Do I need a website if I already have a Facebook page?

It's a completely understandable question. Setting up a Facebook page is free, fast, and feels like enough — especially when you're getting enquiries through it. But there's a fundamental difference between a Facebook page and a website that most small business owners don't fully appreciate until something goes wrong. A Bluehost website from $3.99/month gives you something Facebook never can — ownership.

The fundamental problem — you don't own your Facebook page

This is the point that matters above everything else. Your Facebook page is not yours. You have a licence to use it, subject to Facebook's terms of service, which they can change at any time, for any reason, with or without notice.

Everything you've built on Facebook — your followers, your reviews, your posts, your history — lives on Facebook's servers, under Facebook's control. They can restrict your page, suspend it, or delete it. It has happened to businesses with no warning and no recourse.

The reach problem — Facebook's algorithm works against you

Even if your page stays active, the organic reach of business page posts has collapsed over the last decade. In 2026, the average Facebook business page post reaches approximately 2% of its followers. If you have 1,000 followers, roughly 20 people see each post — unless you pay to boost it.

Facebook is a paid advertising platform that also offers free pages. The free page exists to build your audience and then charge you to reach it. That's the business model — and it's working exactly as designed.

A website with good SEO reaches people actively searching for what you offer — with no algorithm standing between you and your potential customer, and no ongoing advertising spend required.

The credibility problem — buyers check your website

When someone is seriously considering spending money with a business, they look for a website. A Facebook page alone signals that the business either can't afford a proper web presence or doesn't take its online presence seriously. Neither is the impression you want to make on a potential high-value client.

Research consistently shows that consumers trust businesses with professional websites significantly more than those with only social media profiles. A website with your own domain — yourbusiness.com — signals permanence, investment, and professionalism in a way that facebook.com/yourbusiness simply doesn't.

The Google problem — Facebook pages don't rank like websites

When someone searches "plumber in Auckland" or "best café in Christchurch," Google shows websites in its results — not Facebook pages. Your Facebook page might appear if someone searches your exact business name, but for the keyword searches that bring new customers, a website is what Google ranks.

Every week you don't have a website is a week your competitors with websites are capturing the search traffic you're missing entirely.

The risks of Facebook-only businesses

What Facebook is actually good for

To be balanced — Facebook genuinely has value as part of a broader online strategy. It's not either/or.

Facebook is excellent for: staying top of mind with existing customers, community building, paid advertising to targeted audiences, sharing content that drives traffic back to your website, and handling customer service conversations.

What Facebook cannot replace: a Google-rankable web presence, a professional credibility signal for serious buyers, an online asset you actually own, and a foundation that compounds in value over time.

Getting started — it's simpler than you think

The biggest barrier to getting a website is the perception that it's complicated and expensive. Neither is true in 2026. Bluehost — the WordPress.org recommended host — walks you through the entire setup process with guided onboarding. Domain, hosting, WordPress installation, and a professional email address all in one place, from $3.99 a month.

You can have a basic four-page website live in a weekend. That's all you need to start — home, about, services, contact. Keep it simple and get it live. You can always add more later.