Does my small business need a website if I have a Facebook page?

Yes, most small businesses still need a website even with a Facebook page, because a website is the one online home you own and control. A Facebook page is a good start, but it sits on someone else's platform, and a website gives customers who search Google a clear place to find your hours, location and contact details.

This guide helps you decide if you need a website, what the page on Facebook can and can't do for you, and what to put on a simple site if you build one.

Does my small business need a website if I have a Facebook page?

For most businesses that want new customers to find them, the answer is yes. A Facebook page works well for regulars who already follow you. A website works better for people who have never heard of you and are typing a question into Google.

You may be fine with only a Facebook page if nearly all your customers come from word of mouth, you take no online bookings or orders, and you are happy to stay small. Even then, the risks below are worth a look, because a business that depends on one platform has no plan B if that platform changes.

What a Facebook page does well

• It is free to start. You can set one up in an afternoon.
• It reaches people who already follow you. Posts, photos and events are easy to share.
• It lets customers message you. Many people prefer that to calling.

What a Facebook page can't do for you

• You don't own it. Facebook sets the rules, can change how your page looks and works, and can restrict or remove a page. If that happens, your followers and posts are not yours to take with you.
• Not everyone has an account. Some customers do not want to sign in or create an account just to see your opening hours.
• Your posts are not always seen. What followers see depends on Facebook, not on you.
• It is harder to control the first impression. Your page sits among ads, other posts and suggestions that Facebook chooses.

What a website gives you

• You control it. You choose the words, the photos and the layout.
• One place for the basics. Hours, address, phone number, menu or services, and a simple way to contact you.
• A link you can put anywhere. On your Google listing, receipts, business cards, flyers and a QR code.
• Something that looks established. Many customers check for a website before they trust a business they don't know.

How to decide in five minutes

1. Open Google and search for what you sell plus your town, for example "plumber in Dayton". Notice whether businesses like yours have websites.
2. Search for your own business name. See what comes up first, and whether a stranger could find your hours and phone number.
3. Ask your five newest customers how they found you. If any say "I searched online", a website will help you.
4. Ask yourself whether you want to take bookings, orders or questions without answering each message by hand. If yes, you need a website.

What to put on a simple small business website

You do not need a big site. One to five pages is enough for most local businesses.

1. Home page: what you do, where you are, and one clear button such as "Call us" or "Book".
2. Services or menu: a plain list of what you offer.
3. About: who you are, in a few honest sentences, with a real photo.
4. Contact: phone number, email, address, hours and a map link.
5. Reviews or photos: real ones only.

Make sure it works on a phone, because many people will look at it there. Use the same business name, address and phone number everywhere, including on Facebook.

Connect your website to your Google listing

Your Google Business Profile can show a website link. Once you have a site, add the link there, as we show in our guide How to update your Google Business Profile (hours, menu, photos). Then link your Facebook page and your website to each other, so customers can move between them.

A simple weekly routine

• Search your own business name and check that the website, hours and phone number are right.
• Look at your Facebook page and make sure it matches the website.
• Update the website whenever hours, prices or services change.
• Once a month, open the website on your phone and tap every button.

Quick answers

Does my small business need a website if I have a Facebook page?

Usually yes. Facebook is a good place to talk to followers, but a website is the place you own and the one new customers find through Google.

Can I get customers with only a Facebook page?

Yes, especially through word of mouth and local groups. But you depend on Facebook's rules and on who it shows your posts to.

Is a Google Business Profile enough?

Google treats the website as an optional field when you set up a profile, so you can start without one. A website still gives you more room to explain what you do.

How many pages does a small business website need?

Most local businesses need only a home page, a services or menu page, an About page and a Contact page.

What should I do first?

Make sure your name, address, phone number and hours are the same on Facebook and Google, then build a simple site with the same details.