I get asked this a lot. You've got a Facebook page, you post updates, people leave reviews, and it's all free. So why spend money on a website? It's a fair question, and I'm going to give you a straight answer rather than the self-serving one.
The short version: Facebook is a good tool and a poor foundation. A website is the other way around.
what Facebook does well
Facebook is genuinely useful for certain things. If your customers are already on it, it's a free way to stay visible to people who've already found you. You can post updates, share photos, run events, collect reviews, and message people directly. For word-of-mouth businesses with a loyal local following, a well-maintained Facebook page can drive real enquiries.
It's also easy. You don't need to know anything about web design or hosting. You sign up, fill in your details, and you're live in an afternoon.
the problem with relying on Facebook
The moment you understand how Facebook actually works, the limitations become hard to ignore.
You don't own it. Your Facebook page lives on Facebook's servers, runs by Facebook's rules, and can be restricted, suspended, or made invisible at any time without warning. There are businesses that built their entire customer base through Facebook and then watched their reach collapse overnight when the algorithm changed. That's a real thing that happens.
Facebook controls who sees you. Organic reach on Facebook has been declining for years. Posting to your own followers doesn't mean they'll see it. You can have 800 followers and your post reaches 40 people. If you want to reach more, you pay for ads. So it's not quite as free as it looks.
Facebook doesn't appear in Google the way a website does. When someone searches "upholsterer near me" or "web designer Bury", Google shows websites, not Facebook pages. Your Facebook page might rank for your exact business name, but it won't rank for the services you offer in the way a properly built website can. If you're not on Google, you don't exist to the people who are searching but haven't heard of you yet.
It looks less professional. A lot of customers, particularly in B2B or for anything over a certain price point, will check for a website before they pick up the phone. A business with only a Facebook page can come across as new, uncommitted, or small-time. That might not be fair, but it's the reality.
what a website gives you that Facebook doesn't
A website is an asset you own. It's not subject to algorithm changes or platform decisions. It shows up in Google for the services and locations you target. It can answer questions, take enquiries, display your portfolio, show your prices, and do that work 24 hours a day, whether you're available or not.
A well-built website also lets you control the full picture. You decide what people see first. You decide how your services are described. You decide what calls to action are visible. Facebook decides all of that on your behalf, and its interests and yours are not the same.
Google doesn't index your Facebook posts. It indexes your website. If you want to be found by people who don't already know your name, you need a website.
do you need both?
Yes. They serve different purposes. Facebook is good for staying visible to existing customers and building community. A website is how new customers find you, learn about you, and decide to get in touch. Use both. But don't make the mistake of thinking one replaces the other.
The businesses I see getting the most from their online presence have a proper website doing the heavy SEO lifting, and a Facebook page for updates, reviews, and staying in touch with people who already know them.
one more thing
Facebook has been around since 2004. It might be around for another 20 years, or it might not. Remember MySpace? Remember when businesses built their entire online presence on Google+ before it was shut down? A website on your own domain is yours. It moves with you, not with a platform's business decisions.