My Company has a Facebook Account, Why do I Need a Website?
Here’s the simple truth: if you rely only on social media, you’re renting an audience you don’t fully control. A website gives you a permanent, searchable home that compounds value over time. For most small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), the combo of website + social reliably outperforms social alone—on discoverability, credibility, conversion, and data you can use.
Below is a practical deep dive you can hand to an owner, GM, or marketing lead who needs the “why” and the “how.”
Why a Website Still Matters (even in the social-first era)
1. Discovery: people still start with search
When someone needs a roofer, therapist, gym, bakery, or accountant, they don’t scroll Instagram—they search. Google continues to dominate search market share by a mile (hovering around the high-80s to ~90% globally), which means if you’re not set up to be found in search, you’re invisible to a lot of ready-to-buy demand.
And when it comes to local purchase decisions, people lean heavily on Google as their primary source of business info and reviews. In BrightLocal’s 2025 research, 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews—a reminder that Google’s ecosystem (Search + Maps) is the de facto starting point for local commerce.
Bottom line: Social helps you build awareness. Your website lets you capture intent. Together, they cover the full funnel.
2. Organic reach on social is tiny—and shrinking
Posting more often won’t fix a math problem. Benchmarks show that average Facebook organic reach is ~1–2% (and in many niches, lower). If you have 2,000 followers, a “good” post might organically reach a couple dozen to a couple hundred people unless you pay to boost it.
Translation: Social is great for nurturing and for paid amplification, but as an owned, dependable channel, it’s not enough on its own.
~1–2%
average Facebook organic reach
3. Platform risk: “rented land” can change overnight
Policies, algorithms, and even products change—fast. A recent example: Google shut down Business Profile “websites” in 2024. For thousands of SMBs that used those auto-generated sites as their primary web presence, links began redirecting (and then stopped working). If your only “site” was that free product, you suddenly had nothing to send customers to.
Takeaway: Owning your domain and website protects you against platform flip-flops. Your content, URLs, and analytics remain yours.
4. Credibility: people still check for a real site
Surveys have consistently shown that consumers view businesses with their own websites as more credible than those without. Even in a social-heavy world, buyers expect a professional site where they can verify services, people, policies, pricing ranges, and contact details. (Verisign’s longitudinal surveys repeatedly find websites signal trust and legitimacy to consumers.)
A clean site with clear copy, staff bios, and proof (testimonials, reviews, certifications) outperforms a sparse social page almost every time—especially for high-consideration purchases.
5. Conversion & measurement: better journeys, better math
Social is fantastic for discovery and community, but websites close the loop:
Channel benchmark studies repeatedly show SEO and direct traffic often convert better than organic social in many industries—which you only unlock once you have a site that can rank and be revisited directly. (Industry comparisons vary, but you’ll regularly see SEO at or near the top and social toward the middle/bottom.)
With a website, you’re not just “posting”—you’re learning, optimizing, and compounding.
6. Speed matters (and you can control it)
Mobile users bail quickly. Google’s own research highlights that 53% of mobile visits are abandoned if a site takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Your website lets you optimize speed (hosting, caching, image compression), so the people who do find you actually stick around and convert.
What Social-Only Misses (and how a website fills the gaps)
GAP 1
High-intent searchers
Social users may be “just browsing.” Searchers are problem-aware: “emergency plumber near me,” “best pediatric eye doctor Bellingham,” “roof leak repair tonight.” Those clicks typically go to websites and Google Business Profiles (GBPs) that show strong, relevant landing pages—not to Instagram bios.
GAP 2
Local pack + Maps visibility
The local 3-pack (map listings) is prime real estate. A robust website supports your GBP with consistent NAP, service pages, and content that reinforces relevance and proximity—signals Google uses for local rankings.
GAP 3
Long-tail questions—and compounding SEO
Social posts are fleeting; ranking pages endure. A single helpful guide (“How to choose the right irrigation plan in Frisco,” “What to expect during microneedling”) can bring in qualified visitors for months or years, stacking alongside other pages to create durable, compounding traffic.
GAP 4
Owned data and remarketing
Your site lets you build first-party data—email subscribers, consented analytics, and remarketing audiences. That’s gold when ad costs rise or algorithm changes throttle your reach.
