Facebook Pages for Small Businesses

Running a small business can be tough. I know, I have run a few small businesses in the past and you are always watching the pennies. Sometimes business is good, sometimes it’s abysmal and you always have a to-do list (or a should do list) as long as your arm.

Making correct use of the Internet can really help boost your business by doing such things as drive customers to your premises and improve your business reputation, but many small business owners believe that having a Facebook page alone is enough to get their business seen and optimised online and don’t want to fork out for a professionally made website.

That is a big mistake.

A Facebook page is great as part of your online strategy, but it should never replace a professional website and here are some reasons why:

• Website credibility aids your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) ranking, meaning more people will find your business faster on the Internet.
• Whilst a Facebook page is a great way to add options to how customers can interact with you, you are likely eliminating almost half your potential customers if you limit your business to only a Facebook page.
• Only a small percent (1%-5%) of people who have liked your Facebook page will see your updates.
• Facebook pages do not offer enough functionality – particularly e-commerce.
• You risk your account being deleted with Facebook. You have to follow their constantly revised terms of service.
• Facebook favours BIG BRANDS that are able to give grand displays which draw in hundreds of thousands of likes.
• A Facebook page alone is very weak. A weak or low online presence translates to a low search engine ranking. Compounding this ranking is the indistinguishability of Facebook pages.
• Facebook creates negative brand images from people indiscriminately posting negative comments on the your business page.
• Your competitors can target the people visiting your Facebook page and tempt them away.
• Research shows that people choose to click on a website link over a Facebook page link.
• By having a professional website, a certain level of trust is built subconsciously and confidence is instilled in the customer.
• Anyone can have a Facebook page and Facebook pages can often be suspicious and related to criminality. Only credible and professional businesses will have invested time and money into a business website.
• Customers search on Google and not Facebook when looking for products, services and establishments. Facebook pages do not rank well in Google search – websites do.
• When searching for businesses, the customer will be returned many identical Facebook pages to choose from. So, without a website, you will receive no preferential ranking.
• You have full control with a website. This includes your own domain name, where it is hosted, the design, visitor rights, etc.
• A website enables you to capture customer data such as emails.
• A website is much more conducive to telling your business story in a clear and engaging manner.
• A website is your hub for everything.
• Website analytics are more comprehensive than Facebook page analytics.
• Facebook pages deliver a form of information that is not useful for your audience or customers.
• Facebook has too much control of your page relating to content and marketing.
• A Facebook page requires too much time to manage. Regular posts and changes are required to keep your Facebook page even slightly visible.
• With a website, your statistics are private. You don’t have to share how many views the website has got, unique visitors, etc. With Facebook, everyone can see this data and compare you to your competitors.
• With a website, you can design your business branding goals and colours.
• The best strategy is ALWAYS to have a multi-channel approach, anchoring all your efforts with a well built and informative website.
• A dedicated website has Google on its side. A Facebook page doesn’t provide the same comprehensive SEO control of a dedicated website.
• When Facebook users want to find out more information about your business they go to your website. This bears itself out in Google Analytics reports.
• A dedicated website enables you to completely control your brand and acts as the main hub on the web where interested, potential customers can go for all the information they are looking for.
• A website enables you to tailor your content to the exact kind of key phrases and keywords your customers are searching for. A critical component of any business acquisition strategy.
• Facebook policy changes can be frustrating. Ultimately, Facebook makes decisions that best suit its own business objectives. With your own website you have full control.
• Your business branding is subordinate to the blue Facebook brand. Your content, including offers, promotions and updates must stay within the guidelines established by Facebook.
• Facebook places heavy emphasis on user feedback when developing their algorithms, interface and apps. This means that change is always just around the corner, which is not a stable basis on which to build a strategy.
• It’s a Facebook page and will never give the complete brand experience that a dedicated website will.
• A Facebook page does not do enough to establish respectability for your business, although can be acceptable for a small start-up business.
• (2021) 88% of users say they wouldn’t return to a website after having a bad user experience. 70% of online businesses that fail do so because of bad usability. Only 55% of companies currently conduct any UX testing. If someone is not logged into Facebook when clicking on your Facebook page, the user experience is terrible.
• If, when searching on Google, your Facebook pages actually appears in the Google search listings, the Facebook page will provide a poor user experience unless the person is already logged into Facebook.
• Competitors Can Advertise On Your Page. What’s worse, your competitors can specifically target your FB Page fans based on their profile and browsing history.
• Having your own website adds credibility to your business.
• Google gives greater SEO importance on having your own website. Facebook pages do not rank as high in search results and there is nothing you can do about it as Facebook controls everything.
• The majority of people search on Google when looking for something on the Internet, not Facebook.
• For a business to thrive, it needs to be individualised and distinguishable from the rest. Your business website is crucial to building the brand for your small business.
• Google Analytics can’t be used by Facebook pages. Google Analytics allows you to perform market research with minimal effort and to constantly analyse customer trends & identify shortcomings.
• A website helps your organic ranking (as websites ranks higher than Facebook pages) and allows you to optimise SEO and improve your ranking further by creating content.
• Having a website allows you to prioritise your information based on what your customers want to see first, giving your customers and experience they will remember and come back for.

So, there you have it. A few reasons why you should consider a website for your small business. MrTESOL.com is a small business dedicated to helping other small businesses get optimised online. Get in contact today and let’s discuss getting your business website made. Over prices are low and our service is top notch!

I hope you have a great year.

Best,

Robert

Digital Marketing Manager at MrTESOL.com