IN THIS ARTICLE · 7 PARTS
If you run a small business, you probably have a Facebook page already. It is free, it takes ten minutes to set up, and many of your customers are there anyway. So asking "website or Facebook page?" makes perfect sense. The short answer: a Facebook page is a good start and a useful channel, but it cannot replace a website. The two do different jobs, and your business gets the most out of them when you use both.
Here is what the difference looks like in practice, and how to make them work as a team.
What a Facebook page does well
Let's be fair: Facebook has real strengths. Its reach is huge: Pew Research Center reports that 70% of U.S. adults use Facebook [1].
- People are already there. You do not have to invite them anywhere. They like your page, see your posts and share them with friends.
- It is easy to keep up. Take a photo on your phone, write two sentences, post.
- It is good for conversation. Comments, messages, recommendations. Many people are used to messaging businesses there.
- It suits news. A new lunch menu, free slots this week, photos from the job you just finished.
So we are not telling you to close your page. The real question is different: can it, on its own, give your business everything it needs online?
Why Facebook alone is not enough
In 2018, for example, Facebook announced it would show less public content from businesses and prioritise posts from friends and family [2].
You do not own the page
Your page lives on someone else's platform. Facebook decides what it looks like, what is allowed and how many of your followers see a given post. The rules change without anyone asking you. Accounts can be hacked or restricted, and getting access back can take time. If your whole online presence is there, you are keeping all your eggs in a basket that is not yours.
A website sits at your own address. If you are not sure how the address and the place where a website "lives" fit together, read domain and hosting explained.
The important information sinks
Facebook posts are ordered by time: the newest is on top and everything important slides down. Prices you posted six months ago, your opening hours, the answer to the question everyone asks – people have to scroll and dig. A new customer rarely has the patience. On a website, everything has its place: a page for your services, your prices, your contact details.
Not everyone is on Facebook
Some of your customers simply do not use Facebook, or do not want to log in just to check you out. A website opens for anyone, on any device, with no account needed.
People search Google differently
When someone types "hairdresser in Burgas" or "boiler repair Plovdiv", they are looking for a solution to a specific problem. Your Facebook page sometimes shows up in the results too, but it is not built to answer searches like that. It does not have a separate page for each service, with a clear title and description. A website can. If people are not finding you, see why your website is not on Google.
You look like everyone else
Every Facebook page has the same layout. A website shows your business the way you want – your colours, your photos, your words. That matters, especially when a customer is deciding who to trust with their home renovation, their wedding or their health.
What a website gives you that Facebook cannot
Think of your website as a shop with a window: everything is in order, it is always open and it is at your own address. On it you can have:
- A clear homepage that says what you do, where, and how to get in touch.
- A separate page for each service, with prices or at least a "from" price.
- An enquiry form or online bookings. See when online bookings are worth it.
- Photos of your real work, grouped by type instead of lost between posts. More in which photos to put on your website.
- Answers to common questions, so you do not repeat them in messages every day.
- Data on what works: how many people visit and where they come from. We explain how in how to measure what your website brings you.
For the full list of basics, see 8 things every small business website needs.
Do not choose between them. Let Facebook bring people to you, and let your website give them everything they need to get in touch.
How to make the two work together
The best option is not "or", it is "and". Here is a simple plan:
- Put your website address on Facebook. In your page's info and its action button, send people to your website.
- Link to specific pages, not just the homepage. Posting photos from a new job? Link to the page for that service. New menu? Link to the menu on your website.
- Link to Facebook from your website. In the footer or on the contact page, for people who want to follow your news.
- Keep your details the same everywhere. Opening hours, phone and address should match on Facebook, on your website and in your Google Business Profile. Mismatches confuse customers.
- Facebook for news, the website for what lasts. This week's offer goes on Facebook. Your services, prices and contact details live on the website.
If you also want a direct line to customers that does not depend on any platform, consider an email newsletter.
What if the budget is small?
This is the most common reason businesses stay on Facebook only: a website sounds expensive and complicated. It does not have to be. You do not need twenty pages on day one. Sometimes a one-page website is enough to start. What matters is that the information is clear, the site loads quickly on a phone and someone keeps it up to date. A website is now standard: according to Eurostat, 79% of enterprises in the EU had one in 2025 [3].
If you would rather not pay a large sum upfront, a monthly plan is an option too. Studio V1 designs, builds, launches, hosts and maintains your website for about €50 a month, and it is live within 7 business days. See what is included or get in touch.
A quick check
Answer these three questions honestly:
- If you lost access to your Facebook page tomorrow, where would customers find you?
- Can a new customer find your prices and opening hours in under a minute?
- What does someone see when they search Google for your service and town?
If any of the answers worries you, it is time for a website. Not as a replacement for Facebook, but as the base that all your other channels point to. For more reasons, read 5 reasons every business needs a website in 2026.
References
- Pew Research Center. "Americans' Use of Social Media in 2026." pewresearch.org
- Meta Newsroom. "Bringing People Closer Together (January 2018)" about.fb.com
- Eurostat (European Commission). "Digital economy and society statistics – enterprises." ec.europa.eu
