Many small service businesses, restaurants and cafés use a Facebook page instead of a website. They showcase what they offer, share updates and answer customers’ questions there. If you do the same, you may be wondering whether that is enough or whether your business needs a separate home online. Find out when Facebook is enough and when a website can make your services easier to understand and help customers decide whether to work with you.
Is a Facebook page enough for your business?
Take a small hair salon, for example. A Facebook page can showcase cuts and colour treatments, announce available appointments and take bookings through messages. Someone browses the work, asks a few questions and books an appointment. If this approach works for your business, you do not need to invest in a website straight away. To decide whether a page is enough, look at how your customers use it:
whether they can easily find up-to-date information about what you offer,
whether they know where you are and when you are open,
whether they can see examples of your work,
whether they have a convenient way to ask about a service or place an order.
If your page does all of this, it may be enough for now. It may be time to consider a website if you keep having to send people to several posts or explain your services from scratch before you can discuss what they need.
When do you need more than a Facebook page?
A photo of a finished job can encourage someone to get in touch, but it does not always answer the questions that help them choose a business. What exactly does the service include? Where do you provide it? How do you work with customers, and what should they prepare before the first conversation?
This time, consider a renovation company that handles both minor repairs and fitting out flats. Individual posts can show examples of completed jobs, but someone planning a larger renovation will also need to understand the scope of the services and how the work will progress. If they have to piece that together from several posts, they may miss something or give up looking.
Your own website lets you arrange this information in the order customers need it: from a description of the service, through examples of your work, to contact details. You can still share photos and updates on Facebook, then direct people to the relevant page for more information. The website does not replace your Facebook page; it complements it with details people can easily read before getting in touch.
Why have a website if you already have Facebook followers?
When someone is interested in a particular service, it helps to send them straight to its description. A link to your entire Facebook page often means searching through posts on different topics, which can put people off working with you. On your own website, you can bring the relevant details together and send a direct link.
A direct link to a service page is also useful in ads. For example, if you are promoting event catering, you can send people to a dedicated page. They will immediately see what is included, a sample menu and how to contact you, rather than searching for that information among photos of the restaurant and the latest daily specials. That way, the ad attracts interest and the website makes the details easy to find.
On the other hand, business cards and leaflets usually feature the homepage address. Anyone who receives your materials or hears about you through a recommendation can find an overview of the business, links to individual services and contact details there.
If, however, you simply want to advertise your business on Facebook and encourage people to get in touch quickly, directing them to Messenger may be enough. A website is useful when people need more information about what you offer before sending a message.
What should a simple business website include?
If you simply want to introduce your business and make it easy to get in touch, you do not need a large website with lots of pages straight away. For a small range of products or services, a single scrolling page (a one-page website) may be enough to answer the basic questions:
what you do,
who your products or services are for,
what each service includes or what makes particular products stand out,
which areas you cover,
what experience, completed projects or reviews you have,
how to ask for more information, book an appointment or place an order.
A restaurant might need an up-to-date menu, for example, while a renovation business could include a gallery of completed work. There is no need to add everything other businesses in your industry have. A blog makes sense if someone can keep it updated with useful content. A booking form, in turn, is worth adding if you actually want to take bookings that way.
If you offer a wider range of products or services, separate pages will make them easier to browse. Each can cover a different part of the business, without making people scroll through content that does not interest them. The site should be easy to use on both a computer and a smartphone, with a phone number, email address or contact button readily available throughout.
How much does a simple website cost, and how soon can it be ready?
A small project does not have to mean a large budget or weeks of preparation. One option is our Website in 24 hours service. The Starter package starts at $275 net and includes a one-page website that clearly presents your services, examples of your work and how to contact you.
How does it work? To begin with, just tell us briefly what your business does and what you want your customers to know. You can also send examples of websites you like. You do not need to have the text, graphics or a logo ready – but if you already have materials you would like to use, we will of course include them.
We will then use your description to create an initial design. Your first private preview may be ready within 24 hours of providing the necessary information. This lets you see the whole site early on.
Before showing the site to customers, you can share feedback and request changes as part of one round of revisions. We will publish it only after you approve it. We will also connect your domain, optimise how the site looks and works on computers and mobile devices, and take care of the technical basics for SEO and AI search tools.
The first year of hosting is included at no extra charge, so it will not add to the launch cost. Hosting renewal then costs $25 net per year. You will also need to budget for domain renewal in subsequent years, at your registrar’s rates.
When is a larger website worth considering?
Even a small business may need more than a basic introduction to what it offers. If you want to sell products, take payments or give users access to content after logging in, those features need to be planned and built. How will you handle orders? Does the site need to work with tools you already use? These are just some of the questions worth answering.
The content itself may also need more space. If you serve different audiences, have an extensive catalogue or operate from several locations, people need a clear way to find the right information. Separate pages, well-planned navigation and a search function can then be easier to use than one long page containing everything.
That does not mean every new feature requires a large project. Sometimes, connecting the site to an existing booking or payment system is enough.
At ZanReal, we also build larger websites, online shops and solutions designed around the way a business works. For these projects, we agree the scope together, then prepare an individual quote and schedule. If you need more functionality from the start, we will include it in the design. And if something simpler turns out to be enough, we will not add features that nobody will use.
Is Facebook enough for your business, or do you need more? Take the quiz
Find out which option suits your business best: a Facebook page, a simple website or a larger site. Answer five questions, choosing the option that best reflects your current situation.
Thinking about a website for your business? Let’s talk
If Facebook helps you find customers, your own website can complement it. It is worth investing in one when it makes it easier for people to understand what you offer and contact you, rather than simply because your competitors already have a site.
Tell us how you currently present your business online and what is missing. At ZanReal, we will help you decide what the site should include and how it can work alongside your existing Facebook page. We can recommend a simple one-page site through our “Website in 24 hours” service, or a bespoke project if you need more. You will know the price and planned delivery time before making a decision. We would be happy to work with you!
