We’ve had many conversations with business owners that claim they have a website when, in fact, they only have a Facebook Page. This is not a website for your business. It’s an asset for your business, but it’s not your business website.
1. You Do Not Own Anything on Facebook. No Control.
Facebook is a free social media platform. It’s a great place to start the conversation about your business. But, it’s not your website. You don’t own the content you share on Facebook, you’re simply sharing it with your family, friends, and customers. You have very little to no control over what happens with your Facebook Page. Yes, you can upload photos, videos, etc, but these are only allowed because Facebook gives you those options.
This is not a wise business or marketing strategy. The proverbial, “all your eggs in one basket”. What happens when Facebook goes away for good? Or, less dramatic, what happens when/if Facebook goes down for a long period of time. What if Facebook is hacked and taken offline. Or what about Facebook limiting your access to your customers?
2. No Control of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Search Engines crawl through the vast Internet looking for websites to serve up to their users for their request search terms. A Facebook Page does not give control of how your business shows up on the SERP (search engine report page). If you want to rank for “computer networking” or “Managed IT Services” in your area, chances are all of your competitor’s websites are showing up and not your Facebook Page. On a Facebook Page, you don’t have control over things like the meta title or meta description that tell Search Engines like Google what type of content is on your website and what keywords it should rank for. These are what appear in search results and can convince a user to either visit your site or click a similar link around yours.
You’re missing out on so many potential eyeballs only having a Facebook Page.
3. Guess What. Not Everyone is on Facebook!
Just because you have a Facebook Page does not mean your customers have a Facebook profile to view your page. Also, consider that more and more users are leaving Facebook each year. How often do you hear about someone taking a “social media break”. No one takes a “search engine break”. We rely more and more on Google to find websites that fulfill a need. This is where your customers will find you.
4. The Real Deal. Websites Show Credibility.
Think about how often you search for a product or service provider. Now, is the first place you look for them on Facebook/social media? Not likely. You may end up there through your research period, but it’s not the first place you look. You are more than likely searching keywords for the product or service you’re looking to purchase. From there, you are clicking through the top few links on Google and checking out their websites. Professionally designed and developed websites stand out. So do poorly design websites and you’re likely not going to want to do business with a brand that doesn’t look reputable. Your website gives you authenticity and credibility online. People want to know that you’re legitimate and your business isn’t going anywhere. See point #1.
5. Pay-to-Play.
On average, your Facebook Page reaches a very small amount of your desired audience. Chances are, you build that audience from inviting friends and family to “like” your page. But the organic result of getting people to your page is much harder on Facebook. Facebook gives you a solution. Pay them. You can run Facebook ads (which we enjoy doing for our clients) to send people to your website to generate traffic. This also helps the search engines know your website is worth serving up to people. More traffic = more opportunities to rank higher on Google. Not unlike PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketing, Facebook expects businesses to pay for their “likes”. But how does that help you generate leads or business? Go back to point #4 and the “Buyer’s Journey”. They are going to search for your business/service on Google first!
Final Thoughts
We love using Facebook as a tool to drive leads to our client’s websites. It is, however, not the only tool we use to drive traffic. Facebook should be used in combination with other marketing and advertising strategies to give you the best opportunities to drive traffic to your website and thus bringing in more leads and business.
QUESTION: How are you using Facebook to help supplement your business’ marketing strategy?
Reach out today to discuss how we can help!
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