GAP 5
Professional signals
A site is where you host policies, guarantees, pricing ranges, certifications, associations, case studies, and location-specific content—all hard to present coherently in a social bio or single link-in-bio page. These elements reduce friction and objection—especially for services.
How the Combo (website + social) Works in Practice
1. Social seeds demand.
Shorts, Reels, before-and-afters, expert tips, UGC, offers—great for awareness and community.
2. Website captures and converts demand.
When someone is ready, they’ll click to your site (from your profile, Google, or an ad). There, they find deep service pages, live pricing ranges or quotes, availability, FAQs, reviews, and a friction-free way to contact or buy.
3. Search scales durable traffic.
Each page you publish can rank for new queries. Over time, your site becomes a customer-acquisition engine independent of any single platform.
4. Analytics closes the loop.
You see which channels and messages produce leads/sales, then re-invest accordingly.
A Quick, Transparent Model for Owners
Suppose you’re social-only and get 10,000 visits/month from Instagram and Facebook.
The exact multiplier will vary by industry and execution, but for many SMBs, moving from social-only to website + social is the difference between sporadic inquiries and a steady pipeline that compounds.
What a High-Performing SMB Website Needs
Think of your site like a sales rep who works 24/7. Give it what it needs:
1.
Clear positioning & “who it’s for.” The first screen should answer: What do you do? For whom? Why you?
2.
Strong service/product pages. One page per service/product with benefits, process, FAQs, proof, and a clear CTA.
3.
Location pages (if local/multi-city). Tailored content for each service area; consistent NAP.
4.
Proof stack. Reviews, case studies, certifications/associations, awards.
5.
Conversion paths. Click-to-call, SMS, forms, “get a quote,” booking widgets—placed visibly (header, mid-page, footer).
6.
Speed & mobile UX. Aim for sub-3-second loads; compress images; minimal scripts. (Users abandon slow pages—fast.
7.
Technical basics. SSL, clean URLs, schema (local business, FAQs), sitemap, robots, accessibility basics.
8.
Analytics you can trust. GA4 (or alternative), goals for calls/forms, and CRM or at least lead capture synced to email.
9.
Content that ranks & helps. Answer real questions customers ask before they buy.
10.
Google Business Profile alignment. Consistent categories, services, and a website URL that lands on the most relevant page, not just the homepage.
Social Plays a Different (Albeit Vital) Role—Just Don’t Make It the Only One
But remember the math: organic reach is limited and platforms can (and do) change. Use social to feed your website flywheel, not replace it.
Common Objections (and Quick Responses)
“My customers are all on Instagram/TikTok.”
Great—meet them there. But when they’re ready to book or buy, they’ll look for a site to verify details, read longer info, compare options, and complete the action with confidence. (And a site gives you search visibility to catch the ones who aren’t following you.)
“Websites are expensive.”
A well-scoped site can be phased: start with the core pages that convert, then grow. Unlike ads, content you publish can rank and earn traffic for years—an appreciating asset, not a pure expense.
“We have a Google auto-site already.”
Those were turned off in 2024; many SMBs lost their “website” overnight. Invest in something you own.
“We tried SEO and it didn’t work.”
SEO fails when it targets vanity keywords, ignores user intent, skimps on content depth, or skimps on local optimization. Fix those and pair with paid social/search for momentum.
A Simple Rollout Plan (60–90 Days)
The Takeaway for Owners and Teams
Search is still how people buy.
If you’re not findable there, you’re invisible to a huge chunk of demand.
Social reach is limited.
Treat it as a community & amplification channel, not your only storefront.
Own your foundation.
Platform products can vanish (GBP sites did). Your domain and website are assets you control.
Speed and UX matter.
Small gains here drive real revenue lifts because fewer people bounce.
The combination wins.
Social fills the top of the funnel; your website converts and compounds.
Ready to Build a Website That Works Harder Than Your Social Feed?
Stop renting attention—start owning your digital presence. Whether you're launching your first site or upgrading an outdated one, we’ll help you create a fast, credible, conversion-ready website that complements your social strategy and drives real results.