Do you need a website if you already get work from Facebook?

It's one of the most common things people say to me, usually a tradesman or a small local business that stays busy off the back of a Facebook page or a local community group. And it's a fair point. If the phone's ringing, why spend money on a website? Let me give you the honest version rather than the sales pitch.

Facebook is brilliant at one thing

Social media is great for keeping in front of people who already know you. A good post, a happy customer tagging you, a recommendation in a local group — that's real, and it works. If that's bringing you steady work, don't stop.

But it's built to keep people on Facebook, not send them to you

Here's the catch. When someone in the next town over gets their phone out and searches "boiler repair near me" or "wedding photographer Burnley", they're on Google, not scrolling your Facebook feed. If you've only got a Facebook page, you simply don't show up for that search. That's work landing straight in a competitor's lap.

• You don't own your Facebook page. The rules change, the reach drops, and one day an account gets locked for no reason. It happens more than you'd think.
• You're at the mercy of the algorithm. Fewer and fewer of your followers actually see your posts unless you pay to boost them.
• It looks the same as everyone else's. There's no real way to stand out or look established.
• It's hard to find your details. Someone ready to book has to dig through posts to find your number.

The two work better as a pair

This isn't Facebook versus a website. It's both, each doing what it's good at. Use social to stay visible and show your personality. Use the website as your home base — the thing that turns up on Google, lays out what you do, holds your reviews, and makes it dead easy to get booked. Post on Facebook, link back to the site. Simple.

What a website gives you that a page never will

• You turn up when people search Google for what you do, not just when they're on Facebook.
• You control it completely, and no algorithm can bury you.
• It makes you look like an established, serious business.
• Everything a customer needs — services, prices, reviews, contact — in one place they can find in seconds.

So, do you need one?

If you're happy staying exactly as busy as you are now, off the same handful of sources, maybe not yet. But if you want to catch the people who are actively searching for what you do — the ones ready to book right now — then yes, and it usually pays for itself quickly. If you want to talk it through with no pressure, get in touch and I'll give you a straight opinion on whether it's worth it for your business.