Your Website vs. Facebook - Why Both are Essential for Your Business

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, with nearly three billion users every month. This is why many businesses use the site to engage with current and potential clients.

But this is just one way to establish a presence for your business online. In this era - where customers have unprecedented control over their own buying journey - having a well-designed website is essential for any business.

So which is better for your business? Facebook? A website? Or perhaps, both?

Does your business need a Facebook page?

Having a business Facebook page is crucial to the success of your business. It allows people to discover and interact with your brand online. With almost three billion active users, Facebook presents an opportunity to connect with a lot of potential customers.

A business Facebook page allows you to post updates, share content, share contact information, promote events and distribute press releases. But the most significant benefit is connecting and engaging with your audience "where they are". Users spend an average of 100 minutes interacting with social media each day. Rather than waiting for your potential customers to discover you, you can bring your message to where they already are.

Benefits of Facebook to your business

Facebook can benefit your business in various ways, including branding, communication, content creation and distribution, advertising, and more.

Reach a wide audience

As the largest social platform, it's a good bet that most of your target audience is on Facebook. Therefore, the best way to connect with them (and attract more individuals) is to have a business Facebook page.

A well-optimized business Facebook page has the potential to reach billions of people worldwide all at once — remember, it's a global social platform.

So whether you're looking to reposition your business in the market or searching for new audiences, Facebook is your best social platform.

Save time + customer service

Are you getting calls from existing customers or prospects making simple inquiries about location and hours of operation? You can allow those individuals to contact you through the Facebook platform rather than compelling them to shift channels and contact you somewhere else. Removing friction from customer touchpoints like this can improve brand perception, sales, and customer retention.

Humanize your brand

One of the crucial benefits of social networks is creating real human connections, and meaningful relationship moments with prospects and customers.

Facebook allows you to introduce your business (and, potentially, its team members) to your audience. This authenticity builds trust among your followers, which in turn, intensifies marketing receptiveness.

Moreover, you can utilize your business's Facebook page to express how your business embraces brand values, how your product works in real life, and how you prioritize customer satisfaction and impact.

Benefits of a well-designed website for your business

Small business owners might feel they don't need a website. Some feel it's too much work, while others are concerned about the costs of designing and maintaining a business website over time. Recent research says that 27% of small businesses still don't have a website.

However, a business website is essential to the growth and success of any business. In fact, we believe that your website is more important today than ever.

Improve your business credibility

A well-designed business website helps you improve your company's credibility. This is essential, especially in a highly competitive market where other businesses offer the same products and services as you do.

Therefore, you need something unique to stand out from the competition. An attractive and professionally designed website - that caters to your customers needs - helps you build a solid online presence and cut through the competition. Not to mention, it takes very little effort to set up a Facebook or other social media page - and your prospective customers know and understand this. Establishing a more formal online presence with your own website requires a more robust investment.

It is one of the many ways to establish credibility in your industry and make people trust your business. In addition, they can learn more about your business history, products and services, certifications, locations, and more.

Establish a 24/7 online presence

In the face of steep competition, you MUST be where your customers are, and your customers are online.A website can help you stay active and online 24/7. Think of your website as a salesperson that is available 24/7, 365 days a year.

The things that an actual salesperson can do can also be offered by your website. It can help answer questions that your prospects or customers have, it can build trust, it can even allow customers to place orders (if you have an ecommerce site). And unlike a real salesperson, your website is available when your customer wants it to be available. They aren't dependent on your real salesperson's schedule or availability, they can engage when they want to engage, on their terms.

Organic traffic

Your company will appear on Google search results when you have an SEO-optimized business website. This means that whenever a person searches for a product or service you're offering, or looking for answers to problems that your products or services solve, they can  find their way to your site.

This is an excellent opportunity for small businesses to increase their visibility and overall reach drastically.

Consumer insights

You can identify your typical customer, how they find you, and their likes/pain points with website analytic tools. Once you have these insights, you can adapt your business to maximize sales through your website.

For instance, web visitor data can help you identify pages attracting the most attention on your site.

Moreover, you can create online surveys or polls to understand the products and services attracting the most interest from your site visitors.

Facebook vs. website: Do you need both for your business?

Both Facebook and websites are essential to any small business. While your website should always be the anchor point for your brand online, you can (and should) establish a presence on social media platforms, including Facebook.

Doing this allows you to cultivate a professional presence across the internet. It helps you build trust and credibility for your business, attracting more prospects worldwide.

A Facebook page and your website do similar things, however, they do them differently. You have to keep in mind that you don't have complete control over Facebook, therefore, you're bound to their rules. For example, changes in their algorithms could potentially impact your visibility on the platform. On the other hand, with a business website, you have complete control over everything because you own it. Your website is the only place you can completely control how your brand is represented.

Ready for a winning strategy? Let's show you the system that works for racing and automotive performance. Watch our digital growth framework video.

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If you're not sure how to compliment your website strategy with social media, book a no-obligation session with Chuck to discuss the possibilities.