A website or a Facebook page for a small business?

Many small businesses start with a Facebook page, and they are right to do so. It takes minutes to create, costs nothing and lets you publish photos, offers and opening hours straight away. For a new café, a salon or a tradesperson, it can be the natural first step.

The question comes later, when customers start searching for the business on Google, when you want to work with other companies or when you notice your posts reach fewer and fewer people. That's when you wonder whether a website is worth it. Our answer isn't “drop Facebook”, but understand what each channel does well and use them together where it makes sense.

On Facebook you play by the platform's rules. The page design, what information you can show, who sees your posts and even whether the page stays active are decisions made by someone else. An account blocked by mistake or an algorithm change can cut the number of people who see you overnight.

A website is yours. The domain, content and structure stay under your control, and if you change provider you take the site with you. You decide which pages exist, what text appears first and what you want the visitor to do: call, request a quote or book. That doesn't make Facebook useless, but it turns it from a foundation into a communication channel.

When someone searches for “tailor near me” or your business name, Google usually shows business profiles, websites and sometimes social media pages. A well-structured site, with clear pages for each service and correct location details, helps both people and search engines understand what you do.

Facebook posts are designed for the feed, not for search: a good offer from six months ago is hard to find. On a website, the same information can live on a permanent page. Nobody can guarantee a position on Google, but a fast, clear site gives you a real chance to appear when people search for exactly what you offer.

For new customers, especially businesses or customers in other countries, a site on your own domain with an email address on the same domain signals that you are serious. It's where they can calmly read what you offer, how you work and how to contact you, without ads or other people's posts around it.

The website is also the right place for mandatory information: company details, the privacy policy and, where relevant, terms of sale. On Facebook this information is hard to organise. If you work with customers in Germany or Austria, where an Impressum page is required, a website becomes almost indispensable.

A Facebook page doesn't cost money, but it takes constant time: posts, replies to messages and often paid ads to reach people. A website has an initial cost and recurring costs for domain and hosting, but a simple business website needs little maintenance after launch.

At XDAY Studio, the Site Start package starts from 199 € for a site of one to three pages, with your copy and photos. Domain and hosting are paid separately. For many small businesses this combination is enough: the website holds the stable information, while Facebook remains the place for news, photos and conversations with customers.

If you are just starting and want to test interest in what you offer, a Facebook page is a good beginning. If the business already exists, gets repeated questions about hours, prices or services, or works with companies and customers in other countries, a simple website will save you time and give you control.

The best option for most small businesses is the combination: the website as your official address, with complete information and a contact form, and social networks as a place for conversation that sends people to the website. If you want to see what this would look like for your business, send us a few details through the quote form.