The short answer: A Facebook page is a very good place to talk to customers, but it is not a replacement for a website. A page is space you rent on a platform you do not control. A website is yours. The smartest small businesses use both: Facebook for conversations and reach, and a website as the home base where customers can find you, trust you and contact you.
Many small businesses in Bangladesh begin on Facebook, and it makes sense. It is free, it takes an hour to set up, and your customers are already there. Fashion shops, home kitchens, gift sellers and tailors take orders through their pages every day.
So it is a fair question: "Why should I pay for a website when my Facebook page already brings me customers?"
The honest answer is that a page and a website do different jobs. This article explains what each one is good at, where a Facebook page falls short, when a page is enough for now, and how to use both so they work together.
What a Facebook Page Does Well
Facebook is popular for good reasons, and a page is a useful business tool:
- It is free and quick. You can have a page running today.
- Your customers are already there. You do not have to persuade people to visit a new place.
- Conversation is easy. Customers can message you through Messenger and comment on your posts.
- Word of mouth spreads. When a customer likes, shares or recommends your page, their friends see it.
- Reviews and photos build trust. Happy customers can leave ratings, and you can show real products and real work.
- Advertising is affordable. You can promote a post to a chosen area or interest group for a small budget.
If you are just starting out, none of this should be ignored.
Where a Facebook Page Falls Short
1. You do not own it
Your page lives on Facebook's platform, under Facebook's rules. The company can change how pages work, restrict or unpublish a page that it decides has broken its rules, and an account that is hacked or lost can take the page with it.
Even access to the platform is not guaranteed. In November 2015, Facebook was blocked across Bangladesh for about three weeks. For a business whose customers were all on its page, it was a reminder of how much it depended on one channel.
2. Fewer people see your posts than you expect
In November 2014, Facebook said that pages posting overly promotional content could expect their organic distribution (the number of people who see a post without paying) to fall significantly from January 2015. For many pages, reaching even their own followers now means paying to "boost" posts.
The audience you built may not see what you publish unless you keep paying.
3. Information gets buried
A page is a stream of posts. Today's offer pushes yesterday's price list out of sight. Customers who ask for your address, opening hours or product list every day are telling you that it is hard to find. On a website, each of these has its own clear place.
4. You have little control over how it looks
Every business page looks like every other business page, in the same blue frame. You can add a logo and a cover photo, but you cannot design a layout that shows your services the way you want, or tell your story in your own style.
5. It is weak on Google
When people search Google for "tailor in Mirpur" or "birthday cake in Dhanmondi", they are looking for something that matches what they typed. A website can have a page for each service or product, written around the words customers actually search for. A Facebook page cannot be tuned in the same way. At best it appears when someone searches your exact name.
6. Some customers expect a website
Corporate buyers, offices, suppliers and customers from abroad usually look for a website and an email address on your own domain, such as name@yourbusiness.com. If you export, your overseas buyers are likely to search for you on Google before they answer your message. A business with only a Facebook page can look less established than it really is.
7. Your customer list stays on Facebook
Everyone who likes your page belongs to Facebook, not to you. You cannot take their phone numbers or email addresses with you. On a website, you can ask customers to leave their details, with their permission, and build a list that is yours.
8. Not everyone uses Facebook
Some people do not have an account, and others prefer not to log in just to look at a shop. A website opens for anyone with a browser.
What a Website Gives You
- Your own address. A domain name like yourbusiness.com that you control, and email on that domain.
- Control. You decide the design, the message and the structure.
- A place to be found on Google. Pages that can answer what people search for.
- Everything in one place. Services, products, prices or price guidance, photos of your work, answers to common questions, your address on a map and your contact details.
- Trust. A clear, professional website shows that you are a real business that will still be there next month.
- Measurement. Free tools such as Google Analytics show how many people visit, where they come from and which pages they read.
- A home for your advertising. When you run a Facebook advertisement, you can send people to a page that explains your offer properly, instead of leaving them on a post.
