Is a Facebook page enough, or do you need a website?
Facebook is where people find you. A website is where they decide. Here is why local businesses need both, and why the website is the one you own.
- A Facebook page is rented reach: the algorithm now shows your posts to a tiny share of your own followers, and you do not own the page or the audience.
- A website is where buying decisions happen: most people research a business online first, and a business with a website is seen as far more trustworthy.
- Use both: Facebook to be discovered, a website to convert and to own. Owned sites from £199.
Short answer: a Facebook page is a great place to be discovered, but on its own it quietly costs you customers. Most people who hear about you will look you up before they get in touch, and if all they find is a page they cannot fully trust, some will not call. The strongest setup is both: Facebook to reach people, and a website you own to turn them into customers. Here is why.
Facebook reach is not what it was
The first problem is arithmetic. Facebook's feed is pay-to-play now, and organic reach has collapsed: studies put the share of your own followers who see a typical unpaid post at just 1 to 6 percent. You built the audience, but you have to pay to reach it, and every post competes with everyone else's. A website flips that: people arrive because they searched for what you do, and you do not rent the connection to them.
People check before they buy
The second problem is trust. Before someone books a tradesperson, a salon or a clinic, they look them up, and a real website is the credibility signal they are looking for. Around 81% of people research a business online before making a purchase, and a business with a website is rated markedly more trustworthy than one without. A local business with no website is estimated to lose a fifth to a third of referred customers at that verification step, the moment between hearing about you and deciding to contact you.
What you own, and what you only rent
A Facebook page sits on someone else's platform. They own the audience, they set the rules, and they can change the algorithm, restrict your page, or add fees whenever they like, with no input from you. A website is yours: the content, the design, the domain and the customer contact all belong to you. If Facebook changed overnight, a business that also has a website still has its front door.
| Facebook page | Your own website | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the audience | Facebook does | You do |
| Reach of a normal post | 1 to 6% of followers | Anyone searching for you |
| Found on Google | Barely | Yes, if built for it |
| Trust with new customers | Limited | A real credibility signal |
| The rules can change | Any time, without you | You are in control |
The right answer is both
None of this means delete your Facebook page. It is genuinely useful for discovery, updates and social proof, and it drives people toward you. The point is where they land next. Use Facebook to be found, and send that traffic to a website you own, where the phone number, the prices and the booking live, and where Google can find you too. That is the setup that turns attention into work.
You do not need much to start
A website does not have to be a big project. A fast one-page site with your services, your area, your reviews and a clear way to get in touch is enough to capture the customers a Facebook page alone lets slip. It starts at £199, it is built for your trade, and it is live in about five days. Wondering if it is worth it at all? Here is whether you actually need a website in 2026.
Common questions.
Do I need a website if I have a Facebook page?
For most local businesses, yes. A Facebook page is good for being discovered, but organic reach is now only a few percent of your followers, and many customers will not fully trust a business they cannot find on a proper website. The best setup is both: Facebook to reach people and a website you own to convert them.
Is a Facebook page free and a website not?
A Facebook page is free to set up but costs you in reach, since you increasingly have to pay to be seen, and you do not own the audience. A website is a one-off from £199 that you own outright, works on Google, and does not charge you to reach the followers you already have.
Can a website really bring in more customers than Facebook?
They do different jobs. Facebook helps people discover you; a website helps them decide. Because around 81% of people check a business online before buying, a website often captures customers a Facebook page alone would lose at the point of decision. Used together, they work better than either alone.