Short answer: Most small businesses need both. A Facebook page is a good free place to post photos and updates, but people looking for a business they don’t know yet search Google, and Google mostly shows websites and Google Business Profiles. A website is the part you own and control.
What a Facebook page does well
Facebook is free, quick to set up and already where a lot of your customers spend time. It's a good place to post photos of recent jobs, share updates like holiday hours, and let happy customers tag you and leave recommendations.
For a brand-new business that gets most of its work from people who already know you, a Facebook page can be enough to get started.
Where a Facebook page falls short
The trouble starts when someone who doesn't know you goes looking for what you do.
- People search Google, not Facebook, when they need a plumber or a dentist. Google's results are mostly websites and Google Business Profiles, and Facebook pages rarely show up for searches like "furnace repair near me."
- You don't control it. Facebook decides who sees your posts, can change its rules or features any time, and can lock or suspend an account. If that happens, your page and everything on it can be gone overnight.
- There's no room to explain your services. A Facebook page can't give each service its own page that Google can rank, or lay out the towns you cover and answers to common questions, which are the things that help customers and Google understand what you do.
- It looks less established. Many customers check whether a business has a real website before they call, especially for bigger jobs.
- Your visitors see other businesses. Facebook surrounds your page with posts, suggestions and ads that aren't yours.
What a website adds
A website is a home base for your business that Facebook doesn't control. It can have a page for every service you offer, the areas you serve, your real reviews, photos of your work and a tap-to-call button on every page. That gives Google something to match to searches, and gives a customer what they need to decide to call.
Google says its local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence. A clear website that says exactly what you do and where helps with relevance, and it's where your Google Business Profile, your Facebook page and other sites can all point.
You probably need both, plus a Google profile
The best setup for most small businesses is all three, each doing its own job:
- A website that explains what you do and turns searches into calls
- A Google Business Profile so you show up in the map, linked to your website
- A Facebook page for updates, photos and staying in touch with past customers, also linked to your website
When Facebook alone is enough
If you're fully booked from referrals and don't want more customers, a Facebook page may be all you need for now. The day you want to grow, or the day a competitor shows up on Google ahead of you, is the day a website starts paying for itself.
Common questions
Can my Facebook page show up on Google?
Sometimes, mostly when someone searches your exact business name. For searches about a service, like "roof repair" plus a town, Google mostly shows websites and Google Business Profiles.
Is a Google Business Profile enough without a website?
A Google Business Profile is free and important, but it's limited to the fields Google gives you. A website lets you explain each service in detail and gives your profile a place to link.