Facebook Page vs Business Website? A Quick Comparison
Facebook Pages and a business website are both exceptionally great ways to market your business online, but how do they compare?
The Comparison
We believe a strong online presence is paramount to success in our highly tech-oriented world. Conceptualizing, building, then maintaining a website requires time, money, and skill that small business owners might not always have. If you’re looking for ways to simplify your online presence, Facebook’s recent updates might seem incredibly appealing.
Complete Ownership Vs. Some Control
- Business Website: You own your business website. This gives you complete control over the user experience, the representation of your brand, and other enhancements such as Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. This makes your website easier to find online.
- Facebook Page: While using Facebook Pages, you’re using Facebook’s website, Facebook’s brand. This is great if you’re Facebook, not so great if you’re a local small business owner.
Design
- Business Website: You can promote yourself with your own design, coordinate your website to match your business’ branding, and make changes anytime and at your discretion.
- Facebook Page: You can add your logo and make changes to how your information appears. However, you are still at the mercy of Facebook’s look. When they make changes you may only find out after the new design shows up on your Facebook page.
Information Delivery
- Website: Your customer has to make an effort to find and navigate to your site for information. With information so readily available on the Internet, it’s a challenge to get people to make that decision to type in your web address or find you on search engines.
- Facebook: You’re taking your information directly to where your customer is spending their valuable time. While on Facebook they’re connecting with friends and family, shopping, or even looking for news and information. Your updates pop into their timeline moments after they’re posted, putting your news right in front of thousands of eyes instantly.
Updates and Content Changes
- Website: You or your staff has to be trained how to update the content on your website. In a case of breaking news, your website can sometimes get neglected. Using a simple content management system (CMS) can aid in keeping your website up to date.
- Facebook: Even the technologically challenged know how to post information, photos, or videos from their smartphone to Facebook. In a breaking news situation, you are able to get a new product or promotion to your customers as soon as you create it, which can help your business attract customers or clients.
Analytics and Statistics
- Website: Your website’s traffic statistics and analytics are your own private information. You don’t need to inform your audience how many page views, likes, hits or unique visitors you have coming to your site each month. This analytic information is a great way to see how your blog, pages, and website as a whole is doing.
- Facebook: Everyone can see how many likes you have or don’t have. While using Facebook advertising, this is a great way to target your ideal customer persona.
The Winner?
You should be using both! Having a business website gives you complete control of your business brand, while Facebook Pages give you nearly instant access to your customer. For example: post a new product on an SEO optimized page on your website so your customers can find it and purchase it, then post an update on your business’ Facebook page to promote it even further. The same idea can be used for blog posts. Not only do you get to post to your current customers on Facebook, you increase your chances of your content showing up on search engines like Google and Bing.