone number, area and hours, and revisit it in six months.
Signs it’s time for a site
You’re answering the same questions in messages every week. You want to run Google Ads or Meta Ads, which both need somewhere good to send people. You’re losing jobs to a competitor who shows up on Google and you don’t. Or you’ve had a scare with your page and realized how much sits on it. Any one of those is reason enough. If you’re weighing a builder against a custom build, I compared them in Squarespace or Wix versus a custom site.
What it costs with me
A landing page starts at $1,500. A business website of up to ten pages is $3,900 to $4,900. Online stores and custom builds start at $6,500. Care after launch is optional at $79 to $249 a month. All prices are CAD plus applicable GST/HST, and the scopes are on the packages page. If you’d keep posting on social, I can run that alongside the site through social media management, and I explain the tradeoff with paid reach in boosting posts versus real Meta Ads.
Where to start
Keep your page, and decide what you want the website to do first: calls, quotes or bookings. Then look at what a small business website should include, and make sure the domain and hosting are in your name, as I cover in who owns your website. I build websites for businesses across Canada. If you’d like a straight opinion on whether you need one yet, book a free thirty minute call.
Common questions
Is a Facebook page enough for a small business?
For a brand new or very small business, it can be enough for a short time. If you want steady enquiries from people who don’t already know you, you need a website that Google can find.
Can people find my Facebook page on Google?
Sometimes, mostly when they search your business name. A page rarely shows up for a specific service search like a job type in your town. A website with a page for each service has a better chance.
What happens to my business if Facebook removes my page?
Your posts, photos and reviews on the page can be lost, and you can’t easily move followers elsewhere. A website you own, with a domain in your name, isn’t affected.
Do I need a website to run Facebook or Google ads?
Google Ads needs a landing page to send people to. Meta Ads can send people to messages or a form, but a clear page with your services and a quote button usually works better.
How much does a website cost with Elliot Digital?
A landing page starts at $1,500 and a business website is $3,900 to $4,900 CAD, plus applicable GST/HST. Online stores start at $6,500, and care is optional at $79 to $249 a month.
Official guidance
For the platform rules and technical guidance behind this topic:
Working from Lake Country. On location in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton.