Facebook Page vs Website
| Facebook page | Website | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Free | A one-time build, plus a small yearly cost for the domain name and hosting |
| Who owns it | You | |
| Reach | Falling for unpaid posts | Grows through Google, links and your own marketing |
| Google visibility | Limited, mostly your exact name | Pages for each service or product |
| Look and brand | Fixed layout | Your own design |
| Customer information | Stays with Facebook | Collected by you, with permission |
| Business email | No | Yes, name@yourbusiness.com |
| Best at | Conversations, sharing, quick updates | Being found, building trust, explaining and converting |
When Is a Facebook Page Enough?
Be honest about where you are. A page alone can be enough for a short time if:
- You are testing a business idea and have no budget yet.
- You sell to a small circle of people nearby, mostly by recommendation.
- Customers rarely ask you for more information than a post can give.
But it is time to plan a website when:
- Customers keep asking for your price list, address or catalogue.
- You are spending regularly on boosted posts.
- You want to reach corporate customers or buyers abroad.
- A competitor appears on Google before you do.
- You would like to be known as more than "a page".
How to Use Both Together
A website does not replace Facebook. It makes your Facebook work harder.
- Put your website address in your page's About section and in every advertisement.
- Add a link to your Facebook page on your website. Facebook's Page plugin can even show your latest posts there.
- Share new products, offers and articles from your website to your page.
- Keep the same name, logo, colours, phone number and address everywhere.
- Let Messenger handle quick questions and your website handle the details.
- Send advertisement clicks to a page on your website that explains the offer and tells people how to order.
- Make sure the website works on phones. Most of your Facebook visitors will arrive on one. I explain why in Why Your Business Needs a Responsive Website in 2016.
- Track what works with Google Analytics, so you know which posts and advertisements bring real enquiries.
What Your First Business Website Should Include
- A home page that says clearly what you do, for whom and where
- Your products or services, with real photos
- Prices, or honest price guidance
- An About page that tells people who is behind the business
- A contact page with your phone number, email, address, opening hours and a map
- A way to reach you quickly, such as a tap-to-call number and a message form
- Customer reviews and photos of your real work
- A link to your Facebook page
- A design that works well on phones
- Your own domain name and business email
How to Get Started
- Decide the goal. Do you want phone calls, orders, bookings or enquiries from companies?
- Choose a domain name. Keep it short, easy to spell in English letters and easy to say aloud. A .com address is the safest choice.
- Plan your pages and gather your content. Photos, descriptions, prices and your story are the heart of the site.
- Choose a designer or developer you can talk to, and ask for a clear written quote and a list of what is included.
- Launch, then connect it to your Facebook page, your advertisements and your business card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my Facebook page work as my website?
For a short time, it can fill the gap. But a page cannot do the main jobs of a website: giving you a place on Google for your services, an address you control, and a clear home for your information. Think of it as a good start, not a finish line.
Do I need to stop using Facebook if I get a website?
No. Keep using Facebook for what it does best: conversations, sharing and reaching people. Your website adds a stable home base behind it.
Is a website too expensive for a small business?
It depends on what you need. A simple, well-made website for a small business is a one-time build plus a small yearly cost for the domain name and hosting, and it can be much more affordable than people expect. Ask for a clear written quote, and compare it to how much you spend on boosted posts and how many customers you may be losing.
How will customers find my website?
Put the address everywhere: on your Facebook page, advertisements, business cards, bills and packaging. Over time, Google will also begin to show your pages to people who search for what you sell.
Can I take orders on my website?
Yes. A website can include an enquiry form, an order form or a full online shop. Many Bangladeshi businesses already take orders with cash on delivery or by asking customers to send money through bKash, and the same methods can be part of a website's ordering process.
Need a Website to Go With Your Facebook Page?
If you already have a Facebook page that brings in customers, a website is the natural next step. I design and develop websites for businesses, and I am happy to look at your page and suggest what your website should include. Send me a short message with your page address and what you would like to achieve.
