Having a strong internet presence is critical to success in today’s tech-driven society. Although there are several reasons to use Facebook in your digital marketing efforts, it should not be a Facebook page vs. website argument. On the other hand, maintaining an e-commerce site PH takes time and money that small company owners may not necessarily have in plenty. If you’re seeking methods to optimize your online activities, Facebook’s new modifications may be intriguing. But are they sufficient alternatives for having your own small company website?
Facebook Pages received substantial upgrades in mid-2021, including additional sections that company owners may add to Pages, a larger call-to-action button, and an enhanced mobile page layout. They’ve also included the option for page owners to update pages from their mobile devices.
Could these more customizable Pages replace the maintenance of your own small company website? Here are the four primary problems to consider in order to choose what works best for your company.
1. Less complicated and less expensive
Because many people use Facebook for personal social media, it’s generally more convenient and familiar than using a website builder or blog. And Facebook is free, but hiring a corporation, a freelancer, or an employee to design and manage a business website is not.
Many small company owners naturally value the possibility of decreasing both the time and financial costs of digital marketing. Using a Facebook page as both a social networking tool and a company website may simplify, ease, and reduce the cost of developing an online presence.
2. Built-In Constraints
While Facebook allows you to customize your page header, store sections, and, of course, the material you publish, that’s the extent of the branding and personalization you can do on your business page. Your company’s identity is secondary to the blue Facebook brand, and your content, including offers, promotions, and updates, must comply with Facebook’s requirements. Because any content you upload on Facebook can be used by Facebook for their own reasons (unless you delete it), the attractiveness of exclusive, original content is lost.
3. Increased Traffic
With 1.4 billion active monthly users, Facebook provides what small companies most need: access to an expanding client base. When it comes to choosing a decision, this may appear to be a no-brainer: go where the people are.
However, keep in mind that millions of people use Facebook does not mean that millions of people view your page and your posts. Your followers will see what you publish on Facebook, but not all of them will see everything you post in their newsfeed. You would still need to work hard to build an audience, just like you would with a website or blog.
4. Mobile Compatibility
Because Facebook is a massive corporation with billions of users, you can expect regular updates and ongoing mobile optimization of the Facebook app. For example, having a large firm handle mobile optimization for your digital marketing is a significant relief; you know you shouldn’t disregard mobile consumers, but keeping up with mobile needs may be a real pain. Using Facebook ensures that your efforts, at least on the Facebook platform, will be mobile optimized and maintained up to date.
5. Facebook Dependency
However, there is an issue with relying on a large firm to optimize and upgrade for you. There are two aspects to this problem: loss of control and lack of accessibility.
When you hire a small business, a freelancer, or an employee to develop and maintain your website, you have control over the style, the content, and which features are prioritized over others. Similarly, if you are experiencing technical difficulties, you may contact a genuine professional on your payroll to assist you in resolving the issues.
You have very little control when you rely only on Facebook. With each new update or upgrade, you have little, if any, say in the priorities and decisions that are made. And you don’t have a direct line to contact when Facebook is down, an upgrade doesn’t function, or there’s a technical problem with your Facebook page.
Facebook may still be the ideal tool for your online efforts, but it’s essential to realize what you give up in return for a user-friendly, popular platform. If you’re okay with the dependencies and lack of control, Facebook can absolutely help you simplify your digital marketing, especially if you’re a new business. However, if you want greater control over your identity, content, and priorities, keep your website up and running; use Facebook as part of your online strategy, but not as your only tool.