If you run a small business in the UK, chances are you already have a Facebook page. Maybe you have had one for years. It has your phone number, some photos of your work, and the odd review from a happy customer. So do you really need a website on top of that?
The honest answer: yes, probably. But not because Facebook is useless. It is not. It is because Facebook and a website do very different jobs, and relying on just one of them leaves a big gap in how customers find you.
This is part of our bigger guide on whether your business needs a website. Here, we are focusing specifically on the Facebook question.
What Facebook does well
Let us be fair to Facebook first. It has genuine strengths for small businesses:
- It is free. You can set up a page in minutes without spending a penny.
- Community engagement. It is good for chatting with existing customers, sharing updates, and being part of local groups.
- Reviews and recommendations. People can leave reviews and recommend you to friends directly on the platform.
- Messenger. Some customers prefer messaging over calling, and Facebook makes that easy.
- Local groups. Many towns and cities have active Facebook groups where people ask for recommendations. If you are active in those groups, you can pick up work.
For staying in touch with people who already know about you, Facebook is brilliant. The problem is what happens when someone does not already know about you.
Where Facebook falls short
Facebook pages do not rank on Google
This is the big one. When someone types "electrician in Bristol" or "dog groomer near me" into Google, the results are almost entirely websites and Google Business Profiles. Facebook pages rarely appear.
Think about what that means. Every day, people in your area are searching for exactly what you do. If your only online presence is Facebook, you are invisible to all of them. They will never find your Facebook page through a Google search. They will find your competitors' websites instead.
Google processes over 8.5 billion searches per day. Facebook cannot tap into that traffic for you. A website can.
You do not control the platform
Your Facebook page does not belong to you. It belongs to Meta. And Meta can change the rules whenever it likes.
Here are things that happen regularly:
- Pages get disabled or restricted without clear explanation.
- Algorithm changes reduce how many of your followers actually see your posts. Organic reach on Facebook has dropped to single digit percentages for most business pages.
- Features get removed or changed. The layout, the way reviews work, the way messages are handled, all of it can change overnight.
- If your account gets hacked, recovering it can take weeks. Some businesses never get their pages back.
Building your entire online presence on a platform you do not own is risky. It is like renting a shop and discovering the landlord can change the locks any time they want.
It does not make a strong first impression
75% of consumers judge a business's credibility based on its website design. A Facebook page, no matter how well maintained, looks like every other Facebook page. There is no way to stand out visually.
Your services are listed in a generic format. Your photos sit in a Facebook gallery. Your contact details are buried in the "About" section. Everything is squeezed into Facebook's template, which is designed for Facebook, not for your business.
A website, on the other hand, puts your business front and centre. Your services are laid out clearly. Your phone number is right there. It looks professional, polished, and trustworthy.
When a potential customer is choosing between two businesses and one has a clean, professional website while the other has a Facebook page with a few posts from last year, which one do you think they are calling?
The real world difference
Let us look at two similar businesses to see how this plays out.
Business A is a painter and decorator with a Facebook page. They post photos of finished jobs, have 15 reviews, and reply to messages quickly. They get work from people who already know them or find them through local Facebook groups.
Business B is also a painter and decorator. They have a Facebook page too, but they also have a simple five page website. Their website shows up when someone Googles "painter decorator" plus their town name. It lists their services, shows their work, displays their reviews, and has a clear phone number at the top.
Business B gets everything Business A gets from Facebook, plus every customer who searches on Google. That is the difference. It is not either/or. It is Facebook alone versus Facebook plus a website.
What a website gives you that Facebook cannot
- Google visibility. Your website can rank for searches like "your service + your town." Facebook pages almost never do.
- Professional credibility. A website says "this is an established business." A Facebook page says "this person uses Facebook."
- Full control. You decide what goes on your website, how it looks, and what information appears first. No algorithm deciding who sees your content.
- Permanence. Your website is yours. It cannot be taken down because a platform changed its policies.
- 24/7 information. Services, prices, contact details, reviews, all in one place, always available, clearly laid out.
"But everyone is on Facebook"
They are. Facebook has around 44 million users in the UK. But being on Facebook is not the same as using Facebook to find local businesses.
When people need a service, most of them go to Google first. They might ask for recommendations on Facebook too, but even then, the first thing they do with a recommendation is Google the business name. If you do not have a website, that search comes up empty.
Facebook is where people socialise. Google is where people search. Your business needs to be in both places.
The best approach: use both
This is not about choosing one over the other. The smart move is to use both, but understand what each one does.
- Your website is your permanent home. It is where Google sends people who search for your services. It is your professional shop front.
- Your Facebook page is your social channel. It is where you engage with your community, share updates, and interact with customers who already know you.
Use Facebook to drive people to your website. Share a link to your services page. Point people to your contact form. Let Facebook do what it does well, but make sure you have a proper home base that you own and control.
What if I can only afford one?
If you genuinely have to choose, go with a website. Facebook is free, so you can always keep a basic page running alongside your website. But a website does the one thing Facebook cannot: it gets you found on Google by people who are actively searching for your service right now.
And websites do not have to be expensive. PageShift builds professional websites for UK small businesses with no monthly fees. Have a look at our pricing to see what it actually costs.
Also worth reading: Can I Just Use Instagram Instead of a Website for My Business? covers similar ground for businesses that rely heavily on Instagram.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Facebook page replace a website for my small business?
No. A Facebook page is useful for community engagement, but it cannot rank on Google for local searches, you do not control the platform, and it does not give the same professional impression as a website. Most businesses benefit from having both.
Do Facebook business pages show up on Google?
Rarely. Facebook pages occasionally appear in branded searches (when someone searches your exact business name), but they almost never show up for service based searches like "plumber near me" or "hairdresser in Birmingham." A website is far more likely to appear in those results.
Is it worth having both a Facebook page and a website?
Yes. They serve different purposes. Your website is your permanent, professional home online that shows up on Google. Your Facebook page is a social channel for engaging with your community. Use Facebook to drive people to your website, where they can see your full services and contact you.
What can a website do that Facebook cannot?
A website ranks on Google so new customers can find you through search. It gives you full control over design, content, and layout. It looks more professional. It cannot be taken away by a platform decision. And it works 24/7 as a permanent reference for your services, prices, and contact details.