"I've got a Facebook page — do I really need a website?"
It's one of the most common questions I hear from tradespeople. And the honest answer isn't a simple yes or no. Facebook gives you some genuinely useful things. But relying on it alone leaves real gaps that will cost you work over time.
Here's a clear breakdown of what each one actually does for you.
What a Facebook Page Does Well
Facebook is good at a few specific things for local trades businesses.
Social proof from people you know. When someone recommends you in a local Facebook group and tags your page, it carries weight. People trust recommendations from friends and neighbours. A Facebook page with reviews from real customers, before-and-after photos, and regular posts signals that you're active and legit.
Direct messages from existing contacts. A lot of repeat bookings come through Facebook Messenger. Someone who used you two years ago doesn't need to Google you — they just find your page and message you. That's genuinely convenient.
Visibility in local community groups. "Anyone know a good electrician?" posts get answered dozens of times a day in local Facebook groups. If you're active and your page is easy to find, this can generate real enquiries — especially in the early days.
So Facebook isn't nothing. It's actually a decent tool for staying visible with people who already know you or who are in your local community.
Where Facebook Falls Short
The problem is when Facebook becomes your only online presence. Here's where it starts to break down.
New customers search on Google, not Facebook. When someone moves to a new area and needs a plumber, they type "plumber in [town]" into Google. They're not scrolling through Facebook. If you don't have a website that ranks for those searches, you're invisible to an enormous pool of potential customers.
You don't own your Facebook presence. Meta can change the algorithm, reduce your organic reach (it already has, significantly, over the past five years), or in extreme cases suspend pages without much explanation. You have no control over any of that. With your own website, nobody can take it away from you or decide your content doesn't get shown.
Facebook reach has fallen dramatically. Pages that used to get hundreds of organic views now get a fraction of that. Unless you're paying to boost posts, most of your followers won't see what you share. This has got worse every year as Facebook pushes businesses toward paid advertising.
It looks less professional for certain customers. Commercial clients — letting agents, property managers, small businesses — often want to check a proper website before instructing someone. A Facebook page alone can give the impression of a very small or informal operation. That's not necessarily fair, but it's the reality of how decisions get made.
What a Website Does That Facebook Can't
A website serves a different purpose entirely.
Google ranking. This is the big one. A properly built website with service pages and location content can rank on Google when people search for your trade in your area. That means people who've never heard of you, who have no mutual friends with you, who aren't in any Facebook group you're in — they can still find you. That's new business that Facebook simply cannot deliver.
Professional credibility. A clean, well-built website with your services listed, photos of your work, and genuine customer reviews makes a strong first impression. When a potential customer is choosing between you and someone else, a good website tips the balance.
Control over your information. Business hours, service areas, phone number, contact form — you control exactly what's on your website and how it's presented. You're not dependent on a social platform's layout or features.
A contact form that captures enquiries properly. Not everyone wants to call or message. A contact form lets people submit an enquiry at 11pm on a Sunday, and you get it waiting for you on Monday morning.
The Answer: Both, Not Either/Or
This isn't a competition. A Facebook page and a website do different jobs.
Your Facebook page handles your community reputation, keeps you in front of people who already know you, and gives you a place to post photos of recent work.
Your website handles new customer acquisition through Google, credibility with commercial enquirers, and a professional base that you own and control.
The businesses that grow steadily are the ones doing both. Keep your Facebook active — post photos, respond to reviews, stay in local groups. But don't treat it as a substitute for having a real web presence. Those are two separate jobs, and Facebook can only do one of them.
If you've been putting off getting a website because the Facebook page seems to be working, ask yourself: how many new customers found you on Google last month? If the answer is none, that's the gap a website fills.